Boys and Girls Alone- the subject of childhood

Channel 4's programme has sparked off a public debate about how we should treat children in our society.

The four-part series was based around the Big-Brother concept of placing 20 children aged 8-11 in a cottage and filming the result. What is the result? Tears and fights, and an outcry from paediatricians, psychiatrists and politicians.

At the heart of the debate lies the obvious but sometimes overlooked fact that children are not adults. They need the protection of adults, and when they are exploited, the world recognises that this is wrong.

'Children of this age are not in any position to make an informed choice about participation; and in pandering to the worst excesses of fame and celebrity in this way, children are yet again being treated as if they are "mini-adults"' -Dr Richard House, Senior Lecturer in Psychotherapy, Roehampton University, quoted in The Times on Saturday 14th February.

What does the Bible say about childhood? Well, they are to be looked after, disciplined and trained by their parents- the first section of Proverbs is a father's wise words to his son, setting an example for parents to follow.

But the Bible does not advocate that children are too young to make an 'informed choice' about God. In fact, Jesus uses children as a model of faith for adults:
'I tell you the truth, unless you change and become like little children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven.' (Matthew 18:3)

Is this because becoming a Christian is about being naive? Not at all! It is because becoming a Christian is about receiving God's free gift of salvation, not trying to earn it through your own merit. If you offer a child something valuable, they rarely say no! If you offer an adult, they begin to try to pay you, or make it up to you in some other way. Adults thrive on self-sufficiency, and it's exactly this attitude that keeps us far from God.

Children can also be an example of why we need God. You don't need to teach a child how to be selfish, cruel, or proud. Why? Because these things are human nature. Children are not innocent. They are sinners and accountable for their sins- this is why we need to teach them, from an early age, to come to Jesus for forgiveness. The consequences of neglecting to do this can be dire.

One sobering example of Scripture is that of Manasseh. He was 12 when he became king, and he 'did what was evil in the Lord's sight'. He led the people to do 'even more evil than the pagan nations whom the Lord had destroyed when the Israelites entered the land' (2 Kings 21:1-2, 9). One wayward son led a whole nation astray. How can we avoid this? By protecting our children, and making them responsible for the choices they make.