What is Wrong with the Brick Bible

I’ve had this Brick Bible article in my queue to write for months. I don’t want to work on it and I don’t want to release it! It’s not the inevitable backlash that is fueling my procrastination as much as the thought that those who should care will not.

Even though some won’t give a big whoop dee doo about how a book posing as a Bible could be detrimental to their child’s faith, I’m going to stretch my muscles and do some heavy lifting for those who want to be informed! Get ready! What follows isn’t pretty.

What is the Brick Bible?

The Brick Bible illustrates the New and Old Testaments using LEGO Bricks to depict its people and stories. Clever! The illustrations can be quite captivating for kids and youth. Chapters and verses are cited for the stories being portrayed. The author is brilliant in his ability to build the LEGO scenes and photograph them. In an interview with Nexus, the author explains:

An average story is told using about 11 or 12 still photos. One story takes about a week to complete, start to finish, including reading and scripting, building characters and sets, photography, photo processing, and website building.

Nexus Interview

The Brick Bible website notes that:

The success of The Brick Bible project has spawned a hit book series with over half a million titles in print, carried by major retailers including Costco, Barnes & Noble, Walmart, and Amazon. 

https://thebrickbible.com

What are the issues with the Brick Bible

The undertaking of the author shows persistence, skill, and creativity. The creation of the Brick Bible is like a master baker making a triple chocolate wedding cake. The baker skillfully creates a beautiful, enticing, and mouth-watering showpiece.

This particular baker has a couple of personal issues. First of all, he hates cake. He not only hates cake, but he despises the goofs who believe cakes are great.

To showcase his genius, he bakes the cakes and receives accolades from his designs. What his customers do not know is that he purposefully never washes his hands while making his creations. He smiles as he licks his fingers leaving his DNA in the icing and the batter.

What does this gross story have to do with the book’s issues?

Brendan Pile Smith, the Brick Bible author and illustrator, has left his DNA on a work that targets children. Consider the following facts about the creator of the Brick Bible and see if any proverbial red flags stand out:

• The author is a self-professing atheist.
• The author goes by the name, Elbe Spurling. According to the writer’s website, he is mostly known for the Brick Bible book series and is an American transgender artist. The books are published under the author’s birth name: Brendan Powell Smith.
• The author selects and focuses on portions of the Bible that are not appropriate for children in the context that Smith presents.

Examples of the author’s agenda at work

While the Holy Bible does not hide the often horrific scenes of history, there is merit to shielding children until they are at an age where they can digest properly the consequences of the depravity of sin. Just a few of the illustrations and stories in this children’s book include:

• A naked Adam and Eve with their bottom parts together
• Noah as he lay naked in his tent
• Samuel “hacking” a king into pieces
• Angry angels snatching terrified Lego women
• A man thrusting a spear through a man and into a woman
• Amnon and the rape of his sister
• Graphic killing scenes with Lego blood and gore
• One scene read, “Anyone who would not seek Yahweh would be executed.” The scene includes men tied down ready to be beheaded.

More Surprising Brick Bible Issues

Every Lego representing God is illustrated with angry and often violent looking facial expression. Remember the baker who left his DNA? Smith’s opinions and ideas of God are on display in his work. The reason for how he has portrayed God is explained by Smith’s Nexus interview. The author was asked, “What is your favorite Bible character, and why?”

His response should send chills up the spine of any believer whose child has access to his work:

“It may seem cliche, but I have to say my favorite Bible character is Yahweh himself. I don’t think I would have been nearly as inspired to create this project if it weren’t for the continuous outrageous and depraved actions of the Bible’s main character. Power-mad, belligerent, masochistic, petty, woefully insecure, extremely dangerous and unpredictable (and seemingly not too bright) Yahweh exhibits all the worst attributes of man.

As such I can only really consider him a “favorite” character in the way a Star Wars fan might consider Darth Vader to be their favorite character. But if you were to stop and imagine if Darth or Yahweh were real and not just fictional, you might be more hesitant to think of them as “cool” for things like blowing up a planet of innocent civilians, or ordering genocides and torturing people to death.”

-Brendan Powell Smith – Nexus Interview

Mockery of the Holy Spirit

The Holy Spirit comforts and leads followers of Christ. We hold His presence as sacred, honorable, and precious. Yet, during a Nexus interview on The Brick Bible, the interviewer, OJ, wrote this: “You can even buy Brick Testament books and LEGO characters (the Holy Ghost will crack you up)!”

The mindset of the author and interviewer is more of mockery and less of honoring our creator. The spirit of God is not a jester, comedian, or someone to make fun of at all. Mocking the Holy Spirit is extremely dangerous. (Matthew 12:31-32)

What’s the Harm?

From a freedom standpoint, a huge indicator of bondage is the lies we believe. If the enemy can get a person to come into agreement with a lie about God, the result will be a skewed view of the character of the God of the Bible!

The Resistance to the Error Has Been Minimal.

According to the Nexus Interview, the author has gotten very little negative feedback from parents or the church in general. Amazon reviews are typically positive and many sing its praises. There does not seem to be much conviction to protest the Brick Bible. Parents give glowing reviews that their children cannot put their “Bible” down.

According to the Nexus interview, when protest did come, the author scoffed at the idea that there was anyone who would be concerned about the book’s naked Legos.

“It always comes as a bit of a shock to me that someone could browse through The Brick Testament and it’s endless string of depictions of the Bible’s most horrific and grotesque violence (including stabbings, stonings, immolations, flailings, decapitations, massacres, mutilations, drownings, and public torture) and not bat an eye or worry that such things might be harmful for children to view, but at their very first sight of “naked” LEGO figures in a sex pose they feel great moral outrage.”

-Brendan Powell Smith – Nexus Interview

What is a Trustworthy Bible kids want to read?

The Brick Bible is not the only “Kids Bible” that alters or misrepresents the stories of the Holy Bible. What’s a parent to do? Focus on the Family has several books for children and teens that are captivating with accurate depictions of the God of the Bible. From what has been recommended to me, here are some options for Bibles for children and teens.!

How Can a Parent Protect Their Children?

They say that training a child is similar to tending a garden. Their life is a seed that will grow and produce fruit. Parents have to water, nurture, and provide an environment for the child to grow into a healthy adult.

Careful attention to the details of childrearing will involve weed-pulling, keeping predators away, protecting them from the “elements.”

We can perhaps do the most influential thing by ensuring we do not pervert or twist the truth, so that our children do not enter into any kind of bondage. Misrepresenting the God of the Bible will distort a child’s view of their creator and may cause them to spend eternity in a place no one wants their child to go.

How do parents keep bad books or media away from their child?

Gone are the days that we can trust what are children are digesting. We must stand guard with more passion than a guard at Fort Knox. Our children are certainly more valuable!

6 Tips for Parents

• Read the books that you introduce to your children. Either read them first or read them with the kids the first time. As evidenced by the reviews of the Lego Bible, do not rely on reviews alone!
• Train your child on what is good and bad. They need to be able to pick out a lie.
• Pre-watch the videos that your kids watch.
• Play the games that your children want to play beforehand, or play with them so that you can detect any “funny” business.
• Check out quality reviews before introducing media to your kids. I highly recommend Plugged In Reviews: https://www.pluggedin.com/.
• Listen to the Holy Spirit. If you begin to feel a check in your spirit about a toy, game, book, or even a person, pray about it. Listen and follow His instructions.

Good Questions to ask your child

If you want to know what your child believes, ask some questions. We can’t just assume they already know the truth. Influence from media, friends, authorities, church, and activities can impact your child in ways you may not know.

A few years ago, a Sunday School teacher was talking about Biblical marriage. Only one child in the room agreed with the Biblical viewpoint. They were all under 11! Learning about their anti-Biblical views about God shocked her. When she addressed the parents, they met her with disbelief. None of them believed their child would have worldview ideas. Why? They had never talked with their children about their thoughts. That’s scary!

Remember as you ask the questions, give them space to answer. Don’t correct them as they go or they may clam up. Listen. Make mental notes on what needs to be taught or addressed later. If they ask questions, be prepared to answer.

Here are some questions to ask:

• When you think of God, how do you think he feels about you?
  • This question may let you know their perception of Him and how they view themselves.
    • Helpful scriptures: Jeremiah 29:11; John 3:16
• When you do something wrong, what kind of emotion do you think God has?
  • You can have smaller children draw the faces they think God makes.
• How powerful is God? What can He do?
• Do you know what sin is? Can you give me some examples?
• Do you know how to be forgiven for sin?

Don’t forget to pray and ask God good questions to ask your child. No one knows your child like He does! Parenting is hard, but with the blessings of God and the truth of His Word, you can do it well!