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TheMightyFavog

(13,770 posts)
Sun Jan 8, 2012, 02:02 AM Jan 2012

When did the Berenstain Bears become so religious?

I was walking through a store after going to go see War Horse And I noticed some Berenstain Bears books... After leafing through them I wondered When did the Berenstain Bears become so religious? Specifically, when did they become devout Christians? This has me puzzled, because I could have sworn that I read somewhere that Stan and Jan Berenstain were Jewish...

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jberryhill

(62,444 posts)
2. They make most of their money doing toilet paper commercials
Sun Jan 8, 2012, 02:08 AM
Jan 2012

After success years ago, the Berenstein Bears made some bad real estate investments and were eventually seen sneaking around dumpsters in small towns in the Adirondacks after meth-fueled mauling binges.

After they got the new gig doing Charming commercials, they cleaned up and have been doing the Jesus schtick.

fishwax

(29,146 posts)
5. Apparently there's a fairly extensive series of BB books put out by Zondervan press
Sun Jan 8, 2012, 02:26 AM
Jan 2012

which is a large evangelical publishing company. They have a kids imprint--Zonderkids--and it looks like the religious Berenstain Bears titles (which started to appear in force in 2008) are published by them: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_The_Berenstain_Bears_books#Publication_summary

I hadn't heard.

dimbear

(6,271 posts)
12. Not buying it. The only bears in the Bible at all are the ones that ate the kids who
Sun Jan 8, 2012, 06:41 AM
Jan 2012

made fun of Elisha for being bald. As far as I can remember.

Second Kings.

 

jberryhill

(62,444 posts)
15. The Berenstain Bears disowned one of their kids
Sun Jan 8, 2012, 10:24 AM
Jan 2012

...when he finally came out to his parents as bi-polar.

Fumesucker

(45,851 posts)
13. Bears On Wheels was the first book my daughter ever read..
Sun Jan 8, 2012, 06:45 AM
Jan 2012

That was over 25 years ago..

Brings back memories..

salvorhardin

(9,995 posts)
14. Mike, the son of Stan and Jan Berenstain, added the Christianity to the Berenstain Bears
Sun Jan 8, 2012, 10:03 AM
Jan 2012
While many fans have praised the books for teaching morality, Berenstain said his parents derived the lessons from "their own personal philosophy about raising children." Berenstain said he and his older brother Leo were raised in a secular household.

"My father was a secular Jew; my mother was raised a nominal Christian," he told The Christian Post. "We weren't raised religious."

Berenstain, who very much interested in science as a child, grew dissatisfied with his parents' secular values. In college, he sought answers in philosophy. It was not until he married and sent his children to Quaker schools that he was introduced to the Bible. Berenstain said he then began to read the Bible and attend a local church.

He later accepted Christ and was baptized in a Presbyterian church. Ten years later, he is writing books with his mother. An accomplished artist and children's book author in his own right, Berenstain began helping out with the family book series in the 1980s. He took over from his father in 2005 when Stan Berenstain passed away at age 82. His mother, now 87, continues work with him on the series.

http://www.christianpost.com/news/berenstain-bears-author-uses-his-talents-for-god-in-faith-inspired-series-51146/
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