Come let us reason together.

I think it must be hard when people marry into to different reglions.They both want theire child to follow that reglion. I'am glad she had a boy and girl.That way everyone won.They both got what they want.

This is an absolute favorite of mine. It shows us how devisive religion can be. I love how Nels or Edna aren't as concerned about the religous differences, but Precival's dad and Harriet are always buting heads.

I really liked this episode.......

I thought this was a good episode but too "pat" at the end..in reality you really can't raise children both ways, if you truly believe in Jesus, you only teach one child about him?
I am Christian and worked and lived in a heavily Jewish community,many Orthodox are my friends. This only works if both parents aren't really religious, but for TV, it was okay. I just never found it realistic, just fun.

I loved Percival and wish they could have stayed on..but it was good while it lasted.

Michael Landon was half Jewish. His kids are Christian, he was buried in a Jewish cemetary. Kind of makes you wonder what his thoughts were on the subject.

My girls thought the same..they knew so may Jewish children and some that were "mixed" were more cultural, they would brag about having Hanukkah and Christmas presents but that is what it was for them..gifts. My twin daughter once said when she was young, how sad it must be to be raised nothing..a compromise many take, but to each his or her own, I just thought for a period piece, it was very unlikely this would happen, although it was funny at times, it stereotyped a great deal also.

Lisa wrote:

littlehouselover wrote:

I thought this was a good episode but too "pat" at the end..in reality you really can't raise children both ways, if you truly believe in Jesus, you only teach one child about him?

That was my problem with it, too. If you really believe that Jesus is the Son of God, and that repentance of sin and accepting Him as Savior is the only way to Heaven, it becomes a part of who you are - not just something that you believe...and so teaching one of your own children that something else is the truth would be morally wrong and out of the question. And the same would go for a Jew, I'm sure - they would be just as strongly opposed to having a child taught that Jesus is the Messiah. Even when I was a young girl and saw their "solution", I was stunned, and thought it was pretty lame. I love Little House, but that was just poor writing in my opinion.

Yes, I agree with you, that always seemed so unrealistic to me. And if Nellie was truly a Christian, she would want both her children to be saved-not just her little girl. Also, it's unrealistic to me how you could go the children's whole lives raising them in two different religions-eventually the children are going to question which one they believe and wonder why their parents raised them that way. And then they are going to make that decision on their own-what they believe. I know it's just a TV show, but this episode always bugged me because of that even though it was funny.

Well, I've read all the critizing. How would you have written it differently?

To be honest, I wouldn't have done the storyline. I grew up in a multi-cultural neighborhood and workplace most of my life and always disliked these storylines. If neither was religious, fine, but to say a girl can be baptized but not the boy, the boy will go to Hebrew school but not the girl..he will have a Bar Mitzvah and the girl a confirmation, you're not a "family". If it means nothing to you, it's still confusing to the child.
I remember this is a true story, a woman who came into a shop I worked in at a Jewish Community Center for a short time. She said her son got in trouble at Sunday School (at Jewish Temple) because he added to scripture from what he learned at his Catechism class (Catholic)...I thought she was joking...the Rabbi was speechless and so was I...you really can't do both and he ended up just going to Hebrew School after that.

My Mother was Christian, My father was Jewish and I have an older brother. To say you wouldn't write the story line is dodging the question. The fact of the matter is that it happens in real life. Whether we like it or not. Its like saying there is no solution.

How would you have solved it? I know how my parents did.

I didn't marry someone Jewish in part because he wanted the children raised that way..I couldn't do it. I told the Rabbi I couldn't deny that part of me, but that was me.
Mr. Landon's son, was raised by his Christian mom but really as "nothing", he said, they rarely went to church unless the grandparents took them. Mr. Landon did not practice an organized religion which made it easier and both Christian mothers of his children weren't religious. I think very religious parents would have a hard time although some things are complimentary.

I know people do it, I just think when you let them decide later, it's hard, so many of the rituals and sacraments I had helped me in life, even when I didn't go to church, I was always praying and felt a closeness to God in other ways, that helped me back later. My kids know kids that made it work for them, but some felt cheated...it is very individual.

My friends son is close to a Jewish girl but she told him she couldn't baptize and pretend it meant the same thing, he couldn't just let it go as easily as he thought, so they are at a standstill, but at least it's now.

I'm glad your parents made it work...I really couldn't write a script like that especially in the 1800's and I wouldn't as a mother of twins, break up the religious upbringing by sex...but that's just me.

Well, there is one thing for sure. It's a shame when two people love each other, all of the above gets in the way......I'm not saying its wrong, and I'm not saying it's right. But I don't think it speaks well of us as humans as a whole.

Anyone looking at the Middle East right now can certainly see that. And I don't think it makes the Man upstairs very happy........

Good discussion!

I know what you mean, I don't believe anyone has the "ticket" to heaven, but for me, I just couldn't disregard what I felt. I know a Catholic couple that say, God first, then my spouse and it works for them, if they keep him first, they wont be as selfish. I wish I had a faith quite as deep, but I always say "a work in progress". : )
I think I knew there were other things too in that case with the Jewish friend, a gut feeling under all the good feelings and he did marry twice and divorce twice later I heard.

I believe we all find our way, the paths can be very winding and I have had my moments and probably will again but I don't like that subject it to be comedy..and I think having twins, it struck me more personally.

Well said, I look forward to further discussions with you. Intelligence can be rare these days.
David

littlehouselover wrote:

To be honest, I wouldn't have done the storyline. I grew up in a multi-cultural neighborhood and workplace most of my life and always disliked these storylines. If neither was religious, fine, but to say a girl can be baptized but not the boy, the boy will go to Hebrew school but not the girl..he will have a Bar Mitzvah and the girl a confirmation, you're not a "family". If it means nothing to you, it's still confusing to the child.
I remember this is a true story, a woman who came into a shop I worked in at a Jewish Community Center for a short time. She said her son got in trouble at Sunday School (at Jewish Temple) because he added to scripture from what he learned at his Catechism class (Catholic)...I thought she was joking...the Rabbi was speechless and so was I...you really can't do both and he ended up just going to Hebrew School after that.

I agree. It's a hard issue. I do not say we must not spoke about it or discuss the matter, but I think the solution is not so easy as Michael Landon show us at this storyline. He had to suffer himself this kind of situation and he knew very well problems could not be solved as easy as he shows in this episode...

I liked it, tough.

Vanesa.

Well, never thought I would agree with Harriett Oleson on anything, but in this episode, I'm totally on her side.
Percival's father, can't think of his name, did nothing but push his ways and beliefs on everyone the moment he arrived in Walnut Grove. From dinner, to discussions on what religion the baby would be raised, to even telling Harriett where to put things in the store!
The issue of the baby's faith had to be raised at some point, but still, he was a GUEST in the Oleson's home, and he should have conducted himself as such.

Go Harriett! LOL

Both Harriet and He were wrong. That decision was Percival's and Nellie's..........

This one is another that is not one of my favorites, but it does provide both humor and drama. It can also be the catalyst for some deeper questions for people to consider. I think it is interesting to see some of Jewish culture come to Walnut Grove. However, I just feel like the arguing was a bit over the top and became tiresome. Maybe that was to make us, the audience, feel a bit of what Nellie and Percival must have been feeling. I had forgotten about Percival changing his name. I do find it a bit odd that he had not even told Nellie what his name really was. I do like how Percival, when confronting his parents and the Olesons, talks about whether this is what religion is all about - fighting - and, if so, how he and Nellie don't want anything to do with religion. That's one of those deep points to think about. I believe that it isn't just about religion, but it is about identity and culture, too. Both sets of grandparents really wanted the grandchild to be raised in their own culture.

While the conclusion (having one boy, to be raised Jewish, and one girl, to be raised Christian) seems satisfying for the episode, in reality, I'm not sure this would work well, particularly since both children are the same age (as twins). Would it be confusing to the children as they grew up and became aware that they were being raised in differing religious contexts?

littlehouselover wrote:

I thought this was a good episode but too "pat" at the end..in reality you really can't raise children both ways, if you truly believe in Jesus, you only teach one child about him?
I am Christian and worked and lived in a heavily Jewish community,many Orthodox are my friends. This only works if both parents aren't really religious, but for TV, it was okay. I just never found it realistic, just fun.

I loved Percival and wish they could have stayed on..but it was good while it lasted.

My understanding of Judaism is that it encompasses one's whole life, especially if one is Orthodox, which I believe Percival's family was. And that includes the whole family. It isn't about individualism but about family and community. Even the example of Percival's mom and dad trying to include the Olesons into the Sabbath dinner demonstrates this. It isn't just about eating a meal.....it's a religious observance with the family. It also would probably be hard for Percival, on his own, to raise his son as a Jew in a community like Walnut Grove. (Yes, I know they moved away later, but here there was no indication they would do that.) Again, I think to practice Judaism as one or two people would not be easy. (It would be the same the other way around, i.e. it would be a challenge if there were only two Christians trying to practice their faith in a community of Jewish people.)

Davetucson wrote:

Well, I've read all the critizing. How would you have written it differently?

It actually goes back to Nellie marrying Percival without apparently thinking through these kind of issues. So while I love Percival and Nellie, because the show did not address this issue prior to their marriage, I think they had to come up with a pat solution like they did with this episode. Another solution, I suppose, could have been what Percival himself proposed - that he and Nellie turn from all religion and don't raise their child/children in any faith. Or Nellie could convert to Judaism or Percival could convert to Christianity. But then of course there would have been the issue of their parents and still no happy ending would be achieved in one episode.

Davetucson wrote:

My Mother was Christian, My father was Jewish and I have an older brother. To say you wouldn't write the story line is dodging the question. The fact of the matter is that it happens in real life. Whether we like it or not. Its like saying there is no solution.

How would you have solved it? I know how my parents did.  

How did your parents solve the issue?