Ok, I want to clarify~ I do not read the bible with my children. My point was that the bible shouldn't be given so much power, as if it is 'The Word of God'. It should be classed with other man-made stories. There should be no fear of it.
My little ones both have also had schoolmates 'preach' to them about 'hell' and expressed their surprise that my little ones don't go to church...saying it will result in going to hell. I asked them why they thought those girls were so afraid. They realized it's because they were taught this and began believing it...like someone taking myth for truth. The hell/prayer talk from those girls concerned my girls enough for them to talk to me about it, so we did. They have seen how fear of what's written in the bible (no matter how wrongly interpreted) can lead people to do unfair things and say unreasonable things...for example the way that their grandparents' (my entire family, in fact) have treated their mother and tried to instill fear in them of me being killed at armageddon.
These fears had to be discussed..and my point is that my little ones have open dialogue with me about the bible...hoping to take the mystery and fear out of it...to see it for what it is, nothing more than stories...but certainly not bedtime stories..