[RobotFerretOfDoo...]

This has been playing on my mind for a few weeks now.

We are not a religious household. DH is an athiest and I'm a lapsed Christian who is probably more an agnostic these days.

Our kids have had no exposure to religion, but I have no objection to them learning about it.

We had an advent calendar this year which was a nativity scene, and I started trying to explain the story behind it to DS before getting hopelessly lost in how to explain the "Son of God" idea to a child who didn't know what "God" means.

I ended up just explaining that the baby was going to be a very good man who would help people, and kind of glossed over the God part of it.

But it's left me wondering how on earth you explain the concept of God to someone who has no exposure to it?

I don't want to teach my child that God is either real or false - I just want to be able to explain the concept.

Any ideas?

This post has been edited by WootFerretOfDoom: 12/01/2013, 03:22 PM

[la di dah]

I guess the same way anyone explains other religions to their kids?

It seems like if an atheist has to explain [pulls number out of butt] 945 religions they don't believe in, a religious parent still has to explain 944?

I don't believe in Jesus but of course I'm not going to send a kid out into the world having never heard of him, as that's not real functional for Western society. So I'd go the culurally relativistic "this is what some people believe..." route.

I would probably start with Creation beliefs from different religions from around the world? Stressing that different people believe different things and that's okay. I'd probably try to get a polytheistic faith in there too, and specifically address that some people believe in many gods, some in one, and some in none.

[countrymel]

"God is the name that people give to explain things too wonderful, too amazing, too complicated to understand.

To help themselves understand people like to say that 'God' made them.

You know that feeling you get sometimes when you are having the best day ever? When you are somewhere really beautiful and you feel like everything is just great couldn't be any better?

Well some people like to say that that is because of 'God'.

Because they believe that God brings all the good things, and makes everything they want to please this God person - so they have people who are 'experts' in understanding what God would want them to do.. they are called Priests, Ministers, Rabbis, Muftis etc. etc. they tell the people what they think God want's them to do..

This makes some people feel secure.

We don't do that in our family - we just appreciate things for being beautiful and wonderful just because they are."

[cinnabubble]

This is how Christmas went in our house --

Me: so, Mary was married to Joseph, but pregnant to God. Jesus was born in a stable because there was nowhere else to stay. When Jesus was born, God shone a star over the stable to let people know his son had been born.
Miss Six: could God make a star do that?
Me: yes sweetie.. Some people believe God can do anything.
Miss six: can he kill himself?
Me:

Easter
Me: tells story of crucifixion etc govt doesn't like what Jesus is saying, they nailed him to a cross, he died, they put him in a cave and he came back to life three days later.
Miss Five: mummy, how big were the nails they put through his hands?
Me: Well, my knowledge of early Roman carpentry is fairly limited ...

Damned if you do and damned if you don't.

This post has been edited by cinnabubble: 11/01/2013, 05:52 PM

[katrina24]

At this stage, my two children believe even though DH and I do not. We have talked about a lot of different creation stories and that no one knows the 'truth' but many people have strong beliefs. I have shared my belief (scientific). I also purchased a children's bible and a book about different religions around the world (you could use the library though). We read them together and discuss them. They have both decided they believe in the Christian creation story and God.

[AvadaKedavra]

We explained 'God' to the 3.5 year old as a 'superhero' that some people believe is real. And some people believe in 'superheroes' with different names and different powers, but they're all 'superheroes'.

[lsolaBella]

Cinnabubble we had similar questions..


"So was Jesus happy when they nailed him to the cross"
"If Jesus rose from the dead why can't others"
"Is God still alive"

And the whole Jesus, Mary, Joseph relationship is fun.

This is coming from child going to Catholic School (parents lapsed Catholics).

So we don't have a huge focus on God in our household and trying to explain for school etc is hard.

Also very happy for them to learn other religions and views around the world.

[Saecularis Angel...]

My instinct would definitely be to start with the idea of God as creator, if you're looking to explain the Jesus story. I think that's helpful too because it's common ground for the Abrahamic faiths. (And after all, if it was a good enough starting point for the compilers of the Bible... )

[CallMeProtart]

This is how Christmas went in our house --

Me: so, Mary was married to Joseph, but pregnant to God. Jesus was born in a stable because there was nowhere else to stay. When Jesus was born, God shone a star over the stable to let people know his son had been born.
Miss Six: could God make a star do that?
Me: yes sweetie.. Some people believe God can do anything.
Miss six: can he kill himself?
Me:

Easter
Me: tells story of crucifixion etc govt doesn't like what Jesus is saying, they nailed him to a cross, he died, they put him in a cave and he came back to life three days later.
Miss Five: mummy, how big were the nails they put through his hands?
Me: Well, my knowledge of early Roman carpentry is fairly limited ...

Now whenever DS gets into my arms in kind of a baby-like position, he says "I'm baby cheeses"
Blasphemy and mispronunciation in just 3 words!
DD, when I told her about Jesus coming to earth, wanted to know when he was coming to our house. So I had to explain that he grew up and died, and that Easter, which she might remember from all the chocolate eggs etc, is actually about him dying.
Then she wanted to know why he died from all the chocolate.

[Canberra chick]

We have explained to DS that some people believe in a god, which they believe is an all powerful being who made the world and the universe. To which DS replied, but that's a bit silly, isn't it?

He was also a bit taken aback to hear that three out of his four grandparents believe in a god, sort of along the lines of 'but they seem so normal'. We have explained that for some people believing in a god makes them feel happier.