How do you explain the Adam and Eve/evolution thing to your kids?

We've had something resembling this conversation before, but I'm curious now, for particular reasons.

My 4-year-old goes to a Catholic preschool. I was raised Catholic. My wife was raised in a 100 percent secular home.

Anyway, we're getting to that point where he comes home and tells us Bible stories from school. He's often really excited about it. For example, out of the blue the other day, he called Kentucky's victory over Wichita State a "miracle," then compared it to Jesus walking on water and feeding 5,000 people with two baskets of fish and bread.

Anyway, there is one story I know is coming at some point, and I'm curious about how others handle it: Adam and Eve.

We talk about evolution in our house. We talk about it quite a bit, in fact. And about how the Earth is billions of years old. And so on.

How does everyone reconcile it? I'm going to take a stab at explaining the concept of mythology and allegory to him, and I think he'll get it. We'll see. We've already dealt with heaven quite a bit because he lost two people close to him: I tell him we just don't know. He doesn't like that, and it's definitely not what he's hearing at school.

It's odd, because kids don't think very abstractly. I wish I could say, "Well, I believe in god, but I also believe that most mainstream religions, including Christianity, actually diminish the concept by trying to shrink something so unknowable and awesome and beyond our comprehension into a set of human-scale fables."

I don't think he'd quite get that, though.

So: Adam and Eve?

 

Re: How do you explain religion to your kids?

My father-in-law is a pastor. He's absolutely, 100 percent against religious indoctrination and childhood baptism because religion is meant to be self-determined.

I'm going with that until I see a compelling reason to do otherwise.

 

Re: How do you explain religion to your kids?

You should re-read that link you posted about not overthinking and trying to make your kid's childhood magical.

He doesn't need the answers right now. He will grow into them. Especially the Adam and Eve part.

 

Re: How do you explain religion to your kids?

I want to, more than in any other thread, really emphasize here that I'm flat-out just curious about this and not experiencing any existential angst about it.

This is a pretty cool page:

http://www.catholic.com/tracts/adam-eve-and-evolution

The Catholic Church has no fear of science or scientific discovery.

 

Re: How do you explain religion to your kids?

There are times when my wife gets momentarily upset because isn't well-versed in Christianity, like her mom did something wrong, when really it makes her the best mom ever. And really rare.

 

Re: How do you explain religion to your kids?

It's too late.
Your child has already been indoctrinated.
He will forever lack the capacity for logic and reason.

 

Re: How do you explain religion to your kids?

I wouldn't overthink it. My kids have been in Sunday school all along and they've never asked any questions about Adam and Eve or evolution or anything like that.

I was raised Catholic (sort of) and I never asked any questions about conflicts between the bible and science. Without ever really thinking about it that much, I just came to the conclusion that one thing is a story and one thing is science.

 

Re: How do you explain religion to your kids?

On Adam and Eve: Well, son, some people think.....

When he asks you what you believe, just tell him.

 

Re: How do you explain religion to your kids?

Well, I don't want to give him the idea that Adam and Eve and evolution are equally valid origin stories, but, otherwise, agreed.

Sometimes, I'm sad just bursting his bubble. He gets so excited about the Jesus stories he hears at school, particularly if it means that Grandpa and Uncle are still going about their business somewhere.

 

Re: How do you explain religion to your kids?

Preschool.

He'll be going to public school next year.

 

Re: How do you explain religion to your kids?

Teach about the traditions and celebrations, don't worry too much the other stuff, kids will grow into it.
I'm Jewish.
My wife is the Education and Youth Director at synagogue, running the religious school (K-7) and youth groups (three, with the oldest being for high school kids).
Our son is 5 and at home for the last few years we've done the stories and traditions for the holidays as well as some of the basic blessings with him. He doesn't need more than that at this age.

 

Re: How do you explain religion to your kids?

We tell our children that, in the same way God created Jesus to save us from our sins and to salvage a church that have become over-reliant on doctrine, he created Darwin and other folks to help explain the ways by which the natural world works.