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

Re: How do you explain religion to your kids?

My wife is Christian while I am sort of whatever.

Our 6 year old daughter told me the other day that "everyone is brothers and sisters in God's eyes".

I have told her in the past that there is a heaven because she does not to be freaked out about death any more than she needs to be freaked out that Santa is not real. This came on the heels of her worrying about her bones being in the ground like dinosaurs.

I hope we raise a rational child who can eventually make her own decisions but if the concept of heaven relieves stress than I have no problem with that illusion.

 

Re: How do you explain religion to your kids?

Tell your kids they are wearing clothes because a talking snake told a woman to eat an apple.

 

Re: How do you explain religion to your kids?

I'm not troubled by it.

 

Re: How do you explain religion to your kids?

"Religion is a smile on a dog."

 

Re: How do you explain religion to your kids?

Almost all religions teach the same basic truths, and most sane people think these basic truths are good.

That should be a good enough reason to stick with it.

 

Re: How do you explain religion to your kids?

I keep my mouth shut. They, and my wife, get something out of it and I don't need to confuse them by telling them I feel it's just another fairy tale. I pretty much just smile and nod. But, when I'm directly asked, I give a generic answer, like "Mother nature caused it"

 

Re: How do you explain religion to your kids?

No, that's most certainly not a good enough reason to stick with it - not in its entirety. Not when it provably flies in the face of science, like Adam and Eve.

And you don't need religion for those "truths." Although I get that, for whatever reason, people feel the need/desire to seek out an authority.

 

Re: How do you explain religion to your kids?

Religion is comforting. The reason I've yet to call myself a full-blown atheist is because the idea of nothing after death is depressing. Yeah, yeah, live life to the fullest and live everyday sounds good but when the world has beaten you down so much that all you have left is "Well, I'm here to see another day," it makes for a pretty shitty existence and knowing that death won't bring an eternal mansion is depressing

 

Re: How do you explain religion to your kids?

Or to be around nice people and do shit with each other a couple times a week.

 

Re: How do you explain religion to your kids?

Yeah, I agree.

But believing in Adam and Eve? Believing that evolution isn't true? As a grown-up?

Not acceptable.

 

Re: How do you explain religion to your kids?

Look up Paul Harvey's Open Letter From God sometime. I think you will like it.

 

Re: How do you explain religion to your kids?

I think that's a reasonable enough take on it. I think focusing on the "soul" -- the relationship, if you will -- is a much better path for kids than trying to hash out day-age theory, creationism, etc.

It's possible your son brings up Adam and Eve, but I wonder how hard a preschool presses that story. There's a lot of moving parts, if you will, in Genesis 1-3. And not a lot of churches -- including some Catholic churches -- spend much time in the OT any more.