Surely this depends almost entirely on the age of the child?My daughter and I had a chat about what happened in Sydney yesterday.
Needless to say, it is tricky to explain such things to the satisfaction of an inquiring mind.
How do you explain religion and religious beliefs to kids? Especially ones that you do not share.
Yeah, the last thing you want is to force a set of beliefs on them...just tell them the truth.
That religion is an evil set of superstitions and rules that were invented to help control people.
Do what we say or you go to 'hell' instead of 'heaven'. Some religions even get creative and promise you 6 dozen virgins in the afterlife if you
are kind enough to kill innocents while you are on earth.
Basically it boils down to 'my imaginary friend is better than your imaginary friend'
As you can see I am no fan of religion and consider it the greatest cancer on mankind and civilisation.
Tell them how it is, explain it as it appears - stories, no absolute truth - and they will see.Especially ones that you do not share.
Yep, I wanted the credit for the presents.Do you tell them that Santa Claus doesn't exist as well?
Correct. I prefer to force the truth on them instead. Right from the start so they don't waste their lives looking for something that simply isn't real.Yeah, the last thing you want is to force a set of beliefs on them...
That's because it's not bloody finished yet, is it?Seems there is a lot scientists cant explain about creation.
Fixed for youSeems there is a lot scientists can't yet explain about creation.
Can you source some age appropriate picture books that try and explain religion/s to little ones? Assuming that your kid is quite young? Surely 'mainstream' religions provide propaganda aimed at all age groups/levels of development. They probably have a 1800 number as well. If you could find something for each religion, you could encourage her to read them (or you read them with her) and maybe she could begin to develop her own understanding of what it is all about.My daughter and I had a chat about what happened in Sydney yesterday.
Needless to say, it is tricky to explain such things to the satisfaction of an inquiring mind.
How do you explain religion and religious beliefs to kids? Especially ones that you do not share.
Science can't explain fairy tales with no evidence to support them.Fixed for you
My vote for best answer of this thread.I talk about religion (lower case 'r') with my (almost) 7yo often, but only because he asks. We (wife is a heathen also) explain what people believe, never in a derogatory or negative way, and that we simply don't believe the same thing. His grandma on wife's side is a JW, my mum is an elder in uniting church. He knows the basics of what they believe, and respects their beliefs (even the 'no Chrissy or birthday' thing on the JW side)
When he asked why they believe what they go, I tell him it's what makes them happy and helps them understand the world.
Btw, both my kids (other is 4), know, and are cool with our bodies turning back into fertilizer when he die. Wife's grandfather is on last legs at the moment, and I loved my 4yo reminding my wife that's it ok, because the worms will eat him.
My tips, never shy away from the questions, never ridicule or trivialize others beliefs (ridiculous as they are), and teach them to respect others beliefs (do as I say, not as I do). I try to explain, as best as I can, what science and nature has on offer to make sense of the world for them.
Whats HARD, is trying to explain to him why one if his friends loudly an frequently tell him that his mum says that ghosts are the tortured spirits of people who don't believe in god, and that's what's going to happen to him (my son) and his family (us). He doesn't believe it, but it baffles him that people would think and say such things...,