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I dont know if this is the right place or not or if I should go to the religion forum but its a parenting kinda question. I am trying to figure out how to teach my son about Jesus/God. I have read him stories from a childrens bible and taken him to church and talk to him about it in general but it doesn't seem like he understands, its just another storybook to him. He will be going to a Christian school in the fall but it really got put in forefront when he came home from daycare and told me his teacher told him God is dead. So when do they really start understanding religion and have I taught him enough for now or what?
I dont know if this is the right place or not or if I should go to the religion forum but its a parenting kinda question. I am trying to figure out how to teach my son about Jesus/God. I have read him stories from a childrens bible and taken him to church and talk to him about it in general but it doesn't seem like he understands, its just another storybook to him. He will be going to a Christian school in the fall but it really got put in forefront when he came home from daycare and told me his teacher told him God is dead. So when do they really start understanding religion and have I taught him enough for now or what?
How old is this child? It really sounds like you're taking the right steps. Between church, school and your own reading to him will do it.
He's too young to understand everything. Let him absorb it at his own pace.
As to the daycare person...just explain to your child that not everyone believes the same. And that it's ok.
THEN...I would have a talk to the daycare person and tell her to keep her thoughts/beliefs to herself.
Do you want to teach him about religion, or christianity. There's a difference. I'm all for teaching a child about religion, but not to follow christianity OR religion.
It is a wise parent who teaches his/her children about ALL the different religions and beliefs and who also teaches his/her children that religions are made up by people all through the ages. People just like all the rest of us. No matter how old the religion is, it was made up by people.
Children should be taught that there are very old religions, and very new ones. Some are good, and some are not. Most were invented by men, but some by women. They should know that not one is better than another since all religions are based on belief in some version of God.
Children who are well informed grow up knowledgable adults, able to decide what path fits them best.
I am wanting to teach him about both. We are Christan/Lutheran so I want to teach him about that but also that other people have different religions and that some people have no religion or dont believe in God at all.
I am wanting to teach him about both. We are Christan/Lutheran so I want to teach him about that but also that other people have different religions and that some people have no religion or dont believe in God at all.
When my daughter was 13, she researched many different religions to find out if there was one she wanted to study more in depth. We had very long, very involved discussions about a lot of them.
In the end, she decided that since they were all man made, and not one fit what she believed to be true, she would be most satisfied knowing there is a god, but no religion was good enough to give her the sense of reality.
I don't believe in religion, but I do believe in God. She doesn't believe in religion and she believes God is different than how I interpret Him to be. We're both satisfied.
I dont know if this is the right place or not or if I should go to the religion forum but its a parenting kinda question. I am trying to figure out how to teach my son about Jesus/God. I have read him stories from a childrens bible and taken him to church and talk to him about it in general but it doesn't seem like he understands, its just another storybook to him. He will be going to a Christian school in the fall but it really got put in forefront when he came home from daycare and told me his teacher told him God is dead. So when do they really start understanding religion and have I taught him enough for now or what?
It sounds like you are doing the right things especially for a 5 year old. He will obviously receive some sort of religious education at school next year. I think it is important for parents to expose children to religion (despite their beliefs) so the child can make up his or her own mind as an adult.
I am a christian and attend church with my family regularly.
I think that parents should be open to spriritual and religeous teaching.
I think reading stories and taking him to church is a good thing. Even take him to several different churches
In the land down under, we have at school a thing called RE (Religeous Education). I know in the USA, that religeon has been kept out of government schools and to me the effect of that is that the religeous extreemists come up with ways of getting it in. For example dressing it up as science and call it intelligent design. In Australia, the local churches come in to the school and do the RE thing. Usually half an hour a week and kids can opt out too. Means that you get a reasonable range of reasonable religeous views.
Religion, God, Christianity, Jesus - those are all pretty complicated and abstract concepts. Bible stories and the experience of worshipping are all tools to help children grow into their faith. I don't think you can teach it at a rate faster than he is developmentally able to grasp it all.
Keep doing what you are doing - you are on the right track.
Religion, God, Christianity, Jesus - those are all pretty complicated and abstract concepts. Bible stories and the experience of worshipping are all tools to help children grow into their faith. I don't think you can teach it at a rate faster than he is developmentally able to grasp it all.
Keep doing what you are doing - you are on the right track.
I agree. We go to a smallish church. About 80 people on a sunday morning and to me, for the kids, the most important thing is to have fun. To go home with a good experience of church.
That does not mean that they have to run riot. There are times when they must sit still and quiet. Like prayers and bible reading. They go to sunday school class when the pastor preaches and they can dance and rattle musical instruments during the hymns. We usually have a fun childrens story time too. Mind you I think the adults get more from that than the kids but the kids have fun too. It is also a good time for teens to participate and help to lead.
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I am trying to figure out how to teach my son about Jesus/God. I have read him stories from a childrens bible and taken him to church and talk to him about it in general but it doesn't seem like he understands, its just another storybook to him. He will be going to a Christian school in the fall but it really got put in forefront when he came home from daycare and told me his teacher told him God is dead. So when do they really start understanding religion and have I taught him enough for now or what?
