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What do you say when your child asks about God...


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For those of you who believe in God, I'm curious what you say when your young children ask questions like "How do you know if God exists?" Or "Isn't it possible that God doesn't exist?" Or when they express doubt or skepticism.

 

I'm not really looking for advice on what 'my' answer should be to those questions, more just curious about how other people answer them.

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Hmm...I'm not really sure. I've told my kids about God since they were small babies. To them, God just IS. He's there, always has been, always will be.

 

I guess if they ever posed that question to me, I'd just tell them to look around them. They can see God's hand in every sunset, every newborn baby, every blooming flower. I'd tell them God is like the wind. We can't see the wind but we do not doubt that it's there. We see the effects of the wind. God is just like that.

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My kids aren't really mature enough for an indepth discussion on doubt. We do however talk about our belifes. I remind them that it is OK to have doubts or not undertand everything...and that I do as well.

 

I have mentioned that so long as our faith is "healthy" and is good for them, they loose nothing by having it...even if it isn't the ultimate truth. ( I realize this may not be popular belife here)

 

Now, if their faith becomes toxic, I hope they question it.

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They can see God's hand in every sunset, every newborn baby, every blooming flower. I'd tell them God is like the wind. We can't see the wind but we do not doubt that it's there. We see the effects of the wind. God is just like that.

 

:iagree:

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How do you know if God exists?"

--I just tell them about the reasons I believe. I make it very personal, my own answers & story. We do enough church and Bible that they already know good theology, so I don't feel like I have to review the whole Bible for them each time they have a question.

Or "Isn't it possible that God doesn't exist?" Or when they express doubt or skepticism.

-- Mainly I don't get freaked out about the questions. I just answer them calmly. Like, 'There may be moments when we wonder about that, or there may be people who think that all the time, but the reasons we are sure he does exist are...'

And I think it's important to come at this with love & comforting & calmness.

 

Sometimes I think, to be honest, that these questions may not relate to God at all, but to something else in their lives that is troubling them and it comes out in this way. Let's say, for example, that DH had to spend a lot of time at work & couldn't have his usual time for DS for 2 wks, and DS felt sad about this. Then he begins to wonder about things.

But of course at other times DK may really have questions about their faith that need to be addressed.

HTH. (BTW we are very strong Christians-- hope this doesn't come off like I think these questions are not important.)

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I think the best thing you can do is listen with acceptance and, if it seems appropriate, answer from a personal perspective. So if he were my child I would share about how I found that it was only relationship with a loving God and seeing how life really only "works" within that relationship (reconciliation--God to me and me to others) that made me unshakably sure of God. How much I share and how would depend on age (as would scripture about this area). If I'm reading your sig right you've got young children as do I. Mostly, I would invite him, encourage him, to share with God his doubts and uncertainty with me (praying aloud with (for) my young child). I would encourage him to be honest with God and assure him that it's ok to tell God he's not sure God is even there. I would ask God to show my child His love--both then and when alone. Because we're each on our own spiritual journey and so how you personally "know" doesn't matter so much. You can't transmit your knowing to him anyway (though how you "live out" that knowledge before him is very important). He must come to that himself and those who seek God will find him.

 

I know many young kids accept all of it at face value (mine do) but I hate to read that on a thread because I think some kids naturally question more than others. I was one of those as a child at least at some point. God wires us all differently.

Edited by sbgrace
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Mostly, I would invite him, encourage him, to share with God his doubts and uncertainty with me (praying aloud with (for) my young child). I would encourage him to be honest with God and assure him that it's ok to tell God he's not sure God is even there. I would ask God to show my child His love--both then and when alone. Because we're each on our own spiritual journey and so how you personally "know" doesn't matter so much. You can't transmit your knowing to him anyway (though how you "live out" that knowledge before him is very important). He must come to that himself and those who seek God will find him.

 

I love this!!!

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I tell them I believe God exists because of my personal experience with life-transformation through Christ.

 

I also tell them it's possible He doesn't exist, that all my spiritual experiences may have natural explanations, but (as previously mentioned) cite scripture and observation of the miracles of nature as evidence of His presence - as well as my own transformation.

 

I also tell them that God gives us faith and He never witholds it from those who truly desire it, so they should humbly petition Him with their questions, doubts, fears, etc and expect that He will answer them.

 

I also pray for them, that God will grab their hearts and not let go.

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