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[shreena]

Shreena's Question Of the Day..

If a child asked you "Do you believe in God?" and you knew that you held a view contrary to their parents, how would you answer their question and why?

Not arising from a real life situation, just spotted a discussion of it elsewhere.

Comments

[glamwhorebunni]

If *anyone* asked me "Do you believe in God?" I don't know how I'd reply... But yes, I'd definitely tell the kid that there's doubt and so on.

On the other hand, I'd never tell a kid Santa doesn't exist, or that there's reason to doubt his existence.

[ailbhe]

Santa does exist; I should know; I've been him often enough!

[clarisinda]

Interesting question. I would answer honestly, though probably with lots of "I believe that god doesn't exist" rather than "god doesn't exist" type statements. Though, actually, thinking about it, I'm not sure why as I wouldn't bother to be that tactful with adults, and I'm quite sure that theist adults mostly wouldn't be that tactful when discussing religion with children.

Tbh, I hope one day my neices ask me this sort of stuff, so I can counteract the religious indoctrination they are apparently getting from their father's side of their family :-S However their parents are athiest/agnostic as far as I know, and they are bright girls, so I'm sure they'll figure it out for themselves sooner or later.

[cartesiandaemon]

I've never been anywhere like it, so I might well be conservative in real life, but I think the best thing to do is to tell them in a matter of fact way what I think and that it's something people disagree on.

[cangetmad]

Interesting for me, as an atheist parent who's currently dealing with a LOT of un-called-for Christian propaganda via school. No, I would be honest. If the kid's old enough to ask, they're old enough to get a proper answer. I haven't yet met a theist who'd hold back for a second with my kids.

[hatam_soferet]

I get such things quite a lot, mostly in the form of "Did God write the Torah" and stuff...I usually say "What do you think?" and make it into a conversation about them, because when they're so young that contradicting views are liable to be confusing, they usually want the conversation to be about them anyway, and it means you don't have to skate the thin theological ice.