In the interest of raising well rounded children, I make sure that I inform them about several different cultures and beliefs. They are going to run into people of diversity in the real world, so I try to make sure they have early knowlege/understanding of such things, even if they don't believe it.
A culture that we talk about a lot is Christianity, obviously, as we live among them, and their father is a Christian. The two oldest asked me why I don't like the bible, stating that their father told them it was "the good book". I encourage my kids to ask questions about everything they don't understand, and keep asking until they do, but since that is something I encourage, I have to be willing to answer their questions truthfully.
I sat them down and explained to them why I find the bible to be not a good book at all, and then backed up my opinions with the evidence of the words of the bible itself. A lot of people think I am wrong for this, but I read them some verses of the bible that pertained mostly to children, since that is something with which they can relate. Psalm 137:9, Deuteronomy 21:18-21, and 2 Kings 2:23-24 to name a few, and explained in modern english essentially what I just read meant. They understood, and came to the conclusion that just by saying such repulsive things, the bible is not "the good book".
Last weekend I had my friend over, along with her children, all about the same ages as my own. She is, of course, a creationist/christian, although we avoid the subject when together in order to maintain our friendship. (We've been friends for 16 years). Her daughter and my son got into a disagreement, and she told him that she didn't have to do what he said, and the only rules anyone had to follow are in the bible, to which my 7 year old son replied, "If that were true, your mom would kill you for being bad. That's what the bible says."
It caused quite a controversy between my friend, her husband, and I. We separated ourselves from the children to discuss it, and they were furious with me for defending my son. Why shouldn't I have defended him? He was technically correct. Turns out, they were really furious with me for reading them such things, even though what I read them came straight out of the very book on which they supposedly base their entire lives.
I apologize for being so long winded! My question is simply this:
Should I have waited to answer such a question for my children before they understand such human concepts, like social sensibilities? Should I have given them some vague answer and expected them just to take my word for it?
They left, and won't speak to me. The last thing she said to me was "You're sick! You should let them make their own decisions about what they believe!"
Besides that statement being endlessly amusing coming from a Christian, Isn't that exactly what I am doing? I have never told them they should think like me. All I have done is told them what I believe, just as their Christian father has done, the only difference being that I have offered them evidence for my beliefs, while their father has none to offer.
I want to hear lots of opinions on this!
A culture that we talk about a lot is Christianity, obviously, as we live among them, and their father is a Christian. The two oldest asked me why I don't like the bible, stating that their father told them it was "the good book". I encourage my kids to ask questions about everything they don't understand, and keep asking until they do, but since that is something I encourage, I have to be willing to answer their questions truthfully.
I sat them down and explained to them why I find the bible to be not a good book at all, and then backed up my opinions with the evidence of the words of the bible itself. A lot of people think I am wrong for this, but I read them some verses of the bible that pertained mostly to children, since that is something with which they can relate. Psalm 137:9, Deuteronomy 21:18-21, and 2 Kings 2:23-24 to name a few, and explained in modern english essentially what I just read meant. They understood, and came to the conclusion that just by saying such repulsive things, the bible is not "the good book".
Last weekend I had my friend over, along with her children, all about the same ages as my own. She is, of course, a creationist/christian, although we avoid the subject when together in order to maintain our friendship. (We've been friends for 16 years). Her daughter and my son got into a disagreement, and she told him that she didn't have to do what he said, and the only rules anyone had to follow are in the bible, to which my 7 year old son replied, "If that were true, your mom would kill you for being bad. That's what the bible says."
It caused quite a controversy between my friend, her husband, and I. We separated ourselves from the children to discuss it, and they were furious with me for defending my son. Why shouldn't I have defended him? He was technically correct. Turns out, they were really furious with me for reading them such things, even though what I read them came straight out of the very book on which they supposedly base their entire lives.
I apologize for being so long winded! My question is simply this:
Should I have waited to answer such a question for my children before they understand such human concepts, like social sensibilities? Should I have given them some vague answer and expected them just to take my word for it?
They left, and won't speak to me. The last thing she said to me was "You're sick! You should let them make their own decisions about what they believe!"
Besides that statement being endlessly amusing coming from a Christian, Isn't that exactly what I am doing? I have never told them they should think like me. All I have done is told them what I believe, just as their Christian father has done, the only difference being that I have offered them evidence for my beliefs, while their father has none to offer.
I want to hear lots of opinions on this!
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