Guest GOD'S ARMY Posted August 18, 2004 Report Share Posted August 18, 2004 Two nights ago my wife was at a coaches meeting for her basketball team and I was alone with my daughters. My 4 month old was fast asleep and my 3 year old and I got ready for bed. We went into my room and knelt at the foot of my bed and I said a prayer. When I finished my daughter sat back on her feet and asked me why I didn't bless the cat. I replied that the cat had been dead for 5 months now and that he was in heaven. Then she said, "with grandma?" Yes. They are with Heavenly Father and Jesus. Then she asks, "Are Heavenly Father and Jesus real or just pretend? WOW! I was floored that she was asking such questions. She just turned 3 last week. I explained things to her as best as I could. Obviously I can't tell her everything at once, she wouldn't get it. It would be too confusing, but then I don't want to give her fairy tales either. My question is how would you all explain it to a three year old? Where would you start? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Snow Posted August 19, 2004 Report Share Posted August 19, 2004 Great question.I wonder how you yourself view the existence of God. For example, my view of God being real is completely different than when I was 10, than when I was 20, than when I was 30. My faith now is as strong now as it was when I was younger but I now understand it as it being a dogmatic belief. My faith, I think is more mature and more realistic and therefore stronger.Some people, bless their hearts, going through their whole life believing that their dogmatic belief equates to knowledge. If it works for them, more power to them. Then there are those who think that they have had spiritual experiences that equates with knowledge. I am borderline in that camp but the other part of me thinks that the spiritual experiences I think I have had are not absolute proof and so it still comes down to a matter of dogmatic faith.My spiritual progresssion is pretty typical for many people. Egotistically I say that it happens to all thinking people. I believe that my journey is not over.So, the question is, do you want to give your children a push along the journey or do you want them to go through it at their own pace? I have been through 2 crisis periods in my life (I hate it when people add the unnecessary clause "in my life" - of course it is MY life, I am not talking about crisis periods in Bill Clinton's life) when I discovered that reality wasn't really the way I had dogmatically been taught that it was. Some people never emerge (as believers) from those doubting crisises. Would I have been better off if I had been trained in my youth to be more of a religious skeptic.Don't know, can't say, but knowledge it power and wo unto he who destroys the faith of the innocents. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest GOD'S ARMY Posted August 19, 2004 Report Share Posted August 19, 2004 I don't quite follow. We are talking about a 3 year old. I am not trying to give her a perfect knowledge of things I don't even have a perfect knowledge of. I have a young lifetime of learning and spiritual experiences that have formed my testimony. It may not be a perfect testimony, but it is real. I am just trying to give her real answers that aren't too much for her to handle. I view the existence of God as very literal and very real. I hate the word dogma. It delegitimizes ones faith and understanding down to philosophy. There is more knowledge in the Spirit of God than that. And that Spirit has the power to manifest the mysteries of God. I am compelled as her father to give her as much as I know. And yes I am saying there are things that I know. There are other things that would have to be purely conjecture on my part and there are the things that lie in the middle. She is already a religious skeptic and I truely hope that what I teach her will be of nothing but benefit to her soul. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest bat Posted August 19, 2004 Report Share Posted August 19, 2004 Originally posted by GOD'S ARMY@Aug 18 2004, 03:21 PM My question is how would you all explain it to a three year old? Where would you start? Bat please do not type negitive things, go get some java and come back refreshed ok..... That would be a good place to start, especially if she likes Star Wars. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Faerie Posted August 19, 2004 Report Share Posted August 19, 2004 my question is: are you LDS? is she going to primary? i really like how the primary program approaches it... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest bat Posted August 19, 2004 Report Share Posted August 19, 2004 Originally posted by Faerie@Aug 18 2004, 08:41 PM my question is: are you LDS? is she going to primary? i really like how the primary program approaches it... Bat, I guess you forgot the java again , Maybe we could try another (NON) negitive approach when discussing the church, thanks bat Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jenda Posted August 19, 2004 Report Share Posted August 19, 2004 I started out fairly simply with my daughter, who is now 6. I told her that God is a person who watches out over all of us and that Jesus, who lived a long time ago, is God's son, but now he lives in our hearts and tries to guide us to do the right thing. And I started teaching her to pray at that time. She knows the Lord's Prayer and says simple prayers. I know that that is not quite theologically correct, but for a 4 or 5 year old, it is good, and as she is growing up, I add more things I think it is necessary for her to know. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lindy Posted August 19, 2004 Report Share Posted August 19, 2004 Originally posted by bat@Aug 18 2004, 08:22 PM "God is a hostile space alien that lives on a giant crystal ball planet near a star called kolob."That would be a good place to start, especially if she likes Star Wars. OK funny boy.....This is a 3 year old....and we don't want to give the child nightmares OK? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lindy Posted August 19, 2004 Report Share Posted August 19, 2004 I like how Jenda put it....starting simple is probably the very best way to start. A 3 year old also deals well with pictures, and there are lots of pictures of Jesus and children....seeing a "picture" of Christ seems to help the reality issue. And I think that it helps to have pictures of Christ and children hanging on the wall somewhere for them to see daily....it helps them to remember with the gentle, loving, smiling pictures. No comments from the peanut gallery .... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest bat Posted August 19, 2004 Report Share Posted August 19, 2004 Originally posted by lindy9556@Aug 18 2004, 11:26 PM I like how Jenda put it....starting simple is probably the very best way to start. A 3 year old also deals well with pictures, and there are lots of pictures of Jesus and children....seeing a "picture" of Christ seems to help the reality issue. And I think that it helps to have pictures of Christ and children hanging on the wall somewhere for them to see daily....it helps them to remember with the gentle, loving, smiling pictures.No comments from the peanut gallery .... Okay, I won't say anything about "Christian propaganda". Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Faerie Posted August 19, 2004 Report Share Posted August 19, 2004 Originally posted by lindy9556@Aug 19 2004, 02:26 AM I like how Jenda put it....starting simple is probably the very best way to start. A 3 year old also deals well with pictures, and there are lots of pictures of Jesus and children....seeing a "picture" of Christ seems to help the reality issue. And I think that it helps to have pictures of Christ and children hanging on the wall somewhere for them to see daily....it helps them to remember with the gentle, loving, smiling pictures.No comments from the peanut gallery .... which is what Sunbeams is...God loves us, Jesus is His son, we are all brothers and sisters...and also the fun part of how to make jewelry with dried noodles...ooooh and paint...ooooh and construction paper...you can do WONDERS with construction paper...eryou don't have to get into philosophy with her...i think Jenda put it perfectly... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest GOD'S ARMY Posted August 19, 2004 Report Share Posted August 19, 2004 Originally posted by lindy9556@Aug 19 2004, 12:26 AM I like how Jenda put it....starting simple is probably the very best way to start. A 3 year old also deals well with pictures, and there are lots of pictures of Jesus and children....seeing a "picture" of Christ seems to help the reality issue. And I think that it helps to have pictures of Christ and children hanging on the wall somewhere for them to see daily....it helps them to remember with the gentle, loving, smiling pictures.No comments from the peanut gallery .... Pictires. That's what I did. I have a book of paintings of Christ at different stages of life and explained from there. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest GOD'S ARMY Posted August 19, 2004 Report Share Posted August 19, 2004 Originally posted by Faerie@Aug 18 2004, 09:41 PM my question is: are you LDS? is she going to primary? i really like how the primary program approaches it... Yes, LDS. I don't remember primary that well. She asked a question and I answered it. I just wondered if maybe you guys had some insight on how you would address it. I tend to be too bold in my statements. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
shanstress70 Posted August 19, 2004 Report Share Posted August 19, 2004 I would be concerned that someone possibly told her that Jesus and HF were 'just pretend'. Is she around anyone that might have told her that? My son is only 2 so I don't have that much knowledge about what they come up with, but did she really think of that on her own? Maybe... just thinking. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest lt Posted August 19, 2004 Report Share Posted August 19, 2004 Originally posted by bat+Aug 18 2004, 11:45 PM--></span><table border='0' align='center' width='95%' cellpadding='3' cellspacing='1'><tr><td>QUOTE (bat @ Aug 18 2004, 11:45 PM)</td></tr><tr><td id='QUOTE'> <!--QuoteBegin--lindy9556@Aug 18 2004, 11:26 PM I like how Jenda put it....starting simple is probably the very best way to start. A 3 year old also deals well with pictures, and there are lots of pictures of Jesus and children....seeing a "picture" of Christ seems to help the reality issue. And I think that it helps to have pictures of Christ and children hanging on the wall somewhere for them to see daily....it helps them to remember with the gentle, loving, smiling pictures.No comments from the peanut gallery ....Okay, I won't say anything about "Christian propaganda". Good idea bat Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest GOD'S ARMY Posted August 19, 2004 Report Share Posted August 19, 2004 Originally posted by shanstress70@Aug 19 2004, 09:13 AM I would be concerned that someone possibly told her that Jesus and HF were 'just pretend'. Is she around anyone that might have told her that? My son is only 2 so I don't have that much knowledge about what they come up with, but did she really think of that on her own? Maybe... just thinking. I don't know. She is a very smart little girl with an extensive vocabulary. Most of the children she is with are LDS also. My in-laws are not LDS, but are still Christian so I don't think it came from them. I think she came up with it on her own. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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