Comments on: Tell Me All Your Thoughts on God http://aroomofmamasown.com/2008/02/tell-me-all-your-thoughts-on-god/ Tue, 10 Jan 2012 01:04:06 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.0.1 By: Willowgreen http://aroomofmamasown.com/2008/02/tell-me-all-your-thoughts-on-god/comment-page-1/#comment-2115 Willowgreen Sat, 01 Mar 2008 23:02:00 +0000 http://aroomofmamasown.com/wordpress/?p=369#comment-2115 Well played, Mark!<br/><br/>Some books I found really helpful when my kids were your daughter's age and asking similar questions were "When Children Ask About God" by Harold Kushner and "Finding Your Religion" by Scot McLennan (the model for Rev. Scot in "Doonesbury"). "Finding Your Religion" has a good, readable summary of James Fowler's work on the "stages of faith" which I found particularly reassuring. Basically, it says that it's developmentally appropriate for young children to imagine God as being like a person, eased my mind significantly.<br/><br/>Also, in case you're interested in reading it, here's the sermon I wrote last year about coming to terms with my childhood God:<br/><br/>http://tinyurl.com/2nvxey Well played, Mark!

Some books I found really helpful when my kids were your daughter's age and asking similar questions were "When Children Ask About God" by Harold Kushner and "Finding Your Religion" by Scot McLennan (the model for Rev. Scot in "Doonesbury"). "Finding Your Religion" has a good, readable summary of James Fowler's work on the "stages of faith" which I found particularly reassuring. Basically, it says that it's developmentally appropriate for young children to imagine God as being like a person, eased my mind significantly.

Also, in case you're interested in reading it, here's the sermon I wrote last year about coming to terms with my childhood God:

http://tinyurl.com/2nvxey

]]> By: Sophie in the Moonlight http://aroomofmamasown.com/2008/02/tell-me-all-your-thoughts-on-god/comment-page-1/#comment-2106 Sophie in the Moonlight Sat, 01 Mar 2008 19:55:00 +0000 http://aroomofmamasown.com/wordpress/?p=369#comment-2106 "That book made me feel I needed to build up a picture of the God I grew up with, tear it down and build up the God I know today. I thanked my husband and made a mental note to talk to the kids about what I do believe and not what I don't.." <br/><br/>Mama, that is the most brilliant thing you have ever written --IMHO. I struggle with this one too, and have long ago realized that it is the framework of my answers to my 6 yr. old son that is incorrect, not my beliefs. There is a nice book out there called "What I Believe", that takes the g-d out of it and puts the spiritual beauty of life into it. My favourite line is that "I believe in fairies", because I do. I don't want to live in a world without a little magic in it, and maybe that is why people believe in g-d. The vast majority of us need to believe in something special and mysterious, because it mirrors the special mysteriousness that is the spark of all life. Why not fairies? Why not g-d? Why not simply saying that we don't have all of the definitive answers yet and some part of us is kind of o.k. with that, but in the meantime we are going to fill in the blanks with a gracious, magical, majestic being or beings that is a code for our own wonderment for ourselves and our world?<br/><br/>Thank you for your thought provoking post. Very intelligent and deeply emotional. "That book made me feel I needed to build up a picture of the God I grew up with, tear it down and build up the God I know today. I thanked my husband and made a mental note to talk to the kids about what I do believe and not what I don't.."

Mama, that is the most brilliant thing you have ever written --IMHO. I struggle with this one too, and have long ago realized that it is the framework of my answers to my 6 yr. old son that is incorrect, not my beliefs. There is a nice book out there called "What I Believe", that takes the g-d out of it and puts the spiritual beauty of life into it. My favourite line is that "I believe in fairies", because I do. I don't want to live in a world without a little magic in it, and maybe that is why people believe in g-d. The vast majority of us need to believe in something special and mysterious, because it mirrors the special mysteriousness that is the spark of all life. Why not fairies? Why not g-d? Why not simply saying that we don't have all of the definitive answers yet and some part of us is kind of o.k. with that, but in the meantime we are going to fill in the blanks with a gracious, magical, majestic being or beings that is a code for our own wonderment for ourselves and our world?

Thank you for your thought provoking post. Very intelligent and deeply emotional.

]]> By: JUST ANOTHER ADDICT http://aroomofmamasown.com/2008/02/tell-me-all-your-thoughts-on-god/comment-page-1/#comment-2100 JUST ANOTHER ADDICT Fri, 29 Feb 2008 22:18:00 +0000 http://aroomofmamasown.com/wordpress/?p=369#comment-2100 Well, well, you could have caused quite the codiexplosion with this post, my dear friend!<br/>Clear to see that there are those among us who think we are scared of G-d if its not the "real G-d" --you know, <i>that</i> one?<br/>This is most definitely an important thing to discuss with kids. Daddy to the rescue this round. Be ready for the next. I know you will be. You are a GREAT mama. Well, well, you could have caused quite the codiexplosion with this post, my dear friend!
Clear to see that there are those among us who think we are scared of G-d if its not the "real G-d" --you know, that one?
This is most definitely an important thing to discuss with kids. Daddy to the rescue this round. Be ready for the next. I know you will be. You are a GREAT mama.

]]> By: Guilty Secret http://aroomofmamasown.com/2008/02/tell-me-all-your-thoughts-on-god/comment-page-1/#comment-2095 Guilty Secret Fri, 29 Feb 2008 20:10:00 +0000 http://aroomofmamasown.com/wordpress/?p=369#comment-2095 Oh man, this has got to be one of the biggest challenges of parenthood coming up for the non-religious and alternatively-religious. I don't want to force my atheism on my children like my parents forced their Catholicism on me... but then, I'm right where they were deluded, right?<br/><br/>(Hmmm, aware tone is not clear in blog comment boxes... gotta make it clear I know my parents 'knew' they were 'right' too!) Oh man, this has got to be one of the biggest challenges of parenthood coming up for the non-religious and alternatively-religious. I don't want to force my atheism on my children like my parents forced their Catholicism on me... but then, I'm right where they were deluded, right?

(Hmmm, aware tone is not clear in blog comment boxes... gotta make it clear I know my parents 'knew' they were 'right' too!)

]]> By: Shelli http://aroomofmamasown.com/2008/02/tell-me-all-your-thoughts-on-god/comment-page-1/#comment-2092 Shelli Fri, 29 Feb 2008 20:02:00 +0000 http://aroomofmamasown.com/wordpress/?p=369#comment-2092 I love this because someday I'll have the same issue. I need to remember to tell him what I DO believe and not worry too much about what I don't believe. I love this because someday I'll have the same issue. I need to remember to tell him what I DO believe and not worry too much about what I don't believe.

]]> By: Karen http://aroomofmamasown.com/2008/02/tell-me-all-your-thoughts-on-god/comment-page-1/#comment-2090 Karen Fri, 29 Feb 2008 18:14:00 +0000 http://aroomofmamasown.com/wordpress/?p=369#comment-2090 Not knowing is most intimate. Not knowing is most intimate.

]]> By: marta http://aroomofmamasown.com/2008/02/tell-me-all-your-thoughts-on-god/comment-page-1/#comment-2089 marta Fri, 29 Feb 2008 17:21:00 +0000 http://aroomofmamasown.com/wordpress/?p=369#comment-2089 Just to say I'm not afraid of God. I'm afraid of upsetting people, hurting their feelings, and causing family conflict. But be that as it may, I'm not going to believe in something to make other people feel better.<br/><br/>Before I should've said too that I agree that we all need to explain ourselves not by what we are not but by what we are. That works for God and everything else. Just to say I'm not afraid of God. I'm afraid of upsetting people, hurting their feelings, and causing family conflict. But be that as it may, I'm not going to believe in something to make other people feel better.

Before I should've said too that I agree that we all need to explain ourselves not by what we are not but by what we are. That works for God and everything else.

]]> By: thejunkyswife http://aroomofmamasown.com/2008/02/tell-me-all-your-thoughts-on-god/comment-page-1/#comment-2088 thejunkyswife Fri, 29 Feb 2008 15:47:00 +0000 http://aroomofmamasown.com/wordpress/?p=369#comment-2088 Thank god for Daddy in that story...both screwing up and buying the book to introduce the topic in the first place and for saving you from a mouthful of complicated when he did. Thank god for Daddy in that story...both screwing up and buying the book to introduce the topic in the first place and for saving you from a mouthful of complicated when he did.

]]> By: Moanna http://aroomofmamasown.com/2008/02/tell-me-all-your-thoughts-on-god/comment-page-1/#comment-2084 Moanna Fri, 29 Feb 2008 04:19:00 +0000 http://aroomofmamasown.com/wordpress/?p=369#comment-2084 This would be good to apply to myself. Focus on what I do believe rather than what I don't. Thanks! This would be good to apply to myself. Focus on what I do believe rather than what I don't. Thanks!

]]> By: thefightofourlife http://aroomofmamasown.com/2008/02/tell-me-all-your-thoughts-on-god/comment-page-1/#comment-2083 thefightofourlife Fri, 29 Feb 2008 04:14:00 +0000 http://aroomofmamasown.com/wordpress/?p=369#comment-2083 Hey - <br/>Everyone seems scared about God. I want to encourage you to NOT be afraid. If you don't know the answer to something, what do parents encourgae their kids to do: Find the answer.<br/><br/>And, finding the answer is as simple as Hide and Seek. <br/><br/>When you have that feeling that you want to HIDE from the "God questions" your kids ask, get your kids and SEEK the answers to those questions with them. You'll be astonished at what you'll find.<br/><br/>And if you don't know the answer to those questions, it's okay, tell your kids you don't know but commit to each other that you both will keep your eyes open for the answer.<br/><br/>D<br/>The Fight of Our Life Hey -
Everyone seems scared about God. I want to encourage you to NOT be afraid. If you don't know the answer to something, what do parents encourgae their kids to do: Find the answer.

And, finding the answer is as simple as Hide and Seek.

When you have that feeling that you want to HIDE from the "God questions" your kids ask, get your kids and SEEK the answers to those questions with them. You'll be astonished at what you'll find.

And if you don't know the answer to those questions, it's okay, tell your kids you don't know but commit to each other that you both will keep your eyes open for the answer.

D
The Fight of Our Life

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