I'm not religious, so how do I talk to my six year old son about God?

Question

We're a family of mixed religious background, Jewish and Catholic, and though we honor the holidays because of our family traditions, neither my husband nor I really believe in religion. Our son is now attending a British school where they have prayer, unlike the American system.
How can I respond to his questions about God and Heaven? I want to let him know that it isn't "factual," but to give him as much freedom of thought as possible in this area. Which is complicated by the fact that he still believes in other things like Santa Claus.

It's important to me that he understands the difference between the prayers and the other things he learns at school, since this is now being presented to him in a school environment. The water cycle is a "fact," Noah's Ark is not, and at this age kids are prone to very literal interpretations.

Answer 1

Give him all the myth and story. He can't be too concerned about reality right now. Let him decide about his own beliefs when it is time to seriously think about it.

Answer 2

Perharps rather then telling him...why not ask HIM what he thinks? You say it isn't factual... So are all the believers simply so wrong? Tell him the truth... Some people believe... and some people don't.... The prayers that he is learning are Christian...either Catholic or Protestant in England... So tell him about Jesus... as best you can.... He was not just an image... Jesus had a factual life..and so take it from there.... Simply show him the difference between your both basic beliefs, and also that other beliefs also exist... He can decide and see for himself later... So, I presume that he wasn,t baptised, nor circomsized?
Or was he both? He may have to learn all he can after all...lol...

Answer 3

Don't tell a young kid there's a great big nothing after we die, just tell him that even if there is a god he'll be so great that we cannot understand it, and people only make up stories to share faith, without thinking this over. In other words, don't shatter the concept overall, but make your kid think about it laterally. The biblical stories themselves could be compared to other stories in film, comics and newspapers. Just be sure your kid knows the difference between The Truth and the stories people tell eachother. If you want to be nice about it all, just say some people were inspired to write and tell beatiful stories, while others like your son are smart enough to enjoy the stories but have their own.

Answer 4

You can only tell him what you believe and let him know that he may grow up to believe something different and that's OK. It's not fair to say he has a choice and then tell him that if he makes the wrong one that it's not true.

Maybe you should rediscover yourself and find out what he is learning.

I have four kids. Each has their own beliefs and I've only guided them when they needed help. They don't need too much help in this. Just support. Why do you feel the need to tell him it's not true?

Answer 5

Well first of all I think I might wait a couple years before you give him the whole story. Like maybe wait until he starts asking you about it if he does.

I would just tell him what you think, but also let him know that there are people who believe many different things, for many different reasons. Tell him he is allowed to believe whatever he wants to as long as he doesn't try and impose his beliefs on others. After all they are just beliefs, and nobody really knows.

Answer 6

Perhaps you could take Him on a field trip to both places of worship and give him a third person explanation of what it is the people are doing and believing there.

Just tell him "Some people believe this" and " others believe that" and here is what I believe. Don't editorialize, your belief is going to hold the largest weight with him because you are his identity at that age.

Answer 7

I took my kids out of Sunday school, I figure I would know as much about 'God' as any other person.
They didnt mind. they actually like it more, because they get to just color in and read books.
I just let my kids know that no one knows jack about these things. I would ask them the questions they ask me and then say thats probably the answer.
eg "Where is heaven"
me "I dont know, where do you think heaven is"
son "I dont know"
me "then thats the answer, maybe no one knows."
Something like that anyway.
But then i never taught my kids about Santa Claus, i wanted them to know it was me and their mum buying presents for them, I dont see why some non existent being deserves the gratitude. Same with goes for God
EDIT 1

I believe in the power questions have to teach. I would just Ask my kids what they think of prayer and get them to be completly honest about what they know about it. As we know as adults, they couldnt possibly KNOW anything about it. So they will end up realizing their own knowledge. And asking them questions about it, in my opinion, reinforces their own realization of their own lack of knowledge concerning prayer. Damm I hope you understand what I just typed. :) Im not the best with articulatiing myself. Anyway... Good luck

Answer 8

Hi ya, I never really shared my religion with my older children. It had never been shared with me by anybody but a few religious education lessons as school when I went. Faith comes from within the heart, whatever the faith maybe it does start by that little feeling niggling inside of you-
I so vivldly remember wondering what that feeling was as a small child, but it was always with me (feeling of never alone)

When I grew, and even as a child in those religious education lessons, while listening or reading biblical stories I felt that same feeling, as if that is where is was coming from. Maybe you can buy him a childrens bible and let the feelings grow within himself, if it does. It would be lovely if you read it to him, to share this time together.
I'm supposed to have Jewish, Catholic and Christian background but faith is from within your heart and we come from one

Having belief, like Santa, like Jesus, like God helps the child to fill with belief for themselves-gives them hope when not got any too

My 9 year old doesn't believe in Santa yet he does God. It wasn't me who implanted this feeling it was already in him.
He was going through a rough time, hurting animals, dominating friends and hurting his school peers (because of circumstances around him)....

One day he came to me and begged me for help-he wanted to be good but felt something telling him to do bad. Guilt got in the way and all these different emotions going though him did his little head in.
He wanted me to help him be the good inside of him. He and I have always been very close like I am all my kids but this little one had been badly abused (implanted a dark seed)...
He was aware of my background and said 'I knew we always shared something (both abused)' as I spoke of when he needs help, I spoke of how I recovered and he wanted to feel the same so I gave him a childs bible because it was god who saved me and although I could love him, guide him, hold him and cry with him I couldn't take away this growing seed of darkness, not alone

A month or so later he thanked me for that book. He has read it so many times he has told me the stories inside and actually pointed things out relating to my work. He said......the feeling of good is the same he felt when he read the bible and sees it in my work which has also helped I'm sure

We used the 'turn negative thoughts into positive actions' . I talked to him about this and he has done marvellous since-and this bible helped keep my son on the right path, one that can lead him into a good life when older.
It has taught him that a book like the bible isn't just words, isn't just pretty pictures for him to look at-it was a feeling of clarity to what he had always felt, what he had always wanted to be


A childrens bible

Answer 9

Tell him there are all kinds of different religions and that he has the choice of which one he would like to be a part of when he is old enough to decide. Take him to different kinds of churches and tell him about agnostic and aethiesm. Let him decide when he can make the decision for himself. Otherwise, you'd just be brainwashing him.

Answer 10

it's a tough one. can he not be excused from chapel? i suspect he'll come to believe what he's taught, there. perhaps an, "i don't know - nor does anyone else", is in order, unless you're a devout atheist (i love saying that; my good friend is proud to be a devout atheist - i'm agnostic). i guess i'd tell 'im that different people believe different things, and not to worry too much about it. good luck (if you believe in THAT)!