The most simplest way to explain religion is to look at our commericialized Christmas and Santa. Santa represents the short-term religion of any child. A being that watches you all year long (1 year=1 lifetime). If you are good (follow the laws of the religion) you get rewarded (gifts=heaven). If you are bad, you are punished (coal=hell). I was just thinking of how this is the most simpest way to explain religion. Do you agree (even if you don't agree with religion, or Santa) that if explaining to a child, this would make it home easier then really explaining God and heaven?
2006-12-05 06:12:27 · 14 answers · asked by sister steph 6 in Society & Culture ➔ Religion & Spirituality
Bomb Diggity, I didn't put any one religion up there. You can interpret it as you want. Buddist (and let's see if I get this right). good=nirvana, bad=no nirvana instead of heaven and hell. It's in how you interpret it.
2006-12-05 06:22:25 · update #1
Geez, I wrote this because I was thinking about when I was kid, Santa scared me more then God because judgement was closer. Christmas always came before death, so Santa scared me more the God. As I got older, I was able to view God in a better light because of my thoughts on Santa as a child.
A child doesn't always think like an adult. What effects them aren't always things so far in the future, like heaven and hell, but what is in the here and now. Just like, God didn't worry me, but my mom and the spanking spoon did. I didn't think my mom was God, just like I never thought Santa was God, but it effected me before God did.
2006-12-05 06:52:17 · update #2
That's a simple and metaphorical way to explain Christianity. But it's also a good way to explain "do good and good things will come, do bad and bad things will come." Actually that whole thing is part of other religions. Kind of reminds me about the Walrus and the Carpenter from "Through the Looking Glass".
2006-12-05 08:27:15 · answer #1 · answered by Maria Isabel 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Geeze...what religion are you Sis....
Imagine...if you were to tell a child that God is like "Santa"........2000 years from now, people would be praying to Santa......
Did you think about this before you posted the question? God have mercy on the future of mankind!
2006-12-05 14:22:57 · answer #2 · answered by Fried Plantain 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Sister, I'm not such a big fan of your explanation for children.
While setting out rewards and punishments for children help them develop and I think you analogy is a good one for religion, wouldn't it be better to stress the love God has.
Maybe a comparison to kid scrapping a knee and a mother comes out to you give you a kiss and a band-aid. You may think you are alone (riding a bike through a park) but when you fall, someone who loves you is close by to help you out.
Then again I'm just an outsider to religion.
2006-12-05 14:38:19 · answer #3 · answered by Just Wondering 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
No, because then the child would mix up god and Santa. Then he would not think that god/Santa would forgive you, thus the whole essence of Jesus dieing for people's sins. (I'm guessing you're Christian)
Though your simplistic view of the religion of "Christianity" is a OK, i guess...but not of any other religions. Since there are thousands of others...
2006-12-05 14:22:09 · answer #4 · answered by bob888 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
NO! All that does is make them believe in Santa. Tell the truth, kids aren't as stupid as you seem to think.We tell my grandkids about God and Jesus and when they ask questions we can't explain( like how God makes flowers) we just say because only God is magic.
2006-12-05 14:17:21 · answer #5 · answered by judy_r8 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
~~~ sister ,,,,Keep it as simple as The Mind is capable of comprehending, in your Judgement. A child can ask where babies come from but it is impossible for them to comprehend The Dynamics. Same with Religion.
2006-12-05 14:18:26 · answer #6 · answered by Sensei TeAloha 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Yes, have him understand that Middle Eastern tales and legends are just that: Interesting works of fiction. Do not encourage schyzophrenic symptoms by pretending that legends are "true"
DSM-IV - Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders
http://www.psychologynet.org/dsm.html
2006-12-05 14:25:53 · answer #7 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
Ephesians 2:8-9, works are the fruit of one's salvation.
They are not the way to earn salvation.
2006-12-05 14:20:18 · answer #8 · answered by Jeff- <3 God <3 people 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Look Friend every religion teach one common Simple Moral to their followers:- " Be Good And Do Good".
2006-12-05 14:24:48 · answer #9 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
Most of us outgrow Santa.
2006-12-05 14:21:02 · answer #10 · answered by The Chaos Within 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋