Christians what will you do if your child says he want to read The Origin of Species or The God Delusion?

Question

What if he cries for it?

Answer 1

I would beat him. Better for him to have a few bruises now, than to burn in hell later.

Answer 2

My father was a high school science teacher, and he had a copy of "Origin of the Species" in our library at home. II read "Origin" when I was in 6th grade and again in high school for Biology class.

I accepted Christ at a very early age, and reading Darwin didn't damage my Christian faith at all. Sorry if that answer disappoints you, but even back then, I was smart enough to know the difference between a scientific theory and a proven fact.

Edit:

In case the bestower of that "thumbs-down" doubts my facts, I was reading things like "The Lord of the Rings" from the family library when I was in third grade!

Answer 3

Even the bible says we can question and should ask questions. Because a child wants to learn does not mean they are turning their back on faith and isn't it possible that by reading books they will reaffirm their beliefs rather than reject them?

A parent can choose to educate their children in knowledge and tolerance or in fear and isolation. I find that very often the more you learn the more questions you have until finally it is a matter of faith do you believe or don't you.

Learning the views, ideas of others does not make someone less a Christian, not believing in Christ does.

Sit down if you, yourself are not familiar with the books read them for yourself as well so you can discuss them with your child, intelligently. Explain why you may feel that such books go against what your faith tells you.

Let your child know that it is part of human nature to seek question, and try to find answers to those things we do not know. Curiosity is not a disease it has brought men and women to greater knowledge improvements in health and one area of science has shown evidence of proof of some of the biblical stories which just further validates your own faith.

Also you can remind your child that for centuries "science" knew the world was flat, and science knew that the planets and sun revolved around the earth.

Science then learned more information from questioning, and so learned differently.

If as a Christian parent you can show the tolerance for others and other ideas that Jesus tried to teach, you can show that it is ok to see what other views and ideas, and theories are, not lose your own faith, added with the reminder that scientific theories have been proven wrong time and time again.

If they think using the earth flat is to far away to prove that science is constantly relearning its truths, how about this, years ago Stephen Hawking had put out a scientific view, and a few years later report that he was wrong.

At some point in your child's life they are going to want to pursue those things they were told they couldn't learn, rather than teach a child that you are afraid they may lose faith if they read something different. Let them know it is a good thing to learn as much as possible it doesn't mean you have to embrace all ideas you read.

After all how can you argue against a theory when you don't enough on the opposite view to discuss it?

An example there are many things you don't want you children to grow up doing, don't want them to kill, to steal, but they know of these things so they know what doesn't fit into the good life you wish for them.

I was only a teen my niece heard something, and she repeated the word. Rather than tell her never repeat that word again, I explained to her why it is so upsetting, that it is a word based in hatred, word that says because someone is different they should be hated, and treated badly.
She explained to me that Jesus wants us to treat each other nice, and to not hate. So I then asked her what she thought of that word and she said she didn't think it was a good word to use.

I do not know if you agree with or disagree with the theories in those books, but knowledge and understanding can increase faith not remove it. When faith is shared in an enviroment of intolerance it loses power.

Answer 4

I somewhat have, in all risk slightly decrease than a 300 and sixty 5 days in the past, and wasn't somewhat inspired. His coaching does instruct, as he's prevalent with a thank you to apply language nicely, yet as a author analyzing yet another author's artwork, i found him slightly lazy and attempting to "hold forth to the choir." possibly attempting slightly too no longer easy to elicit an atheist "Amen!" in case you will. To paraphrase the above, that is extra user-friendly for a "non-author" to be inspired along with his language skills, good inspite of the shown fact that they could be, than for a author. I in basic terms study it as quickly as (yet thoroughly), and that i did bypass back over some sections just to make useful I have been given what he replaced into asserting. The final couple of chapters had a pair issues i might desire to noticeably much artwork with, yet I think of maximum Dawkins followers could say that those are not the "meat and potatoes" sections of the e book, the considered necessary aspects -- if I undergo in recommendations properly, that they had extra to do with replace dimensions, realities, universes, or some such. for sure he has study the Bible, yet barely sufficient to make exciting of it in a semi-convincing way. i'm useful that there are some Christians who've study much less of it than he has, inspite of the shown fact that. i found various gaping flaws that I wish I had copied and written down why they have been flaws, if in basic terms to place them as solutions to such questions as this. some have been Biblio-historic, a minimum of as understood by potential of Christians, and a few have been logical. Having pronounced all this, it continues to be that i'm no longer by potential of any stretch of the mind's eye a scientist, neither is he by potential of any stretch of the mind's eye a "medical apologist."

Answer 5

Let them read it. I'm assuming by the time they're old enough to know what it is and want to read it, that they'll be old enough to make their own minds up about what it says. My children are pretty good at detecting deciding for themselves.

What if your child begged to read the Bible? What if your child accepted Jesus Christ? And began to witness to you?

Note to all Atheists: Christians aren't hiding in caves, scared of free thought. We think. We reason. Just because you can't yet understand what we are thinking doesn't mean that we aren't thinking.

It's like when you were a child and mommy and daddy went in their room and locked the door. Just because you aren't developed enough to understand what they are doing behind closed doors doesn't mean they aren't doing it. Someday you'll mature and be able to understand.

Answer 6

I'd tell them that on the origins of species is a very boring book-I agree with its conclusions but it isn't light reading.

Answer 7

Mine did. First I congratulated them on their efforts to learn and develope their own conclusions. Then I pulled Origon of Species off of the bookshelf and handed it to them (all three read the book). I do not have the God Delusion but thanks, I'll check it out and read it.

Answer 8

I would like for my child to read the Origin of the Species.

And I want to read "The God Delusion" to her. It is a perfect example of why biologists need to stay out of the philosophy business. Dawkins does a magnificent job of illustrating the validity of the Ontological Argument. His only recourse is mockery and straw man arguments. He doesn't even manage to refute Anslem's version - let alone Godel or Anderson. And he even admits that he tried, unsuccessfuly, to use the same argument to prove that pigs can fly. Genius.

Answer 9

The Darwin Theory as with other topics would already be on the read list as well as the Bible. It's more a decision of when they are able to understand what they're reading.


I read them.

Answer 10

i say read it come up with his/her own conclusions. what every parent must remember is that each individual living "spiritual" being must decide from themselves what they believe. no one can force an opinion on a person. there is a point when every individual must decide what they believe. we all have "free will". but, this doesn't mean that every Christian parent has the responsibility to share the truth of Christ with their children, in words and actions.

Answer 11

You present this idea as if christians would shake in terror should it happen.
If one is believing truth, nothing can come along to shake it.
Fact is, I am christian and right beside me is a copy of 'Origin of Species'.
I've read it.
Do you realize that on the last page, Mr. Darwin accepts the fact of a creator?
May I quote.....
"There is grandeur in this view of life, with its several powers, having been originally breathed by the Creator...."

Did you also know that Charles Darwin himself, found his own theory preposterous?
May I quote?