My 4 and 5 year olds are going through a very theological phase. Here are some of my favourite qestions from the past couple of weeks.......help me!!!
Is God called Peter? Then why do we always say thanks Peter God in church?
What's the difference between a miracle and magic?
If a miracle is something that God makes happen, then isn't everything in the whole wide world a miracle?
Can God die?
Who looked after God when he was little?
Is Santa Clause God's brother?
Any good answers? bearing in mind the age of the askers.:)
2007-06-10 08:18:55 · 17 answers · asked by Anonymous in Society & Culture ➔ Religion & Spirituality
hairdresser, I can and have spent a lot of time answering these questions and am only ever on the computer when they are in bed. I was just sharing what I thought was a bit of light-hearted fun.
2007-06-10 08:26:48 · update #1
The Peter God thing was just for a smile! She's obviously misheard Thanks be to God.:)
2007-06-10 08:29:14 · update #2
Aren't kids wonderful!!!??
These are very good questions and, you have probably already given them the answers that you found most fitting to your beliefs.
Myself, I never gave, and still don't give, my daughter one answer to religious questions. I never wanted to 'inflict' a religion on her that she would not be comfortable with throughout her life. So I always give her different opinions from various religions.
Our religious beliefs are now somewhat different, (she's now 16) but we respect that and have some wonderful conversations around religion, and she constantly amazes her RS teacher!!!
As for miracles and magic..... magic is the manipulation of the elements, so it is a miracle with another name!!!
By the way I luv the Thanks Peter bit!!!! lol And how do we know that God's mates don't call him Peter??? lol
Good Luck :)
2007-06-10 09:00:11 · answer #1 · answered by :~Debbz~: 4 · 2⤊ 0⤋
When my own children began to question the difference between magic and miracles, I always said to look at the source. The person bringing about the event: to whom do they give the credit? If to God, then it was a miracle and if they take the credit onto themselves, then they fancy themselves a magician. I'm not sure where "magic" begins and less known science ends, however, I do believe that miracles happen daily, and sometimes God works a miracle through another human being, like a fire fighter who rescues someone from a burning building, or that donated organ becoming available at just the right point in time.
2007-06-10 22:36:38 · answer #2 · answered by kentuckyjim 1 · 2⤊ 0⤋
No, God is not called Peter, and I don't know why anyone would say "Peter God", ever. Peter was the "rock" that Jesus planted His church upon.
Magic is different than a miracle because a miracle is either performed by God or in God's name. Magic is never performed in God's name.
God cannot die, because He lasts forever.
God was never young, because He has always been around, but Mary looked after God's Son (Jesus) when Jesus was young.
Santa Claus is not real.
All of these answers should be suitable for a 4 or 5 year old. My daughters are 3 and 5, and they know Santa is fake, Mary raised Jesus, and God is eternal.
2007-06-10 15:23:52 · answer #3 · answered by Iamnotarobot (former believer) 6 · 1⤊ 1⤋
Well the truth helps, GOD is not called PETER the world is a miracle, and if they have faith in God they will find out the answer when God is ready to tell them, as far as Santa I'll leave that up to you, when their older tell them the truth about Santa, and i don't mean the point he does not exist, but the story behind the person where the story came from
2007-06-10 17:02:11 · answer #4 · answered by ringo711 6 · 2⤊ 0⤋
I woud advise you to take Santa Claus off their plate. Yes, it seems heartless to deprive them the magical joy of Christmas morning, but consider the affect. They have started asking about God, His miracles, and the nature of all things around them. They are most definitely going to discover that part of what they believed has been a lie. Their minds equate Santa to God. If one is a lie what about the other? If miracles are true and good, then why not magic?
I taught my own son the truth of Christmas from the very beginning and have no regrets. His eagerness to know the Bible and live a good life was his own.
2007-06-10 15:35:11 · answer #5 · answered by sympleesymple 5 · 1⤊ 0⤋
Peter or "Cephus" - a disciple or apostle of Jesus, Peter was named a stone (or truth) by Jesus because Peter knew the truth that Jesus was the messiah.
Magic is usually slight of hand and optical tricks. Miracles are actually God acting in a positive way on the natural world. Miracles are not tricks but real.
Everything in the world is part of the miracle of creation and life.
God is not in space or time but above it. God created space and time. God is uncreated and has eternal life and will never die. God shares His eternal life with his creations and gives them eternal life. Everyone is born eternal, but the state of spirits in the next life is in heaven or hell.
God is a spirit. Since God is infinite and Life itself, it is hard to imagine God going through a childhood. Possibly not.
Santa Claus was/is a saint (or one of God's Christians). The name of the original person who used to leave presents on doorsteps is known.
2007-06-10 15:29:40 · answer #6 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 1⤋
1)LOL blue, some of my kids thought God's name was either Art or Herald!!! LOLOLOL (Art in Heaven/Herald be thy name- for those unsure lol) Then, they and their friends got the 2 youngest ones and THEIR friends to start singing "to Art and Herald angels sing..." LOL
(hey kids, whom are members here in Answers, be glad I'm not sharing ALL of your craziness with them!LOL)
ahhh kids, gotta love them...they can make a dark day sunny :) (and vice versa, lol)
2) miracle is something ONLY God can do...magic is something even man can do if they learn how (like card tricks, etc.)
3) Everything God had made IS a miracle...but, the rest was made by "man" (God: Rainbows, sky, snowflakes, birds, kids, etc.,. Man: houses, roads, water slides, movies, etc.,)
4) no, God cannot die like (grandma, uncle, whomever) rover, kitty, etc.,. He has super Powers and special food only He and the Angels eat in Heaven that make them live forever and ever
5) God was never little, so He didn't need anyone except the Angels Jesus was little once though, but He had Joseph and Mary and God to take care of Him besides the Angels
6)Santa Claus is one God's helpers to bring Joy on Jesus's Birthday by giving us all presents like the 3 wisemen had given Jesus when He was little
Hope this helps :)
2007-06-10 15:45:37 · answer #7 · answered by ForeverSet 5 · 1⤊ 0⤋
We don't say "thanks Peter God in church".
Magic is about deception. We trick people into thinking we made something disappear. A miracle is when God suspends the normal natural laws and does something supernatural.
Yes, everything in the whole wide world is a miracle.
God came to earth in a real human body and called himself Jesus. Jesus died. But now he lives forever in heaven because he's God. God won't die again.
God was never little.
Santa Claus is not God's brother.
2007-06-10 15:23:25 · answer #8 · answered by Craig R 6 · 1⤊ 2⤋
Thanks be to God - same as thanks Peter God
God does miracles. Magicians (men) do magic.
Yes everything in the world was created by God and it is God's miracle to us.
No God can't die - He is yesterday, today and forever.
As Jesus in the manger His mother named Mary watched after Him.
No. Santa Claus is a made up character. God doesn't have a brother. Santa is made up until you get older. When you stop believing, you stop receiving from the made up Santa.
2007-06-10 15:32:30 · answer #9 · answered by Jeancommunicates 7 · 2⤊ 0⤋
Is God called Peter...NO
Miracle: Happened by God Magic: Happened by someone
Yes
God cannot die!
He did not have anyone to look after him! He's not a human
Santa Claus is NOT God's brother!
2007-06-10 15:26:05 · answer #10 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 1⤋