How do you start teaching a 3 year old about god? We only go to church once in a while because there is split custody, but we would like to teach him about the bible and God’s work. My husband and I are both Catholic and so is the 3 year olds mother. We have stories about Jesus and God but he doesn’t understand. He wants to see them and we aren’t sure how to explain it to him. We told him god is in Heaven in the sky and he wants him to come out. How do you explain things like this to him?
2007-12-31 04:21:55 · 74 answers · asked by happy 3 in Society & Culture ➔ Religion & Spirituality
i dont want to force him to learn it. i just want him to know about it if he choses to learn more later it is his choice.
2007-12-31 05:02:39 · update #1
Why don't you let him grow up and decide himself as to what religion - if any, he'd even be interested in, instead of forcing it down his throat.
Edit: I Think Gordon H has the absolute best answer! Well said!
2007-12-31 04:26:42 · answer #1 · answered by Sven B 6 · 5⤊ 2⤋
How about not abusing your poor child until they are old enough to make some informed decisions. Just once I'd like to see this child abuse stop for one generation. You are taking advantage of your child and they don't even have the capacity to decide if they want to be a Christian or not. If Jesus is so wonderful and all, why do you need to train your child to follow him? Won't your child be able to tell by the life you lead? Answer their questions honestly. "No, I've never seen him." "No, he doesn't talk to me." "We go to church because that's what I was taught to do." "Some people think that god lives in heaven and that heaven is above the clouds but I don't really know."
Most of the people that wrote the book about your sky god had some similar questions and came up with these answers. And they stole the answers they came up with from the cultures they either slaughtered or were captured and enslaved by. Tell them the truth, the god described in the bible doesn't interact with us like those that wrote the book claim. Or just say you don't know and maybe some day they will understand. Just don't brainwash the poor kid before they have a chance to decide.
2007-12-31 04:43:01 · answer #2 · answered by babbatheist 2 · 5⤊ 0⤋
I plan on telling my son about God/Jesus at a very young age. I plan to use the children's videos and children's Bibles and also to tell him in the easiest terms possible about what Jesus did for him. I know some Christians that have been born-again since they were 6. If I can give my child the opportunity to have a relationship with God starting so young, I would be very happy. I myself wasn't a born-again Christian until I was 15 and I would have loved to know the Lord much sooner and think I would have if I was given the opportunity.
2016-05-28 05:56:58 · answer #3 · answered by ? 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
I don't think you should start off with concepts like God and Jesus at 3 years old. They are far too complex to understand. I am not big on Christianity myself, I was raised that way as a child though. And I think I came out OK in the end. But I think you need to focus on developing his moral compass, firstly and most importantly. Teach him to know right from wrong, the reasoning's are universal. You can use stories from the Bible as examples, there's Bibles for kids as well. But religious theology is far too advanced for a 3 year old.
2007-12-31 04:30:18 · answer #4 · answered by Anonymous · 6⤊ 1⤋
As an atheist, I may be the last person you would accept advice from, but... if you are going to try teaching the child about religion, please emphasize the good parts and skip the really dumb parts.
"God is love" hey, that's pretty cool. Even those of us who don't believe God exists gotta like that belief. Its not for me, but you can't get enough love, right?
"God created the world in six days..." do you really think your child will go his entire life and never pick up a science book? Better not tell him this story without explaining that it was just a parable.
"Noah and the flood..." uh huh. Three year olds MIGHT believe this one... but seriously... ALL the species on Earth in a giant boat? Come on. Another charming parable.
"Jesus" One of my favorite characters from the Bible. A genuinely NICE guy and a real guy. He got angry (and didn't blow up several cities massacring God knows how many women and children... heh heh... "God knows"... didya get that?) Jesus had a message of peace, and if you actually followed that, even the whole tithing thing isn't so painfully obvious as a ploy to sucker the stupid.
Of course, disregard anything said about Jesus after he was dead. It was all propaganda. Do you really want to fill your child's head with "Do what I say or you will go to Hell" instead of "Peace and Love"?
Your choice.
2007-12-31 04:38:40 · answer #5 · answered by Faesson 7 · 7⤊ 0⤋
Why not let the child decide what religion to follow, rather than forcing christianity down their throats and scaring them at a young age with stories about a fiery pit where they'll be tormented for the rest of eternity if they don't believe, great way to give a kid nightmares if that's what your after.
2008-01-03 05:10:35 · answer #6 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 0⤋
I think you should encourage him to learn about the different faiths of the world so that he can make up his own mind when he's old enough.
What are you going to do if you fill his head full of this stuff now and he comes along when he's about 9 and says "We've been learning about other gods and goddesses at school- why did you tell me that there weren't any others?"
2007-12-31 04:37:17 · answer #7 · answered by James Melton 7 · 3⤊ 2⤋
I'm an atheist but I believe in giving a child a view of all of their options and not just my own.
My daughter (Also 3) has a picture bible that I read to her just like any other book of fairtytales. She Likes some stories of the bible and some she doesn't. When she comes to an age of understanding the importance of what religion/faith/non-belief stands for to different people, then she'll be equipped to make her own decision from what she has been exposed to...not from what I'm trying to beat into her head.
2007-12-31 04:28:56 · answer #8 · answered by Anonymous · 6⤊ 2⤋
Catholics don't believe in divorce, So I'm rather amused that you are so hardcore that you feel the need to instill views in this poor child that you do not even follow... I somewhat doubt the previous marriage was annulled; which would make the husband guilty of adultery to re-marry... (It's extremely difficult to offer grounds for annulment).
Perhaps you can start with teaching him how your religion says that for what he has done; his Father is going to burn in hell for eternity)... I'm sure that would go over real well...
I swear... nothing is worse than Catholicism for hypocrisy...
2007-12-31 04:35:48 · answer #9 · answered by Anonymous · 8⤊ 1⤋
If you have any scruples, you don't. Young children take their parents at their word. If you tell your child such and so, the child will believe such and so. You say that you will allow your child to choose whether to believe or not, but by indoctrinating him in your faith, you take that choice from him, unless you also tell him that many people believe his mommy and daddy are deluded. Wait until he is old enough to think for himself, and then he truly can choose.
2007-12-31 05:20:43 · answer #10 · answered by Anonymous · 4⤊ 0⤋
Before you teach him anything about religion or worshiping any God, teach about nature and the importance of taking care of "Gods" creations and being respectful to nature. These are things he can identify with and relate to. Talking to a three year old about something he or she can't tangibly feel or touch will only confuse them!
Teaching young children about God and Religion is nowhere near as important as teaching them how to respect life....something they can see all around them!
2007-12-31 04:32:41 · answer #11 · answered by CSnumber1 3 · 4⤊ 3⤋