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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

Thunder is God moving his furniture....

70 replies

missmyoldname · 09/05/2011 18:43

or so DD was told by her Headteacher today. DD has spent the remainder of the day trying to hear God! (she is nearly 5yo btw).

I am a complete atheist, but don't particularly get too cross about the religious indoctrination education that takes place at DDs school (it is not a church school). Am fine to a certain extent with them knowing the Xmas story, them hearing about Easter etc etc.

However, AIBU to think that they should have told them what thunder ACTUALLY is. What's next creationism????

OP posts:
Sirzy · 09/05/2011 19:32

Love all the different stories. It was always god moving furniture here to :) didn't do me any harm I don't think!

colditz · 09/05/2011 19:35

welllll....i dunno.

I'm an Atheist, but i don't think my sons are. I have told them my version of events, and certain religious people have told them their version of events, and as my youngest is 5, he believes the most plausable version to him. Meaning that when I explained how babies are made, he got cross and told me to stop making up stories, and when he asked a friend's mum how babies are made and she said "I believe that God puts them there" - he belived her, and not me.

So be it. He's five.

ll31 · 09/05/2011 19:38

We were always told that as kids too but also genereally knew it wasn't really true - just a story so kids aren't frightened.. wheres the harm?

nikki1978 · 09/05/2011 19:41

I also don't think it is a big deal. DD asked me the other day how the world got here so I told her both theories and she decided God was the right one. DH and I are atheists but I am not bothered she thinks that. It is probably easier to understand - I barely understand the big bang theory myself Grin

VajazzHands · 09/05/2011 19:43

Stop being a grumpy pants. No one (even christians) thinks its god moving furniture. The guy was:
1 being funny.
2 being a bit lazy because he didn't want to explain the whole thing to a 5 year old.... who would have only said "why" to any answer he gave!

Original poster
missmyoldname · 09/05/2011 19:48

Yes, maybe I am being a bit grumpy!

I've no problem with tooth fairy/father xmas etc etc but this just rankled with me for some reason.

It may be that I am still a bit pissed off about DD coming home from school really really upset because people put nails in Jesus' hands Hmm .

OP posts:
HellNoSayItAintSo · 09/05/2011 19:53

Fairy stories, santa, all fine. God comments for weather explanations, in school, not fine. And not at all in the same category.

It's not a faith school, teachers shouldn't be talking in that way about a god myth.

280169 · 09/05/2011 19:58

and freckles are where go has kissed you

GingerWrath · 09/05/2011 20:02

I was annoyed when we were invited to last weeks assembly at a non denom school and was subjected to a 'Halleluja, praise the Lord' type song. I am verging on Pagan and REALLY don't want my 4 year old subjected to Christian nonsence. (sorry to believers it's just MY view)

issey6cats · 09/05/2011 20:13

my mom told me it was god mowing the lawn and thats what my kids tell thier kids and we are not that religious here but it sort of comforts that its something that a kid can visualise at the end of the day its not a biggie in the general scheme of things

FlamingFannyDrawers · 09/05/2011 20:14

It is all true. When its snowing, thats God scratching his head (he has dandruff)

LucretiaInShadows · 09/05/2011 20:47

It rains when the angels leave the shower on!

onagar · 09/05/2011 20:56

It could be simply a joke - it all depends on who says it and the situation.

As for it being a 'A comforting lie' that only works if you are already a Christian. For most of us being told that there's a strange powerful being up there doing it doesn't sound comforting at all.

saffy85 · 09/05/2011 20:57

It sounds like sort of thing my dad would tell kids Grin No hram done is there? Although the actual facts about thunder migt have been interesting to talk about with children too.

If it's any consolation when I was about your DD's age I believed that when it rained god was having a wee. My sister told me that one. Mean cow used to wind me up no end.

Spidermama · 09/05/2011 21:02

You don't have to be an athiest to find this an utterly inappropriate comment for a head teacher to make. I hate these ridiculous lies to kids at the best of times but for the head of an educational establishment to use them is unprofessional and just plain wrong.

It's not cute to tell kids lies.

McGinger · 09/05/2011 21:15

My wee Gran (who sadly passed away on Thursday) used to tell us thunder was God rearranging his furniture, lightning was God turning his lights on and off and rain were the tears of Our Lady for the sorrows of the world.

Now we knew it wasn't, we knew the scientific reasons behind all of these things, but it was fun and sweet and her way of making sure we were not scared by the noise....loud clap of thunder Gran would say "Do you think he needs to rearrange the living room during neighbours!"

I say it to my children, DH has explained the science behind it all to our 6yo.

BeerTricksPotter · 09/05/2011 21:36

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

sickoftheholidays · 10/05/2011 09:08

missmyoldname - but the Romans DID put nails in Jesus hands, and lots of other peoples. Good for your DD that she recognises this is wrong, and she shows a lot of compassion and empathy for a child her age to understand that and be upset by it.
I'm not sure why you object to kids being told the truth about what Christians celebrate at Easter, but you object to them not being told the truth about thunder and lightening.

justpaddling · 10/05/2011 09:26

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

HellNoSayItAintSo · 10/05/2011 10:08

sickoftheholidays: thats not fact. Thats opinion, historical conjecture, and religious dogma. Typically christian insistance that their truth is the truth

Hmm
ImChangingMyNameToDaddy · 10/05/2011 10:15

I used to say this
Thunder is god moving his furniture and lightening is him turning his light on and off.

Hammy02 · 10/05/2011 10:19

The shafts of light that come through clouds are God's fingers. Everyone knows that.

DooinMeCleanin · 10/05/2011 10:22

Freckles are not where God has kissed you. They are a sign of beauty. Each freckle = 1oz of beauty so the more freckles you have, the more beautiful you are. Dd2 is not beautiful at all. Dd1 is a supermodel in the making, or so says she Hmm Grin

Thunder is the Angels in Heaven playing bumper cars with the clouds. Dd1 tells me her cousin likes playing bumper car clouds Smile

Anyone who has seen Edward Scissor Hands knows that snow is infact Johnny Depp sculpting ice Hmm

She currently has no explanation for lightening or rain.

Continuum · 10/05/2011 10:23

As a Christian I object to the bollocks that God lives up in the sky and is in male human form!

As for the nails in hands. Well lots of history is taught in schools as fact, especially at that age. And please don't assume all Christians are the same, that fact is also opinion.

DuelingFanjo · 10/05/2011 10:24

Just tell her 'some people think it's God moving the furniture' and then tell her the science behind it.

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