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Parenting

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Original poster

Ds friend (of very religious parenting) has told him about The Devil and Hell - he is 5 years old FFS....

20 replies

DrNortherner · 23/04/2008 10:57

Ds spent ages last night chatting about how worried he is cause sometimes he is naughty and his friend has told him bad people go to hell with the devil underground.

I am aware his freinds family are extremley religios but at 5 years old teaching your kids about purgatory (sp?) is a tad extreme no?

OP posts:

mimismummy · 23/04/2008 11:02

That's really quite sad and a surefire way to put your kids off christianity for life. Poor child - worrying about this at his age. You are right to think this is extreme. We are religious but i would never dream of saying that to any of my kids. Just keep telling them how much they are loved and valued. Feel very sad for the little boy

throckenholt · 23/04/2008 11:06

my approach to this is usually - that is what some people think. I don't think that - and lots of people have different ideas.

And then talk about the details a bit if they are interested. Ask them what they think as well.

Twiglett · 23/04/2008 11:07

talk to him about all the things that different people believe in ... bombard him with lots of stuff .. like Indian gods (they're fab and varied) and Greek gods for instance

tell him how it is ok for different people to believe in different things

tell him that you personally don't believe in DS's friends idea of hell ... and that he needs to decide for himself

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Twiglett · 23/04/2008 11:08

by Indian I meant Hindu

Original poster

DrNortherner · 23/04/2008 11:14

I told him I don't beleive in hell, that I beleive we all go to heaven and that god loves and forgives all of us. He is at a CofE school so I am sure they back this up.

Just saddens me that his little pal is being told about hell.

Last night my ds wanted my absolute guarantee that hell does not exist. 'What some people beleive' is a bit abstract sometimes fro 5 year olds isn't it?

I much prefer talking about Bob Affet and Darth Vader at bad time.

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SmugColditz · 23/04/2008 11:16

Talk to him about Greek Mythology and all the Asian and Indian gods. Far more interesting than the devil and hell.

We were taught about Rama and Sita at school, and then we got to wear some saris. Brilliant! I'm lucky to live in Leicestershire.

throckenholt · 23/04/2008 11:17

it is only abstract because no-one has talked to them about it. I think starting school is when these things become less abstract as they come up against ideas that are different from the ones at home.

The more you expose them to the idea of other people thinking different things the less abstract it will be for them.

Twiglett · 23/04/2008 11:18

no I don't think it is abstract .. consider them all as 'stories' and you can't go wrong really

SmugColditz · 23/04/2008 11:28

If you subscribe to Christianity, then God is our father, God is (to a small child) like Daddy. Would Daddy leave him in a horrible place? No. Well, neither would God.

It's difficult, really, but maybe the other boy has a morbid fascination with the Devil! (Or maybe has been watching futurama!0

nervousal · 23/04/2008 11:30

Do you really believe in a God and heaven but not in hell??

Odd - I don't believe in God or heaven - but if I did I would think that you'd have to believe in Hell?

mimismummy · 23/04/2008 11:38

getting deep now...! I do believe in a loving, fatherly, God and do struggle with the concept of hell. I know quite a few vicars who do too. I don't know all the answers yet, though....

pennytee · 23/04/2008 12:29

Hi DrN.
Probably not good advice, but perhaps theres a book out there and you could turn it into a light hearted subject (with funny cartoons) Then you can show him that Good wins over Evil. Is he at the Cof E school close by? May need to pick your brains

singersgirl · 23/04/2008 13:16

I think there is nothing wrong in telling him that 'some people believe' x, y and z. History is a good place to start, as other posters have suggested - Greek gods, Norse gods, Roman gods all help explain that people can have different interpretations of 'god'.

It helps, I think, if you tell them what you believe, if anything. So I tell them that I don't believe in any 'god', but that Daddy and Uncle R do.

DS2 (6) is a confirmed atheist but to muddy the waters has now created his own deity, Tom the Puppy, who lives in an invisible kennel; DS2 appeases him by throwing him Holy Choccy Drops and his sacred writings can be found in The Holy Woof Book.

Flum · 23/04/2008 13:21

Well there must be something bad about dying otherwise why do we all try so hard to avoid it?

My dd (4) struggles with where things go when they are dead. I say that I don't think they go anywhere they just die and get eaten or rot or something. But she likes to thgink they go somewhere. So I told her some people believe in Heaven etc and she liked that.

I can now see why people go for religion, it is very calming, especially to kids.

skidoodle · 23/04/2008 13:26

oh this happened to me when I was around 6.

my parents were not amused because I made them bring me to mass every Sunday for the next 4 years or so.

they tried the whole "we don't believe in hell" line, but I wasn't prepared to risk it. so one of them had to miss their Sunday lie in for years all because of my holy friends.

I never managed to get family prayers off the ground though, despite my best efforts.

Original poster

DrNortherner · 23/04/2008 13:27

Hi pennytee. My email to you keeps bouncing back?

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Original poster

DrNortherner · 23/04/2008 13:28

Yes he is at teh co of e school on B Lane. YOu want dd to go there? Tis very good school.

I have tips

OP posts:

pennytee · 24/04/2008 11:44

yes, it's seems like a great school. I''ve looked at the criteria to get in

Original poster

DrNortherner · 24/04/2008 11:50

It is always over subscribed. Do you go to church?

OP posts:

ReallyTired · 24/04/2008 22:31

I feel its sad that your ds friend has not been told about God's love. A lot of christians do not believe in hell in the pitch fork and hell and grimstone way. Hell is an absence of God rather than a punishment for eternity.

It has be to be remembered that Jesus came to save sinners and those who repent of their sins are forgiven. Even someone like an Al-Qieda terrorist who murdered all those people can be forgiven and go to heaven if they truely repent of their sins. Jesus is prepared to have relationship with anyone however bad they are, and its way that person can reconcile themselves with God.

I see God as being like a parent to us. We can either choose to be with in (ie. in heaven) or we can actively choose not be with in (ie. in hell). God does not force himself into our lives and ultimately if you choose to reject him then you would not want to be with him for eternity (in heaven).

Its silly to say that people go to the devil underground. There is nobody underground. Just moltern rock and lava.

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