Question about Christianity from my DS

[onetiredmummy]

My 8 year old DS is starting to ask about Christianity and from a discussion we have just had, wants to know whether Christians believe that the events in the Bible actually happened? He is trying to work out (I think) whether the Bible is historically accurate or whether the stories contained in it are examples of how to be a Christian & are not based upon real life events.

I'd be really grateful for any ideas, thank you.

Some people believe this but very few

Quick answer is 'it varies'

Some Christians do believe that everything in the Bible happened as written including creation happening in seven twenty four hour days. This is not a majority view in the UK.

In my part of the Church of England we would look to the New Testament as fairly historically accurate given that the writers of the Gospels were not writing a news report but written that people might believe in Jesus. I would see the events of Genesis (creation, fall and flood) as myth and the books inbetween as a mixture of legend and history.

So 'it varies!'

For me personally I believe that most of it is historically true, certainly the New Testament and the stories of the Israel in the Old Testament. Personally I believe the story of creation, but I believe it was over many hundreds thousand of years, as the bible says "With the Lord a day is like a thousand years, and a thousand years are like a day."

I think the bulk of the gospels (New Testament) are true. The bulk of the very early stuff (Genesis) I think is legend. I'm a Christian.

Thanks :)

I appreciate all your answers & DS seems satisfied for the time being :)

That's a very tricky question to answer. (I'm a Christian)

You can take certain events and people from the bible and cross reference them to other manuscripts from the time or artifacts which have been found. Which support some of what is written in the bible.

I personally think that it is very important that we teach youngster that as a historical figure Jesus existed (take out the son of God Bit) it is widely accepted that Jesus the man was walking with earth 2000 years ago. Yet we still have children and adults (sadly) that make the mistake of saying Jesus didn't exist based on the fact they don't believe in Christianity.
To say Jesus didn't exist would be the same as saying Julius Caesar didn't exist as there is similar amounts of historical evedience to support their existance.

Ok so that's the historical fact bit and now for the stories of the bible, can we really prove that Jesus turned water into wine or fed the 5000 or healed the leper ect ect.
Well the simple answer I guess is no, there isn't the sort of evidence that would stand up in court however there is other supporting evidence outside of the bible that supports the fact that this man Jesus was going around doing amazing things. Other poeple not mentioned in the bible we writing about the events of the time also.

Clever boy

When you say "some of it is true, some isn't", brace yourself for the next question: "How do you know which parts are true?"