Ds asking questions about god, How to answer?

[ScrewballMuppet]

Have recently changed ds school to a catholic school. We don't really have a religion as such in our house except that we have faith in life it self...if that makes sense and that were open to all religions.

I was never brought up in a set religion, but encouraged to learn about them all and was told the decision was my own. We want to bring our ds's up the same way but feel this school in particular can offer many core values that are missing in many schools

My ds has started asking me questions about god...for example how can god be everywhere? why can't we see him?
I'm not sure how to answer in a way that he'll understand without confusing him, any advice?

You could also try asking at the library/bookshop for a book that might it explain it well.

What Is God by Etan Boritzer is brilliant.

eg.
'Maybe God is what you feel
When you stand on a very high mountain
And see a beautiful view all around you.

Or maybe God is what you feel
When you hear beautiful music,
Sometimes soft, sometimes loud.'

That's one of about 20 pages of this book which also goes on to talk about God in the context of different religeons and the beleifs of different people.

I LOVE this book. It saved my skin.

Or maybe God is what you feel
When you see a million stars at night
And you feel very small looking up at them.
Maybe we feel God when there is loud Thunder

If your ds is at a Catholic school he will probably have quite a lot of religious instruction. Obviously this will depend on the school, but my memories are of many stories about saints, and that basically the last year was all about preparing for first holy communication and confession. I would recommend asking his teacher what sort of religious sylabus they are following, so you know what sort of things he may be asking you.

ScrewballMuppet - not sure I can offer anything but wanted to sympathise. We have similar philosophy (if I've understood you correctly) about taking responsibility for your own life and doing the 'right thing' but ds starts at Catholic primary school in September. We wanted him to go because apart from being great academically the school ethos is about tolerance and understanding of others which we whole heartedly support.

Have to admit though, I'm getting a bit apprehensive about how we will answer all those questions so will watch this thread with interest!

Thanks everyone for advice!
Spidermama that book sounds great! will be looking for it!
Bethron thats what I've been telling him so far but then he replies with 'but why?' after everyhthing I say, drives me to distraction lol
Magscat you've hit the nail on the head thats the way were trying to bring up the boys

I explain to our ds that not everyone believes that God exists and my dp tells him frankly that we don't believe.

We also explain that there are many religions and people believe in different things. He is 5 and takes it in his stride. The school will no doubt tell him of the certainty of God's existence and my ds will have to make up his own mind.

As an aethist there's no way I could send either of my children to a catholic school, however ds is very interested from the visits they have done this term, and dh (also an aethiest) wants to send him to Sunday school! I have to be very careful what I say about God etc, as my parents are quite religious (and my sister is a priest!)

i'll look out for that book spidermama.

Nooka - your sister being a priest must be 'interesting' for yuo as an aetheist.
I have a cousin who is a priest but he's in South Africa so it's not an issue .

Screwballmuppet - my ds does the endless 'but why?' thing as well. It is maddening isn't it? Can't really moan though as we've told him it's good to ask questions and be curious about things. It does drive me mad when he knows the answer though - am trying to teach him to think & check to see if he might be able to work out an answer before he asks a question at the moment.

Anyway - diversion from orginal question. DS has a concept of heaven because it's referred to in a few stories he's had and because he went through a stage of being really scared about death when he first realised there was such a thing. Although we don't believe we felt it was important to confort & not scare him about death so we explained that some people believe in heaven and when he latched on to that idea we didn't challenge it.
God has hardly been mentioned but he did do a nativity play at nursery and learnt a bit about Jesus. Think he got really confused though because that's when his baby sister was due (she came at New Year) and for a while he seemed to think that Father Xmas had something to do with delivering his sister who might be Jesus!

Well yes it is a little bit odd. I think my sister feels there is hope for me yet!

Found ds and dd playing "God and Mary" this morning - then she started crying because ds said she should be Jesus!

I sympathise with you. I am all up in the air religion-wise and my children go to a fab infant school which celebrates all faiths/festivals etc.

However when my eldest moved up to secondary she started singing hymns around the house and talking about jesus saving her at Xmas time. I found this v.v.v.v.hard as I don't believe that and explained that but the school seems to be very religious (its not a faith school) and I can't keep on top of their indoctrination!!! What do I do? I just tell her that not everyone believes that and it is a story, and hope she doesn't turn out to be a priest! (that is a joke btw)

i think Christ is hugely misrepresented by the majority of christianity. He was I think this means people are put off christianity, when christ's teachings are far more revolutionary and philosophically complex than the moral dogma often spouted in his name. I was lucky [i think so anyway!] to be brought up by a very theologically sound priest father so have a different take on the gospels than many, though not all. I do believe all religions describe the one God, and also have a pantheistic view of the world. When my ds starts asking questions i hope i can give him suggestions as answers in the aim of him making up his own mind at some point.

Ruty, do you believe that Christ died to save you from your sins. Thats the bit I find hard to swallow.

I believe he died so that God would know what it is to be human and to suffer with us - so that he knows what we go through. In that act he fulfilled the Law of Love that he taught, a law that revolutionizes the Old Testament and should, if carried out, turn society upside down, and in that way he gave us redemption through Love. Without him doing that I do not believe we would understand the salvation of Love and Forgiveness, and these two qualities 'save us from our sins'. Sorry its long winded! Its very much about Heaven on earth in my opinion.

starrynight, we live in a very conservative, mostly judeo-christian area. Dh and I have agreed that when ds comes home and tries to "save" us, that's when we move!