My friend Mark over at Because He Lives says that “I have two kids, two dogs, two four chickens, two garages and if it wasn’t for my one wife Liezl I’d live in symmetry.” I’ve know Mark for a long time, since before he ran away from the Church to join the Circus (okay, technically it’s a Non-Denominational Church, but sometimes it’s hard to tell.)
His first blog post ever was one called Science and Religion, and I think it deserves a reprint. So here is this week’s Rainy Day Monday Post.
Science and Religion
Yesterday I continued a rolling chat with a friend from work. Never wanting to skim the surface he always seeks to discuss topics of importance, the deep things of life. As payment he listens to my relentless campaign to position Christ as the Saviour of the World. He is not passive in our debates. He fights back with his own brand of religion, Atheism (I know I’m going to get flamed for that one). Sometimes we’re philosophical, sometimes we’re ethereal and sometimes it’s a cat fight, but it’s always interesting.
So we were discussing children and religion. The big point for the day was his belief that children shouldn’t be taught about God until they have the ability to choose whether or not they believe in “all this religion stuff” for themselves. It seems that this idea is being given serious weight in Europe and not just by the mega evangelist Richard Dawkins either (another comment, another flame).
So this morning my daughter Kathryn comes through to the bathroom. She’s three and knows everything. She has been having teaching time every day with her mom since her sister started school last week.
I’m a keenly enthusiastic parent, like everyone else, so I asked, “Kathryn, what did you learn in teaching time yesterday?”
“About angels,” was the response.
Now I’ve got this conversation I had had the day before floating around in my otherwise empty head and now I’m curious, so I pressed, “Angels?”
“Angels daddy.”
“Um, what about angels did mommy teach you honey?” I asked.
She joined her hands together in a shape in front of her and said, “Triangels daddy. Triangels.”
Who says science and religion can’t live side by side?
If you enjoy Wikipedia go and check out http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Christian_thinkers_in_science.
On the subject of children and religion Proverbs 22 verse 6 says:
“ Train up a child in the way he should go,
Even when he is old he will not depart from it.”
I have still got a bit more training to do.
How well do you hold the tension between science and religion?
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Hmmm interesting question.
ReplyDeleteFirst of all, I think children should be taught about God. I think the most important thing a parent can do is prepare their child for heaven.
Second of all, science isn't perfect, God is perfect, and my understanding of either is so imperfect.
I'm not sure that this has anything to do with the question, but I'd rather be the stupidest person in all of Heaven than the most intelligent person in Hell. God first.
My kids have been taught about God since they were old enough to understand what I was saying. At least, that's how things started out. Now, they teach me much more about God than I teach them.
ReplyDeleteMy sons were taught about God as they heard me pray for them when they were sick, heard me thank God when a prayer was answered or when He just derserved it for being Who He is! They would see me read the Bible for guidance, and wisdom. It was a natural part of our lives, much like watching us brush our teeth when they were toddlers, and then their little chubby fingers would grab a toothbrush and try to mimic us, although they didn't really "get it" at first , but with continued instruction, they now brush perfectly, their teeth look awesome!
ReplyDeleteShould we not offer them piano lessons, and schooling until they're old enough to decide whether they would like either one?
"Suffer the little children to come unto me. Forbid them not ,for such is the kingdom of heaven."-Jesus
During my 3.5 year stint at Methodist College (now Methodist University) in Fayetteville, NC, I was required to take a lovely little religion class called, "Religion in an Age of Science." Among the other atrocities enacted upon me that semester at the hands of Dr. Bailey, I had to spend three hours a week hearing about what Carl Sagan believed about God and the Cosmos. No fun at all... But due to Dr. Bailey's creative grading and the fact that he liked me, I squeaked out of the class with an A-.
ReplyDeleteMy parents believed in Prov. 22:6 and raised me in church. I know beyond a shadow of a doubt that it was this raisin' that kept me and sheltered me through my childhood. Thank God for Jesus-teachin', God-lovin' parents like mine!
I introduced my daughter to Jesus first. She learned "about" Him later. :)
ReplyDeleteHi brother SharkBait,
ReplyDeleteDid you watch any of the IPL matches in South Africa?
My Dad was a die hard fan of cricket and some of it has rubbed off on me. I love the India/ Pakistan matches most.
I like you blog.
And I also want to be a FISH