One of the simplest arguments for believing in a Supreme Being is this:
If you – an atheist – are correct that there is no God and I – being a Christian – am wrong about it….I have lost nothing by believing.
But if you are wrong and I am right? You have lost everything, eternally.
Recently, I have noticed advertisements on the Internet geared toward dissuading children from believing in God. With catchy dot-com names and colorful logos, these sites implore kids to wonder, “Aren’t you getting a little old to believe in imaginary friends?”
Again…if you as the humanist are leading a child to this conclusion correctly – it seems harmless enough.
But if you are wrong, your pursuit in sharing the un-gospel with little ones is downright diabolical. Rather than nurturing that child’s natural belief in having been created for a purpose, you are attempting to cauterize his or her spiritual DNA. Jesus makes no bones about the seriousness of leading children away from him.
Children have a natural proclivity to believe in what we adults forget how to know. Not because the supernatural ceases to be true as we get older, but because we become jaded and self-important. We’ve been lied to and what we know to be true, we have all figured out. Telling a child not to believe in God to appease adults who think they know better...adults who have forgotten that believing is so much better than simply knowing.
I wouldn’t want to believe in a God small enough for human science to explain (but that’s a column for another time).
To the purveyors of atheism (junior edition) I ask: would you ask a child to ponder outgrowing love or forgiveness? Of course not. The manifestations of those forces keep mankind from imploding - so destructive are our impulses at the opposite end of the spectrum.
Rather than trying to convince the children to be closed-minded adults, let them do what comes naturally to them – believe with simple faith. Child-like faith.
You might even want to try it on for size.
Jesus said to his disciples: “Things that cause people to stumble are bound to come, but woe to anyone through whom they come. It would be better for you to be thrown into the sea with a millstone tied around your neck than for you to cause one of these little ones to stumble. So watch yourselves. – Luke 17:2 (New Living Translation)
Sheri | Nov 26, 2012 | 9:46am
At my great-niece’s baptism, the pastor told a story about a little boy who desperately wanted “alone time” with his newborn sister. Finally the mom relented, but stood by close enough to hear what was so important for the boy to tell his baby sister. The little boy said to the tiny new baby, “Tell me about God; I think I’m starting to forget.” Smart kid.
Great article, Jana.
Jana Greene | Nov 26, 2012 | 10:22am
Wow - love that story, Sheri! It’s a shame we start to forget, isn’t it? Thanks so much for sharing it, and for reading. God bless you and yours!
Dali | Nov 26, 2012 | 11:29am
The other day not to long ago my eldest 4 year old akira handed me a book and said ” mommy will you read this book to me I want to know about God.” I was so moved by her pure heart. It reinforces that we as believing parents must continuously fortify our young children while we have their attention against the many inevitable forces of the world that would knock them down with worldly reasonable sounding philosophies of men. Like it once did me.
Jana Greene | Nov 26, 2012 | 11:47am
Thanks for your input, Dali. Kids DO want to know about God…they believe in the magical and mystical because it IS real and the manifestations are everywhere, and they wonder why WE can’t see it. At some point, we adults have come to equate simplicity with stupidity, and to make faith incompatible with intelligence. Why?
Matthew 18:2-5: “For an answer Jesus called over a child, whom he stood in the middle of the room, and said, “I’m telling you, once and for all, that unless you return to square one and start over like children, you’re not even going to get a look at the kingdom, let alone get in. Whoever becomes simple and elemental again, like this child, will rank high in God’s kingdom. What’s more, when you receive the childlike on my account, it’s the same as receiving me.” (The Message)
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