I was walking through Target the other night and I heard a woman talking to her son, who looked to be about 5 or 6 years old. He was asking her about God. He asked why he couldn't see God. The mom answered that the boy couldn't see Santa Claus either, but we know that he exists. The boy said, "yeah, but Santa leaves presents." The mom was getting frustrated, I am guessing that this conversation was longer than my stint in the shoe department. She finally said to the boy, "Just think of God as your imaginary friend."
WHAT??
Way to go mom... let's let the boy think that God is going to play with him and then suddenly disappear when he "outgrows" Him.
Let's list the things that would have been better to say, shall we:
1) "God leaves you presents too, little Johnny. Look at trees, and the ocean, and the guy who invented Twizzlers."
2) "God made Santa."
3) "Without God we would be specks in the universe, never knowing what a beautiful life truly is. That is, if God was in the mood to create a universe."
4) "Well, little Johnny, it looks like your summer will be spent at vacation bible school." (I would never say this to my kid, but some people do this.)
5) "God also made the Easter Bunny and the Tooth Fairy, so there!!"
With more time and energy, I am sure that I could come up with more of these. This has taken me several days to process, and I am still not sure of what to do with it.
I will be the first one to admit that there was a time when I pictured having kids and wondering what I would say to them when they asked me about God. Keep in mind, I was an atheist when I wondered these things.
Imagine there's no heaven
It's easy if you try
No hell below us
Above us only sky
Imagine all the people
Living for today...
Imagine there's no countries
It isn't hard to do
Nothing to kill or die for
And no religion too
Imagine all the people
Living life in peace...
You may say I'm a dreamer
But I'm not the only one
I hope someday you'll join us
And the world will be as one
Imagine no possessions
I wonder if you can
No need for greed or hunger
A brotherhood of man
Imagine all the people
Sharing all the world...
You may say I'm a dreamer
But I'm not the only one
I hope someday you'll join us
And the world will live as one
~John Lennon
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