What do I say when my young children question God's existance and/or love

[Susan_Scheff]

My children have been upset why God allowed those three young women to be rape slaves and physically and emotionally abused asking Mommy, doesn’t God love them as they are his children? And why does God allow all the other horrible stuff that goes on in the world they asked? Is it he doesn’t exist or he is not a loving God they ask? Can anyone here provide some help other than God allows everyone free will, etc.?

Thanks,

God Bless,

Sue.

 

[Jeanne_S]

If your children are old enough to be asking this question,then I assume they are old enough to understand free will. I would explain that God,allows man to make their own decisions, good or,in this case evil,based on their free will.God respects our choices,although He oftentimes is saddened by our poor choices,much as an earthly parent is .Also,explaining the good and evil are realities in this world.

 

[Tyrion]

My children have been upset why God allowed those three young women to be rape slaves and physically and emotionally abused asking Mommy, doesn’t God love them as they are his children? And why does God allow all the other horrible stuff that goes on in the world they asked? Is it he doesn’t exist or he is not a loving God they ask? Can anyone here provide some help other than God allows everyone free will, etc.?

Be happy that you have smart kids. There is no good reply to their question. I hope you will not try that nonsense “defense” of “free will”. If you do, then I also hope that your kids are smart enough to reply: “So, mommy, if I want to beat the living daylight out of my brother/sister, then you will not stop me, so you would not infringe on my free will?”. I suggest that you listen to your kids, and learn from them. Very smart kids! Be proud of them!

 

[Jeanne_S]

Be happy that you have smart kids. There is no good reply to their question. I hope you will not try that nonsense “defense” of “free will”. If you do, then I also hope that your kids are smart enough to reply: “So, mommy, if I want to beat the living daylight out of my brother/sister, then you will not stop me, so you would not infringe on my free will?”. I suggest that you listen to your kids, and learn from them. Very smart kids! Be proud of them!

 

[EasterJoy]

Be happy that you have smart kids. There is no good reply to their question. I hope you will not try that nonsense “defense” of “free will”. If you do, then I also hope that your kids are smart enough to reply: “So, mommy, if I want to beat the living daylight out of my brother/sister, then you will not stop me, so you would not infringe on my free will?”. I suggest that you listen to your kids, and learn from them. Very smart kids! Be proud of them!

I don’t think I’d be proud that my kids are “smart enough” to be upset. I mean, they’re upset, it’s not exactly the moment you feel proud and besides, a lot of smart people are not upset that the world does not run in a simple way. There are some very simple-minded people who are. It is not, therefore, the kind of philosophical challenge that I’d rush to make into an intelligence test.

This is a variation on the question of why God allowed Jesus to be tortured and murdered, is it not? I mean, you can look at a crucifix and know that belonging to God obviously does not mean that nothing bad is ever going to happen to you, no matter how good you are or how innocent you are. Why did God allow there to be martyrs? What about the Holy Innocents? Why did God save Jesus and the Holy Family, but not all those little innocent boys? The first Pope to give up his office so that someone else could be elected did so because he had been sent to a Sardinian salt mine as part of a persecution of the Church, where he later died! Even besides the question of why God allows people to have decision-making capacity that gives their actions real and even terrible consequences that are felt by other people, there is the question of why God allows the forces of nature to harm us.

It is OK to admit that you don’t fully understand it yourself, but while doing so is worth pointing out that there is no one, even those who don’t believe there is a God, who have a good explanation. The best explanation is not an explanation, but the fact of the death and Resurrection of Jesus: that is, we know that God has allowed evil to have some power in the world now, but we also know by the life of Jesus that God is the master of all. Evil is not the opposite of good, and the day will come when evil will be defeated altogether. This is what he said, he did rise from the dead, and this is what we believe. For now, though, the good work against it by being faithful to God, by bringing love and forgiveness and healing and peace where it is needed even when it is not deserved. That is what we know.

 

[Jeanne_S]

I don’t think I’d be proud that my kids are “smart enough” to be upset. I mean, they’re upset, it’s not exactly the moment you feel proud and besides, a lot of smart people are not upset that the world does not run in a simple way. There are some very simple-minded people who are. It is not, therefore, the kind of philosophical challenge that I’d rush to make into an intelligence test.

This is a variation on the question of why God allowed Jesus to be tortured and murdered, is it not? I mean, you can look at a crucifix and know that belonging to God obviously does not mean that nothing bad is ever going to happen to you, no matter how good you are or how innocent you are. Why did God allow there to be martyrs? What about the Holy Innocents? Why did God save Jesus and the Holy Family, but not all those little innocent boys? The first Pope to give up his office so that someone else could be elected did so because he had been sent to a Sardinian salt mine as part of a persecution of the Church, where he later died! Even besides the question of why God allows people to have decision-making capacity that gives their actions real and even terrible consequences that are felt by other people, there is the question of why God allows the forces of nature to harm us.

It is OK to admit that you don’t fully understand it yourself, but while doing so is worth pointing out that there is no one, even those who don’t believe there is a God, who have a good explanation. The best explanation is not an explanation, but the fact of the death and Resurrection of Jesus: that is, we know that God has allowed evil to have some power in the world now, but we also know by the life of Jesus that God is the master of all. Evil is not the opposite of good, and the day will come when evil will be defeated altogether. This is what he said, he did rise from the dead, and this is what we believe. For now, though, the good work against it by being faithful to God, by bringing love and forgiveness and healing and peace where it is needed even when it is not deserved. That is what we know.

:thumbsup:I would like to add to that,the fact that the greatest evil to ever occur was the crucifixion of Jesus Christ,yet out of that evil,also the greatest good emerged,the redemption of all mankind. Not sure how old the children involved are,however of they can comprehend this ,it would go a long way in explaining why evil exists.

 

[ThyKingdomCome]

I suppose it depends somewhat on the age of the kids. I’m not one to expose my kids (ages 5-12) to this sort of news if I can help it, and only the oldest would be likely to find out on his own, because he is inquisitive enough to seek out headlines, and old enough for me to let him. For him, or for my 10yo if she heard, I would talk to them about the fact that there is evil and suffering in the world because man has a fallen nature. Really, it goes all the way back to Adam and Eve, the serpent, and the apple. We have the choice to do what is good or to do what is bad, and because of our fallen nature, we have a stronger inclination to do wrong than we would have without original sin. THAT is where “free will” comes in - because the next question will be, “Well if God knew this could happen, why would he have given us the choice?” and the answer would be that for us to freely CHOOSE to love God, means that our joy will be exponentially more in Heaven than if we were robots with no choices. God wants real people who really love him, whom he can really love. He doesn’t want robots. Unfortunately, there can not be a free choice to love unless you also have the option of saying no to God.

To be honest, if my 5 or 7 yo were to ask me these things, I would give them the same answer, in terms they could understand. But it would be more difficult, because they simply don’t have the maturity to understand as well, and it would be more confusing to them. In the future, I would try to guard my little ones from such scary information more carefully.

In my opinion, when a person asks the question “why is there suffering?” it indicates a need to understand the basic truths about the meaning of life, and about the nature of the original sin, and its effects. The best way to do this is to start from the beginning, and learn the faith, using good catechetical materials like the Baltimore Catechism or the Faith and Life religious ed. series.

Be happy that you have smart kids. There is no good reply to their question. I hope you will not try that nonsense “defense” of “free will”. If you do, then I also hope that your kids are smart enough to reply: “So, mommy, if I want to beat the living daylight out of my brother/sister, then you will not stop me, so you would not infringe on my free will?”. I suggest that you listen to your kids, and learn from them. Very smart kids! Be proud of them!

It sounds as though this post is agreeing with the doubting God part of the question. I would be pleased that my children are horrified by terrible things. But the logic posed in this reply doesn’t hold. The very simple answer to the “beat my brother/sister” question is - “Well dear, as you know (because we’ve already talked about God giving us to choose right or wrong), God doesn’t prevent you from behaving badly. If he did, you would be nothing more than a robot. But God did give me the authority to protect your brother/sister, and to discipline you. So naturally, you might have the ability to do something bad, but you would also have to face enormous consequences for it. In the same way, God did not prevent those bad men from hurting those women. But thankfully we live in a country that does it’s best to protect its citizens, and when it fails to protect them ahead of time, it does it’s best to punish those men for their crime.”

 

[Tyrion]

I don’t think I’d be proud that my kids are “smart enough” to be upset.

You don’t get it. I commended the kids for their wonderful, clear mind to see the incongruity between a “loving” God and the existence of the gratuitous evil, which would be prevented by any semi-decent person if she had the power to prevent it. Just like any good, loving parent would do anything to protect their children. And would not give any consideration to the “free will” of the attacker.

It is OK to admit that you don’t fully understand it yourself, but while doing so is worth pointing out that there is no one, even those who don’t believe there is a God, who have a good explanation.

Exactly! There is no, nor has ever been a rational response, only ridiculous attempts to explain away the unexplainable.

 

[EasterJoy]

:thumbsup:I would like to add to that,the fact that the greatest evil to ever occur was the crucifixion of Jesus Christ,yet out of that evil,also the greatest good emerged,the redemption of all mankind. Not sure how old the children involved are,however of they can comprehend this ,it would go a long way in explaining why evil exists.

The main thing is that we do not spend our live in fear that bad things will happen, but in the trust that God is our help, and will get us through whatever comes.

It is good to read the part of Scriptures where Our Lord, on the Cross, cried out, “My God, my God, why have you abandoned me?” (Matt. 27:46), and then go to the Psalms and read the psalm that he was referring to, Psalm 22:

*My God, my God, why have you abandoned me?
Why so far from my call for help, from my cries of anguish?
My God, I call by day, but you do not answer; by night, but I have no relief.
Yet you are enthroned as the Holy One; you are the glory of Israel.

In you our ancestors trusted; they trusted and you rescued them.
To you they cried out and they escaped; in you they trusted and were not disappointed.
But I am a worm, hardly human, scorned by everyone, despised by the people.
All who see me mock me; they curl their lips and jeer; they shake their heads at me:
“You relied on the LORD–let him deliver you; if he loves you, let him rescue you.”
Yet you drew me forth from the womb, made me safe at my mother’s breast.
Upon you I was thrust from the womb; since birth you are my God.
Do not stay far from me, for trouble is near, and there is no one to help.

Many bulls surround me; fierce bulls of Bashan encircle me.
They open their mouths against me, lions that rend and roar.
Like water my life drains away; all my bones grow soft. My heart has become like wax, it melts away within me.
As dry as a potsherd is my throat; my tongue sticks to my palate; you lay me in the dust of death.

Many dogs surround me; a pack of evildoers closes in on me. So wasted are my hands and feet
that I can count all my bones. They stare at me and gloat;
they divide my garments among them; for my clothing they cast lots.
But you, LORD, do not stay far off; my strength, come quickly to help me.
Deliver me from the sword, my forlorn life from the teeth of the dog.
Save me from the lion’s mouth, my poor life from the horns of wild bulls.

Then I will proclaim your name to the assembly; in the community I will praise you:
"You who fear the LORD, give praise! All descendants of Jacob, give honor; show reverence, all descendants of Israel!
For God has not spurned or disdained the misery of this poor wretch, Did not turn away from me, but heard me when I cried out.
I will offer praise in the great assembly; my vows I will fulfill before those who fear him.

The poor will eat their fill; those who seek the LORD will offer praise. May your hearts enjoy life forever!"
All the ends of the earth will worship and turn to the LORD; All the families of nations will bow low before you.
For kingship belongs to the LORD, the ruler over the nations.
All who sleep in the earth will bow low before God; All who have gone down into the dust will kneel in homage.
And I will live for the LORD; my descendants will serve you.
The generation to come will be told of the Lord, that they may proclaim to a people yet unborn the deliverance you have brought.*

Indeed, many who have endured imprisonment and torture and every kind of evil say that they did it because they trusted in God to be with them and to see them through it. In the same situation, those without faith that they are loved often give up, while those who know they are loved hang on. Love is very powerful, indeed, as is trust.

 

[VeritasLuxMea]

You don’t get it. I commended the kids for their wonderful, clear mind to see the incongruity between a “loving” God and the existence of the gratuitous evil, which would be prevented by any semi-decent person if she had the power to prevent it. Just like any good, loving parent would do anything to protect their children. And would not give any consideration to the “free will” of the attacker.

That about sums it up.