h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

As a Jew married to a Christian, we're trying to work out what to tell the sprogs when we have them. This is a relevant and worthwhile entry, and it succeeded in giving me a new perspective on the subject!

x x Fenny

Incidentally, we've decided that we'll bring them up to know most about all religions we can get access to (in England) and then let them make their own decision...

This article completly missed the point of the Bible though so I wouldn't place much weight in it.

The Bible is about Man's relationship to God. How sin entered the world, what God thought of it (he had told Adam beforehand the punishment for sin - death both spiritually and physically), what God did about it to make things right. If you teach your children all religions they will not know what sin is. And even if they do the only way to account for their sin is either to die spiritually themselves or to accept God has already paid that price for those who believe.

Be very carefull here. Its the eternal life of the childrens souls you are talking about here. Make sure they are ending up in the right place when they die.

my reading of the bible is that it is the history of the relationship between God and man. throughout human history humanity has tried to discover what life is all about. strife and destruction has developed because of self-ishness and greed. the ultimate revelation of God is by and through Jesus who by his teaching and actions showed that it was, and is,God's will that all people should live in peace and harmony with each other. in other words,heaven on earth. the diffculty is still human greed ,self-ishness,desire for status.hence the continuing stife and inhumanity.

Ahh, nothing like threatening someone's kids with eternal damnation to speed up the proselytising process!

Amen to that I say Lucinda

Well there's threatening eternal damnation to a 4 year old
or threatening that Santa will just bring them a lump of coal.

I think the latter creates less long term psychological damage

As we've learnt from the Sun (here in the UK) Santa exists, Jesus is a maybe