A tough question!!! Really!

[feral]

I work as a nanny part time while going to college. I watch three children, none of whom have ever been raised in church or taught about religion. They celebrate holidays but in a secular fashion. Their parents are divorced; mother is Jewish and their dad is Christian but neither one worship or do much with religion. I myself am an agnostic.

The other day we watched the Disney movie Hercules, which they own. The oldest girl, age eight, asked me about the characters and why they were called gods. I told her that some people thought those characters were gods. Then she asked me all about hell and whether Hades (with blue fire hair from the film) rules Hades, if the gods really lived in a fancy palace in the clouds, whether they could inhabit statues, etc, etc...and then why people believed these things and if it was still true.

Help! I don't know what to tell these kids! I am agnostic and have no answers, I don't even know what's true. I know some about Greek myths and such but not what to tell a child who wants to know what to believe in. I asked her to talk to her mom about it but she said her mom never answered religion questions. I mentioned her questions to her mother but she just laughed. What should I tell her? Should I lie and give her a story or tell the truth that I don't know? Suggestions???

 

[Jack Lewis]

Since the mother isn't concerned about you responding to the questions you can simply explain that at one time some people believed that Zeus etc. were gods, but there's not really anyone any more that does. The three main religions, Christianity, Judaism and Islam, believe in one God that knows everything and is all powerful. Most people in the world belong to one of those three religions.

 

[saved]

if you are agnostic you cannot answer them on some of what they asked. You would have to lie to them if you did. Just tell them the truth. Tell them you do not know.