Show I When Your Child Doubts GOD : "Why permit evil? does-H- e - i igrioremy prayers?” A noted clergyman tells how to answer these questions when Bishop of tko Protestant Episcopal Diocese of California whose ABC- - TV - they arise in your- home ' program has won a Rob- ert E Sherwood award v by BISHOP JAMES A PIKE - of told to Letter Daoid woman cams to me recently in considerable hnAand and I are shocked” she' mH "Our son— he's 12— has told us a dreadful 6T jntmt believe fa God” fliing Hu I astounded her with my reply Instead of wringing my hands I said “It’s a wholesome sign" At some time in their lives many children voice a degree of skepticism about relision Don't be sgonized though This questioning is healthy It's proof that they are beginning to think for them- selves about religion A child’s faith will be stronger after it has been tested and proved He' will no longer believe it’s the thing to do but because be wants to because he aought answerumd found them himself How should parents handle a child's doubts? ' Here are three important rules: 1 Don’t recoil in horror This kind of reaction will only make him retreat into silence bottling up his questions for fear of shocking the family ' The child must feel free to ask whatever is troubling him without chastisement or ridicule 2 Give honest answers Don’t offer glib replies which won't stand up as the child grows older and more perceptive Don’t put off a child by saying that the subject isn't fit for him to discuss And if you don’t luvow an answer say so frankly and get aid from your minister 3 Let him spar back and forth with you Don't insist on instant acceptance Don't be upset if he does some verbal fencing This means his mind is ' working He’ll emerge with deeper understanding As parents know children are apt to ask some pointed questions when their logical little world starts to unravel For example a key question put A ditress“My to many parents is: “I was very good and I prayed hard for a bicycle (or dog or whatever) and didn't get it Why?" My own daughter Connie voiced this one: She had prayed for a horse and it just never floated down from the sky In reply we can tell our children: “Sometimes God doesn’t give us things before we are ready for them We must always leave the answers to our prayers up to God “Then again often our prayers will be answered although not in the specific way we expect or want God may give us other wonderful blessings even better than the things we asked for “When we pray we must always bear in mind those words from the Lord’s Prayer Thy will be done’ This means we should not ask God to do what we want but accept His wilL “Of course prayer is much more than asking for things It is a way of being with God of coming closer to Him of talking to Him directly" Children may also wonder as Connie did how G6d can hear all those prayers with everyone talking at once “All those millions and millions of 'people talking— doesn't it all sound like gobble- die asked I replied: “God is so big so loving and so eager to hear all of us that He can listen and understand everyone at the same time" : te gobble-gobble- ?” Anornn basic question revolves Qnu O good and evil It may be put this around way: “If there is a God and He is so good why does He allow so much evil in the world?” Or like this: “My Mommy and Daddy are so good— why does God send us so much trouble?” Or it may involve a single happening: “Why did God let Aunt Martha die? She never hurt anybody” I don't blame parents if they are stumped by this Whatever way it’s worded this is one of the most difficult questions in all theology Though there may be no completely satisfactory reply I would tell a child this: “We know there is much evil in the world— wars sickness and the like But a good God is also a God who lets us all be free This means that He allows human beings to do what they want So many evil things come about because people use this freedom they have in the wrong way “But we in our family are going to use our freedom in the right way— by doing good being good and loving God “Some people who do evil things only hurt them- selves If they drive can too fast for instance they may crash and die Of course they may also hurt others who are innocent Why should the innocent die? Why did Aunt Martha have to die? “Well there are answers we just don't have some mysteries we don’t These mysteries are part of the wonder of religion We must trust because we know that God will give us the strength to live through the king we find so hard and so sad” Perhaps in the final analysis the best way to convince a child that there is a God good and loving is to bring Him into your daily life live with Him and work with Him The that you set in the way you live — n—kiiy in your attitude toward children reveals very clearly to a youngster that your own in God really - M difference httf iHpjfvpr' tnwiuw i COVDh Today's cover by Pete Hawley is in keeping with the international trend toward cultural exchange: the lass gets to taste Tide's diet by letting him have a lick o f her lollipop 1 SAVI0OW rmkdnU tnd PmUiT WA1IH C BHYIWI Yitr-Yrm- id il PAIMCK I OSOMKI Adrrrtim§ Dinetr UONABO Wbhr I - IS H MAI— Am iimlH M I9M It 1S MMILT OUtf Nrcr Yarfc 22 N karri afErifcn I IH lab f MC IS N Mfckls BdiHrJChkf IWumII JS tyani SmT V WMUV MAOAZMS MST V NRM IM KASTMAN Mraffw Miter aoacar nnonaon Jhaaefae wwar BA1PM I IWCH AL rt Director MHANM M NOR JW Miter Am V I III AN ' |