Had the taxing experience yesterday of 40 minutes with Year 6 at our local primary school, fielding their questions about God. They included:
- Who made God?
- How can we be God's children?
- Is God a man or a woman?
- How can God be a Trinity of 3 different people?
- Do you believe in heaven?
- Is there such a thing as ghosts?
- Is God real?
- Have you always wanted to be a vicar?
- Can you prove God exists?
- If you're bad do you go to hell?
Followed by a couple of 'deep' chats in the staff room. Good fun, but hard work, really having to think on your feet, and translate major bits of academic theology into things that an 11 year old can follow.
Took a survey of the 60 children there: roughly 1/3 believe in God, 1/3 don't, and 1/3 weren't sure. More of them believed in ghosts, and not that many thought there was any kind of life after you die, most seemed to think that was it. There was probably some peer pressure in the hands that went up, but it was interesting to see the diversity of views.
Children can be very challenging can't they! I am off to take a final assembly at my local primary school before re-locating to Yorkshire, over the last 6 years we have covered all of those questions ( and more) many times. It is good that there is a diversity of view, peer pressure can only go so far.
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