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a tricky question to answer

Youstina SYoustina S
edited December 1969 in Faith Issues
K, today my lesson for my gr. 6 class was on King Josiah and how he remodeled the temple and restored its worship. So, I’m nearing the end of my lesson when suddenly, a girl raises her hand and tells me she is going to ask an off-the-topic question. I’m thinking, ok, how hard can her question be?? She then asks: We know God created all of mankind, but who created God? I was pretty struck at first….then I slowly began answering her question to the best of my abilities and to the best of my knowledge…I said, our minds compared to God are limited and inadequate. I told them we can’t comprehend God’s knowledge because frankly, our minds don’t have the capability to understand anything beyond our human mind’s limitations. I remembered an example Fr. Boulus once said and I used it…his example was: look at any train. It has several carts attached to each other. One cart has the power to pull the one behind it, and the one before that one pulls another cart, and that cart pulls another one and so forth. But look at the first cart! There is nothing in front of it, yet it is able to move without anything pulling it! How is that?! Well, there must have been a driving force or some kind of special power that sets it apart from the other carts and allows it move on its own. So yea I used that example but had I been more prepared for the question, I think I would’ve wanted to give them a more clear explanation. So if a child or anyone asked you this question, what /how would you guys answer them??

Comments

  • Christ4LifeChrist4Life
    That was a very good example you used. Wow, really hard question to answer, nonetheless to a 6th grader...

    But my answer would be simply that nobody created God. God is the creator of all things, who could create him? If all things were created by God, it is impossible that anyone could have created him. Its hard to explain, I have to admit, that was the best I could do....
  • mikeforjesusmikeforjesus
    but that example doesnt satisfy me unless that special power is God... and I think God is not limited to time and space.. He doesnt have to of existed a certain time as we understand it He just existed... we think considering we exist in time but there seems to be another thinking .. if that makes sense .. some of what I said might be wrong I dont know.
  • Christ4LifeChrist4Life
    That's what was meant.
  • Eh Ya BotrosEh Ya Botros
    i've got a grade 6 class too and they asked me the same question and I told them the train thing too! lol. Its hard with this age group because they start searching for answers about concepts that are difficult to comprehend like the trinity and God's existence. The best we can do is to give a basic analogy (like the train- i like that one) and then tell them that it is hard to understand.

    Dont expect them to be satisfied with ur answer cos they wont lol. But they will grow to understand and accept these things with God's grace.

    btw do u find that whenever u give an analogy to explain a concept- the kids attack it and critise it? My kids always do that :-\
  • Youstina SYoustina S
    All the time Ey Ya Botros!! They always like to analyze it and we get even more off topic! I tell them, guys, just take the example for what it's worth: dont think too hard about it, just learn to accept the example so that it helps you understand the CONCEPT, nothing more...haha its a bit annoying sometimes but I thank God that He's given me patience with these kids

    Yea...does any body else have comments or suggestions about tackling this tricky question? Or does any body know a tricky question that a child has asked them and they were unsure of how to answer them??
  • Marianne87Marianne87
    When I first read the question, what came to mind is what christ4life said...that God is the creator and He created the creation...they probably question that concept a bit more than the anology (btw i never heard of it...but tht was great and easy for children to understand)

    Well...i haven't been asked tht by a child but an atheist...well he definetly asked the God one first but then he asked if religion was created by humans? Due to the fact that there are a lot of religions, one could not debate the point that there is only one God who created all of that? so the concept of religion and so on...was it a human made or God made.
    By the way I am taking a religion class this semester, and this is mainly what we study, but I want to answer from a Christian point of view....did we create Christianity or did Jesus? and If we did...then are we following a man made religion or a God made religion...
    This is probably a confusing question but it's something to think about.
  • Christ4LifeChrist4Life
    Ok Marianne that was a good point you brought up. What makes up our faith? The Bible right? Who created the Bible? God. So therefore religion is something God gave us.
  • Eh Ya BotrosEh Ya Botros
    Another tricky 1 i got was 'who was looking after the world when Jesus was in St Mary's womb?
    Abouna once sed how Jesus was never limited being God so He was still in Heaven while on earth. Like the light in the room...u cant say its limited to just the room cos its outside as well and everywhere...i dunno if that example is clear.
  • Christ4LifeChrist4Life
    Actually that was very clear, very good analogies everyone!
  • rf_zacharirf_zachari
    btw: Our Bible is not the only source of our faith and understanding of our Lord...the un-written parts of our way of life (as Anba Moussa teaches us) are also as written, and helps us understand the Bible more...much more....


    RFZ
  • [Deleted User]
    my brother asked me this recently. he is also a sixth grader lol although my answer left very very confused lol
    this was my reply:
    time as we precieve it is not real. that is to say linear time is a human creation, used to help the brain catalog events. to god time is not linear. things do not happen one after another in his sight, he lives in eternity where one day is a thousand years, and a thousand years is a day. this is incromprehensible i know but its just that god is eternal, u cannot confine him to our rules of time because they only make sense to us.
    hope i didnt confuse you lol

    edit: lol forgot to add this: because of the time issue, god is eternal and existed for all time but as humans we have to place it chronologically which is impossible wen talking about god
  • Christ4LifeChrist4Life
    no wonder your brother got confused....
  • [Deleted User]
    lol it was a good way to get him to stop asking haha ;D
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