BellaOnline Forums Family Christian Living Teaching Children About Christmas

How do you teach your children about the birth of Christ?
Some suggestions here: Teach Your Child the Christmas Story
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dont teach your children about christmas! imo it is wrong to impose your beleifs on others before they are at an age where they can make informed decisions themselfs.

Well, James, I disagree. The reason children are born to adults who hopefully love them, as opposed to an impartial business, is so that adults can give them a belief framework. Children may later choose to reject that framework, but they should have a starting place. Any good parent is going to impose beliefs on a child--we teach them not to touch hot stoves and not to call a disabled person names; we teach them to help someone in need and so on. Religion is one more framework we can, if we choose, give our children. Otherwise, we must as well dump all children into a giant baby nursery and let them grow up any old way they choose.

Gee Terrie, you took the words right out of my mouth!!
Parents who don't teach their children do them a great disservice. Without training, they will never have a basis to make informed decisions.

There isn't a balanced argument for and against touching a hot stove and there is no reason to called the disabled names. However under 40% of Americans are Christians and when looked at from an un-biased point of view trhe bible story is pretty far fetched (ideas have been put forward that jospeph was impotent and mary was sleeping around, then told joseph (who was a simple carpinter) a ghost impregnated her) and therefore dictating all those spirits impregnating people to young children isnt fair as in many peoples opinion it didnt happen. also if you tell your child something happened then they beleive this until they are say 8 or 9 and begin to question it, it will seem you were lying to them. then when you start telling them not to take ecstacy, to practise safe sex, dont talk to strangers etc... they are less likely to take you seriously.

Did you go to school? College? Those teachers were telling you many things that you don't absolutely know to be true. They don't either, they weren't there, they teach what they have been taught. Have you ever met George Washington? But you believe what others have told you.
By the way, athough many things in the Bible can't be proved to be true, every new archealogical find and scientific discovery in that area has proved it to be true and none have disproved it.

I feel sorry for anyone who believes only what can be scientifically proven, since that leaves out love and a million other great things. As far as science goes, the year I taught my children about the formation of the earth--and I taught both religious and scientific in my homeschool--there were news articles changing the age of the earth three times. Even science can't really prove all the things they claim to have proved. That's why science keeps changing.

Just for the record, my children are 15, 16 and 20. They learned the Christmas story and believed it. They still do...and they still listen when I tell them about sex and drugs. I taught them not to take my word for the Bible, but to pray and find out for themselves. That is the only real way to prove anything religious--get it straight from the source.

I beleive stuff that isnt scientifcally proven, just a 2000 year old book saying a ghost impregnated someone who then had three kings looking for him seems a bit far fetched and will give kids all kinds of wierd ideas. I also no nothing at all about George washington other than he had a city named after him and was an American president.

Try doing some reading, James. Try the Bible. If you read it without any preconceived ideas, you may be very surprised.

ive read the bible, it had a good message and i went to a very religous primary school where we did a lot of bible study. I'm still not a christian.

Hello James...I couldnt help replying to this!

Please try maybe reading the bible and history too.

Ever heard of Herod?? I hate to tell you this, but HE killed TONS of children under the age of two, because he believed that there was a special child born about 2000 years ago. Just exactly like the bible said he did.

Herod was a MAJOR historical character. You dont have to believe anything about him. But that doesnt change the facts.

And as far as teaching children ANYTHING....You teach them what you believe, even if it isnt christianity. That is life. There is just no getting around it.

Regardless of whether you even TRY! They learn your language, your accent, your lifestyle, your diet, EVERYTHING!

It is IMPOSSIBLE to NOT teach a child what you believe! They are always learning. And they learn what they see. They will be PARTIAL to the way they see others they love doing things, too.

O, btw...the bible says NO where that there were three kings. It does say that they brought three gifts...check history...maybe you can find out who they were and how many there were! <img src="/images/graemlins/laugh.gif" alt="" />

its just i went to a church of england primary school (get extra money off the church for teaching tons of religon)- basically i sat and listned to a load of bible stories that were given to us at a basic level (eg three kings, three gifts exectra) basacilly i just thought "what a pile of [censored]" as if he did feed 5000 people (or whatever) with two loaves of bread. i might try reading the bible properly though i dont think it will change my mind. i retract my original statement- after thinking about i have decided there is nothing wrong with telling your kids the christmas story (even if it is only a story in my opinion) as they can make there minds up later.

Well, I have to admit something shocking <img src="/images/graemlins/wink.gif" alt="" />

When I teach my kids the christmas story, I dont really teach it, I just tell it...and it has zero to do with my religion or Jesus, my Savior.

What I do tell them is a pile of __ ...like you said, but it makes it FUN for them...they really love to talk about SANTA! LOL!

Basically, what I mean is...I am a Christian, but I dont belive in celebrating the Lord's birth once a year on December 25th.

I told you it was shocking! <img src="/images/graemlins/tongue.gif" alt="" />

I believe in celebrating families, and charity, and FUN this time of year! And all the "christmas cheer," and days off for a national holiday, and stuff like that, make christmastime totally awesome for that purpose <img src="/images/graemlins/smile.gif" alt="" />

James,
Its a sad testimony to teaching facilities when they force boring facts on children. I believe in teaching about Jesus Christ, but it is an exciting and awesome story.
It's sad that you don't believe in the miracles, because, if you believe in them and understand what they meant,-- you see them happen in your own life. And that is fact. It has been true for me and many of my friends.

I teach about the birth of Christ at Christmas and all through the year. He is Someone to celebrate everyday.

All parents, Christian or not, pass on their beliefs to their children. Say please and thank you. Those are beliefs in manners and an approach to others. Just cheat on the test, it's okay if you get into a good school. That is a belief about what is most important in life.

Even not stating a value is an expression of a belief.

"Let him who does wrong continue to do wrong; let him who is vile continue to be vile; let him who does right continue to do right; and let him who is holy continue to be holy." Revelation 22:11

Sisters don't argue, the Lord is coming back and He will deal with the unbelievers.

As for Christmas, Everything I wrote in my article on the History of Christmas is everything I've taught my children. I don't mince words when it comes to the truth. I've taken a lot of flack for it but at least I can live a life of integrity. I've found that those who come into a Christian chat or message board are simply looking for an infallible argument that will convince them of the validity of God's Word, and we as mere humans cannot fulfill that criteria. Only God can. The fact that, James, you have a background in the basics of Christianity and the reason for the season, so to speak, leads me to believe that there is a search going on and that the Lord is pressing on your heart to seek the truth. The truth is in His Word. Look there and ask questions of those who can give an answer about the specifics of the Word of God. Be that here or at a church or from a christian friend. But ask questions instead of attacking someones personal relationship with their Lord and Savior. Because, Jesus WILL come back to judge all according to His measuring rod.

"He who testifies to these things says,'Yes I am coming soon.' Amen. Come, Lord Jesus" Revelation 22:20

Jenna, where is your article?

Oh, and about teaching about Jesus birth, I agree Lynne, I teach it year round to my kids. I try to teach them all I can about the bible.

I try to let them know about how christmas as we know it started, also. It is a very catholic/pagan mixed holiday. And to me associating that with Jesus' birth would be confusing them.

I love all the traditions of the holiday, and I cannot rightly connect them with the birth of Jesus!

So we do celebrate his birth, but only in that we celebrate his giving his life for us! Does that make sense?

I think that the reason for the season is to get together with your family and decorate and eat and have fun.

Jesus is the reason we get together with our church family every time the doors of the church building are open to us! <img src="/images/graemlins/smile.gif" alt="" />

I am not making any sense am I?

I cannot imagine a God who rewards and punishes the objects of his creation, whose purposes are modeled after our own -- a God, in short, who is but a reflection of human frailty. Neither can I believe that the individual survives the death of his body, although feeble souls harbor such thoughts through fear or ridiculous egotisms. - Albert Einstien April 1954

im not trying to attack anyones beleives, im just not a christian and dont think you should force christianity down your childrens (or anyone elses)throats. How can he be my lord and saviour when there is so much hate in the world? How come a 6 month old baby gets gang raped be 6 HIV positive South Africans? How come Mira Hindley dies comfterbly in prison aged 66 after taping her boyfriend torture 7 children? How come (American sponcered) technology is being used to kill innocent civilians? Last month a F-16 sold to the Israelis by the americans at a discounted price was used to demolise (without warning) a civilian towerblock in the West Bank as Israel beleived a terroist (freedom fighter) lived there. Over 50 people died, three of which were under 2. What kind of god lets this [censored] happens? what kind of God lets George Bush think hes playing a game of risk (a board game) with the worlds population.

Hello James,
PEOPLE let these things happen. People choose disobedience - sin - over God all the time. God created man and woman and the world perfect.It started with one choice to disobey God. The horrors you describe have been growing ever since.
Yes there will be punishment. Each of us will have that day of judgement when we will either say "Jesus has paid the price for my sin, or I don't believe in Jesus and I'll pay the price myself."

. Yeah, nice God who according to the bible stuck some one dead with a lightning bolt because he used contraception

As I said once before in one of these threads, I think if you want to use Bible instances in your debate, you should read it. From your comments, it seems that you have barely skimmed it at best.

The devil is the one who is chuckling about all the evil people do!

????????

It's a bible story in the old testerment where God wants some guy to reproduce but he uses contraception, so god kills him with a thunderbolt. My point was this wasnt a very nice thing to do, seeing as God supposedly created man (and woman) and he obviouslity gave them faults such as infedility, violence, jealousy, gluteny etcectra. I have read the bible once in bible study lessons and once for "my own pleasure" and both times one half of it seemed to have nothing to do with anything in particuler and the other half was about some magic guy. If God is God he is all knowing, why would he make, far less than perfect creatures that are eventually going to wipe themselves out. He makes creatures then sends the ones that wernt up to par to never ending hell and damnation.

James,
The "one half" has ALL to do with the "other half"
The Old Testament (all of it) points to Jesus and when He came, His authority was proven by the Old Testament prophecies.

In honor of the birth of Jesus the Christ, I am closing this topic so that I and other Christians visiting can concentrate on experiencing the Joy.
Please feel free to post contraversial topics after January 1, 2003. Post joyful topics anytime!

My prayer is that everyone who visits here will experience Christ this season.