Is A Religion That Can Be Grasped By A 6 Year Old Suited To a 60 Year OLd? (experience, Christians)

Sunstone · #1 09-10-2006, 10:03 PM

A friend of mine who likes to tease me about religions once remarked to me: "Most Christians, Jews and Muslims have the same basic ideas about religion at 60 that they did at 6. In every other branch of life, people have much better and more truthful ideas about things at 60 than they did at 6. But not religion. Just goes to show you that religion is silly."

Do you think he has a point? If so, why? If not, why not?

Bishka · #2 09-10-2006, 10:21 PM

Not really - because religion is that simple -- it's not supposed to be complicated and hard to understand (in most cases).

Why should it matter if we had the same idea at 60, that we had a 6? Wouldn't that go to show you that we knew all along what we believed?

Tigress · #3 09-10-2006, 10:23 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Sunstone

A friend of mine who likes to tease me about religions once remarked to me: "Most Christians, Jews and Muslims have the same basic ideas about religion at 60 that they did at 6. In every other branch of life, people have much better and more truthful ideas about things at 60 than they did at 6. But not religion. Just goes to show you that religion is silly."

Do you think he has a point? If so, why? If not, why not?

First of all, I'd ask him if he knows most Christians, Jews and Muslims.--His theory may ring true to his experience(s), but I'm not sure that it's any more than that, as it certainly hasn't been mine. I've found that six-year-olds are generally far less judgmental about things like race, gender, and orientation, for instance.--Also, I fail to see how Christians, Jews and Muslims account for all religion.

kai · #4 09-10-2006, 10:25 PM

show me a religion the can be understood by a six year old!

ikitikitembo · #5 09-10-2006, 10:27 PM

People are silly...not necessarily religion.

There's no problem with eing consistent with your belief for most of your life.

Booko · #6 09-10-2006, 10:28 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Sunstone

A friend of mine who likes to tease me about religions once remarked to me: "Most Christians, Jews and Muslims have the same basic ideas about religion at 60 that they did at 6. In every other branch of life, people have much better and more truthful ideas about things at 60 than they did at 6. But not religion. Just goes to show you that religion is silly."

Do you think he has a point? If so, why? If not, why not?

If he has a point, it's only that he's met some pretty unreflective 60 year olds.

FerventGodSeeker · #7 09-10-2006, 10:29 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Sunstone

A friend of mine who likes to tease me about religions once remarked to me: "Most Christians, Jews and Muslims have the same basic ideas about religion at 60 that they did at 6. In every other branch of life, people have much better and more truthful ideas about things at 60 than they did at 6. But not religion. Just goes to show you that religion is silly."

Do you think he has a point? If so, why? If not, why not?

I actually think that the point he raises is a positive thing. Speaking from the Christian perspective, I think it's amazing that the Christian message can be as compelling and awe-inspiring to someone as small and innocent as a 6-year old, as much as it can be to an educated, wise 60 year old.

FGS

jonny · #8 09-10-2006, 10:29 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Sunstone

A friend of mine who likes to tease me about religions once remarked to me: "Most Christians, Jews and Muslims have the same basic ideas about religion at 60 that they did at 6. In every other branch of life, people have much better and more truthful ideas about things at 60 than they did at 6. But not religion. Just goes to show you that religion is silly."

Do you think he has a point? If so, why? If not, why not?

No. I learn things about my religion all the time and see things in new ways all the time. I would have quit going to church a long time ago if I didn't learn anything new when I went.

lunamoth · #9 09-10-2006, 10:32 PM

I think many of us do stop with a grade-school level of understanding about our religions, so it's no wonder many of us reject them when we develop our critical thinking skills and become more experienced in the world. We wouldn't be satisfied going through life with a sixth-grade education; it's surprising we think it sufficient to use what we learned in Sunday school to get us through all of our adult life.

I think that if religious studies were treated to some extent more like other subjects, informing teens and young adults that there is more to it, that doctrine is not written in stone, that there have been lots of changes and variations in religous thought throughout the ages (and still today) and also expose people to comparative religions and writings of the mystics and sufis, then more people would develop religious understandings to suit them as adults.

It's not that you have to do theological studies to have a full religious life, or to put a Christian spin on it, an authentic life in Christ. But for many of us the simple answers do not satisfy and if we feel we that can't legitimately ask deeper, more challenging questions of our religion, then maybe that religion was not worth anything to begin with. Any religion worth its salt should stand up to the questions of an adult who looks at the world and asks, why would a loving God allow this to happen.

lunamoth