EmpiricalAgnosticAtheist
Member
Hey guys, this is my first thread here.
As mentioned in the title- do you think it's possible that these childhood fairy tales/ mystical beings are a means of making the mysticism of religion easier to swallow for kids?
I can't remember where I remember hearing this, might've been TV or a conversation with friends. But I have been wondering- why exactly do we tell these mystical tales to our children? Instead of giving the parents credit for buying presents during Christmas, candy on Easter, putting money under the pillow for a lost tooth, many folks (at least in the US) have their kids believe in these mystical creatures, having them believe that there are magical things in the world.
Despite not coming from a religious family, I remember the excitement of Christmas, Easter, the Tooth Fairy, etc, and when I learned they were phony, I don't think I was particularly devastated. I'm still undecided as to whether I will teach my kids these fairy tales at this point.
Thoughts?
As mentioned in the title- do you think it's possible that these childhood fairy tales/ mystical beings are a means of making the mysticism of religion easier to swallow for kids?
I can't remember where I remember hearing this, might've been TV or a conversation with friends. But I have been wondering- why exactly do we tell these mystical tales to our children? Instead of giving the parents credit for buying presents during Christmas, candy on Easter, putting money under the pillow for a lost tooth, many folks (at least in the US) have their kids believe in these mystical creatures, having them believe that there are magical things in the world.
Despite not coming from a religious family, I remember the excitement of Christmas, Easter, the Tooth Fairy, etc, and when I learned they were phony, I don't think I was particularly devastated. I'm still undecided as to whether I will teach my kids these fairy tales at this point.
Thoughts?