"You know that's impossible right?" Explaining to kids the comments of creationists.

[Anonymous]

We went out of town this weekend. Went to a place where there was a geological formation. The plaque mentioned that it had taken 2 million years for this particular formation to come about. A woman behind us was reading the plaque out loud to her family. She then stops and tells her kids, "You know that's impossible right?"

My kids were confused and asked me why she said that.

How would you have responded? Would you have responded right then while the woman and her family were in earshot or would you have waited till they left?

Thanks.

[Anonymous]

First of all, wait until they walk away. That's the polite thing to do. Then explain what you think but also your fair interpretation of what the woman thinks. Tell your kids that there are different opinions and beliefs about all sorts of things and encourage them to research something they want to know about and make a decision based on that.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:First of all, wait until they walk away. That's the polite thing to do. Then explain what you think but also your fair interpretation of what the woman thinks. Tell your kids that there are different opinions and beliefs about all sorts of things and encourage them to research something they want to know about and make a decision based on that.

I don't know. That comes close to lending creationism validity, and creationist theory isn't valid.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:We went out of town this weekend. Went to a place where there was a geological formation. The plaque mentioned that it had taken 2 million years for this particular formation to come about. A woman behind us was reading the plaque out loud to her family. She then stops and tells her kids, "You know that's impossible right?"

My kids were confused and asked me why she said that.

How would you have responded? Would you have responded right then while the woman and her family were in earshot or would you have waited till they left?

Thanks.

I would have told them the truth - that some people believe the world was made in 7 days. Others - like us - take a different approach, looking to science for answers.

How often are you in situations like that anyway? Make it a learning moment, I say!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:First of all, wait until they walk away. That's the polite thing to do. Then explain what you think but also your fair interpretation of what the woman thinks. Tell your kids that there are different opinions and beliefs about all sorts of things and encourage them to research something they want to know about and make a decision based on that.

I don't know. That comes close to lending creationism validity, and creationist theory isn't valid.

And do you immediately debunk Santa Claus when someone references him? Different people have different faith beliefs. You might believe they are wrong, but it's pretty darn bigoted to openly write them off to your kids without some sort of "this is what some people believe, this is what we believe" approach.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:First of all, wait until they walk away. That's the polite thing to do. Then explain what you think but also your fair interpretation of what the woman thinks. Tell your kids that there are different opinions and beliefs about all sorts of things and encourage them to research something they want to know about and make a decision based on that.

I don't know. That comes close to lending creationism validity, and creationist theory isn't valid.

Obviously, not everyone agrees with you on that, even if I do . That's why I suggest explaining both theories to your child and when they are old enough, they can make their own decisions (which is what they are going to do anyway).

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:First of all, wait until they walk away. That's the polite thing to do.

The woman didn't wait politely until the OP walked away to express her opinion, did she?

[Anonymous]

She asked in her post if she should have waited until the woman was out of earshot to answer her kid's question.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:First of all, wait until they walk away. That's the polite thing to do.

The woman didn't wait politely until the OP walked away to express her opinion, did she?

She started it, so you should defanitely one-up her and make an obnoxious and loud comeback. Yeah, that'll teach everyone a lesson and you'll feel great as a person and mom. Tell her DCUM sent you.

[Anonymous]

"Some people believe in old fashioned opinions and some believe in things supported by scientific evidence. Whatever the case, we need to respect their opinions and get along. Even if they don't respect ours, we'll try to take the high road."

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:First of all, wait until they walk away. That's the polite thing to do.

The woman didn't wait politely until the OP walked away to express her opinion, did she?

She started it, so you should defanitely one-up her and make an obnoxious and loud comeback. Yeah, that'll teach everyone a lesson and you'll feel great as a person and mom. Tell her DCUM sent you.

I like you

[Anonymous]

Ditto on being considerate, even if that mom wasn't considerate to you and your kids -- two badly behaving moms doesn't make a good example for your kids or anyone else's. And also ditto on explaining your different POV in respectful way, rather than taking the DCUM approach of mocking anyone who's different from you.

Bigotted: that woman is nuts (said in front of said woman)

Not bigotted: Here's what some people believe. But here's scientific evidence to the contrary, which is why I believe something different.

[Anonymous]

I would have said to my kids that Christians believe the universe was created in seven days, but that is a religious story and science says the universe is about 13.5 billion years old, and I would have added that our family considers science (which is based on observable facts) to be better at answering questions about the world/universe than science. I wouldn't have waited until the woman walked away, but I wouldn't have spoken so that she and her family could necessarily hear me.

We're a multicultural family -- I was raised Christian and became an atheist, DH is from another culture that is largely atheistic but has cultural religious beliefs nonetheless.

[Anonymous]

I understand being respectful and waiting until the woman walked away, but let's not be crazy here and act like creationism should be presented as "just people who have a different opinion". It is not valid to believe that the earth is a few thousand years old - facts are facts and science is science.

[Anonymous]

I would say "some people believe their god created the universe a few thousand years ago" and leave it at that.