There are no contemporary accounts of Jesus, just as there are no contemporary accounts of most illiterate, working class Jews (which is what Jesus was as a carpenter's son) in the Roman Empire at that time.

There are accounts of the Roman rulers and Jews in the upper classes. And you'd think there'd be accounts of the miracles Jesus performed, but there are not.

People hoped when the dead see scrolls were discovered in the 20th century that there would be something about Jesus there, because they date from the time of Jesus, but there was nothing.

But if you're a believing Christian, faith is what matters -- not fact. Just have faith and Jesus is real to you, despite the lack of evidence.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

I suggest taking your DD to church so she can learn real religion and stop making up your own religion. As someone else mentioned, it just sounds like Santa Claus. Pure fantasy.

This is great. Thanks for the laughs.

Jesus - like Santa - is a myth. Even if you attempt to use Pliny's account, for example, he was no contemporary of Jesus, as his writings were dated years after the supposed death of Christ.

There are NO contemporary sources documenting his birth, miracles and death/resurrection.

Well, this would be a little difficult to find now, wouldn't it?

You're an idiot.

The point is that there are contemporary accounts of historical people. However, this isn't true for Jesus.

Go back to research 101 and find the definition of contemporary as it applies to primary documents.

I don't know where you're getting/ making up your information, but this absolutely false.

Anonymous wrote:What a silly thread. Here we have a collection of adults discussing in all seriousness about what version of a fairy tale to give to a wondering 7 year old, whose concern for who is is, where she came from, and what the future holds are very real and genuine.

If a child is old enough to wonder about these things, then that child deserves the truth. If you don't know, tell her you don't know. If you are catholic and believes the catholic canon, then teach that. Don't teach the kid something you yourself have no experience with. It will only lead to more questions, and a deepening sense of betrayal when she gets older and discovers things on her own through experience, education, and reasoning.

I'm an atheist, but I can at least respect the religious parents for having the conviction to follow through.

I agree with this. I was that child at 6 and 7, but I don't remember crying about it, though I could have. We occasionally went to church, but that certainly did not help with my questions. What I would have loved is: 1/ books that I could gain insight as I loved to read or 2/ adults willing to have deep conversations with me. It's very analytical to wonder about your existence. I'm not religious now and have a child who is also at the same place. We talk about love, purpose, and I tell him that some people believe in religion, which we discuss. I love being able to have these discussions with him. My other kid, is not like that at all, similar to his father. So, I understand that it might be difficult for you. I would start with the books on evolution, religion, spirituality. Or therapy, if she can find an outlet to wonder about these things.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

I suggest taking your DD to church so she can learn real religion and stop making up your own religion. As someone else mentioned, it just sounds like Santa Claus. Pure fantasy.

This is great. Thanks for the laughs.

Jesus - like Santa - is a myth. Even if you attempt to use Pliny's account, for example, he was no contemporary of Jesus, as his writings were dated years after the supposed death of Christ.

There are NO contemporary sources documenting his birth, miracles and death/resurrection.

Well, this would be a little difficult to find now, wouldn't it?

You're an idiot.

The point is that there are contemporary accounts of historical people. However, this isn't true for Jesus.

Go back to research 101 and find the definition of contemporary as it applies to primary documents.

Anonymous wrote:

I suggest taking your DD to church so she can learn real religion and stop making up your own religion. As someone else mentioned, it just sounds like Santa Claus. Pure fantasy.

This is great. Thanks for the laughs.

Jesus - like Santa - is a myth. Even if you attempt to use Pliny's account, for example, he was no contemporary of Jesus, as his writings were dated years after the supposed death of Christ.

There are NO contemporary sources documenting his birth, miracles and death/resurrection.

Well, this would be a little difficult to find now, wouldn't it?

Anonymous wrote:

I suggest taking your DD to church so she can learn real religion and stop making up your own religion. As someone else mentioned, it just sounds like Santa Claus. Pure fantasy.

This is great. Thanks for the laughs.

Jesus - like Santa - is a myth. Even if you attempt to use Pliny's account, for example, he was no contemporary of Jesus, as his writings were dated years after the supposed death of Christ.

There are NO contemporary sources documenting his birth, miracles and death/resurrection.

The issue here is not whether or not Jesus is a myth It's whether churches promote belief in pet heaven The answer is no. In Christian churches, you will NOT find the things that pp made up -- heaven for pets and Jesus writing notes to children assuring them that their dead pets are in heaven. These are NOT the teachings or beliefs of Christianity. pp is misleading her child to tell her such beliefs are part of Christianity -- they are not.

Whether or not Jesus was a myth or any of the miracles actually happened is an entirely different issue - they are still part of the beliefs of Christianity whether they are factual or not. Religion is based on faith, not fact. Christianity expects you to have faith that Jesus was a real person, born of a virgin, who died for your sins, went to hell, resurrected, then ascended into heaven to live forever.

Christianity does NOT expect you to have faith in pet heaven or Jesus writing notes to children about their pets (or anything, for that matter)

I suggest taking your DD to church so she can learn real religion and stop making up your own religion. As someone else mentioned, it just sounds like Santa Claus. Pure fantasy.

This is great. Thanks for the laughs.

Jesus - like Santa - is a myth. Even if you attempt to use Pliny's account, for example, he was no contemporary of Jesus, as his writings were dated years after the supposed death of Christ.

There are NO contemporary sources documenting his birth, miracles and death/resurrection.

Anonymous wrote:
OP - don't do this to your daughter. Teach her she can love herself and love her fellow man, and live each day in service to others because that will make her feel purpose and see the best in humanity and existence. That's all she needs.

+1

Anonymous wrote:I don't think formal religion is necessary.

But I do believe religion is necessary for kids - it gives them answers to all your DD's questions. Gives them a reason to be good, love one another, etc. It sure helped when our cat died 2 weeks ago (Jesus left a note for 3 yr old DD that he came and took her to heaven, clouds drawn around it etc). I asked DD tonite "where's kitty?" She told me in heaven with Jesus. And I've never taken her to church. And telling her not to hit because it makes Jesus sad works too.

When my DD is older, she can read the bible and internet or whatever and formulate her own modified beliefs, but I think a childhood without religion is seriously lacking. Plus, with no religion now, there's no choice to make later. I think it's near impossible to make that leap as an adult. I'd think it's like trying to convince a jewish or muslim person that jesus was the messiah and god was his dad.

News flash -- There are no pets in heaven according to any Christian denomination. Animals don't have souls and humans do, according to Christian teaching. So that when people die, if they have followed the lord, their souls go to heaven. But there are no cats and dogs there because they do not have souls. There are also no notes from Jesus.

I suggest taking your DD to church so she can learn real religion and stop making up your own religion. As someone else mentioned, it just sounds like Santa Claus. Pure fantasy.

fairy talks = fairy tale

Anonymous wrote:I don't think formal religion is necessary.

But I do believe religion is necessary for kids - it gives them answers to all your DD's questions. Gives them a reason to be good, love one another, etc. It sure helped when our cat died 2 weeks ago (Jesus left a note for 3 yr old DD that he came and took her to heaven, clouds drawn around it etc). I asked DD tonite "where's kitty?" She told me in heaven with Jesus. And I've never taken her to church. And telling her not to hit because it makes Jesus sad works too.

When my DD is older, she can read the bible and internet or whatever and formulate her own modified beliefs, but I think a childhood without religion is seriously lacking. Plus, with no religion now, there's no choice to make later. I think it's near impossible to make that leap as an adult. I'd think it's like trying to convince a jewish or muslim person that jesus was the messiah and god was his dad.

Religion is certainly a way of providing answers for children, but you're wrong that they need a bunch of made-up stories to be good or to accept a pet's death. Lots of people raised without religion learn how to handle these situations without interpolating characters for the bible into their lives.

And many more people leave religion as adults than come to it -- perhaps because as adults they think more logically and can more easily give up the fairy-talks aspects of some regions.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I don't think formal religion is necessary.

But I do believe religion is necessary for kids - it gives them answers to all your DD's questions. Gives them a reason to be good, love one another, etc. It sure helped when our cat died 2 weeks ago (Jesus left a note for 3 yr old DD that he came and took her to heaven, clouds drawn around it etc). I asked DD tonite "where's kitty?" She told me in heaven with Jesus. And I've never taken her to church. And telling her not to hit because it makes Jesus sad works too.

When my DD is older, she can read the bible and internet or whatever and formulate her own modified beliefs, but I think a childhood without religion is seriously lacking. Plus, with no religion now, there's no choice to make later. I think it's near impossible to make that leap as an adult. I'd think it's like trying to convince a jewish or muslim person that jesus was the messiah and god was his dad.

What? You are totally using Jesus as a character to fill a Santa Claus-type role and make it easier for you to parent. Shame on you!!! What a shallow understanding of Jesus and his message. Either teach Christianity or teach about death and empathy from a humanist perspective, but don't pull Jesus out when you need a easy way to manipulate your kid into being docile and "good."

+1 I"m glad the Jesus/Santa person posted here so she can get a grip on how bad her ideas are.

Anonymous wrote:I don't think formal religion is necessary.

But I do believe religion is necessary for kids - it gives them answers to all your DD's questions. Gives them a reason to be good, love one another, etc. It sure helped when our cat died 2 weeks ago (Jesus left a note for 3 yr old DD that he came and took her to heaven, clouds drawn around it etc). I asked DD tonite "where's kitty?" She told me in heaven with Jesus. And I've never taken her to church. And telling her not to hit because it makes Jesus sad works too.

When my DD is older, she can read the bible and internet or whatever and formulate her own modified beliefs, but I think a childhood without religion is seriously lacking. Plus, with no religion now, there's no choice to make later. I think it's near impossible to make that leap as an adult. I'd think it's like trying to convince a jewish or muslim person that jesus was the messiah and god was his dad.

What? You are totally using Jesus as a character to fill a Santa Claus-type role and make it easier for you to parent. Shame on you!!! What a shallow understanding of Jesus and his message. Either teach Christianity or teach about death and empathy from a humanist perspective, but don't pull Jesus out when you need a easy way to manipulate your kid into being docile and "good."

Anonymous wrote:I don't think formal religion is necessary.

But I do believe religion is necessary for kids - it gives them answers to all your DD's questions. Gives them a reason to be good, love one another, etc. It sure helped when our cat died 2 weeks ago (Jesus left a note for 3 yr old DD that he came and took her to heaven, clouds drawn around it etc). I asked DD tonite "where's kitty?" She told me in heaven with Jesus. And I've never taken her to church. And telling her not to hit because it makes Jesus sad works too.

When my DD is older, she can read the bible and internet or whatever and formulate her own modified beliefs, but I think a childhood without religion is seriously lacking. Plus, with no religion now, there's no choice to make later. I think it's near impossible to make that leap as an adult. I'd think it's like trying to convince a jewish or muslim person that jesus was the messiah and god was his dad.

I teach my kids not to hit for the right reasons, we tall about empathy and what makes rules and laws and respect for others important in a society, we talk about how ultimately it's not a good way to convince others of your point of view, how it doesn't do wither person any good. NOT because it "makes Jesus mad" -- it IS near impossible to make the leap to religion as an adult if you didn't get lied to every day as a child. That's a good thing.

If you do want to think about religion and a church or Sunday School for your little girl, I think a mainline progressive protestant religion is what might help her--where love and acceptance are emphasized and women have full participation. Lutheran (not Missouri Synod), Presbyterian (USA), Episcopalian (USA) are good; Unitarian may be closer to your own current beliefs.

When I was 5 my parents unfortunately sent me to a Baptist (fundamentalist) kindergarten, because it was popular in our neighborhood; I became so scared and traumatized by all the "hell and damnation" they mentioned constantly I have only set foot in one Baptist church since then. I demanded to go to secular (didn't use this word though kindergarten--and they switched me after month. Was nothing like our Presbyterian church. Some children just know what they need.