Photo by MART PRODUCTION
Child cynicism is expected, as much as curiosity and innocence. However, it’s another matter of faith and belief in God. How will parents overcome the challenge when a child claims God isn’t real?
Child cynicism begins when their perception develops growing up. Since they’re still at a stage where everything feels new, they take their time processing things. One of the common mistakes that adults often make is thinking that children automatically believe in the same things we do. Parents often think their children will follow their example because they believe in God.
The new generation has become more intelligent and aware of themselves and their surroundings; we may lie to them about small details, but such a significant thing as faith cannot be ignored. There are testimonies from parents claiming their child outright denies the existence of God. Regardless of their age, it is worrisome to know since parents always assume their child will follow their lead. This situation may lead parents to doubt themselves and how they can deal with child cynicism toward God’s existence.
If you’re a parent struggling over this problem, we’ll show you ways you can try to gently and objectively counter them without being authoritative over their personal beliefs.
Ten ways parents can use to counter doubt towards God
To help you start having these difficult conversations with your children, let a book by Gary R. Lindberg be your guide in answering their questions regarding God’s existence. Discussing God’s presence is a complex topic that can make or break certain relationships. Indeed, you can’t afford to break whatever good things you have with your children.
Be grateful to them for sharing.
Any Christian parent would panic when they hear the words “I don’t believe in God” from their children’s mouths. Even a sliver of doubt causes distress that needs to be dealt with immediately. The response of a parent to those words will determine their relationship. Assure them that nothing has changed, just because they initially expressed their disbelief in God.
Parents need to be their children’s safe space regardless of their differences. If they tell you they don’t believe in God, express gratitude to them for sharing their beliefs, no matter how difficult. It would help if you were a reliable shoulder to confide in, making them comfortable enough in their vulnerabilities. Let them know you’re always welcome to hear them out and not shun them away.
Ask them where they came to that conclusion.
It’s natural for us to love our kids unconditionally. That includes letting them find their individuality in a very saturated world. Part of our responsibility is ensuring their eternal life; we must bring them up to the right path leading to God. If that’s not the case for them, we must do everything we can to keep ourselves calm and collected.
If you’re in a situation like that, keep the conversation going by following up with more questions to be confident about your understanding. That can be an excellent reflection on what led your children to doubt God’s authentic existence.
Ask your children how long they have felt that way.
Getting into the roots of it all is a helpful diagnostic question like asking your child how long they’ve felt doubtful about God. It often stems from a knee-jerk reaction after a personal encounter that triggered the child’s cynicism toward God.
They might have wearily waited on an unanswered prayer or a struggle they never overcame. Regardless of what it is, there are countless chances where child cynicism against God grows. The longer they’ve felt such doubts, the longer you have to dig into the issue, primarily when they’ve expressed their dissent too late.
Try to convince them about God’s existence by showing a couple of pieces of evidence.
You get a good glimpse of their heart by asking them to let you prove that God exists. It’s important to understand that their doubt stems from the refusal to believe, most likely from the lack of a sensory grasp of who God is. For example, they might deny God exists because they misunderstand who He is. It could also be the things they hear from other people, the media, and the things they read online. If your child admits to not believing in God, you must understand why it happened.
Assure them that their doubts are nothing to be ashamed of.
Sometimes, children feel like they’re not normal for not choosing to believe in God as other people do. Because they felt lacking in faith, they saw themselves as fake Christians, despite being brought up in such a household. Tell your child that doubt is typical where there is faith. Even if we encounter unexpected incidents, there will always be times when we doubt that we’ll get through it safely.
Reassuring your child that it’s normal to doubt makes them feel comforted, knowing that you understand their side. As long as you show them through your words and actions that you don’t condemn their disbelief, they might eventually give believing in God a try.
