2sunshines
05-10-2005, 06:50 AM
Because my 4 yo has had a pet die and an extended family member die, we have had the "death" discussion and he understand it pretty well (going to heaven to be with Jesus, etc.).
The other day he told me, "Grandma told me that when we die we become angels and that Aunt ** is now an angel."
So I had to correct that false theology. Because as the Bible teaches, we don't become angels when we die. We go to heaven WITH the angels... Anyway, that conversation went fine, because he shared with me the false theology that my mil told him and I was able to correct it. In and of itself, it's not that big of a deal. It's not a major wrong theology -- misguided, untrue, but not that big of a deal.
What has me concerned is this: I had no clue that they had that conversation. How many other "theological" conversations is he having with her or anyone that I don't know about? What kind of ideas are people putting into his head?
Now, it's not like he's away from me much. We go to my mil's a lot but my dh and I are almost always there. She does baby-sit him occassionally. I'm not quite sure when these conversations are taking place but apparently they are.
Am I overconcerned? I mean, I know that my dh and I are his main teachers and we generally do have the final word. I don't want to say to my mil "don't talk about theology with my son" because that sounds mean. She is a Christian and goes to church with us, her faith is just extremely weak and her biblical knowledge is even weaker.
Do I just continue to teach him and assume that will overwrite anything else that he's hearing? Do I address this issue with my mil?
The other day he told me, "Grandma told me that when we die we become angels and that Aunt ** is now an angel."
So I had to correct that false theology. Because as the Bible teaches, we don't become angels when we die. We go to heaven WITH the angels... Anyway, that conversation went fine, because he shared with me the false theology that my mil told him and I was able to correct it. In and of itself, it's not that big of a deal. It's not a major wrong theology -- misguided, untrue, but not that big of a deal.
What has me concerned is this: I had no clue that they had that conversation. How many other "theological" conversations is he having with her or anyone that I don't know about? What kind of ideas are people putting into his head?
Now, it's not like he's away from me much. We go to my mil's a lot but my dh and I are almost always there. She does baby-sit him occassionally. I'm not quite sure when these conversations are taking place but apparently they are.
Am I overconcerned? I mean, I know that my dh and I are his main teachers and we generally do have the final word. I don't want to say to my mil "don't talk about theology with my son" because that sounds mean. She is a Christian and goes to church with us, her faith is just extremely weak and her biblical knowledge is even weaker.
Do I just continue to teach him and assume that will overwrite anything else that he's hearing? Do I address this issue with my mil?