Children's Letters to God..

Dear Friends,

I just received this mail and thought of sharing it with u.

It speaks volumes on what our children learn from our traditional perspectives on God.

Dear GOD,
In school they told us what You do. Who does it when You are on vacation? (Jane)

Dear GOD,
I read the Bible. What does 'begat' mean? Nobody will tell me. Love, Alison

Dear GOD,
Are you really invisible or is that just a trick? (Lucy)

Dear GOD,
Is it true my father won't get in Heaven if he uses his bowling words in the house? (Anita)

Dear GOD,
Did you mean for the giraffe to look like that or was it an accident? (Norma)

Dear GOD,
Instead of letting people die and having to make new ones, why don't You just keep the ones You have now? (Jane)

Dear GOD,
Who draws the lines around the countries? (Nan)

Dear GOD,
I went to this wedding and they kissed right in church. Is that okay? (Neil)

Dear GOD,
What does it mean You are a Jealous God? I thought You had everything. (Jane)

Dear GOD,
Did you really mean "do unto others as they do unto you"? Because if you did, then I'm going to fix my brother. (Darla)

Dear GOD,
Thank you for the baby brother, but what I prayed for was a puppy. (Joyce)

Dear GOD,
It rained for our whole vacation and is my father mad! He said some things about You that people are not supposed to say, but I hope You will not hurt him anyway. Your friend (But I am not going to tell you who I am.)

Dear GOD,
Why is Sunday school on Sunday? I thought it was supposed to be our day of rest.(Tom L.)

Dear GOD,
Please send me a pony. I never asked for anything before, You can look it up.(Bruce)

Dear GOD,
If we come back as something - please don't let me be Jennifer Horton because I hate her. (Denise)

Dear GOD,
If You give me a genie lamp like Aladdin, I will give you anything you want, except my money or my chess set. (Raphael)

Dear GOD,
My brother is a rat. You should give him a tail. Ha ha. (Danny)

Dear GOD,
Maybe Cain and Abel would not kill each other so much if they had their own rooms. It works with my brother. (Larry)

Dear GOD,
I want to be just like my Daddy when I get big but not with so much hair all over. (Sam)

Dear GOD,
You don't have to worry about me. I always look both ways. (Dean)

Dear GOD,
I think the stapler is one of your greatest inventions. (Ruth M.)

Dear GOD,
I think about You sometimes even when I'm not praying. (Elliott)

Dear GOD,
I bet it is very hard for You to love all of everybody in the whole world. There are only 4 people in our family and I can never do it.(Nan)

Dear GOD,
Of all the people who work for You I like Noah and David the best. (Rob)

Dear GOD,
My brother told me about being born but it doesn't sound right. They're just kidding, aren't they? (Marsha)

Dear GOD,
If You watch me in church Sunday, I'll show You my new shoes. (Mickey D.)

Dear GOD,
I would like to live 900 years like the guy in the Bible. Love, Chris

Dear GOD,
We read Thomas Edison made light. But in Sunday school they said You did it. So I bet he stoled your idea.
Sincerely, Donna

Dear GOD:
The bad people laughed at Noah - "You made an ark on dry land you fool." But he was smart, he stuck with You. That's what I would do. (Eddie)

Dear GOD,
I do not think anybody could be a better GOD. Well, I just want You to know but I am not just saying that because You are GOD already. (Charles)

Dear GOD,
I didn't think orange went with purple until I saw the sunset you made on Tuesday. That was cool! (Eugene)

Some of the children were far more creative,curious, innocent and intelligent than most of us elders. Every line provokes thinking. Every line questions the concept of organised religion and vindictive God. I think the problem lies with our way of teaching God to the children. We present God as an old man in white beard, all-powerful, jealous (that to me is blasphemy, to call God jealous)and even mean. We should present God in such a way that the child starts a life-long love-relationship with Him. God is Love. We are not punished for our sins by God. We are punished by our sins with God watching us anxiously ready to intervene if the matter gets out of our hands.
Your post made me think a lot of things about God and children. A very good post, Meena. Keep it up.
sridhar