Challenges in Teaching Theology

Discussion between Maggie and Mia on the way home from church

Maggie: God created everything. The trees, the animals, the stores, the cars.

Mia: No, Maggie, not the stores and cars.

Maggie: Yes, he made everything. The clothes, the socks.

Mia: No, Maggie. No. That’s not true.

Me (Trying to strike the middle ground): Well, He made everything in the Earth from which all things are made, so the things that the buildings or clothes are made out of…

Maggie (interrupting): See, God gave us everything.

Mia: He did not make the socks.

Maggie: Yes, He did! God knows how to sew!!


Talking with Mia tonight
Mia: Mom, so I just don’t get it, if people have been on the Earth since it was created, and there were dinosaurs on the Earth, then the people and dinosaurs were together… I just don’t understand.

Me: Well, I don’t exactly know how it all happened, but the time that Heavenly Father created the Earth was likely a very long time and different things were created at different times and the Earth evolved over time to include water and different types of plants and various animals, and then finally people were on the Earth. So, the dinosaurs could have lived during that process of animals and the Earth going through the creation. Or, Heavenly Father could have brought together matter and pieces from various other planets to create the Earth that may have included dinosaur remains, I really don’t exactly know…

Mia: So, the dinosaurs might be aliens?

A few minutes later, as the conversation progressed...

Mia: There are some things like that, that are hard to believe. Like how did Jesus write those commandments on stone with his finger. His finger, Mom! I can see why that would take forty days and forty nights.