We should create an environment for kids where natural and theological explanations both give God the glory.
This is a companion discussion topic for the original entry at https://biologos.org/blogs/chris-stump-equipping-educators/why-do-trees-make-air-talking-to-your-kids-about-god-and-science
Nice post. I think sometimes we (those of us who have been exposed to very dogmatic anti-naturalism teaching) feel like we are selling out to the wrong team if we offer “God made it that way responses,” but on the other hand it feels like we have gone completely over to the dark side to offer a purely scientific answer. It helps to remind myself that my kids don’t have my baggage and are fairly apolitical on these matters. They don’t have a “team.” We were reading a book called The Mysteries and Marvels of Nature which had details on some truly weird creatures. As a child, so often when these kinds of amazing adaptations were brought up, it was always in the context of “isn’t evolution a stupid idea,” and I have to remind myself that my kids are not thinking that, and bringing God up in those contexts is not anti-science. So it’s perfectly okay to say, “Isn’t this adaptation an amazing way God has provided for his creatures?”
Such a great point here, Christy! Our kids don’t have our “baggage” so maybe we don’t need to overly fixate on how a specific response might signal a certain tribe’s mentality as long as we’re presenting a balance.
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