Question:
How can you explain to a 10 year old that there must be a Creator?
Answer:
The question is actually a distillation of this much longer question that I’ll let you read, then I’ll answer:
“Regarding your answer about “everything comes from something”, part of your answer was: Once we reach God, there is no need to ask “where did God come from” because God has existed UNCREATED eternally. He did not come from anything. He has always been. Only something that was not created can exist eternally. Everything material thing must have a cause. God is not material. God is Spirit. Eternal Spirit.
God is the First Cause. He is the Source. He is the Creator. It is natural that we cannot fathom this because the CREATED is never equal to the CREATOR.
Brent, Please write an answer on this wonderful article you wrote for our 10 year old granddaughter. She is extremely intelligent and has given her precious heart to the Lord. She is asking me and I told her that you wrote a great answer for older folks but it might not be on her level. Thank you for your help and daily devotionals. They are much appreciated.”
I can only tell you how I would attempt to explain it to one of my own six children. Alot of it would depend on their own demonstrated level of maturity and understanding, but I would engage them in conversations similar to these:
I would begin to point out to them simple to understand examples of “created things”, objects that have design, and allow them to easily see that all things that are “made” must have a Maker.
Then show them examples of this same design about humans, about the earth, and about the heavens.
The principle that design (made) requires a designer (Maker) is easily understood then and transferred to the principles of Creation.
The next step is a little harder. You have to get them to understand that the Maker/Creator is always greater than the created. The pie doesn’t have to understand why/how/when the Cook created the pie. The computer cannot think and reason and understand why the Engineer designed and created the computer.
Man can’t understand or grasp how God can be “forever” or “eternal”, but we CAN, by association, understand that the Person who created us is great than us, and the “buck stops” there.
Remember, you asked me how I might explain these things to a 10 year old. So the point is not to get them to understand quantuum physics or theology; the goal is to begin to teach them Godly principles, sound logic and the ability to critically think for themselves.
People say that belief in God is “blind faith” and that science is “fact”. Hogwash! Belief in God is fully support by evidences of every kind, both scientific and experiential. That all science is “fact” ignores the bias their materialistic worldview brings to the table.
Our youngsters need to be given sound principles, and taught to think logically and critically. Only then can they stand up to the onslaught of this world’s religion of humanism.