Reply #12: As a non-believer, what we told our son was

[Lyric]

that Easter is a celebration of fertility and spring, and that the word comes from the Old English word Ēostre, the name of a Germanic goddess related to spring. We talk about bunnies and eggs, and how those are good representations of fertility and life. Believe it or not, even a five-year-old was able to understand it because bunnies obviously have LOTS of babies, and even kindergarteners know that baby birds come from eggs. We have NEVER talked to him about the crucifixion stuff; it's just gross and incredibly inappropriate for kids, IMHO. I remember being horrified by the whole idea of crucifixion as a child, but being too embarrassed of being called a "baby" to speak up and say so. I don't want my son having the same nightmares that *I* had. He knows the basics of Christianity, but he doesn't know much about the details and holidays and stuff.

I remember the basic gist of one conversation last year:

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LyricKid: If Jesus died to save people, what was he saving them from?

Lyric: Well...Christians believe that he gave up his life to save people from going to hell because they did things that God didn't want them to do. In Christianity, that's called "sinning", and hell is a fiery, awful place where they'd be tortured forever.

LyricKid: But why would they go to hell? Who would send people there?

Lyric: Christians think that God sends sinners to hell.

LyricKid: Wait a minute. Jesus is God too, right?

Lyric: (seeing where this is going) Christians certainly think so.

LyricKid: So you mean that Jesus died in order to save people from...Jesus?

Lyric: Well yeah, basically!

LyricKid: I dunno Mom. Seems like it would make a lot more sense to just not send people to hell in the first place. Then he wouldn't have to die, and everybody could be happy, and it wouldn't be so complicated.

:rofl: