I teach a mid-week class to young children. The last two years I have taught from my Classic Catechism, but this year have been teaching doctrine through this material (thought it needs some correction and supplementation to work - with my Catechism!).
As I prepared to teach on the topic of the Image of God a few weeks ago, I wrestled with how to convey the doctrine to my children. The topic must be taught to children, for there is a constant push to level in the minds of people the value of human beings and animals, to minimize the value of pre-born and elderly people, and to disconnect the spirituality of people from the design and intent of their creator. I am a big fan of Wayne Grudem's summary of the Image of God, so I began with his four aspects of the Image of God:
1. There is the moral aspect - human beings are moral creatures.
2. There is the spiritual aspect - human beings can personally relate to God.
3. There is the mental aspect - humans have the ability to reason and think logically
4. There is the relational aspect - humans are capable of deep relationships
For the children, I simplified them into this:
1. People can know right from wrong
2. People can know God
3. People are smart
4. People have deep relationships
The best way to help children and adults, I have found, to grasp these aspects is to compare people with their pets. My dog does not operate morally - she operates based on survival instincts, training, and bizarre impulses. At no time does she do something specifically because it is morally right to do so. My dog also has zero awareness of God and no soul. She does not pray nor can she experience God in any way that can be called worship. My dog also can be trained, but she is not smart like a person, for she never wrestles with philosophical problems, never will make art, nor will she ever try to fix a mechanical problem or study geometry. My dog does likes our family because she is social pack animal and we provide for her, but she cannot make a commitment of marriage, develop a friendship in which to share her heart, nor feel a bond with a radio preacher she has never met. On and on I can go.
What do you think? How would you teach children this doctrine?






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