How do you teach your children about Noah's Arc?

What is the Arc's descending angle?

As long as you don't try to pretend that the story is historical fact it's fine.

And when they ask why God killed all the animals in the world (who did nothing to deserve their drowning), you can explain how God subscribes to the "scorched Earth" method of warfare.

And when they ask about the babies and toddlers that must have drowned as well, you can tell them that the god in the story is a sadistic monster who holds children responsable for the stuff their ancestors did.

I think the key may be to focus on the moral of the story and not the story itself. America is one of the few countries that still takes the bible literally and has one of the lowest percentage rates of people that believe in evolution (We came in second to last place!!! We're a step above Turkey according to a world survey that included 32 countries, Europe, US and Japan)

So I say, if you really want to teach the bible, don't focus on the individual details because if they don't make sense, they probably didn't happen and just focus on the moral to be learned.

There is no evidence that a worldwide flood ever occurred so be careful telling them anything that will cause them to lose faith in high school and college.

Stress the morals that it teaches and not the details of the story. God wants to save mankind from evil. We should listen to God's teachings for protection.

It can also be understood that our mortal life is temporary, insignificant, and subject at times to trials and harm. God does not consider our current mortal state to be important. God want goodness and morality in us on an eternal scale and is willing to sacrifice the temporary mortal life to achieve that purpose.

Spirituality is more important than the physical existence.

We talked about it last night, in the context of "Does the Bible say that God would ever kill an innocent child?"

My kids are 7 and 10.

Children love to hear about all the animals on the Arc.

I like the part where God showed the spectacular rainbow, a solemn promise of his faithfulness and mercy to the family of Noah.

Remember with children you do not have to go into the gross details. But emphasis the values.

Rainbow in the sky is so uplifting to ones soul, reminds us that God cares for you and me.

You focus on the positive--about how Noah's family and the animals were saved on the Ark, and about the covenant of the rainbow that God placed in the clouds afterward to never flood the earth again. You can throw in drowning the wicked people when they get a little older. Every Disney movie, fairy tale, whatever does have a villain you know, and kids need to start grasping at an early age that good choices are rewarded and bad ones have consequences.

It's the kids whose parents have never taught them lessons like that who make the real world such a "dark and twisted" place!

No in a horror movie you have fiction or at least in most. The most direct way to explain this story is to let all know, children and adults that we each are responsibly for our actions. Even though many think they will get away with their deeds in this life, the truth is in the end we ALL will give an account for what we have done. even you. The have no problem understanding that. Especaily considering the story also clearly shows who God loves and cares and provides for ALL who love him and follow his commandements.

It IS a dark, twisted tale. What kind of God kills millions of innocent children?

I would never teach it to a child as fact.

Tell them the truth the same way God tells us. We have failed to teach our children the mean side of God. This fear of God taught to them at a young age will keep them in line knowing that God is always watching their every move and knows their every thought.

I let my brother tell the story, because he works in city waste and sewer management. Forty days and forty nights of animal feces management on a boat makes for an interesting tale.