InSiGhT

Mom, Dad And God

A Michigan researcher finds
parents have a great ceal of
inf uence on children's visions of
the Creator.

Elizabeth Applebaum
AppleTree Editor

Consequently, Dr. Dickie advises
parents to be cautious in how they
discipline, for the way they speak
may forever influence their child's rela-
tionship with God, a relationship Dr.
Dickie says human beings crave no
matter what their age.
"Our need for attachment to some-
thing greater and bigger than our-
selves is a need throughout our lives,"
she said. "In early childhood, it is
filled by our parents. Out in the world
this need doesn't disappear."
One of the most
interesting findings of
the study is that regard-
less of their religious
background or the sta-
bility of their home life,
children spend a great
Above: Children were shown images that reflect
deal of time thinking
concepts of power and compassion.
about God.
In the second study,
* In religious homes, the
conomic backgrounds, in Holland.
where a number of the
younger children tended to
Researchers developed a series of
children came from
Dr. Jane Dickie
view God as more like
questions that focus on God's
non-religious or one-par-
their father, while older chil-
"female" side, His ability to nurture,
ent homes, Dr. Dickie found that 80
dren typically saw God as more like
and a "male" side, His power.
percent of the children "thought about
their mother.
"To reach the children, we had to
God a lot." And at a young age,
* Younger boys regard God much
do things in a very concrete way,"
often as young as 4, they are form-
more powerful than young girls.
Dr. Dickie said. So rather than offer
ing images about Him even when
* As children age and begin to
abstract ideas and situations, the
His name is never mentioned in the
separate their images of parents from
research team showed the children
house.
that of God, they see God as
images that clearly reflected popular
This proved especially true for boys
increasingly powerful.
notions of power and compassion.
whose fathers are absent. Dr. Dickie
* Children who see their mothers
One drawing, for example,
said this group had a definite sense
as powerful are likely to regard God
showed a woman body builder, mus-
of God in their lives, rating him as
as powerful, as well. Similarly, when
cles bulging in all their glorious
both especially powerful — and nur-
children see their fathers as nurturing,
strength. After viewing the picture,
turing. She doesn't have an empirical
they tend to view God the same way.
children were asked, "Here's a pic-
answer for why this is the case,
How parents discipline proved a
ture of strong. Is your Mom like this or
though she has some ideas.
potent influence on children's images
not? Is she a lot like this, or a little? Is
The first possibility, is that boys are
of God.
God like this? A lot or a little?"
desperately looking for a father fig-
"Girls were highly sensitive to disci-
To gauge the children's view of nur-
ure, so in a sense they are overcom-
pline,
and keenly and negatively
turing, they were shown pictures of a
pensating by envisioning a strong
influenced by 'power' tactics like
man or woman lovingly holding an
and loving God. But Dr. Dickie does-
yelling, threatening and hitting," Dr.
infant, then asked how much this was
n't really believe this.
Dickie said. When subjected to such
like their parent, and then how much
In fact, she says, perhaps it may be
treatment, girls typically saw God as
this is like God.
that "God really is present for those
less nurturing and less powerful.
Among their findings:
who need Him most." ❑

‘".

ane Dickie wanted to tell a
story, but she had no beginning
and no end.
The story focused on children, and
how their views of God were influ-
enced by their parents. -
It began when a student of Dr.
Dickie, professor of psychology and
director of women's studies at Hope
College in Holland, Mich.,
expressed interest in how children
from troubled homes viewed the role
of God in their lives.
Dr. Dickie knew that many leading
psychiatrists and psychologists, includ-
ing such influential figures as
Sigmund Freud, had considered how
parental influence shaped a child%
view of God. But there was no
empirical evidence.
So Dr. Dickie began a research
project, not starting out with any pre-
conceived ideas but simply in search
of information. She would gather the
data, analyze it and ask herself,
"What is the story I can tell here?"
The story she ended up telling, and
which recently was published in the
Journal for the Scientific Study of
Religion, is one of the profound influ-
ence a mother and father will have
on their child's image of God.
The first interviews were conducted
among 49 children whose families
belonged to the mainline Protestant
Church. A second set of interviews
was held with 96 children aged 4-
11, of diverse religious and socioe-

j