Children and Worldviews: Kate's story
The Children and Worldviews Project explores qualitative, narrative methods to investigate the worldviews of children, that is, the way in which they make sense of their experiences and matters which are of particular importance to them.
Kate's story
What God looks like that's one of the things I wonder about. I think of God as a big fat man, well not fat, but just like big - big with long hair and I think Jesus' a man with brown sandals. I think they just listen.
I just think that when people die their spirit just goes up to heaven and you sort of float around. They sit around and its beautiful. I think its a big world like this but not polluted, it's a perfect one, like there's no hatred. I don't know what it looks like really, I just think of it as like when you die its your spirit that goes to heaven and when you go to heaven you see all the people that had died before you, like my nan.
I believe in the devil - helping you get all annoyed and stuff. I don't worry about the devil but I do worry about the war in Bosnia, we take it all for granted.
When I'm older I want to get a good job like a professional footballer or a vet cos I love animals, I've got so many in my room! I've got a hamster and I've got a dog, called Mollie, er, two fish and stick insects - so it stinks in my room! I'm allergic to cats but I love horses and I'm allergic to them as well, but I live in the country so there's not much I can do about it really.
Its nice to have pets and look after them and its better than them being stuck in a pet shop all their life. Another reason why its nice to have a pet is that they don't worry about anything and I really worry. If I'm worried I just sort of go quiet and sometimes I go to my bedroom. I talk to my pets. When my Mum walks past and she hears me talking she says, 'who are you talking to, there's no one in your room', and I just say, 'oh, my hamster' and she says, 'oh right'. I tell my pets everything cos you know they're not going to laugh at you. It makes you feel better, its good just to tell somebody and just to get it out.
James' Story
James was responding to Kate's Story.
Why don't you ask Jesus what he is like? I think Jesus wears yellow trainers and dressing gowns. I think Jesus is in heaven and plays football. My name is James and I am 6 years old. What do you like? Do you like playing football?