Our time requires special attention and careful exposition of the Word of God. In modern conditions, it is necessary to prove the existence of God, to prove the truth of the Law of God, to prove the spiritual and moral foundations of human life. It is necessary to teach believers to give answers to those who ask, according to the instructions of Ap. "Be always ready to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give an account of your hope with meekness and reverence" (1 Peter 3:15).

It is especially necessary in our time to give answers to the evil questions of the godless world, which is attacking the truth of God, supposedly in the name of science. But it is precisely in this that the atheists suffer constant defeat. Because true science not only does not contradict, but, on the contrary, confirms with certainty the truth of God. In our days, it is necessary that elements of apologetics (defense of faith) take place in the teaching of the law of God

, which was not required before, with the constant and firm foundations of life. Stories from the Law of God should be confirmed by examples from the lives of saints and other examples from everyday life, so that the child understands and assimilates that the Law of God is not a theory, not a science, but life itself. In conclusion, it is necessary to point out a very strange, incomprehensible and completely unacceptable distortion in all the textbooks that we have seen.

This distortion concerns the sign of the cross. In these textbooks it is said that the sign of the cross is made on oneself with the right hand as follows: on the forehead, then on the chest and on the right and left shoulders. When we compiled the textbook of the first edition, it seemed strange to us that the lower end of the cross turns out to be shorter than the upper one, i.e . the cross turns out to be inverted.

But, having looked through all the available textbooks approved by the Holy Synod, we have retained these instructions with some hesitation. Later, having received a thorough reprimand from a believer, we realized what a terrible mistake we had made. Therefore, in the second edition, we are happy to correct it. After all, just think, for many decades, by making the sign of the cross on oneself, a person overturned the Cross of Christ on himself – this is the victorious sign of Christ over the devil. Only the demons rejoiced at this.

The figure shown here gives a complete visual explanation. In the holy book "Psalter", according to which Orthodox people have been taught and educated since ancient times, it is said in a "brief statement" – "about how an Orthodox Christian, according to the ancient tradition of the Holy Apostles and Sts. Father... it is proper to depict the sign of the cross on oneself." «… I believe: the first is on the forehead (on the forehead)

The upper horn of the cross touches it, the second on our belly (belly), the lower horn of the cross reaches it, the third on our right frame (shoulder), the fourth on the left, they also mark the transverse outstretched ends of the cross, on which our Lord Jesus Christ, crucified for us, stretched out his hand, all the tongues scattered at the ends are gathered into one."

May the Lord preserve us from any, even the slightest, deviations from the primordial Orthodox faith of Christ. And may the Lord help us to facilitate the work of raising the child and the younger generation in the eternal truth, righteousness and love of God. And if this modest work will bring some benefit to the Christian soul, then it will be a great joy for us.

May the Lord God and His Most-Pure Mother show us His mercy in this, and may He protect us, by the power of His Precious and Life-Giving Cross, from all evil. In compiling this book, we used the following works: 1) "The First Book on the Law of God", compiled by a group of Moscow teachers of religion and republished under the editorship of Archpriest S. Kolchev. 2)

 «Наставление в Законе Божием», прот. А. Темномерова. 3) «Закон Божий», прот. Г. Чельцова. 4) «Краткая Священная история», Архим. Нафанаила. 5) «Наставление в Законе Божием», Архиеп. Агафодора. 6) «Священная история Ветхого и Нового завета», прот. Д. Соколова. 7) «Священная История Ветхого и Нового завета», свящ. М. Смирнова. 8)

 «История земной жизни Спасителя», А. Матвеевой. 9) «История христианской Православной Церкви», прот. П. Смирнова. 10) «Руководство к изучению православной христианской веры», прот. П. Мазанова. 11) «Православно-христианский катехизис», Архим. Аверкия. 12) «Опыт христианского православного катехизиса», Митр. Антония. 13)

 «Краткий Православный катехизис», изд. Русской школы при Скорбященской церкви, Париж. 14) «Учение о православном богослужении», прот. Н. Перехвальского. 15) «Краткое учение о Богослужении Православной Церкви», прот. А. Рудакова. 16) «Учение о православном богослужении», прот. В. Михайловского. 17) «Сборник поучений», прот. Л. Колчева 18) «В царском саду», Т. Шорэ. 19)

 «Достоверность Библейских Чудес», Артур Гук. 20) «Жил ли Иисус Христос?», прот. Г. Шорец. 21) «Наука о человеке», проф. В. Несмелова. 22) «Конспект к изучению Библии Ветхого Завета», Архиеп. Виталия. 23) «Уроки и примеры Христианской Веры», прот. Григория Дьяченко и другие. Некоторые источники указаны в самом тексте учебника. Протоиерей Серафим Слободской. 1966 г.

Часть первая ПРЕДВАРИТЕЛЬНЫЕ ПОНЯТИЯ О мире Все, что мы видим: небо, солнце, луну, звезды, облака, землю, на которой мы живем, воздух, которым дышим, — и все, что на земле: траву, деревья, горы, реки, моря, рыб, птиц, зверей, животных, и наконец, людей, то есть нас самих, — все это сотворил Бог. Мир есть творение Божие.