"A seven year old asked...what is water made up of? What would you say?"
Most people responded with good ol' H20. Another suggested a bunch of fun experiments to let them decide for themselves, but my favorite was actually the answer the chick gave to the kid,
"Water is an entity. It cannot be broken to pieces. It is a God. It is an element. A base. Like fire. These have the power to create and destroy. These basic elements control each other. "
I replied telling her how much I liked this answer, though if it were me giving it I might have amended it to say "water is an entity, made of hydrogen and oxygen. It is a god..." I also said that the right answer basically comes down to how the kid thinks, and how she thinks.
Everyday I am amazed at how much of an influence adults, especially parents, have on kids. The only difference between rearing and raising is that in raising there is one person who is in control, in rearing, inevitably, control changes ownership.
But that's not what it got me thinking about. I absolutely love that answer for water (my amended version of her answer that is).
As an atheist, I pretty much get to form my own opinions, and this is what this is going to be about, my opinion.
I've dealt with people across the spectrum when it comes to god/God; people who are doubt driven, if there's doubt have faith; people who believe in the animistic nature of the earth, but are still nagged with that intelligent design, how could something this beautiful be just a chance? I found atheists who have made an institution out of the separation of church and state, becoming the monsters they fight; and those who find solitude in science, neither god nor magic, just science.
But even moreso are the people like me, stuck in the middle. We make the journey our own, finding our own mish mosh of ideals. Some we can name, others we just feel, not having found the right word for it. We call ourselves agnostics or atheist, but it doesn't matter because people have their own names for us. So why do I bother calling myself an atheist?
Well, for one I don't believe in god/God. I don't believe that we are all a part of someone's grand theme. I accept the responsibility of my actions, and understand that I am not in full control of my life, but neither is anything else. I can't plan all the details, but I can make the best of my situation. I can make mistakes, and know that I made them, and that I want to make amends for them. I don't think everyone can do that. I don't mean you can't do that, I just mean, there are people out there that really do not want to take responsibility for anything! These people need religion. It's a blessing of a curse, intelligence, and not all of us are ready to accept it. That being said, I think that intelligent people can still be religious. I do not mean they can’t; I’m talking about a particular scope of religion, along the lines of fanaticism.
How this goes back to children…I think it is enthralling, really being able to see someone grow up, whom you’ve influenced, and begin to watch them make their own choices, and knowing that one day they will make huge decisions like I’ve worked my whole life to try and get together, and that biology isn’t my only legacy. My influence can reach as far as I’m willing to travel, physically or mentally.
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