Religion and Its Reasons (And A Parenting Side-Topic)

I couldn’t comment on The Great Whatsit today, so I browsed the archives. I like this post by my uncle not because it bashes religion and uses Mormons as an example, but because it uses my religion as a base for examples of the role of religion in society. It concentrates on the most basic principles of that religion and reminds me of why I continue to participate in it. It forces me to examine my motives of going to church every week. And it’s all because these are people who have been inside and choose to be outside; thus, their opinions aren’t jaded by rumors and don’t litter the space with misconceptions. My religion is the base of their religious experience. I must compare widely mine to theirs because we have the same base.

And it’ll be a good reference point for kids who might question their own religious upbringing. If they’re not sick of their parents handing them stuff and saying, “Here. This explains what I’m trying to say. Read it.”

I know my dad did when I was a teenager and it was just content that I wasn’t interested in at all. Because it wasn’t an assignment, I’d usually skim it over and then make him feel validated by telling him it was helpful.

So here’s a rule to myself: Ask the kid, “I’ve got stuff you can read on the topic. Do you want it?” If they’re old enough, they’ll affirm. I know I’d actually read it if my dad handed it to me today.