My 7 Year Old Daughter's Take On Religion

Hugh Freaking Dillon

Tonight we were watching a spectacular lightning/thunderstorm. The whole house was lighting up, with super loud cracks of thunder usually reserved for horror movies.

She says to me: "some people believe that thunder is giants beating on drums.......but they probably believe that just so they won't be afraid of thunder....."

If only the rest of the world knew what she knows..........

Wilds

Hugh Freaking Dillon wrote:

Tonight we were watching a spectacular lightning/thunderstorm. The whole house was lighting up, with super loud cracks of thunder usually reserved for horror movies.

She says to me: "some people believe that thunder is giants beating on drums.......but they probably believe that just so they won't be afraid of thunder....."

If only the rest of the world knew what she knows..........

Just about sums it up. Smart girl.

Jason P

Everyone knows that it is really God bowling.

hedonist

I wonder though...is that religion-related or just common sense on your daughter's part?

(as an aside, this reminds me of "I'm Open" - in a really nice way)

Hugh Freaking Dillon

hedonist wrote:

I wonder though...is that religion-related or just common sense on your daughter's part?

(as an aside, this reminds me of "I'm Open" - in a really nice way)

to me, saying "people just believe that so they don't have to fear (whatever)" is what religion is all about. She obviously didn't mean it in the context of religion, but she already grasps the concept of averting fear through self-trickery, which I found quite impressive.

Hugh Freaking Dillon

Jason P wrote:

Everyone knows that it is really God bowling.

I told her that some people believed that, but she insists that more people believe that giants are beating drums!

cincybearcat

Hugh Freaking Dillon wrote:

hedonist wrote:

I wonder though...is that religion-related or just common sense on your daughter's part?

(as an aside, this reminds me of "I'm Open" - in a really nice way)

to me, saying "people just believe that so they don't have to fear (whatever)" is what religion is all about. She obviously didn't mean it in the context of religion, but she already grasps the concept of averting fear through self-trickery, which I found quite impressive.

Yeah, that is pretty impressive. I agree, most religion seems to be to try and explain the shit that scares them that they can't explain.

Doesn't mean there isn't something out there though.

Hugh Freaking Dillon

cincybearcat wrote:

Yeah, that is pretty impressive. I agree, most religion seems to be to try and explain the shit that scares them that they can't explain.

Doesn't mean there isn't something out there though.

I'm agnostic, so I agree with that.

Thirty Bills Unpaid

Hugh Freaking Dillon wrote:

hedonist wrote:

I wonder though...is that religion-related or just common sense on your daughter's part?

(as an aside, this reminds me of "I'm Open" - in a really nice way)

to me, saying "people just believe that so they don't have to fear (whatever)" is what religion is all about. She obviously didn't mean it in the context of religion, but she already grasps the concept of averting fear through self-trickery, which I found quite impressive.

I think there is also the aspect of some people being hopeful (not so much fearful- although the two can certainly be intertwined).

Just as people buy lottery tickets and leave the store imagining 'what if'... some wish to believe in something after we depart. You got to admit... the vision of heaven is pretty alluring: you mean I won't just decay... I'll get to hang out in the most peaceful place ever? Rock on!!

I wish I could believe- I just have a hard time doing so with science slapping me every time I ponder for a moment or two. My childhood teachings are hard to overcome though: it's amazing how influential children can be and how strong their beliefs are forged.

Jason P

Thirty Bills Unpaid wrote:

Just as people buy lottery tickets and leave the store imagining 'what if'...

This is now how I feel when tours and shows are announced ... what if ...

backseatLover12

Hugh Freaking Dillon wrote:

hedonist wrote:

I wonder though...is that religion-related or just common sense on your daughter's part?

(as an aside, this reminds me of "I'm Open" - in a really nice way)

to me, saying "people just believe that so they don't have to fear (whatever)" is what religion is all about. She obviously didn't mean it in the context of religion, but she already grasps the concept of averting fear through self-trickery, which I found quite impressive.

She's a smart little one.

Hugh Freaking Dillon

Thirty Bills Unpaid wrote:

I think there is also the aspect of some people being hopeful (not so much fearful- although the two can certainly be intertwined).

Just as people buy lottery tickets and leave the store imagining 'what if'... some wish to believe in something after we depart. You got to admit... the vision of heaven is pretty alluring: you mean I won't just decay... I'll get to hang out in the most peaceful place ever? Rock on!!

I wish I could believe- I just have a hard time doing so with science slapping me every time I ponder for a moment or two. My childhood teachings are hard to overcome though: it's amazing how influential children can be and how strong their beliefs are forged.

I sort of meant "fearful" in the sense of being afraid of this being it, no seeing other loved ones that had passed before them, no paradise awaiting us, etc. But yeah, I guess hopeful could be used as well.

hedonist

Hugh Freaking Dillon wrote:

hedonist wrote:

I wonder though...is that religion-related or just common sense on your daughter's part?

(as an aside, this reminds me of "I'm Open" - in a really nice way)

to me, saying "people just believe that so they don't have to fear (whatever)" is what religion is all about. She obviously didn't mean it in the context of religion, but she already grasps the concept of averting fear through self-trickery, which I found quite impressive.

Ah, she's learning how we all rationalize :P

It's nowhere near my place to assume your daughter's thought-process, but I'm not sure that self-trickery is limited to religion. Sometimes it's just how we get through and deal with life, and those things that are so much larger than us peons.

Hugh Freaking Dillon

hedonist wrote:

Hugh Freaking Dillon wrote:

hedonist wrote:

I wonder though...is that religion-related or just common sense on your daughter's part?

(as an aside, this reminds me of "I'm Open" - in a really nice way)

to me, saying "people just believe that so they don't have to fear (whatever)" is what religion is all about. She obviously didn't mean it in the context of religion, but she already grasps the concept of averting fear through self-trickery, which I found quite impressive.

Ah, she's learning how we all rationalize :P

It's nowhere near my place to assume your daughter's thought-process, but I'm not sure that self-trickery is limited to religion. Sometimes it's just how we get through and deal with life, and those things that are so much larger than us peons.

no, you're right, it's not limited to religion. it was just the first thing that came to mind, because she was talking about "things in the sky" that people believed in as something to hold on to, that was all.

Thirty Bills Unpaid

Hugh Freaking Dillon wrote:

Thirty Bills Unpaid wrote:

I think there is also the aspect of some people being hopeful (not so much fearful- although the two can certainly be intertwined).

Just as people buy lottery tickets and leave the store imagining 'what if'... some wish to believe in something after we depart. You got to admit... the vision of heaven is pretty alluring: you mean I won't just decay... I'll get to hang out in the most peaceful place ever? Rock on!!

I wish I could believe- I just have a hard time doing so with science slapping me every time I ponder for a moment or two. My childhood teachings are hard to overcome though: it's amazing how influential children can be and how strong their beliefs are forged.

I sort of meant "fearful" in the sense of being afraid of this being it, no seeing other loved ones that had passed before them, no paradise awaiting us, etc. But yeah, I guess hopeful could be used as well.

Either way works. My cold, cynical self believes that it is our job to come to terms with the reality that awaits us at some point: accept our fate.

DMB's lyrics resonate with me: eat, drink and be merry for tomorrow we die.

Our lives are our most precious gift and too many times I am guilty of focusing on the wrong things. I always have to remind myself to place things in perspective. No more wasted days like the one getting away from me right now as I sit on this forum!

Hugh Freaking Dillon

Thirty Bills Unpaid wrote:

Our lives are our most precious gift and too many times I am guilty of focusing on the wrong things. I always have to remind myself to place things in perspective. No more wasted days like the one getting away from me right now as I sit on this forum!

I am sitting in my dark basement, looking through a window at a the blue sky on my last day of my week vacation as I sit here and type too.

Giants beating drums help me, time to go outside!

MotoDC

All religious parallels aside, frankly I find the notion of giants beating on drums much more frightening than any natural explanation of thunder. :P

Last-12-Exit

My dad once told me when I was about 4 that thunder was john Bonham playing drums in heaven.

even flow - question mark

Thirty Bills Unpaid wrote:

I wish I could believe- I just have a hard time doing so with science slapping me every time I ponder for a moment or two. My childhood teachings are hard to overcome though: it's amazing how influential children can be and how strong their beliefs are forged.

Yeah the next time science is opening up it's palm, smile and ask, what was before the big bang, big boy. Then you can go and ponder religion again before some hick from the south or some freak muslim ruins that for you too.

Smellyman

“If a kid asks where rain comes from, I think a cute thing to tell him is "God is crying." And if he asks why God is crying, another cute thing to tell him is "Probably because of something you did."

-Jack handy

Thirty Bills Unpaid

Smellyman wrote:

“If a kid asks where rain comes from, I think a cute thing to tell him is "God is crying." And if he asks why God is crying, another cute thing to tell him is "Probably because of something you did."

-Jack handy

Jack Handy: best philosopher ever. Period.

I personally liked, "If you ever drop your keys in a river of molten lava... let 'em go. Because man, they're gone."

Last-12-Exit

Thirty Bills Unpaid wrote:

Smellyman wrote:

“If a kid asks where rain comes from, I think a cute thing to tell him is "God is crying." And if he asks why God is crying, another cute thing to tell him is "Probably because of something you did."

-Jack handy

Jack Handy: best philosopher ever. Period.

I personally liked, "If you ever drop your keys in a river of molten lava... let 'em go. Because man, they're gone."

"I hope they never find out that lightning has vitamins in it, because do you hide from it or not?"

Smellyman

“We used to laugh at Grandpa when he'd head off and go fishing. But we wouldn't be laughing that evening when he'd come back with some whore he picked up in town.”

probably needs its own thread....

Thirty Bills Unpaid

Smellyman wrote:

“We used to laugh at Grandpa when he'd head off and go fishing. But we wouldn't be laughing that evening when he'd come back with some whore he picked up in town.”

probably needs its own thread....

I went over to the All Encompassing Trip to do so... but never did.

Really funny, but you are correct... we should leave the thread to its own integrity.

While I'm writing though (and speaking of grandpa): When I die, I want to go peacefully like my Grandfather did -- in his sleep. Not yelling and screaming like the passengers in his car.

Hugh Freaking Dillon

Thirty Bills Unpaid wrote:

Smellyman wrote:

“We used to laugh at Grandpa when he'd head off and go fishing. But we wouldn't be laughing that evening when he'd come back with some whore he picked up in town.”

probably needs its own thread....

I went over to the All Encompassing Trip to do so... but never did.

Really funny, but you are correct... we should leave the thread to its own integrity.

While I'm writing though (and speaking of grandpa): When I die, I want to go peacefully like my Grandfather did -- in his sleep. Not yelling and screaming like the passengers in his car.

Smellyman

Hugh Freaking Dillon wrote:

Thirty Bills Unpaid wrote:

Smellyman wrote:

“We used to laugh at Grandpa when he'd head off and go fishing. But we wouldn't be laughing that evening when he'd come back with some whore he picked up in town.”

probably needs its own thread....

I went over to the All Encompassing Trip to do so... but never did.

Really funny, but you are correct... we should leave the thread to its own integrity.

While I'm writing though (and speaking of grandpa): When I die, I want to go peacefully like my Grandfather did -- in his sleep. Not yelling and screaming like the passengers in his car.

awesome

know1

Some people believe that everything can be explained by human logic, reasoning and intelligence, too.

I think they're just covering for their own fears.

Hugh Freaking Dillon

know1 wrote:

Some people believe that everything can be explained by human logic, reasoning and intelligence, too.

I think they're just covering for their own fears.

some people are ok with knowing that we don't know.

callen

Hugh Freaking Dillon wrote:

know1 wrote:

Some people believe that everything can be explained by human logic, reasoning and intelligence, too.

I think they're just covering for their own fears.

some people are ok with knowing that we don't know.

and some people know that we don't know everything but don't prescribe to tales from days past when they go so against logic that we do know.

Thirty Bills Unpaid

callen wrote:

Hugh Freaking Dillon wrote:

know1 wrote:

Some people believe that everything can be explained by human logic, reasoning and intelligence, too.

I think they're just covering for their own fears.

some people are ok with knowing that we don't know.

and some people know that we don't know everything but don't prescribe to tales from days past when they go so against logic that we do know.

I'm struggling to try and understand what it is you have expressed. Can you reword this please?

Hugh Freaking Dillon

Thirty Bills Unpaid wrote:

callen wrote:

and some people know that we don't know everything but don't prescribe to tales from days past when they go so against logic that we do know.

I'm struggling to try and understand what it is you have expressed. Can you reword this please?

I think they are saying the same thing I was....but I can't be positive........