My family was military so we have lived in a lot of different places. When I was 9/10yrs old we lived in Alamogordo, NM on the military base. My brothers and I would go to a daycare type facility before and after school.
I remember one day talking to another girl that was my age, 9/10yrs old, about Santa Claus. She still believed and I did not. I kept telling her that he was made up and that our parents are the ones that leave the presents under the tree. She would not believe me. Her mother I think was a worker at the daycare...I think. Anyway we went up to the worker/mother because the girl was crying at this point, and asked her if Santa was real. She looked at the girl that was crying and said, "Do you think he is real?" The girl shyly nodded her head that she did indeed think he was real. The worker/mother then said,"Well then that is all that matters." And then turned to me and told me to drop it.
Now my nine/ten year old self didn't understand how someone could believe in something that was clearly made up. And clearly the adults didn't care if the child believed as long as it made the child happy. I didn't think to hard about it being that I was 9/10yrs old. You become more concerned with playing than with philosophical questions at that age.
My adult self can now look back at that situation and reflect on it. I was not an atheist at 9/10. But that situation seemed to predict my future to be.
That girl could not come to terms that there was no Santa. It made her emotional at the very thought that Santa didn't exist. Do you think he is real? Is the only question she had to answer to find out the truth. She didn't research Santa or ask anyone that was an expert on Santa. She was simply satisfied with knowing that if she believed that is all that matters. Frankly that is how I see most theists. They are completely satisfied with just asking that one question and no further research into the validity of the statement.
When it comes to what makes us happy does it have to be real? Is it a bad thing to think Santa is real or the Easter Bunny or God? I think it becomes a bad thing when people think that flying planes through buildings will impress their God enough to give them virgins when they reach heaven. Or that the fear of an imaginary hell sends people to give money to a church that keeps that fear lit constantly with lectures of sin and the evilness that you have inside you. To me this is when believing in God becomes a negative and should be put to a stop through research and intellectual reasoning.
-Megan Austin
3 comments:
Megan,
I really agree with much of your blog. I obviously disagree at points and tried to say why in a comment but it became WAY too long. [I feel a blog coming on. ;)]
Just let me say I respect your journey and certain appreciate you as a person. I like reading what you write too.
I don't mind if your comment is long. Thanks for reading! I'm not really sure if I am doing this whole blog thing right but it is fun to put down in words what you feel in that moment.
How you have come up with so many topics on your blog impresses me now that I have to try and do the same thing.
Megan,
Trust me, it was way too long as my blog post will prove.
Topics are hard to come by. I've found if I can be flexable and deal with the serious, funny, and even at times personal stuff, then I don't tend to run dry. Sometimes I post things I wish I hadn't but there you go.
All in all it is a very rewarding thing for me. Keep it up. I will read everyday though I may not comment all the time. I've found your readership will outweigh your comments maybe ten to one.
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