On one casual evening, my daughter asked me, "Amma, do you believe in God? Does God exist?"
I was tempted to dismiss the question with a "yes, dear!" , but then my eyes caught hers. I immediately knew this was going to be one conversation she is going to carry to the end.
Feeling burdened by the responsibility of putting into words, an answer the whole humankind has been after for ages, in a way that an eight-year-old can comprehend, I thought for a second. Having no clue what the society has put into her, I prayed for the right words
"Baby, It really doesn't matter whether you or I believe in the existence of God or not. If God does exist (or if he does not), me believing or not, does not change anything. Does it?"
She looked confused, so I tried to make it simpler.
"You see that steel bottle there?" She nodded.
"Do you think there is water in it?" I asked
"Yes, there is water in it. I saw it earlier."
"ButI don't believe it contains water. Will there still be water in it?"
"Of Course!!! Water would still be there."
"Suppose there is no water in it. Can your belief that there is water in it, create water in that bottle."
She shook her head in deep thought.
"Existence/Non-existence of God is one thing. We believing/ not-believing in it is another. The answer to the first part, no one actually knows. For the second part, it is purely a personal choice. You get me? "
She still looked confused.
'You may believe there is one God, or you may believe there is no God, or you may believe in many Gods. In all the cases, you are just a believer, who believes in one thing or the other. Got it?'
This made her eyes gleam. She seemed happy with that answer.
"So Amma, believing as well as not-believing are just beliefs! Is that it?"
I smiled. Finally, I knew I made it. I gave myself a thumbs-up.
"And molu, always remember everyone has the right to follow their beliefs. So respect theirs as you would expect them to respect yours. And don't go about teaching others, what their beliefs should be."
She agreed happily. I felt happy for her and myself.
Now with a naughty smile, she put that question back again, "Amma, so do YOU believe in God? "
I hugged her tight and said "Yes, baby! I do!"
Yes, I did want to ask the question back to her but decided not to. It would always be her personal choice, I promised myself.
I was tempted to dismiss the question with a "yes, dear!" , but then my eyes caught hers. I immediately knew this was going to be one conversation she is going to carry to the end.
Feeling burdened by the responsibility of putting into words, an answer the whole humankind has been after for ages, in a way that an eight-year-old can comprehend, I thought for a second. Having no clue what the society has put into her, I prayed for the right words
"Baby, It really doesn't matter whether you or I believe in the existence of God or not. If God does exist (or if he does not), me believing or not, does not change anything. Does it?"
She looked confused, so I tried to make it simpler.
"You see that steel bottle there?" She nodded.
"Do you think there is water in it?" I asked
"Yes, there is water in it. I saw it earlier."
"ButI don't believe it contains water. Will there still be water in it?"
"Of Course!!! Water would still be there."
"Suppose there is no water in it. Can your belief that there is water in it, create water in that bottle."
She shook her head in deep thought.
"Existence/Non-existence of God is one thing. We believing/ not-believing in it is another. The answer to the first part, no one actually knows. For the second part, it is purely a personal choice. You get me? "
She still looked confused.
'You may believe there is one God, or you may believe there is no God, or you may believe in many Gods. In all the cases, you are just a believer, who believes in one thing or the other. Got it?'
This made her eyes gleam. She seemed happy with that answer.
"So Amma, believing as well as not-believing are just beliefs! Is that it?"
I smiled. Finally, I knew I made it. I gave myself a thumbs-up.
"And molu, always remember everyone has the right to follow their beliefs. So respect theirs as you would expect them to respect yours. And don't go about teaching others, what their beliefs should be."
She agreed happily. I felt happy for her and myself.
Now with a naughty smile, she put that question back again, "Amma, so do YOU believe in God? "
I hugged her tight and said "Yes, baby! I do!"
Yes, I did want to ask the question back to her but decided not to. It would always be her personal choice, I promised myself.
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