When I was a child, I would ask my mom questions.
What happens when we die?
What religion are “we”?
And other topics that a 6-year-old shouldn’t be tackling. Mamma would give me her answer, and when I would disagree or explain how I didn’t think that the explanation right or more WHY questions, she never got angry that I didn’t believe in something she did. She never took the easy way out.
When I asked why she was Methodist, she told me that her mother was Methodist, and that was just how it worked. I asked her WHY and she shrugged, “I don’t know,” and when I said, “Do I have to be Methodist?” she smiled, and said that I didn’t HAVE to believe any religion. That I should question everything, and for all of the things she gave me, I think I am most grateful for her teaching me to think for myself—question everything.
We can’t know everything, but we don’t have to stop seeking to find out. That is why science exists, asking the questions, and relentlessly seeking the answers. Science also allows for mistakes. Scientists don’t dig their heels inaccuracies when testing their theories. They embrace it all and strive to find the truth – no matter how many attempts it takes.
There have always been questions, and it is natural to try and make sense out of things. The trick is not to hang onto our beliefs because they are comforting. We all need to ask the hard questions and for the love of all that is good and just – we need to accept that sometimes we are completely wrong.