My daughter knows.

by easyreader1970 6 Replies latest jw friends

  • easyreader1970
    easyreader1970

    Monday night. Service Meeting.

    We're sitting there and my daughter (9-years-old) is sitting between my wife and I. My wife doesn't like it when she sits between us but my kids argue alot. So we keep two kids at opposite ends and one in the middle.

    Out of the blue, she taps me on the shoulder and whispers: "Daddy, are you an atheist?"

    I was shocked. I whispered back: "Why are you asking me that?"

    "Just answer the question."

    "I'm not going to answer that question."

    Then she leans over to her mother. "Mommy, Daddy is an atheist."

    Thinking this was some ridiculous nonsense, my wife tells her to quit playing and to be quiet and pay attention.

    Then my daughter looks back at me and stares for about thirty seconds. Then she resumes drawing Pokemon characters in her notebook instead of taking notes.

  • Soldier77
    Soldier77

    Wow. I'm laughing because it's cute. but I have to ask, what spurred her to ask that in the first place? Has she heard you speak against being a JW or something.

    Kids are smarter than we give them credit for.

  • easyreader1970
    easyreader1970

    They've never heard me speak against the JWs. However, I do spend alot of time watching science shows, listening to science podcasts, etc. I DVR all of the Wonders of the Solar System and Through the Wormholes and watch them over and over. Not because I want to see them, but I am hoping some child wandering by will take notice. I also take the time to ask them "How did this happen?" questions about the origin of the sun, solar system, Earth, etc. I don't directly deny that a god had anything to do with it, but that never enters into the conversation.

    Just Tuesday night we were talking about accretion disks, water ice in the solar system, etc. I do this with my older sons as well, but they are so preoccupied with their teen and pre-teen lives and video games and eating that they barely pay me any attention at all.

    I try to stay away from programs that are heavy on evolution so as not to trigger a response from the wife. She's usually in the room, but this stuff usually just goes right over her head unnoticed. If she hears the word "evolution" too many times, though, it's a warning. I have shown her (my wife), however, that the Watchtower no longer directly opposes a "big bang" but that they attribut the "first cause" to Jehovah. In other words, they allow for there to have been a huge explosion which ultimately coalesced into galaxies, suns, and planets. The Watchtower falls off of the science wagon when it comes to the creation of the living species of Earth.

    But I digress. I don't know where any of this is going and maybe she won't ask me again for a while. It's precisely for these reasons that I don't dare say anything about my beliefs because I love being with my kids every day. I love my wife, too, but I think I could deal with a split from her easier than I could a separation from my kids.

  • lostsheep82
    lostsheep82

    Interesting: Can you tell me where I could find evidence in a WT that they don't deny the Big Bang theory?

    That's something Im interested in because I don't deny that evolution is a natural process, but I do believe in God and creation. The entire universe though, there's so much out there who's to know hay:)

    But interesting to find something about them admitting to a big bang theory would be great!

  • Watchtowers Witnesses
    Watchtowers Witnesses

    My initial guess would be that someone may have planted the idea in her head. Find out why she asked. Ask "Did anyone call daddy an Atheist?" Call me paranoid but that’s what my instinct tells me.

  • Satanus
    Satanus

    Wow, that's cool about watching all those programs.

    ""Just answer the dam question.""

    Cooler if she would have sad that.

    S

  • easyreader1970
    easyreader1970

    lostsheep82, they released some new brochures this past summer and I think they may mention what I am referring to. I didn't read them in their entirety, but I do remember an Awake! recently talking about how scientists have proven that the galaxies are moving apart from one another and that only the energy of Jehovah could do this.

    However, I do definitely remember that a brother gave a talk during the convention where he described (mocked) how the scientists don't know what caused the big bang that created the universe. He goes on to describe this as the "first cause" which is used by many Christians outside of the JWs. I thought it was odd that they would adopt this phrase as well, but it happened.

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