Before I start this off, I’ll disclose that I am a lib’ral agnostic.  Or pinko commie, whatever you want to call me.  My husband is a big time Protestant (it runs in his family like Lupus).  He also votes Republican.  I swear he didn’t when we met.  He said he didn’t care about politics, which to me translated as “ready to be converted to Liberal Democrat.”  This didn’t work out so well.  We also decided to raise the girls in the church.  I figured they’d have an easier time of it than I did if they just believed what everyone else did (We live in Texas).  Of course, I forgot they also had me as a parent.  I honestly try not to push them into any one belief, whether political or religious, because I know that has the ability to backfire like nothing else.  But some things they’ve come into on their own, or somehow absorbed in other ways. Observe some of their wisdom.

Comes spit. But also wisdom.

“If God created everything, who created God?” – asked by Thing One at around age 6 while I was driving down the road.  My answer:  “Good question!”

“This kid called me a hippy.  I think hippy is only an insult to Republicans” – Thing One

“Republicans.  Pfft.”  – Thing One

“Our president is BaraaakObahhhma.” – Thing Two

BaraaackObaaaaaahma, everyone.

“We had a class election.  I voted for John McCain cause he broked both his legs in the war and I feel sorry for him.” – Thing One, age 8.

“Today our teacher finally got mad and yelled at our class that Obama was NOT going to make us go to school on the weekends so shut up about it.” – Thing Two

Jesus: If you want to be baptised, I will have to dunk you in this well.
Woman: Oh, okay, what?

Thing One: You must be submerged to be fully baptized and go to Heaven.

Me: What about Moses?  He was in a desert.

Thing One: That was before Jesus.

Me: Okay, what if YOU were in a desert and there was no water.  Would God reject you?

Thing One: (annoyed) Mommmm, you’re making my head hurt.

See Thing One fact check.

At a book fair in 5^th grade, Thing One chooses a biography of Obama and announces loudly, “I’m going to read this to find out what’s true and what’s not.  I’m tired of these dumb Republicans being so mean to him!” (I’m thinking, hahaha, you mean the Republicans that are totally surrounding us?)

My child, the faith healer.

When Thing Two was four, her preschool teacher caught a cold.

Thing Two: (walks up to the teacher, puts a hand on her arm) Jesus will heal you. (then walks off just as mysteriously)

Okay, okay, I’m getting on with it!

I’m putting on makeup one morning.  Thing One is around ten, I think.

Thing One:  Vanity is a sin.

Me: That hardly seems fair.  I mean, should a vain person go to the same hell as someone who murdered lots of people?

Thing One: (thinks about it) Maybe there should be an in-between place for some.

Me: You mean like Purgatory?

Thing One: What?

(Meanwhile I can’t wait to tell my husband she’s now Catholic.)

Coming right up . . .

Thing One: The teacher asked us to say which things we didn’t want in life.  I chose wealth.

My husband: Wealth is not a bad thing.

Thing One: Dad.  The Bible says it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle, than a rich man to get into Heaven.

Zing!

Absolutely Nothin’.

The anti-war song “War” comes on the radio.

Thing One: Mom, it’s a Democrat song!

Wait, you got your god in my god . . .

Thing Two (age 7 or so) comes out of Bible class with a coloring page.  She shows me her picture of a religious prophet done up with a Trident and waves of water.

Thing Two: Look, Mommy, I made him into Poseiden!

Me: Cool!  Don’t show Daddy!

Too many thoughts . . .must lay down.

Thing One (up late one night): Mom, sometimes I lay awake and I wonder about God and how can all this be real and what’s really going to happen to us when we die and stuff.  And these thoughts just go all swirly in my head.

Me: I’m sorry.  You came by it honestly.

Did I hear a wordy-dird?

I’m trying to get the kids ready for school.

Me: Get the heck out of bed!

Thing One: In Sunday school, they tell us that heck is as bad a word as the other one.

Me: Then I should have just said hell, huh?

Penguins ARE beautiful.

Preacher talking to the children: Kids, what is the most beautiful thing you can think of? (prompting them to say Heaven)

Thing Two (at age two): Penguins!

Later we get a newsletter from the church.  The preacher laughs about how a kid said chickens were beautiful.  Thing Two is incensed.

Thing Two: I SAID PENGUINS!