Godparents

I could have used Brendan's Godmother a few minutes ago. You see, Brendan is my thinker. Before bed every night, he always asks me 1-2 questions. And, they are usually really good questions.

Today, he had his questions early, and religion was on his mind. His first question to me: "Mom, how did all these religions come to be if there is only one correct religion?" So, I did a quick explanation of the Old Testament, Judaism, Jesus Christ, the New Testament, Christianity, the Catholic Church, and the Protestant faiths. Brendan listened attentively, seemed to digest it all, and even had a few brief follow-up questions. First, I had neglected to explain Buddhism and other religions not based on the Bible. I explained it away as a matter of geography and pointed out that while these religions may not have the exact same beliefs the general idea of living a good life exists across all religions. And then came the kicker, "Can you believe in the Big-Bang Theory and the Bible at the same time?" My response? "Wow, Brendan. That's a good question, and something that many people have spent years debating." Of course, he didn't buy that as an answer, so I went on to say that, yes, there are many religious physicists in this world. Then I tried to explain that some people use a literal interpretation of the Bible, while others believe that the Bible uses stories as allegories. He seemed content with this answer, but I think he's pretty much exhausted my ability to explain world religions and reconcile differences in religious theology and scientific fact. I may just have to defer future questions to his Godmother. Now where did I put her cell phone number? Oh, and as I know that Brendan's Godfather is a regular blog reader -- here's a heads up to start preparing your answers to these questions.