We encourage children to seek truth and knowledge in this world except when it comes to this.

A friend of mine posted this to Twitter a while back.

If any religion was real, we’d set kids loose in search of truth rather than trying to indoctrinate them into any “faith”.

As a reluctant atheist who wants to believe in a much more benevolent God than the one portrayed in the Bible, I wish this statement sounded like bunk, but unfortunately, he makes a damn fine point.

I actually came close to adhering to this model. As a child, I was set free in order to seek my own truth. I came home after my first CCD class declaring that I was done with Catholicism. “I’m not going back,” I told my mother.

In response, Mom allowed me to choose my religion. She told me that I had to adopt a new faith, but it could be whatever one I liked best.

I chose Protestant Congregationalism. I liked the children’s sermon, the lack of finery and ritual, and the Wonder bread and grape juice.

Unfortunately, it didn’t stick.