In which I am amazed

We are not particularly religious. I'm of the "there is one Truth, the wise speak of it in many ways" school of thought and Leroy is more in the atheistic, abandoned Catholicism school. As far as the kids go, we've always given them information and let them do with it what they want. My thought is, spiritual belief is personal and as long as yours doesn't involve harming other people, then no one is allowed to tell you it's wrong.

Consequently, Aidan believes in Evolution and scientific proof, Emma is a little more Eastern, and Eva is a firm Creationist. Cool with me.

Well recently, Aidan and Eva have been clashing over where people came from. They are both Scorpios, so you can imagine the passion each one brings to the table. I just keep reaffirming that everyone gets to believe what is right for them and it is not ok to tell anyone they can't.

Eva has started requesting that we "pray for the food." Ok. No problem. We don't eat with anyone who does this, I don't know where it came from.

The other day she told Aidan, "there is only one True God." That sounds like something straight from the Nicene Creed. She hasn't been in a Catholic Church since Leroy's Dad died over a year ago.

Then this morning, I was combing Eva's hair and Emma was looking at an old National Geographic at a picture of a warrior's death mask and we were talking about how they used to put things like that in tombs and I said, "they put that there so that he could use it in heaven or Valhalla, or whatever afterlife they believed in." And Eva said, "when I die, I will return to my God who made me, and I will be happy because I will see my Grandpa and my Little Grandma again. But you won't be there." I asked her why not and she said because she didn't want me to die.

She's not even 6 yet. But she sounded so... almost like someone else was talking through her. It wasn't like she was saying, this is what I believe, it was just a statement of fact. This is True. But the phrasing - "I will return to my God who made me..." Where did she get that?

I have to admit that I was a tiny bit taken aback. It made me think of that little Catholic saint that always has the roses who said that God started talking to her when she was 6 (I cannot for the life of me remember which one it was). I mean, I could see if she was spending a lot of time with someone who was particularly devout, but she isn't. And then I though of Life of Pi, when he just started adopting religions - but he at least was being influenced by various people he came in contact with.

I'm certainly not going to discourage her, but equally, I don't know how much I should encourage her. Do you know what I mean? Like do I need to take her to Church? My mom says no because if they tell Eva that anything she has to offer God is like unto dirty rags, or that she is sinful, or that the unbaptized go to hell (me) it would crush her. I can see that.

I'm just rather in awe at the profundity of my tiny daughter.