s a r a h c a s m

The other day, someone accused me of being an atheist. And, I say accused not because I feel that being an Atheist is undesirable, but because the comment felt like an accusation.

My curious nature, and reluctance to accept an unfitting label (or any label, for that matter), encouraged me to research the word further. After exploring its etymology and definitions, I discovered that the literal meaning of the word atheist is godless. It seems like a fair assessment.

Still, I am reluctant to accept it without fully exploring the term god.

After reviewing the definitions of god, not only did I lose all faith in my source, I discovered that the overriding themes were an omnipotent supreme being, or one who is worshiped. Undoubtedly, by definition, I am an atheist.

But if I am an atheist, how do I define what I believe? Surely, being godless does not mean I am void of any belief system. I believe in something, but it’s not a being, and it’s not omnipotent, and I don’t worship it; so, can it not be a god?

Despite what dictionary.com says, I believe that there are as many definitions of god as there are people. Maybe god is simply whatever we want it to be.

To me, God is not a supreme being; god is being, supremely.

Ralph Waldo Emerson once said what you know is more important than what you are taught to believe.

As I sit here watching my son play, I can’t help but think that he knows far more than I. Fresh as he is to this world, he is much closer to the true essence of being. There is a saying that babies are the closest beings to God.  However you define god, the sentiment remains.

I lament the fact that what he knows will soon be overridden by what he has been taught to believe – from the grass is green, to you are a black man. What he is taught to believe will shape his identity, his perceptions, his interpretations, and his interactions. All aspects of his existence in this world will be inextricably linked to something someone once told him. Now, I realize that one of those ‘someones’ will be me. I also know that a lot of what I teach him to believe will conflict with what others try to teach him. (At least, that is my hope).

What he knows cannot be taught. It is instinct. It is intuition. That is far more important than what he will be taught. I hope that if I can teach him to believe anything, it’s that what he knows is more true than anything anyone can ever teach him (including me).