by B Branin
Chapter 4
Excerpt from Dr. Spriggan’s book “Faith and fairytales; Twin immature and twin overripe.”
There are those out there who believe that faith is nothing more than a fairy tale. Well, that may hold some merit to a certain extent. What do religious stories generally give worshipers? A foundation. They tell us how to live, why to live this way, how to worship, why you worship, and how you’ll be rewarded for this.
They provide the foundation for this life and a bridge to the next.
Religion is not the first foundation many of us have in life. Generally the first foundation is given to us by our parents and teachers, usually through the most innocent of mediums: fairy tales. It is no fluke that all fairytales have a moral and a message.
Never cry wolf or else no one will believe you in times of need. Little Red Riding Hood taught us appearances can be deceiving. Snow White told us never to accept gifts from strangers. All of our children’s fables are, by their very nature, immature and childish but they do provide lessons we use to help us grow into adulthood.
Now when we are grown, faith replaces fairy tales for the majority of the world. Stories of our saviors, of our gods and of past sacrifice build the stepping stones towards our divine reward as well as help shape our lives. Yet faith seems so much harsher and much sourer than the sweet stories of our youth.
Perhaps it’s that sour taste of faith that forces us to savor the bitterness of knowledge. Faith demands that we drink a spoiled elixir to ensure the safety of our spiritual wellbeing. Unfortunately many who drink too deeply from the cups of religious fervor find that it poisons the mind as well as the soul.
