Member-only story
A Boy Looks for God
The Ethical Will of Donald Armstrong — Part 16
For an explanation of what an ‘Ethical Will’ is, please see my previous post, ‘I Leave to You … Whatever Wisdom I May Have Gained.’
My mother was deeply religious, and did her level best to instill her beliefs in her four sons. That she largely failed in that effort was not due to a lack of trying — or praying. My older brother decided, while he was still in high school, that Catholicism best reflected his beliefs and values. He went through a formal conversion process and has maintained that affiliation thoughout his life. We are not close today, so I don’t know to what degree his religious identity affects his day to day decisions.
My two younger brothers are, like many 21st century Americans, thoroughly secular and largely skeptical of traditional religious teachings. Neither has ever joined a congregation or donated money to support any particular denomination. In that respect, they are more or less following in Dad’s footsteps.
For my part, religion has always been a source of fascination. When I was very young — in kindergarten or first grade — I simply accepted without questioning Mom’s concept of a personal, anthropomorphic deity. We could talk to God, and therefore we could request divine assistance with any problems that we might have or with any…
