A few years ago a boy about 8 years old approached me to ask who I was voting for in the presidential election occuring at the time. When he heard my answer, he arched one eyebrow, slowly shook his head from side to side, and marched indignantly away.

My political views were being judged by a person who still thought that girls had cooties!

If you’re wondering if the kid was some kind of political prodigy, forget that. He had neither the maturity nor the inclination to study candidates and issues. I doubt he even knew what an issue was. What he did have was a father who was a fairly nice guy in most circumstances but who frothed at the mouth during any discussion of politics. Actually, discussion is the wrong word. You didn’t discuss politics with this man. You listened until he ran out of gas, hoping that he wasn’t going to become so agitated that he’d rupture something because you knew you weren’t going to do CPR on that mouth.

The kid’s political views — if you could even call them views — were those of his dad. On one level I have no problem with that. Part of a parent’s job is to teach his/her values, beliefs, and the like to their children. But the more I thought about the boy’s adamant reaction, the more I thought about how I taught my own children.

Did I really want them to grow up and parrot my views on everything? Or did I want them to grow up with the ability to think, reason, evaluate, and decide? While I obviously think I’m right on all that I believe, I’m sure that I’m not. Several times over the years my views, perceptions, and even beliefs changed. Each time I had been sure that I was right but something happened that made me realize that I wasn’t. I must expect that to happen again if I continue to live. Learning is crucial to a fulfilling life. Change must come from that learning. The key is to try our best to make sure that what we learn is true, rather than just appearing to be true.

How well equipped is a kid who was not thought to think, listen, evaluate, and, when needed, change? Those who are taught to accept a certain view as the only view seem to turn out one of two ways in adulthood. They live in prejudice against those who don’t hold their view, or they give up all they were taught when they discover that something they were taught isn’t true.

So the little hardliner’s brushoff became a learning event for me.

Not too long afterward, my youngest daughter, Kimberly, came home from Bible class and presented to me the argument her teacher said once and for all disproved evolution. It took maybe twenty seconds to demonstrate its flaw. Why would I do that? It’s simple, I don’t want any of my daughters to think that they have the “be all end all” understanding of anything. If I had patted Kimberly on the back and told her that argument would serve her for life, I would have done her a great disservice. At some point she will encounter a teacher, professor, friend, or book that will do a better job than I in dusting away that particular argument. If her belief that there is a Creator rested on an argument that later proved weak, what would that do to her belief about the Creator? I’d rather she think, reason, learn, modify, grow, and realize that not everything is as clear cut as either side of any argument typically presents them to be. That is what will serve her for life.

So am I one of those folks who thinks there isn’t any absolute truth? No. I am quite convinced that there are very clear truths that should be accepted and adhered to.

I’m just not sure that I know anyone who has them all figured out.