[ WP ] A kid comes out as religious to his parents in a society where atheism is the norm .

Preston faced his parents with the fierce determination of Saint Sebastian facing the Roman archers. Still, he couldn ’ t help but think that Sebastian had a little easier than him with the combined glare of the two fearsome scientists sitting uneasily on the couch. 
 
 His mother had that singular gaze she used when examining a particularly onerous datum. You could almost see the neurons firing in her head as she plugged years and years of previous data experimentally into the problem, trying to complete the puzzle. His father was as solemn and grave as he was when he sacrificed mice. 
 
 “ Mom, Dad, ” Preston choked, before righting himself. He knew now he was not alone. For the first time in his life, he knew he was not alone. He need not waver. “ I wanted you to know that I believe in a higher power. ” 
 
 Both parents blinked in almost unison. Preston ’ s father stood up and began to pace, offering but one word. “ What? ” It was a singular barking syllable that held all the might of a slap. It was not a question; it was a fist in verbal form. 
 
 “ Careful, Vazrik, ” Preston ’ s mother said, more mildly. “ Why don ’ t you present the evidence for this hypothesis, Preston? I ’ m sure you have your reasons. ” 
 
 “ Are you basing this on the supposition of one of you mentally deficient ‘ friends ’? ” Vazrik demanded, taking a step nearer to Preston. The man was still taller than the teenager, but not by much, Preston observed with some satisfaction. “ You are, are n't you? It's from that inbred Adams kid! ” Vazrik continued. 
 
 “ Vazrik. Enough, ” Preston ’ s mother said tersely. Vazrik stepped back. “ Please, elucidate your hypothesis, Preston. ” 
 
 Preston steadied himself as his father continued to pace. “ Well, I mean, it ’ s just that I ’ ve been reading. Not just journal articles. The old books. You know, the Talmud, the Vedas, the Old and New Testament of the Holy Scriptures, the Epic of Creation, the Vinaya and Sutta Pitaka, the Prose Edda. ” 
 
 “ What data were presented? Were they well-supported, well-documented, peer-reviewed? Do they support your hypothesis, Preston? ” his mother inquired. 
 
 “ Don ’ t pretend like this nonsense actually has scientific merit, Aurelia. He ’ s reading fairy tales, ” Vazrik complained. 
 
 “ Preston, present your data, ” Aurelia said calmly, waving her husband to silence. 
 
 “ Well they all seem to thing that there is a god or gods, a higher power in the universe -- ” Preston started. 
 
 “ Anthropomorphization of primitive people! ” Vazrik scoffed, turning to face Preston. 
 
 “ Well, at least to them life means something! You all just cut it into pieces and feed them into microscope or a GCMS or an effing LHC! You stare at numbers and pretend it ’ s life! You know nothing about the holistic universe! ” Preston was yelling before he knew it. His father stepped up to stand toe-to-toe to him, using that inch of leverage to his full advantage to better highlight his baleful glower. 
 
 Aurelia stood up and forced herself between the pair. “ Preston, part of your ability as a scientist and a human is to form hypotheses, test them, and then integrate the new knowledge into your world view. I can not say I completely understand the support or origin of your hypothesis, but I encourage you to subject it to all scientific rigor. ” 
 
 “ For God ’ s sake, Mom, not everything is effing science! ” Preston said. “ What if what we see isn ’ t what it is? Senses are fallible. ” 
 
 “ Yes, senses are fallible, Preston. There are few axioms required for scientific exploration. Namely that the universe has constant laws that are capable of being observed. If you wish to challenge these axioms, I encourage you to form a model and see if it is consistent with the observations of the universe, ” Aurelia said mildly. 
 
 “ Don ’ t encourage this, Aurelia. He ’ s not even thinking of it like that. It ’ s stories to him that make him feel better about being nothing more than a permutation in the particle field of the universe. He ’ d rather be a creation than a random product of entropy. He was always an arrogant little prick like that, ” Vazrik said dismissingly. 
 
 “ Vazrik, he ’ s a rearrangement of our own genetic matter, ” Aurelia said. 
 
 “ Mutations arise, ” Vazrik said. 
 
 “ I can ’ t even freaking talk with you! ” Preston said, throwing his arms up in the air. “ I ’ m going to my room. ” 
 
 “ Unsupported and unacknowledged beliefs can lead to spurious conclusions, Preston. Know the axioms of your existence, and check for weaknesses, ” Aurelia said, touching his shoulder, but Preston brushed her off. He stomped down the hall and away from her words. “ But always know you are the product of our genetic material. For that reason, we ’ ll want to protect you from harm and nurture you to reach the potential we think you are capable so that you can pass along our genetic information. ” 
 
 Preston slammed the door, cutting off his mother ’ s final words: “ You are our son, and we love you, Preston. ”
