Religious+Influences

**Religious Influences in the Color of Water**
In //The Color of Water//, religion used for consolation and distraction from everyday problems. Religion aids in the reinvention of characters and the acceptance of who they are. Ruth finds an escape in the "love of the church." because it is inclusive and accepting. (29)

Ruth, James's mother, teaches him the value of religion. Mainly Christianity and neglects to teach him Judaism which was part of her childhood and early adolescence. Due to this miscommunication of the Jewish religious values, James grows up confused about his mother's religious past. Even so, James grows up with a relationship with God and in his adulthood understood his mother's devotion to the church. (50) Furthermore, he realizes that because of her devotion to the church she became more inclusive and more accepting of others. "God is the color of water.", Ruth says, the color of water is a mixture of all the colors which represents all the races meaning that God (the God of love not fear like the God in Judaism) is there for everybody. Ruth runs a "equal" household in which no body is judged because they are black or white. They are judged by the quality of their person.

Ruth enjoys the choral aspect of church in which she can express her love of God in song. Though she is not a great singer, she sings despite of her vocal failure. Ruth cries because "God makes me happy" (50). Ruth does not like large ornate churches in which everything is extravagant, she mostly is fixated by the quality of simplicity in her places of worship. She chooses a small church in which she can be in a serene religious sanctuary which provides her with the ability to let go of all pretenses and just cry. She lets out her own emotions which include sadness, despair, happiness and fear and puts her energy in the enforcement of religion in her family. She sees the effect having faith has had on her that she wishes to pass this onto her children.

//We've Come This Far By Faith// //What a Friend We Have In Jesus//
 * Songs:**

Ruth raises her children with the same core values she grew up with (though she seeks to be the opposite, it is rather unconscious) which are faith and moving forward (etc.) but with a different perspective on it. Rather than raising them with a foundation that includes fear of God and self, she raises them to be confident individuals.


 * Primary Chapters Involving Religion - In-depth**
 * Old Testament
 * New Testament
 * Black Power

//"My parents were not materialistic." (29)// //"Mommy's contradictions crashed and slammed against one another like bumper cars at Coney Island. White folks, she felt were implicitly evil toward blacks, yet she forced us to go to white schools to get the best education." (29)// //"Is Jesus white?" ... "Jesus is all colors." - Richie and Rev. Owens (52)// //"What's the color of God's spirit?"...." God is the color of water. Water doesn't have a color" (51)// //"Mommy's tears seemed to come from somewhere else, a place far away, a place inside her that she never let any of us children visit, and even as a boy I felt there was a pain behind them." (50)// //"I never understood why God would climb into these people with such fervor, until I became a grown man myself and came to understand the nature and power of God's blessings." (50)// //"Mommy's utter defense of him [God]" (50)//
 * Quotes:**