Activity

@Belle; “I’ve had horrible things done to me under the pretense of religion too Dang. The people who hurt you are responsible for that regardless of what they believe or don’t believe.”

I’m seeing a lot of wisdom in your words, Belle. Thank you. I recalled first the years of almost unrelenting Catholic school indoctrination, which I now see as child abuse. I say “almost” because two nuns might have accepted responsibility.

The first, in sixth grade, told her class (and me) that faith is a gift and some people are not given it. Years later, realizing I hadn’t received that gift, I quit Catholicism more easily than others I’ve heard from.

The second, in 12th grade, encouraged my interest in science–specifically physics. Years later, having studied math and physics and knowing of Catholiism’s hostility to the critical thinking that science requires, I realized that I didn’t understand that 12th grade nun. I told a few people I didn’t understand that encouragement and a woman told me that nun might have realized she had earlier done wrong and had accepted responsibility. Sudden;y I understood.