My ol' Mother was excellent in defending freedom of religion. When anyone asked her what religion for the family, she would always tell them we were Happy Heathens. She loved how this would confuse clerks and officials as these people go berserk when you don't give answers they expect. They could go berserk all they wanted as that was the best answer they would ever get.
When I graduated from one form, class or whatever to another in Australia, they asked me about a religion class. I didn't know so I told them I was a Happy Heathen but this did not please them much. The class wasn't optional, they just asked to find which one. Then they asked where I was born and when told it was Edinburgh they said Presbyterian would be best. They did successfully sit me in the class for one session.
Then my ol' Mother found out about it.
She went up to the school and dressed them down on Happy Heathens. She made it absolutely clear that it was none of their damn business what the family believes and there would be no further interference on this matter.
There wasn't.
I still have no idea what Presbyterianism has to do with Scotland. Maybe it worships haggis.
Not a moment has existed in my life when I have not been thankful and grateful to my ol' Mother for that defense. She preserved my right to choose and and I respect tremendously how hard and how cheerfully she worked for that.
Note: some of my siblings chose Christianity but the important part to that is THEY chose it and not some school official, it wasn't imposed by someone else.
But now they want Prayer in School.
It's to protect religion, they say.
If you ask about protecting it from what, they don't say anything.
If you really care about preserving the beliefs of your children then you won't let the school have any damn thing to do with them. Your children should be allowed to make their decisions on this and definitely not the state. My ol' Mother was not a heathen but that was still none of the state's business. I am not an atheist but I remain a Happy Heathen.
When I graduated from one form, class or whatever to another in Australia, they asked me about a religion class. I didn't know so I told them I was a Happy Heathen but this did not please them much. The class wasn't optional, they just asked to find which one. Then they asked where I was born and when told it was Edinburgh they said Presbyterian would be best. They did successfully sit me in the class for one session.
Then my ol' Mother found out about it.
She went up to the school and dressed them down on Happy Heathens. She made it absolutely clear that it was none of their damn business what the family believes and there would be no further interference on this matter.
There wasn't.
I still have no idea what Presbyterianism has to do with Scotland. Maybe it worships haggis.
Not a moment has existed in my life when I have not been thankful and grateful to my ol' Mother for that defense. She preserved my right to choose and and I respect tremendously how hard and how cheerfully she worked for that.
Note: some of my siblings chose Christianity but the important part to that is THEY chose it and not some school official, it wasn't imposed by someone else.
But now they want Prayer in School.
It's to protect religion, they say.
If you ask about protecting it from what, they don't say anything.
If you really care about preserving the beliefs of your children then you won't let the school have any damn thing to do with them. Your children should be allowed to make their decisions on this and definitely not the state. My ol' Mother was not a heathen but that was still none of the state's business. I am not an atheist but I remain a Happy Heathen.
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