I saw the light

sent in by Andy

This is very short and to the point.

I was born into a Roman Catholic family. Mum and dad divorced when I was four. This is not good for R.C.'s.

As a result of this I was treated like a leper by my teachers, who actively encouraged the other kids to do the same. Mum was depressed and took me to church when she could. On the occasions that she couldn't, I'd catch hell at school for not being able to tell the class what the previous nights' sermon was about.

At no time throughout my R.C. education was I ever allowed to question the belief system that they were forcing on to me. I did question it once, when I was about six. I think I asked something like "If Adam and Eve were the only people on Earth and they disappeared to wherever, that left two sons; Kane and Able. One son killed the other, which left one man, so where did we come from?".

I might add that the "theologians" out there will probably see the holes in this question, but hey; I was only six.

The headmaster of the school responded to this by "caning" me, (an English tradiditon until recent times whereby you were "whipped on the hand or backside with a bamboo cane), six times; three strokes on each hand. I couldn't move my fingers to do my work, i.e.; hold a pen, so they beat me again.

By the time I had reached sixteen, I estimated that I'd been on the wrong end of the cane no less than 145 different times. Considering I'm a professional guitarist and guitar tutor, the stiffness that I get in my fingers from time to time doesn't help.

I think the real breaking point came when I was nearly arrested at senior school for assaulting the local priest, (after he had repeatedly slapped a girl across the face for not attending mass). I gave him a good dig in the chin.

They never called the police, despite my repeated insistance that they do just that. Instead, they put me on detention for every break for the next two years and sent me off to an educational psychologist as they thought I must be insane not to believe in god.

I tried to believe what they said, but it just made no sense. I can still see my self wondering why all the other kids believed such obvious nonsense.

Religion? keep it.

New Castle
UK
How old were you when you became a christian? Birth
How old were you when you ceased being a christian? six
What churches or organizations or labels have applied to you? Roman Catholic
What labels, if any, would you apply to yourself now? Individual
Why did you become a christian? No Choice
Why did you de-convert? I saw the light