Coming to grips with god(s)

Message Bookmarked

Bookmark Removed

My parents never told me about religion or god or any of that, so I got very confused when they started teaching about Bible Stories at school. To tremendous comic effect, as I was already preoccupied with tales of greek myths, and wasn't really sure what I thought of all these slightly more boring stories. at least i knew the greek myths were MADE UP - were these stories meant to be true. but they're obv not, etc.

Anyone else baffled by Rel Ed at a young age?

― Alan (Alan), Thursday, 28 November 2002 13:46 (twenty-three years ago)

I had a brief stint at an evangelist Sunday school attended by family friends (where I now think my parents sent me just so they could have Sunday mornings free to shag). The main thing I remember is making lots of paper hats relevant to whichever religious festival it was that week. But it was certainly baffling - knowing the right answers to questions about made-up stories had never had this kind of import before... I don't know if I even related the Bible to the hymns and the Lord's Prayer that we sung/recited every day at school.

― Archel (Archel), Thursday, 28 November 2002 14:09 (twenty-three years ago)

Cor I loved The Lord's Prayer and always thought it had a particular kind of smell, like old paper.

― Tim (Tim), Thursday, 28 November 2002 14:10 (twenty-three years ago)

Where I grew up, there used to be this guy who would walk up and down the High Street with a wooden cross and introduce himself as Jesus. As a kid, you more easily accept bizarre behaviour, especially from adults, so I became quite blasé about his presence - I would say hello to him on my way to school, just as I would the postman or milkman.

Imagine my confusion at my first RE lessons: "B-b-but, he's not dead! I passed him only this morning!"

― Alfie (Alfie), Thursday, 28 November 2002 14:14 (twenty-three years ago)

It's ALL myths. Beautifully written and archetypal, yes, but stil MYTHS.

― suzy (suzy), Thursday, 28 November 2002 14:16 (twenty-three years ago)

My experience exactly Alan. I remember big picture books retelling the 'exciting' bits of the story and sitting though WATCH's interminable nativity programmes. There's a big disadvantage telling kids the Bible as stories because if they're keen readers they'll have heard many more exciting ones.

I would so love to be able to claim that I thought the crucifixion was a rip-off of the death of Aslan but even though I read Narnia first I wasn't that unaware.

― Tom (Groke), Thursday, 28 November 2002 14:18 (twenty-three years ago)

Disadvantage to the people teaching it obviously who want kids to believe - I couldnt care less.

― Tom (Groke), Thursday, 28 November 2002 14:19 (twenty-three years ago)

Don't recall having much RE, sang a few hymns in assembly and learnt about X-mas and Easter, and loads of other religious holidays. Had no formal RE lessons at primary and junior school. And RE at high school was just a sort of doss lesson.

― jel -- (jel), Thursday, 28 November 2002 14:21 (twenty-three years ago)

where I now think my parents sent me just so they could have Sunday mornings free to shag

B...B...But.... parents *never* shag! Isn't that illegal or something?!

― caitlin (caitlin), Thursday, 28 November 2002 14:32 (twenty-three years ago)

I got a detention once when I was about 8 or 9 because when retelling the story of Jesus in the wilderness I'd not put the words of Jesus in a different colour pen from the words of the Devil!

― Tom (Groke), Thursday, 28 November 2002 14:37 (twenty-three years ago)

That was a particularly crap story too. Jesus gets tempted. He says no.

― Tom (Groke), Thursday, 28 November 2002 14:37 (twenty-three years ago)

At the Tenement House in Glasgow they told my Mum that large families managed to grow even though space was limited because of the blessing that was Sunday School.

― Madchen (Madchen), Thursday, 28 November 2002 14:40 (twenty-three years ago)

i always trot out the story of when I had to retell the story of david and Goliath "in my own words" (as teachers arer wont to) and I did, but cos I didn't really understand what she was asking I told a story about two people called David and Goliath, and there was indeed an unlikely defeat of one by the other, however it involved cloaks of invisibilty, a flying potion and someone's sinews being ripped from their body. I was then asked to DO IT AGAIN. PROPERLY. hein?

― Alan (Alan), Thursday, 28 November 2002 14:43 (twenty-three years ago)

yes but satan takes him to the top of a high place where he can see all the lands of the earth = the building i live in!!

(hence all the bones possibly)

― mark s (mark s), Thursday, 28 November 2002 14:43 (twenty-three years ago)

what hellish school did you go to Tom? (I mean I can't imagine someone at my school getting detention for doing some work!)

― jel -- (jel), Thursday, 28 November 2002 14:44 (twenty-three years ago)

Oh it wasnt even a religious school. The RE teacher was an old loony who was near retirement even by private-school standards and needed to be given something to do. He had a thing for neat work and keeping in the margins; I was a bit shocked when I got the detention but even then realised it was a great story of teacher mentalism.

― Tom (Groke), Thursday, 28 November 2002 14:49 (twenty-three years ago)

Aslan dies?

― Mark C (Mark C), Thursday, 28 November 2002 17:37 (twenty-three years ago)

You must be logged in to post. Please either login here, or if you are not registered, you may register here.