i was raised catholic. i went to mount carmel elementary school in tempe, az for my 1st grade. i hated it. we had to wear skirts (barf!), had mass every morning (with incense), nuns in habits, the whole thing. my teacher wasn't a nun, which was my saving grace.
one day, in our math section, we were learning to add 3 numbers together. 1+1+1=3; 2+2+2=6 and so forth. it made sense to me. no problems.
then two nuns came in to prep us for our first communion. they had there habits on, which just terrified me. they started explaining that God the Father, Jesus the Christ, and the Holy Spirit we all one. it was a bit abstract for a 6 year old, and it didn't add up. i'd just learned that 1+1+1=3.
being teabelly, i couldn't let it go. i eventually was sent to our head master's office. it felt like i was in trouble, but i was just confused. he was nice, but eventually landed on "its a mystery of the kingdom" which felt like a really lame excuse for not being able to explain something as essential as the nature of God.
i went home and was visibly upset. i felt like i'd been punished for being confused about God. i told my dad the story and said "it just doesn't make sense, dad!" to which he responded ... "that is because it doesn't" and SPLAT! there went my belief in God.
for the next 10 years i talked to everyone i knew about God. what did they think. the catholics must be wrong. i learned from buddists, evangelicals -- watch some terrifying films about the end of the world, muslims, etc. after reading issac asimnov's guide to the bible, i decided God was a figment of my imagination ... but i couldn't stop talking about it/him/her/them.
i guess i'm still in the same place i was when i was 6. i don't know totally God's nature (except i do know that God = Love). i still can't seem to stop trying to figure it out and i spend too much time thinking and talking about it/him/her/them.
so when i saw sister simone on colbert it felt something ... probably sisterhood. none of the churches are right, in fact they are all wrong together. but when we work to promote love and happiness, we can stand sure in the belief that we are on the side of good.
sister simone -- you may have a convert!!!
one day, in our math section, we were learning to add 3 numbers together. 1+1+1=3; 2+2+2=6 and so forth. it made sense to me. no problems.
then two nuns came in to prep us for our first communion. they had there habits on, which just terrified me. they started explaining that God the Father, Jesus the Christ, and the Holy Spirit we all one. it was a bit abstract for a 6 year old, and it didn't add up. i'd just learned that 1+1+1=3.
being teabelly, i couldn't let it go. i eventually was sent to our head master's office. it felt like i was in trouble, but i was just confused. he was nice, but eventually landed on "its a mystery of the kingdom" which felt like a really lame excuse for not being able to explain something as essential as the nature of God.
i went home and was visibly upset. i felt like i'd been punished for being confused about God. i told my dad the story and said "it just doesn't make sense, dad!" to which he responded ... "that is because it doesn't" and SPLAT! there went my belief in God.
for the next 10 years i talked to everyone i knew about God. what did they think. the catholics must be wrong. i learned from buddists, evangelicals -- watch some terrifying films about the end of the world, muslims, etc. after reading issac asimnov's guide to the bible, i decided God was a figment of my imagination ... but i couldn't stop talking about it/him/her/them.
i guess i'm still in the same place i was when i was 6. i don't know totally God's nature (except i do know that God = Love). i still can't seem to stop trying to figure it out and i spend too much time thinking and talking about it/him/her/them.
so when i saw sister simone on colbert it felt something ... probably sisterhood. none of the churches are right, in fact they are all wrong together. but when we work to promote love and happiness, we can stand sure in the belief that we are on the side of good.
sister simone -- you may have a convert!!!
| The Colbert Report | Mon - Thurs 11:30pm / 10:30c | |||
| Radical Feminist Nuns - Simone Campbell | ||||
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