Love this article Ann - your memory of watching the shoes as people lined for communion, I did exactly the same haha! it must have been hard for you with parents so involved at school, and I the story of your RE/Philosophy teacher - omg! Your thought about your friend going to hell really touched an old memory for me I'd forgotten until reading this - I had a great best friend growing up called Claire, who lived across the road from me and we saw each other pretty much every day until I moved 60 miles away aged 13. Claire wasn't christened and her family wasn't religious (naturally my catholic Dad didn't approve of the friendship). I remember the only argument we ever had was me telling her she had to absolutely get christened asap otherwise she would go to Hell when she died and I would never get to see her in heaven - which understandably upset her (aged about 8 or 9 I reckon). Thankfully, we are still friends to this day, and now I don't believe in god anymore I am hoping she's forgiven me...These 'Catholic' upbringings, never questioned it until adulthood, now when I look back, like you - it's really like another world
Love this article Ann - your memory of watching the shoes as people lined for communion, I did exactly the same haha! it must have been hard for you with parents so involved at school, and I the story of your RE/Philosophy teacher - omg! Your thought about your friend going to hell really touched an old memory for me I'd forgotten until reading this - I had a great best friend growing up called Claire, who lived across the road from me and we saw each other pretty much every day until I moved 60 miles away aged 13. Claire wasn't christened and her family wasn't religious (naturally my catholic Dad didn't approve of the friendship). I remember the only argument we ever had was me telling her she had to absolutely get christened asap otherwise she would go to Hell when she died and I would never get to see her in heaven - which understandably upset her (aged about 8 or 9 I reckon). Thankfully, we are still friends to this day, and now I don't believe in god anymore I am hoping she's forgiven me...These 'Catholic' upbringings, never questioned it until adulthood, now when I look back, like you - it's really like another world