Somehow the topic of weather, below, turned to the subject of religion (see the comments). It reminded me of Angie. Angie was a sweet little blonde girl, and her dad and I lived together about a hundred years ago. Angie was about 10 at the time, which would make her about 110 now.
So Angie, who lived in a small Ottawa Valley town with her mom, came to visit for March Break. One evening she was sitting on the couch looking around, and she said “Sue, your place is really nice, but it’s missing one thing.”
“What’s it missing?”
“A cross, over the door,” she replied.
“Like a crucifix?”
“Yes,” said Angie, “You should have a crucifix over the door.”
“Why?”
“I don’t know exactly why,” she replied, “But you should. All Catholics have them.”
“Oh, I’m not Catholic,” I told her.
Angie looked stricken, scandalized, shocked.
“You’re PROTESTANT?” she asked in what appeared to be abject horror.
“No, no, I’m not Protestant,” I quickly reassured her.
“Then what are you?”
“I’m not really any religion,” I said.
Apparently this was even worse than being Protestant.
“But what church do you go to?”
“I don’t go to church,” I said.
“But what about God?” she asked.
“I don’t believe in God,” I said.
“You have to believe in God! Everybody believes in God!”
I was starting to feel I was traumatizing the poor child.
“Not everybody,” I said, “Lots of people don’t go to church or believe in God.”
“But…but you’re so nice!” she blurted out.
“Well, I believe in being nice,” I said.
It was weird being someone’s first atheist…or agnostic….or whatever I am.
Hi… found your site by hitting “next” on my “Letter Zed” button. Glad I did.
I really liked this post. I just came back from visiting my aunt in North Carolina. While some people think she lives in the Bible Belt, she claims it’s nothing like when she lived in Texas. She collects crosses from all over the place and has them up all over her house. Apparently in Texas this was quite the thing to do, but in North Carolina people look at her funny. Oh well. They are pretty although I don’t believe in what they represent.
It was interesting to discuss them with her, to share perspectives.