Learning How to Think not What to Think

THURSDAY, AUGUST 15, 2013

Learning How to Think not What to Think
As a child I was told by my father there was no such thing as a stupid question...
He later would shake his head.. smile or laugh.... because I asked about everything...
I earned the name of his 'why' child!

This belief I carried into my school years. My teachers were not as open minded as my father!
An example was during religious class I questioned what the teacher/nun was teaching... she told me in front of the entire class that I was disrespectful and I was to stay after class. After class she did not answer my question repeating that I was disrespectful and a bad girl which was the same as a sinner.

I did not understand, if I did not understand something I could not question it!

This happened a lot in my religious education. I remember being taught about  'confession' being told what to say...question... what if I felt I had not done anything to be forgiven for...  that was not acceptable. So I thought... and came up with the plan...to make something up... yep, I was going to tell a lie and the following week I have something to confess...(that I lied at confession)... How silly ...  another question... why did  I have to go to confession, could I just ask God forgiveness myself. After a look of shear frustration and shock on the teachers/nuns face, I was told that was a sin to even think like that.

Can you imagine the questions I had when they taught...' if you think it you are as guilty as doing it!' prompting... 'if I think good things do I credit' ... Hummm I was not what they would call a model student.

I don't know when I discovered that the whole world was not of the same religious belief, but it was enlightening to me. I was invited by neighbors to go to churches of different beliefs doing activities, this was very enlightening to me. I did not understand if there is only one God... then why did some preach any belief different was wrong!

Thank goodness for my granny... she would tell me that all religious rules were made man ... That God wanted us to love each other not judge each other and certainly not hurt each other in anyway physically or verbally ! Her father was a Baptist minister, she would often share stories of how 'people of the cloth' were just people!

I am not a religious person... I respect those who are!
I AM a spiritual believer... by choice learning How to think not What to think!


http://jimdenise.blogspot.com/