A GREAT Reply to Taking the Fun Out of Dysfunctional

My father (biological) wrote me this:

I have to say your family day sounds like fun (if you’re totally into masochism. Once one realizes that for two millennia the Roman Catholic church has been the avowed enemy of progress, all progress, in all fields; religion, medicine, free will, freedom of thought (there’s a no-brainer, thinking thought could be controllable), name it.

For twenty years I taught at College Misericordia, run by the Sisters of Mercy (the oxymoron of all time). The student body was 90-95% R.C., and totally ignorant of any and all tenets of their religion. I took great pleasure in horrifying (and occasionally, terrifying) them. They sat there in fear and trembling waiting for the lightening bolt from an outraged Deity to come through the window and reduce me to a pile of “cremains.” (Hate that word!) It, need I add, never happened.

My favorite was when we got to the 14th century Great Schism when, at one point, there were three popes in Europe and I asked what American folk song it reminded them of. No answer, of course. Imagine the consternation after I sang the refrain of “Old Macdonald,” as in “Here a pope, there a pope, everywhere a pope pope.” They found it unfunny and scary.

I also took great glee in pointing out that in the same 14th century, when the Bubonic plague whipped out 50 to 75% of Europe’s population, the priests, after constantly assuring the people that in spite of the horrific hardships of medieval life there was the assured promise of a glorious eternal after-life, these same priests were the first to run for their lives. Baaaaaad Harry, and still no lightening bolt.

I tried to teach my students to leave their religious beliefs outside and accept all religions as valid. My success, or lack of, is not germane. They were totally unable (read unwilling) to accept the validity of any other religion.

In my youth, there existed an Index of what books they could read and what movies they could see. It also told them which movies they could NOT see; which books they could NOT read, on pain of possible excommunication. I think it no longer exists. I’ll bet it’s greatly missed.

You can not reason nor debate with these people. They do not think, because they have been taught consciously not to think. I’m not sure sin (as I understand it) exists, but I’m willing to make an exception in this case. The word is brainwashing; they, of course, vehemently deny it. ‘It’s God’s will”. Fight that.

As for your marital status…screw them. I made no friends at Misericordia (affectionately known as Misery) when I said I thought Roe v. Wade was intelligent legislation and that no government and definitely no religion (largely male dominated for the most part) should be allowed to dictate to women what they could do with their bodies. They’re probably saying prayers for the salvation of my soul (soul being, for me, as inexplicable as sin).

That’s enough for one epistle from the soap box

Stay well and stay silent (it will drive them nuts).

Lot’s of love.

Harry

P.S. Remember short men are not only to be pitied (or scorned, depending on ones mood) but they provide ample opportunity for looking down ones patrician nose. And that’s always fun!

It is a source of delight to have two fathers, and both who agree that this was a night of torture and insanity!