The boys get Christianity

While I was raised a Catholic, and made to attend church, religious school (sometimes), after school christian classes, my folks did stop at confirmation.  Today, I am an atheist.  My kids know that.  Pikey believes there is a god or gods, but Jesse does not.  The girls are a bit young to have theological decisions.    We’ve delved into Greek Myths and Greek Gods and many North American First Nations gods, but haven’t made it to the Christian god.  I will be the first to admit I’m reluctant; the subject is uncomfortable for me; perhaps in my endeavor to avoid cramming religion down my kids throats, I’ve gone too far in the other direction. 

Sissy ADORES little books.  (this will all make sense in a bit; hang in there)  Unfortunately for me, most of the little books she loves to carry around are tiny versions of the New and Old Testament.  I’ve bought her about 4 or 5 tiny little New/Old Testaments from thrift stores (for some reason, thrift stores are FULL of these books).  Recently, she wanted to know what the books said, so we started reading them.  It really went against my grain; I am SO rejecting of any Christianity, so Jamie would read the books.  Of course, reading them is not enough, and we began to delve into the history.  (course, like a mantra, I’m constantly piping up with "but mom doesn’t BELIEVE in God and MANY people don’t believe this story either and it might not be true" (as the kids eyes roll back in their heads from the monotonous lecture))

Today, we had the occasion to see some of this story acted out in person.  The town was acting out the time period of trial of Jesus to his death. 

I asked the boys to tell me about the day; as if I hadn’t been there, as I like to see things through their eyes.  Here is what Jesse had to say,

"I woke up in the night and there was some sort of party in the campground. 

But there was only music there wasn’t any yelling or anything so I managed to

get back to sleep.  In the morning I woke up and had breakfast and then we

went to town to see a kinda parade.  There was 14 stops.  We got there on #5

cause we were a little bit late and there was a lot of walking.  Most of the

time we climbed up on a wall or car to be able to see because there were so

many people.  There was a man named Jesus carrying a cross and there were men

with pretend spears and swords.  Every stop something happened.  Like a woman

felt sorry for him and wiped off his face and the people got angry at her or

he fell down.  But finally when we got to #13 they put people up on crosses. 

They didn’t nail them like in some countries but tied them.  And it was only

a parade and it wasn’t real.  And then on stop #14 there was a grave that was

supposed to be stone but it was paper brown colored paper and they put him in

the tomb and covered it up with a big pretend stone and when they opened it

up again, he was gone.  And after the parade, we were walking back with Tata

and she told us about what the parade was about.  And then we went to a

little place on the side of the road and got ceviche de Sierra (sierra is the

type of fish used) and ate them while walking home.  When we got home, Tata

showed Pikey the building site where they’re building a new home and

restaurant and I came back to the trailer and after a while we went to the

pool (the pool that was already finished)."

(i then asked Pike what people Tata talked to them about)

"She talked about a few saints that tried to stop the mistreatment of black

people.  Course we mentioned George Bush in it.  Blaaaahhhh.  George Bush,

Blaaahhh.  Of course we didn’t talk about him very nicely.  And Tata talked

about a King that tried to stop the mistreatment of black people.  When we

were going home and there’s two worshiping tombs on the side of the road.  I

don’t know why, but they’re there.  Then we came back to the trailer, ate

something and went to the swimming pool. 
"

(pikey was chomping at the bit to relay his version of the day’s events, so here is his version)

"I didn’t wake up in the middle of the night like Jesse did; I slept

peacefully and soundly. I woke up in the morning and we had our morning usual

yogurt and the yogurt here is REAL good. The kinds that we’ve so far gotten,

strawberry, coconut/pineapple, cherry/strawberry mixed with raspberry and

peach.  We arranged to go into town.  And we went to a parade there and Jesse

told you all about the stops and at #13 we stopped there and they actually

hung people up on crosses like they did with Jesus but they didn’t nail him

up there, they just put ropes around their hands and stuff.  And they’re

actually hanging up there on crosses – Jesus and some other pretend thieves

(not the real Jesus, just a pretend Jesus).  And after stop 14 we left, which

Jesse told you about.  And I told you about how we got home  and I guess

that’s all the events of the day."

Jamie asked Jesse why so many people hated Jesus, "He had 7 loaves of bread and 7 fish and it fed 5000 people and it was like a miracle.  And because he was nice to black people and blind people and he wanted peace."  Asked again and with some leading, Jesse thought, "because he was a danger and could have totally overrode him and could have become king or something."