On the Possibility of Getting Detention for the Wrong Answer: Current Religious Dilemmas
Here are some more rather arresting blog-fragments, these from Fred's Adventures in Mundanity, commentary that provides a glimpse of the kind of contrasting, even conflicting, religious attitudes characteristic of the world we live in, a world in dramatic transition. Fred goes to school in Lampeter, Wales. -gw
Life is pretty full. I have the role of lead female in a Greek comedy called Lysistrata so I have lines to learn. There are RPGs. Jimbo is often awake for late night conversations and the library is open always. I'm reading The Kitáb-i-Aqdas and the first volume of the Davva-Samgaha. I also read a small bit of the Qu'ran but its long and the words are too hard. And frankly, Islam hardly has the same influence in the world as Baha'i and Jainism.
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Just recently, I do not feel that I have been living up to my fullest potential. The school trip went well for the most part three former teachers decided to interrogate me about my religious beliefs in some Cathedral somewhere. They all made it out alive, but they were all apalled and came to the conclusion that I was demonically posessed. Still, the kids liked me and it was an experience. More importantly, it was an easy way to make twenty pounds, which is money I need.
That school has a Muslim kid right now who is being reminded that he should pray to Jesus several times throughout the school day. I doubt he'll survive there. Non-Christians never do. The teachers still invoke the authority of Jesus at every opportunity. "Jesus wouldn't like you standing up on the train." "Jesus has placed me in authority over you, so you should do what I tell you."
I'm going to try and get my hands on one of their "Spiritual Self-Assesment Forms." The idea of them is that you quantify your personal relationship with God by writing down how often you go to youth clubs, read the Bible, etc. The results are handed into the teacher, marked and (if its anything like it was when I was there) you can probably get a detention for giving the wrong answer.
Fred Smith, entries of 8/16/06 and 7/16/06, Fred's Adventures In Mundanity, Tales of Wales' Worst Magician
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