Something has been puzzling me. I wonder what the overlap is between the (white)folks who don't want history taught that might cause their (white)children to feel guilty--you know, the history of the treatment of minorities, the history of colonialism and underhanded dealing by our government, et cetera, et cetera-- are these the same folks who subscribe to the Christian doctrine of Original Sin?
Do these same folks scare their kids with the story of Adam and Eve who 'sinned' by seeking knowledge of Good and Evil? Do their kids feel guilty for having been born a sinner and in need of redemption?
Just wondering. . .
4 comments:
Yeah, they're probably the same people.
Your photos of the flowers are so pretty, they are delicate looking. Nice.
But your remark made me think about a couple of books I just read lately (maybe because I am homesick for my home town (Paris.) It’s about the difference in culture between France and the US. One of the remarks was what people talk about. In France you can talk about religion, politics and argue about it, and still stay friends. Here talking about religion is almost taboo, and politics is usually avoided as well. But talking about money here – no problem. For example in France we don’t ever ask someone what is their job, or anyone in their family, as it is considered very rude. I just realized that I never knew what my husband’s father did – still don’t know and never thought to ask, how about that? And we were married 51 years, but it never came in the conversation. I think they do ask here, so they have an idea if you are rich (are a lawyer, own a farm, or just a custodian.) We don’t talk much about sports either, unless people are sports fanatics – apart from the Tour de France, but that is in summer. Anyway I don’t expect you’ll get 20 replies on your Bible comment…
I want to add something. As I may have told you before in France we are “laïc” which is different from secularism and misunderstood here (less than 7% of French go to church at least once a month.) And also why we don’t want school girls (not women but school boys and girls) to wear religious paraphernalia including abayas, crosses, yarlmukes, etc. It has nothing to do with freedom but it is about equality. In all my school years, primary, high school and college (in Paris) I only knew one girl who went to church, not a boy – and you know what, she was the most hypocrite of the bunch. There was a couple of Jewish girls and Muslim too but they did not attend any religious services. Voila!
In re: Vagabonde's point: "in France we don’t ever ask someone what is their job ... I think they do ask here, so they have an idea if you are rich ..." You may be right, but I always got the impression the main factor is the way USAmericans often identify themselves by their profession, by the work they do. The U.S. is very work-oriented; hence the self-deprecating insertion of "just" into many a woman's reply, "I'm just a housewife." Of course, curiosity about one's class and income factor into it as well, but I'm not sure they're the primary factors.
In re: Vicki's musing: "Do their kids feel guilty for having been born a sinner and in need of redemption?" I suspect you're right in that. But what an awful, awful thing to teach a child! That is why I stay as far away as possible from (organized) religion, wherein that sort of cruel, twisted mindset is found, and formed, far too often.
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