Grew up in NFLD, with six siblings,My dad was Anglican, the most gentle, kindhearted,caring soul,He worked very hard in a paper mill, loved to sing and play harmonica.He called me old trout.
He loved to read, was curious about different cultures and cried seeing starving children on TV and would say" there's no need of that old trout" He never went to church, nor ever mentioned God.
His name was Josiah James, and he died when I was 22. My mother was a Catholic, she had all her children christened Anglican and sent us all to a Catholic school. My mother was a mean, selfish alcoholic, promiscuous, cold woman who never hugged or kissed her children. She never went to church but was very superstitious ad I love her but kept my distance. My sisters called me the invisible child because I was never around. I was always somewhere else. Anyway we were never forced to go to church. As for school, well being prodestant in a Catholic school was a recipe for disaster right from the get go.All girl school and taught by nuns. i studied Catachism and sometimes was allowed to attend church with them but most times I was told to stay in the classroom because I was different. I learned all of the Catholic prayers, and said them every night. I did not know God but I knew I loved the fact that their was someone I could talk to. I learned about Jesus mostly from the TV movies, I loved Lady Of Fatima and Ben Hur all those movies. Anyway , we were humiliated, strapped, and pushed around by the nuns but I never let them see me cry when they strapped me, I was rebellious to them.Back then if you went home with red welts all over your arms , then you must have done something something to deserve it. That was the attitude of th parents because God forbid the nuns would never do that if you were good. My bow was probably crooked or my fingernails dirty. I remember this big man wearing a long red robe and a pope hat come into our classroom once a week and sit at the teaches deck.All of the little girls had to go up one at a time and kneel and kiss his ring. He looked like a giant humpty
Dumpty and gave us the creeps. 😆 haha. I left school when I was 15 and never ever got involved in church or politics. I never read a bible until last year when the Lord saw fit to drag me kicking and screaming to Him. The most frightening thing I ever experienced. I will tell you more only if you want to hear and I will tell you as much as I can as it is still affecting me, but being able to speak to someone is a relief because My family don't understand nor want to hear so I keep it to myself. Sincerely Yours. Pamela