Hard to be Christian when the nuns beat it into me

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   Peter Owenposted 13 years ago

   I find myself questioning every day all the beliefs that the nuns beat into me for 8 years. It's not only how they taught us, it is what they taught us. Those women had a very simplistic view on life and religion. To question brought the wrath of the yard stick across the back of the shins.
   
   How did the nuns rough you up?

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      earnestshubposted 13 years agoin reply to this

      Indirectly.
      My mother (long past) was schooled in a catholic convent, and she put the fear of hell in us kids from an early age. I never bought it, but the indoctrination came back and bit me in my early twenties, wasting 2 years of my life with religion. Then I got my second level of education and have been fine since. It took years of therapy to eventually free me of the very nasty dogma though.

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      Quilligrapherposted 13 years agoin reply to this

      I’m sorry to read that you had bad experiences with teachers in the Catholic schools you attended.  I hope this thread helps you to deal with the memories of abuse.
      In contrast, I had only good and rewarding experiences.  I remember the nuns as stern, caring, nurturing, and always in control. I know that not every child, including one of my own, is able to learn in this environment. But, I never witnessed or had to endure physical abuse so I can take exception with any notion that implies this is the norm. That is not to say that it doesn’t happen, but rather, that it is contrary to my first hand knowledge. Later in life, I was able to discard those religious concepts I found lacking without allowing them to taint the broad spectrum of important ideals about living and learning that I acquired at the same time.

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      Mark Knowlesposted 13 years agoin reply to this

      It is hard to get that stuff out of your head. Good for you for making the journey.
      
      Child abuse like this has been the norm for too long now and the sooner it is eradicated the better.

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      Druid Dudeposted 13 years agoin reply to this

      The Catholic church is so posessed by the devil...what would you expect? And you should be ashamed that you let them lead you away from God. Geuss you didn't cover Job in your studies. These other guys stand around thinking they've solved the unsolvable. Believe me, faith in man is folly. We've screwed everything up...what makes anyone think we can unscrew it? We (mankind) doesn't have a clue how to fix what we've broken. Then, of course, is the line of thought that nothing is broken and everything is fine and dandy. It's not, and they demonstrate the height of blindness. Not that Superjesus is coming down to save our butts at the last second. Dreamland. It is up to us...but not if we continue down the path we're on. It's not god's fault we are here. It's our fault. Peter was an idiot. That is clear from the four gospels, and Paul was a Roman infiltrator, perverter of the faith. It is all there, written down. Heck, they even brag about it. There is a new teaching afoot. It is time for the new temple.

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         Beelzedadposted 13 years agoin reply to this

         I'm wondering if you are able to see your own line of reasoning here? First, you condemn one of the very organizations that have kept the cycle of indoctrination you yourself have been largely acquainted alive and well these past many centuries.
         
         And, in the same line of thought you regurgitate the very same indoctrination of condemning and putting the blame on mankind and not your god.
         
         Yes, we actually do have a clue how to fix what we've broken.
         
         Just fix the cycle of indoctrination.

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            Druid Dudeposted 13 years agoin reply to this

            What makes you think that the church, any church, represents the teachings of Jesus. Further, your understanding is lacking on this subject, whether you believe me or not. And your understanding of higher science is pretty weak, too. I see them both, having been born simoultaneously, becoming one thought once again. Then where will you be?

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      Dave Mathewsposted 13 years agoin reply to this

      Peter Owen: What the nuns taught, the lessons taught, were not as bad as the method of teaching, although a yard stick and corpral punishment was a little severe. The method in itself worked and would still work well today, for one learned to fear being wrong, so one learned out of fear.
      
      I do have to admit though that as soon as I started reading my Bible and really understanding things for myself, I started to realize that some of the Catholic teachings are not proper Christian/Bible based scriptural teachings, so I will not follow them and even speakout against them.
      
      I went on to attend a Catholic highschool and even there, the Christian Brothers that taught us used a similar technique. "Spare the rod, and spoil the child" works and would be very effective in schools even today. I applaud this technique. I am a better man for it.
      
      I believe the ways of parenting, and schooling of children today is wrong, totally wrong. Parents and teachers are far to permissive today. One has to ask themselves the question. Who is the parent, and who is the child? When the child is permitted to choose rather than the adult. Who controls Who?
      
      When I was a child and I got out of line in school, I got it from either a teacher or the Principal, and I got spanked again from my mom or dad when I got home too.

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         Beelzedadposted 13 years agoin reply to this

         Really? Your posts would indicate that you would immediately turn to violence in those situations yourself, which means you have learned from the nuns exactly what they were teaching, fear and violence.
         
         This is not a technique to applaud by any stretch of the imagination, Dave.
         
         
         
         And yet, you are not a parent and hence cannot comment on raising a child. What you believe you should do is now called child abuse.
         
         
         
         Yes, and we can see what kind of man you are as a result.

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      paarsurreyposted 13 years agoin reply to this

      I don't believe the nuns would beat anybody physically; they are not like that; soft persons ther are.

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   Peter Owenposted 13 years ago

   the indoctination really got to me.
   I was accused by the 3rd grade nun of being a Heretic when I asked how could a person be sent to Hell just because his parents weren't catholic and didn't bring him up catholic.
   also got slapped in the face for that one.

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      earnestshubposted 13 years agoin reply to this

      That is so wrong Peter. A lot of the "brothers" in one of our schools sexually abused dozens of the boys as well as belting their religion in to them.
      It takes time and self love to get past those religious myths and phobias instilled at such a young age. It is child abuse in my view. Nice to see you with the courage to confront it.

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   dutchman1951posted 13 years ago

   For me it was St. Mary's in Pawtucket Rhode Island... 1st through 12th
   
   ridiculed if you were not in church every sunday, monday AM it was the first question asked. Adored if you were an Altar Boy
   
   rulers over the top of the hand, everything in strait pristeen lines. All expected responses in proper order
   
   "Forgive me father for.....
   
   very hard to break out of, and it does come back to haunt
   
   "Just another brick in the wall", I believe the song line goes

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   Disappearingheadposted 13 years ago

   There seems to be a common theme here. People will often turn to atheism as a result of the abuses of the Catholic church or its organisations. One can't blame them of course.

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      Mark Knowlesposted 13 years agoin reply to this

      Rubbish. People turn to atheism because they learn to think for themselves instead of regurgitating nonsense to feel as though they have some personal authority - which you do not.
      
      This is why your religion and people like you cause so many conflicts. You have no morals. None.

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      dutchman1951posted 13 years agoin reply to this

      well it did make me search and try different belief's. It can, as it did me make you very afronted by it.
      
      That is until you realise the psychological affect it has on you, and begin to really see through what it  is, once you cross over that threshold then you begin to free your mind and heal    Start to accept and forgive your self and begin to like youself. From here I am told it is positive life and freedom.
      
      feels good to me this way, clear thoughts and better vision I will say.

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         dutchman1951posted 13 years agoin reply to this

         My Grandfather said something to me once, and after some time it made sense;  anything done in force breeds resistance...,
         
         some truth I think

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      Beelzedadposted 13 years agoin reply to this

      If you did the research, you'd find there is no such common theme. In fact, people usually turn to the law to have the abusers convicted of their crimes.
      
      But, it is interesting that a believer can comment on an atrocity committed by religious organizations as if it were common place and then continue to defend and embrace religion.

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   TLMinutposted 13 years ago

   Beelzedad, you said:
   But, it is interesting that a believer can comment on an atrocity committed by religious organizations as if it were common place and then continue to defend and embrace religion.
   
   ---------------------
   
   This doesn't make sense really. I can certainly comment on atrocities committed by parents as if it were common place and then continue to defend parenthood - just not those "practices".

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      Beelzedadposted 13 years agoin reply to this

      I would agree, except that there is vast abyss of difference from defending good parenting to defending the teachings of a religion when those teachings are considered "good" and are not in stark contrast to the "practices" but instead, aligned.

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   Onusonusposted 13 years ago

   It's hard to be a nun when I can't find any kids to beat.
   
   Seriously though, it's a bummer that you were treated so poorly.

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   Peter Owenposted 13 years ago

   Since I started this thread I will say ON THE OTHER HAND:
   - being hit left no lasting mental scars
   - We got a great education
   - teachers today can't touch a kid or even yell at them
   -so the teachers have absolutely no power to control if the kids don't want to behave.
   - I see what this does in my wife's school which is in a very poor neighborhood - the kids run the school.
   - the parents in this neighborhood are useless and worse than the kids,  and just begging to be able sue a teacher to get some money
   - adiministration won't do anything about kids running wild and skipping out of class since they would then have to report it and too many bad reports brings the spotlight on their school.
   - case in point - last week a second grader told the principal in front of witnesses to "suck my xxxx". A SECOND GRADER. Nothing was done to the kid,the parents were called, and the parents didn't understand what the big deal was.
   - constant problem for teachers is a fight between two kids. If they don't jumt in and break it up, they are liable.
   If they jump in and break it up, they are liable if one of the kids complain the teacher hurt him by pulling him off the other kid.
   
   I dont' know what the answer is.
   I do know that today we don't demand enough from the kids compared to back when.

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   earnestshubposted 13 years ago

   I don't see any big changes in children. Or parenting over time, although some educators are getting a handle on it. Sadly, abused children have always been a part of society, it is nothing new.
   We have good education in this country that is free, but bullying and racism were still a part of a school we paid 11k a quarter for.
   Where my grandchildren go to school is great, but we moved house and uprooted our lives to be in the right school area for them.

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   klarawieckposted 13 years ago

   The bottom line is that all of us should be trained by nuns on how to use the ruler, the belt, and the bible as weapons to train kids!

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      earnestshubposted 13 years agoin reply to this

      

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