tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14731145.post9131093911785683827..comments2023-07-26T08:12:40.144-04:00Comments on Flatbush Gardener: Blog Against Theocracy #3: AdolescenceChris Kreussling (Flatbush Gardener)http://www.blogger.com/profile/08467595231097695124noreply@blogger.comBlogger8125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14731145.post-85443023639653722722007-04-15T11:33:00.000-04:002007-04-15T11:33:00.000-04:00The last time I went to a church for a serious pur...The last time I went to a church for a serious purpose was for a friend's wedding about 15 years ago. I spent most of my time sneaking antireligious tracts inside the bibles. Heh, heh...<BR/><BR/>The last time I was inside a church was last summer when I visited an old Greek church in Turkey to take pictures. I need to post those pictures up in my blog.AYDIN Ă–RSTANhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09891160904748206385noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14731145.post-39623372623149109402007-04-12T20:37:00.000-04:002007-04-12T20:37:00.000-04:00BSG: I never had any access to a gifted program. A...BSG: I never had any access to a gifted program. All the extra stuff I did was with the encouragement of my "regular" teachers, who were great. <BR/><BR/>In elementary school, they started experimenting with some "mainstream" advanced material, especially reading and writing. In 6th grade, they started tests for a tracking program, for better or worse. In most subjects, I tracked two grades ahead. A regional depression killed the program before I could graduate into it.<BR/><BR/>These days, my "extra credit" is my blog, gardening, photography, and involvement in my community.Chris Kreussling (Flatbush Gardener)https://www.blogger.com/profile/08467595231097695124noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14731145.post-91357135732135147982007-04-11T17:57:00.000-04:002007-04-11T17:57:00.000-04:00What a great post. I'm like the girl you knew in ...What a great post. I'm like the girl you knew in high school, too... for a long time, I admired those who refused and opted out of things in which they did not believe, but I wasn't quite brave enough to challenge the system myself. It was just a few years ago before I was brave enough to tell my parents that I did not go to church, but would occasionally (only if I so chose) when I visited them, out of respect. They are very Catholic but have been surprisingly understanding.<BR/><BR/>Interestingly, the whole "give those smart kids extra work to keep them occupied and out of trouble" idea was still in effect in gradeschools in the 1980s. I was in 2nd grade when I started visiting the gifted teacher for extra work (our gifted program didn't start until 5th grade) and I read all of our library's Newbury Award winners shortly thereafter. <BR/><BR/>With few exceptions, none of my teachers cared if I wrote stories or read books in class while they were teaching (as long as I hid the reading book inside the texbook so my fellow students wouldn't see.) I don't know that I would have wanted to go to an "elite" school, but I know that my public school didn't quite know what to do with me, either. :)Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14395380166485303934noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14731145.post-88395017600326260192007-04-09T23:38:00.000-04:002007-04-09T23:38:00.000-04:00Truffle: Welcome, and thanks for your comment. My ...Truffle: Welcome, and thanks for your comment. My partner is fine - more than fine - with my atheism. We've talked about this a lot, as you can imagine. I think our different approaches to spirituality enriches each of us, and strengthens our relationship.<BR/><BR/>Not to speak for him, but it's a relief for him to come home from work on Sunday and <I>not</I> have to talk church! Home is a safe place for him to unwind.<BR/><BR/>It also helps undermine others' tendencies to see me as "the pastor's wife." They're intrigued by our relationship. They might be surprised or shocked that I don't share their beliefs. Sometimes they get it, sometimes they don't, and that's okay, too.Chris Kreussling (Flatbush Gardener)https://www.blogger.com/profile/08467595231097695124noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14731145.post-22986290198128659122007-04-09T23:07:00.000-04:002007-04-09T23:07:00.000-04:00Very interesting account. I speak as someone who ...Very interesting account. I speak as someone who went to church as a kid but never liked it. I am not an atheist; I just don't believe that going to church is enough when it comes to being true to your faith.<BR/><BR/>BTW, how does your partner feel about you being an atheist.The Trufflehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16641173488798036738noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14731145.post-9474671981316726982007-04-09T13:20:00.000-04:002007-04-09T13:20:00.000-04:00Thanks for the comment, and support.You're like th...Thanks for the comment, and support.<BR/><BR/>You're like that high-school friend who one day didn't stand up [g].<BR/><BR/>I need to wrap this whole thing up, now that the blogswarm itself is over. I haven't yet written about hos this is all connected to my gardening, and this blog. One or two more posts on this topic, then I'm done with it for now.Chris Kreussling (Flatbush Gardener)https://www.blogger.com/profile/08467595231097695124noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14731145.post-91664821520045058892007-04-09T12:43:00.000-04:002007-04-09T12:43:00.000-04:00And another thing....why do some people recognize ...And another thing....why do some people recognize THEIR freedom to run everyone else's lives, but not our freedom to tell them to get lost?!lisahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/18133943147518051559noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14731145.post-7179555773141218842007-04-09T12:41:00.000-04:002007-04-09T12:41:00.000-04:00Thank you for these posts...provoking thought and ...Thank you for these posts...provoking thought and raising questions is always good. I had religious questions as a child also, and found many answers unsatisfactory as well. Fortunately for me, I was raised Methodist (a.k.a. "pleasant, non-threatening social club"), so my take was simply that the adults around me were stumped by divine mysteries too, and were just throwing lame answers at me cuz' I was just a kid. So I went on believing, but realized it would always be in my own way, since I saw all organized religion as a bad fit for me personally. Had I begun as a Catholic, I'd likely feel like you do...I'm way too stubborn for any of that "do-as-we-say-without-question" crap!lisahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/18133943147518051559noreply@blogger.com