Someone on the ModPo facebook group asked me 'what is your religion?' I have written my reply taking from the 23rd until today. I'm quite surprised that I was able to do it, I thought I'd give up and rely on a one word answer. This is the sort of thing which comes up in our poetry discussions.
To come back to my religion...I was brought up Catholic in London, but went to a Church of England secondary school. I think this was a deliberate choice by my mother. I moved to the Church of England while at university and living abroad, a common thing. Then quickly decided the evangelical approach didn't respect individuals, just regarded them as targets for conversion. Eventually moved to the Quakers and hold on to my disagreements with the word God, and all other dogma. Silence and speaking from people's actual views is all I can tolerate now! So I'm probably not Christian any more, but it's the only religion I have reactions to and a familiarity with. I love the music, hymns, psalms and chants, Christmas carols and Handel's Messiah etc, so can't get away from it. When I visit my parents I sit with them and say all the words, get covered with incense, take communion and do a good impression of being a believer! And I get to hold onto my mother's arm which is lovely
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