Sam Harris

Lovely and well written; thanks Susan.  It may be a hormonal thing but it is most certainly a pleasure.  I think that by the time we women are into our breeding years, we have experienced the great disappointment of falling madly in love with the wrong guy.  I know I went through enormous disappointments with my choice of lovers. 

Maybe it was the society that I “hung out” with; Calfifornia beach bums and then the Hollywood crowd.  When I finally found a man who I felt was over and above the shallow grade of men, I put my eggs literally in his basket and prepared to make this a life commitment.  He had been the son of a Baptist Minister and had all the programming set in cement that women are their property and when I had 2 girls, I knew it was over.  He brought a son from a former marriage but he ignored the boy and simply handed him to my care.  I loved it!  I got custody of him in our divorce.

Our family team soon ignored Daddy Bear and in a few years he wandered off with his secretary.  I knew that he would not be the father image I had in mind and I protected my cubs from the old fart.  I was so disappointed that I knew that I would never marry again.  I dated but never seriously and have stayed single all this time.  The kids survived and ended up stronger in character than had my husband stuck around.  He married his secretary and had another girl baby who is in and out of drugs and a total failure.  The old man is on wife number 5 and I consider myself damned lucky to be rid of him. 

I truly believe that his early childhood programming under a Baptist God is what ruined his life.  His total disrespect for women caused his first wife to killl herself and another one to overdose with drugs.  The longer I live, I see the harm that a hateful God inflicts on people.  If Jesus started out as a loving son of God, his followers have destroyed the whole silly story.

Sandy, you’ve crystalized one very personal realization about how it is exactly that ancient instruction that’s been set in stone, so to speak, can unravel much of what has been learned in modern times. Many more examples of deflated mental health could be explained as being directly related to superstitious adherence to ancient instruction.

Unfortunately, popular opinion has it that Biblical teachings are “good.” I look to the day when overly general morality words such as “good” and “evil” are frowned upon, but that’s another story. For now, I’d be satisfied to see more people speaking and writing about how ancient instruction destroys modern life.

Thank you for your comments.  My problem is that I am old enough to look back at the utter stupidity of my own actions.  Hopefully I passed on some of what I learned to my kids (and grandkids) 

We have an added handicap facing the next generations and that it the impact television has on our brain programming.  We also have the added name calling of our politicos running for office. 

I remember trying to change the vocalulary that my children used on a daily basis.  I even shuddered when one of the dogs wet the floor and one of my darlings yelled out “BAD DOG.”  9 times out of 10 my lazy darlings didn’t get off their asses fast enough to open the door. 

I used to tell my kids they were not bad or good but ignorant and stupid not to figure out what was hurtful or damanging to others.  We would end up laughing about this kind of thing but they soon got the message.  Once in a blue moon their father would visit with his newest off spring.  He would start by yelling at her and end up putting her in the car for her rudeness.  I pointed out after a horrible day with him that if he bothered to set the rules before visiting, he might even enjoy seeing the kids together.

After one such visit, his daughter got out of the car and stamped on a baby chick killing it.  At that point I threw him out and told him to review the house policy of respecting all living things, even our chicks.  “It was only a chicken”  Sheeee-it!  We didn’t see him again for 10 years.  Human beings never fail to stupefy me.  Christian humans are a complete enigma.