Isolated

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If you've read my "About Me" page, I mention that sometimes my posts are about being Catholic in the South.  You may not think that being a Catholic in the South would be isolating, but it certainly can be.  Especially when you're one of a very few Catholics in your class, much less the whole school.
The Baptist Church is the largest church in the Small Town.  Most of my classmates that I ran around with went to that church.  It was really hard around Revival Time...they would come to school all fired up.  I remember being invited once, and, when I asked my mom about going, she said no.  Then she followed that with, "If you ever do go, when they call people to the front, don't go."  They would huddle together, quizzing each other on Bible verses.  Me?  I had my Baltimore Catechism, but I never took it to school.
We were the strange, don't eat meat on Fridays during Lent people.  I don't remember anybody asking me about my religion, or why we do some things that we do.  It was almost like they thought they were better than us; it was almost prideful.   Maybe they just didn't care.  Of course,  I didn't ask them either, but they didn't seem to have the traditions that Catholics have...except for the revivals.  Oh, and the Singing Christmas Tree.
When you're growing up, you want to fit in.  You don't want to be isolated; you want to belong.  To this day, if I find out someone is a Catholic, it's like there's an instant bond.  It's kind of a "Let's stick together" kind of thing.
When I was in college, I went to a Christian Concert.  Toward the end, a survey was sent around, and one of the questions was if I felt something positive during the concert.  I said yes, and the next week I get something congratulating me for getting saved!  Talk about being confused!!!  Nowhere on the survey was there anything about being "saved".  (Catholics believe that being saved is a life-long process...there's not just one instance that will "save" you.)
One of the Christian Groups at school invited friends to meetings, but not me.  They pretty much left the Catholics alone.  I guess they didn't realize that we are Christians, too!  More isolation.
Getting back to my growing up years:  I don't know if the Presbyterians or Methodists felt the isolation that I did.  It would be interesting to know!

7 comments:

  1. I grew up Catholic in a town of 15,000 and we had TWO Catholic churches. Guess you can figure out we lived up north.

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  2. How difficult for you! I appreciated your candor and honesty in this post and I pray that those who read it, those who are not Catholic, will realize being christian means not condemning someone to hell just because they are not Protestant. I always found that so unchristian about Protestants.

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  3. Interesting post. Thank you for sharing it with us.

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  4. I never really thought about it, but that is kinda how I felt. I was Baptist surrounded by Catholics & Lutherans. I grew up outside of Chicago. I felt like I was the outcast and that they thought they were better than me. I remember some of them laughed and told me I was going to hell because I was not christened as a baby. I think it just depends where you grew up. The name on the door don't get you to Heaven. Enjoyed your post!
    until next time...nel

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  5. I'm the only Mormon in my husband's family! Very isolating indeed! Chin up! And be proud of who you are...cherish it! Enjoy the rest of A-Z!


    http://diamondvilleclarksdennisroberta.blogspot.com

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  6. I grew up going to Catholic School and in a big city so around a lot of Catholics but when I went to college,in my home town, it was funny to experience other religions. I was always surrounded by Catholics,for the most part. I mean, of course I learned about other religions but I never had others ask me so many questions or even ridicule me so much until college. I found many Protestants really have issues with our belief about communion and Mary, I get it,they are hard concepts,even Catholics struggle with those mysteries but wow, they were really vocal and some were even cruel with their remarks,jokes and downright sarcasm. (Of course I don't believe all Protestants are so cruel) I just was so shocked because of my internal belief. I believe in understanding and tolerance I wouldn't even dream of making fun of a person's religion.
    Goodness, I rambled, so sorry Lucy from http://chontalikirk.blogspot.com/

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  7. In the mid 1950's, our entire neighborhood went to the same Southern Baptist Church except for Clara. Her family traveled to the next town to go to the Catholic Church. We played together everyday as did the rest of the kids. We didn't see her on Sunday or any of the other church functions during the week. I don't any of us thought it was odd. I don't think she did either. It's just the way it was. We didn't talk church, we talked about sliding down cardboard hill. We played house using our younger siblings as the babies. Religion was never a concern. I don't remember it ever being discussed until our area grew and strangers from the outside started moving into our isolated neighborhood. Revival time might have been different but I remember wishing church was over so we could get home to play in the streets.

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