Letters From Leavers

          My mom married my dad who had been divorced. The catholic church at that time did not recognise divorce[I don’t know if this has changed] so they felt that my mom was getting married to a married man. They then excomunicated my mom thus condemming her to the fires of hell for eternity. This was in Omaha Nebraska a republican religious state.

     As I got older I begged my mom to divorce my dad to save herself. My mom told me that the priest told her that if my dads first wife dies before my mom dies that my dad would no longer be married and that the church could than bless the marriage and save my mom from the fires of hell. So my moms future depended on my dads first wife dying befor my mom.

         My mom never gave up hope and continued to go to mass and give money every Sunday. I always thought the whole scenario was a little odd but I was told that god works in strange ways.

         I was in a catholic school going to mass 6 days a week. I had been brain washed to believe anything I was told about god.

         Good news! my dads first wife died!My mom was able to get the marriage blessed thus saving her from eternal damnation in the fires of hell. I was relieved ,my mom was over joyed.

        I continued to go to church until I took a humanities course in college. After that I started thinking how the catholic rules didn’t make any sense. Why would my mom’s fate depend on the death of someone.

         That was the last time I ever set foot in a church. My mom continued to try to get me back into the fold but it was no use. My mom had an 8th grade education and she just didn’t know any better.