A wandering mind.

Being retired and not having any daily obligations provides the mind with a great deal of free time.  During one of my mental wanderings I began to think about my upbringing as a young Catholic in the forties.  In those days we spent a lot of time at the church being taught by the nuns stationed there at that time.  It has been said that faith is what holds our religion together.  I say it was FEAR.  Those nuns used to give us nightmares.  Teaching example:  We were told that if we did not adhere to the rigid fasting requirements our tongues would turn black and probably fall off if we dared take communion during this non-fasted period. 

We were also told that since eating meat of Friday resulted in a MORTAL SIN, if we should happen to die after breaking this commandment and not going to confession we were damned to the eternal fires of hell.  Tell me these things wouldn’t warp the little minds taught by these “evil” nuns.  It was wrong obviously, but we certainly learned to behave ourselves and follow the rules.  We know that a few good Catholics ate a nice steak by “mistake” and probably ended up dying before getting the required absolution.  They are doomed in hell for eternity, but wait, since that time we’ve been told that it’s ok to eat meat on Friday instead of suffering with baked stuffed lobsters and grilled scallops wrapped in bacon….oops I digress.  Anyway, what do we do with all those banished souls who had that Friday Chili dog?

This type of conundrum begets other similar situations.  For most on my life the growing, sale or use of Marijuana, was not only frowned upon but illegal and punishable by periods of prison time if caught.  For decades millions of our hard earned tax dollars were spent in attempts to apprehend those violating laws against marijuana usage.  Besides the few states where recreational marijuana I saw that many others are considering making it legal. What sort of answers do you have for the people currently serving time for what now is a legal act.

One of the biggest hypocrisy I can think of is our lottery programs.  Are any of you old enough to remember the numbers game that existed years ago?  I don’t remember all the details myself, but I think you were able to buy a small folded paper ticket that had a number which hopefully matched the daily U.S.Treasury balance (I think).  I believe the cost was 25 cents.  Now this was the “NUMBERS GAME” and people selling the numbers could be arrested. Today almost every State is running a numbers game legally, with millions of dollars at stake.

Well, I think my mind has wandered enough to day……till the next time, Bill