The teenage anti-rebel.
As a spotty yoof, I was something of an intellectual rebel (and a master of self-delusion).

I went to a Church of England college. We had the dreaded Religious Education lessons.

They went to great lengths to provide a balanced view of the world's religions with trips to Christian Churches, visits from CofE vicars, free copies of the bible, Christian Youth Group workshops and a whole host of other education, interactive experiences from all the world's religions. As long as they were about our saviour, Jebus.

I was rather narked off by this. I'd already stuck my flag into Mount Atheist. I've got progressive, ex-hippie parents who were right behind any intellectual debate.

So, I began to steer any topic, visit or activity about Christian faith to any other.


'Miss, why can't we go to a Synagogue?'

'Oh, er, there isn't one near enough.'

'There's one closer than the church we went to last month.'

'Umm.'

And so it went on.

Then they had a quiet word with my parents about my 'disruptive behavior'.

After which they gave me a book about Buddhism to take into the next class and tell everyone about.

And so went the next two years of polite, gentle and, ultimately, nonpunishable rebellion.

I think they were relieved when I finished my GCSEs.
(Miraclefish How appropriate, you fight like a cow, Thu 11 Dec 2008, 19:08, Reply)