When I was young I went to bible classes that my public grammar school offered...

[frogmarch]

23. I think it's okay.

In the mid-70s we lived in western south Dakota and all three of our kids were in grade school. Even though my husband and I were atheists, our kids wanted to take part in the United Churches bible study hour called Release Time with their friends, and we thought it might be good for them to see what religion was all about. They found it weird and funny.

After school one day, our 8-year-old daughter Holly told us that at RT that afternoon, her brother Jay, who was 10 at the time, let a huge fart while the pastor was delivering the lord’s prayer and that all the kids (except for Holly, who said Jay was gross and she was embarrassed) burst out laughing. The pastor held up his hand to silence them, and when it was quiet, he looked at Jay and said, “Son, that is not what Release Time means.” The kids burst out laughing again. The pastor, while trying to keep a straight face himself, held up his hand to quiet them, but they kept laughing, so he just spoke louder and continued on with the prayer.

My kids are in their forties now, and they’re all atheists. Well, the youngest one, still a big Star Wars fan, says he kind of likes the idea of The Force.