Religion. That should get the email flying

The GF and I are of different religions. This can make any type of wedding planning difficult, especially if one, or both are very religious. I consider myself a relapsed Catholic and she is United.

Yesterday I had to go to a funeral at a United church. I have become more interested in the United Church, since I am sure she will not convert and I want our children to have some sort of religious upbringing (there is another fight).

So at this funeral, the priest (not sure what they call them), kept talking about the Great Spirit of Life. I kept thinking, "Is she talking about God or did I just walk into a animist cult?"

I had an english teacher in University who taught a course on the bible as literature. An excellent course, but this guy was a bit off. A few years before, he missed a few weeks of classes, went crazy and bought 7 luxury cars, none of which he could afford. This is what the head of the department told us anyway.

One day during this Bible as Literature course, we were talking about Christianity and different religions and he told us that his church had recently split from their main church. Someone wanted to put up a statue or something, he and about 10% of the congregation thought it was worshipping false idols, so they split. He was very matter-of-fact about it. I was a bit taken aback, since my religion burned people or excommunicated entire countries for such things.

United seems a bit too laid back and wound too tight. Not enough control if people can just split anytime they want, but a bit too worked up if they split over a statue. Principle is important, but it's not like the people were going to bow down before it or anything.

Which leads me back to the Great Spirit thing. I assumed she was talking about God, so why not say God? Is it no longer politically correct to call the omnipotent being in the sky that the vast majority of people on Earth believe in "God"? I did not hear the word God come from her mouth once.

A lot more people are marrying outside their religion in Canada than in the past.

The GF told me a good Catholic joke when we were talking about this:

Little Johnny was having trouble in a number of subjects, particularly math, so his mother decided to send him to Catholic school even though they were not Catholic. She thought the discipline might do him some good.

A month later Johnny got his first report card and his D's had become straight A's.

Surprised and delighted, Johnny's mother went to Little Johnny and asked, "Johnny, you did so much better at your new school. Why are your grades so much higher?

Little Johnny replied "They don't fool around there, Mom. Every day you walk through the front door and there is some guy, nailed to a plus sign!"