Thursday
Nov132008
A Fun Fact About Faiqa
Thursday, November 13, 2008 at 12:05AM
From pre-K until the 5th grade, I went to a very strict Baptist school.
I always forget to ask my parents what the heck they were thinking enrolling their child there. I suppose they figured that Islam can be puritanical and so can Baptists, so common ground might exist? Knowing them, though, it was probably because it was the closest private school to their office.
Anyway, as a result of studying in that school, I'm very familiar with the Bible. My favorite chapter is the book of Psalms, in case you're wondering. In the long run, I think attending the school affected me quite positively. Plus, when I got to public school, I was waaaaay ahead of everyone else in reading. I'm pretty sure reading and memorizing the King James Bible as a five year old is the reason.
I was also extremely shocked to learn when I transferred to public school that not everyone referred to the period of human history predating 100 A.D.* as "back in bible times."
*Yeah, I know, the "PC" term is C.E., feel free to blame the lack of usage on my "Baptist upbringing".
I always forget to ask my parents what the heck they were thinking enrolling their child there. I suppose they figured that Islam can be puritanical and so can Baptists, so common ground might exist? Knowing them, though, it was probably because it was the closest private school to their office.
Anyway, as a result of studying in that school, I'm very familiar with the Bible. My favorite chapter is the book of Psalms, in case you're wondering. In the long run, I think attending the school affected me quite positively. Plus, when I got to public school, I was waaaaay ahead of everyone else in reading. I'm pretty sure reading and memorizing the King James Bible as a five year old is the reason.
I was also extremely shocked to learn when I transferred to public school that not everyone referred to the period of human history predating 100 A.D.* as "back in bible times."
*Yeah, I know, the "PC" term is C.E., feel free to blame the lack of usage on my "Baptist upbringing".
Reader Comments (15)
It might be PC but does anyone really use CE?
I don't think I've heard of C.E. I still use B.C.
And CE is what, exactly?
C.E. means "Common Era", "Christian Era" or less popular "Current Era." The term B.C.E. generally means "Before Christian Era" or "Before Common Era."
These terms have become the standard in writing and speech pertaining to history. Because BC means Before Christ and AD In the Year of Our Lord, many ethnic historians (and non-ethnic) felt that these terms accord a certain amount of privilege to the Christian religion in terms of history, or more accurately reflect the privilege that has been accorded to the Christianity in the construction of history. CE and BCE can be viewed as a step to secularize history.
I don't think I've read any credible works of scholarly history published after 2000 that use the term B.C. or A.D. But, I, in daily conversation (and obviously on my blog) use them all the time. I figure, hey, history has a lot more biases in it than these two or three little words.
Oh you brought back memories of my Vacation Bible School days - and in a Baptist church, too!
I also had to memorize many Bible passages, and sing songs, and eat cookies and drink juice.
Not bad when you're an angel like I was. Haha!
That does surprise me about you, though - but I think it just makes you more well rounded, in general.
What would your parents have done if you'd decided to convert?!
How weird is it that I HAVE heard "BCE" as in Before Common Era?
What the hell do they mean by "common" era anyway? If you're a Jew it's an entirely different year. I imagine it's the same on the Islamic calendar, no?
I went to Catholic School from grades 5-8 and I tell you what...I learned more there than I ever did in High School. We weren't Catholic either but apparently, the school was just that good!
@Sybil Law: "What would you do if you told them you decided to convert?" Well, now you know why I was pulled out in the fifth grade. :)
@Miss Britt: Given how intelligent you are, not weird at all.
@Finn: Yes, the Islamic calendar is different. I never really thought about the fact that the term "common era" is just as "biased" as "In the Year of Our Lord." It sort of does suggest that anyone who does not ascribe to this calendar is "uncommon." Hmm.
@ Hilly: Yeah, academic standards for Cath schools have been established in Rome, if I heard correctly? My parents have mentioned on several occasions that Catholic schools were considered very, very good in India and Pakistan. Annnd, now I have another theory to add to the reasons why they may have sent me to a Baptists school. Maybe they didn't know the diff. I really need to ask them about this.
Yeah, BCE is more commonly accepted by the population in general, but it's funny how rarely you hear it. Never would have pegged you for a Baptist. I mean, you drink and dance, don't you?
@Karl: You know I'm *not* Baptist, right? I'm Muslim. Therein lies the irony of me attending a Baptist school
I know, we talked about that at the party. I was teasing. ;)
Well. SHHHYEAH. I knew that. :P
I was enrolled in this hell-hole pentecostal christian school when I was in the 5th grade. Funny considering it was really my first exposure to religion as a whole.
My father was a defaulted southern baptist, my mother was a divorced, fallen catholic.
Religion was never discussed in our house.
So to have my first experience with it be the "you're going to burn in hell" type of experience, it's no wonder I balk at any and all "religion."
(Though I do embrace spirituality, which I view as a completely different beast.)
@ShredderFeeder: I dig being spiritual over religious. I'd rather be the type of person who considers herself a good person because she's thought about what it means to be good than think I'm a good person because I do what I'm told.