I was suddenly reminded of something I had forgot. I had a teacher I wanted to forget. Mrs. Predham taught history I think in 7th grade. She said in class that
I asked to go to the principal’s office. She asked me why. I said
She got upset and told me
I walked out immediately. I would like to say the class got up and followed me or at least clapped, but only one friend clapped. (If I was to write this as a movie they would of course all follow me out)
I went directly to the Principals office, told the secretary I just walked out of my class because the teacher was crazy. I only had to wait about 5 minutes.
He let me tell my story. Admonished me for walking out of the class and said he needed to talk to my parents but he would confirm my story. I had to wait in the office until the next class.
At the end of the day, I was called back to the office and the Principal said he was approving my class switch as he confirmed my story, directly from Mrs. Predham.
I was happier and she was gone at the end of the year. (Yea! no tenure yet)
It had been around in one form or another since the sixties, but it peaked in popularity in the late seventies. I had a copy myself, given to me in all earnestness by a nice neighbor lady who sincerely desired to save me from everlasting damnation.
I went to a Christian high school, so I heard much the same dogma.
They told us stories (and mind you, this was after the fall of Communism) about school children being lined up and forced to spit on the Bible, shot if they refused. They said that if you admitted to religious faith, you and your entire family would be thrown into prison and tortured until you abjured. Even as a teenager, I remember marvelling that the Communist leaders had nothing better to do.
They taught us that Communism’s sole goal was to eradicate belief in Jesus, and was designed directly by Satan for that purpose. Nothing to do with economics-- just an Anti-Christian stance.