My First UFOs 21I warmed to the subject, which gave me a chance to
vent my feelings. "When I lived with my fa ther I had to
attend a school run by priests and nuns ... some places it
meant parochial school or no school at all. There are
some countries in this world where the whole national
education program is in the hands of the Vatican. I guess
now you can understand why I'm so fed up with
religion."
"Splendid !" she cheered.
Her response surprised me. "What do you mean by
that? I don't consider what I've gone through 'splen
did.'"
"Don't be angry," she said. "You seem like a bright
fellow. You must be the type of person who understands
things that can be reasoned at a logical level, right?"
"You're darned right," I said indignantly. "But coming
from a world where everything is a rat race, including
religion, both faith and spiritualism are out. Commer
cialism is in. The almighty buck is the general creed, and
the most powerful god. Religion is sold on the streets
and in the news media-Times Square in New York,
Hollywood Boulevard, in Los Angeles, North Beach in
San Francisco, Via Veneto in Rome, Picadilly and Oxford
Circus in London, Tivoli Gardens in Copenhagen, Brus
sels, Pa ris, Amsterdam, and in any downtown any
where, you find them: Your Krishnas singing and
dancing, Jehovah's Witnesses, Salvation Armies, mis
sionaries, preachers and you Jesus freaks selling Jesus as
if He were a piece of meat. Handing out, selling, hustling
litera ture, telling people doomsday is near. And always
asking for a handout.
I've traveled all over this blasted world, and I find them
no matter where I go. And each step of the way I feel like
saying, 'get out of my way."'
"I think you're right," she said coolly. "But ta ke it easy;
don't get so excited. You're supposed to be resting here,
right?"