Legal Quandary

Thursday, June 02, 2005

Going to Hell For Sure

*Warning* Disjointed, rambling post ahead.

I took my sister-in-law to the airport this morning. On our way to Starbucks before the drop off, we passed a truly hideous house. Painted flamingo pink with a red metal roof. I asked SIL what kind of drugs she thought the owners were on that the house didn't make their eyeballs bleed every time they pulled into the driveway. This led to a discussion of some of the other truly bizarre houses in the city, and to E.Spat's comment about the "Hippies. Oh God. The Hippies."

We laughed and I mentioned that I have a neighbor who corrects me every time I say "Oh My God!" with "You mean Gosh." See, no, I don't. Before I moved here, I never - not even once - had anyone correct me on that. Also, growing up as the child of an Atheist, it just wasn't a big deal.

As I told SIL, my dad's signature phrase was "Jesus H. Christ!" (Alternately, "Christ on a Crutch!") Not that I go around saying that, would teach my kids, or think that it's appropriate for "a nice Catholic lady" to say.

But I have to admit, I still always wonder what the "H" stands for.

Comments:

H = Holy?

# posted by

Fitz-Hume : 5:40 PM

Horace?

# posted by

ES : 7:10 PM

I am inclined to believe it stands for "Hell," as in, where I'm going.

# posted by

Legal Quandary : 7:13 PM

I am an ex-fundamentalist, and am raising my children as ... agnostics? I'm trying to raise them in such a way that they question things, that they not accept opinion for fact, and that no matter who says something, they double check, and do their own investigations (and I clearly state that this includes *me*!!).

In the meantime, my parents are still rabid fundamentalists.

And I still can't help but to wince, despite my frothing bitterness toward their religiosity (and the havoc it has wrecked upon my life), everytime my daughters say "oh my god!" in their presence!!

(FYI my daughters are 7 and 8).

# posted by

Zuska : 8:54 PM

No one in my parent's home, including me when I'm there, DARES utter the phrase "Oh my god" or any derivative thereof. No freaking way. My dad would still wash my mouth out.

# posted by

ES : 9:38 PM

Herbert.

"Oh my God" was always fine in our house, but "Shut up" will get your mouth washed out.

# posted by

CM : 11:01 PM

Yes, the "H" stands for "Holy," as any good Catholic should know (sigh....).

A special note to Zuska: Bravo to you! Any belief system that cannot stand scrutiny isn't worthy of the effort it takes to maintain belief.

LePensure
[recovering Catholic, sometimes Agnostic, and mostly agnostic]

# posted by

Anonymous : 9:04 AM

I meant "sometimes atheist."

Pensure

# posted by

Anonymous : 9:15 AM

LP -

As I think I've mentioned, I wasn't raised a Catholic, but converted.

The Church that conducted my RCIA class didn't offer a course in Remedial Blasphemy.

# posted by

Legal Quandary : 10:12 PM

There was a department head at one of my schools whose initials were H.H.H. and the middle H stood for Hartman. And he would go by the full 3-H name. So I always figured the "H" in Jesus H. Christ was probably something akin to Hartman. Try it. It sounds nice, right? We use it um, just enough to justify sending us to hell. Especially because we laugh about it every time we say Jesus Hartman Christ.

# posted by

E. McPan : 9:54 PM

LOL! *MY* dad's signature phrase (and he was a "devout" Catholic) was also Jesus H. Christ -- with appropriate emphasis on the "H". I don't think it stands for hell though -- only because I refuse to believe in hell.

# posted by

DeniseUMLaw : 10:26 AM

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Thursday, June 02, 2005

Going to Hell For Sure