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Religious "Duties"

"To the adults, going outside to a real church was like stepping back into the good old days when there were churches all over the place and too many lights and gasoline was for fueling cars and trucks instead of for torching things...

To us kids––most of us––the trip was just an adventure, an excuse to go outside the wall. We would be baptized out of duty or as a kind of insurance..."

This quote sets the scene for the futuristic yet dystopian society in Parable of the Sower. It also highlights the generational divide of this society, as the majority of the youth don't follow traditional religions. The narration about being baptized as a duty is something I can relate to. Before I was around the age of 13, I viewed the visits to the Mosque as something my parents made me do and never really thought about the religion I was "practicing."

Comments

  1. I wonder if that's most people's experiences as children with religion. It's just something you do because your family and other people around you do it. Maybe it takes time for people to really think about their practices? Lauren certain does -- and decides to create her own beliefs, to the point of creating an entire religion!

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