The Weight of Sin on Young Shoulders
Healing from the wounds of childhood religious indoctrination
The only time I ever wore ladies’ pantyhose was in church
Now, you may be the kind of man who likes wearing pantihose, and if that’s the case, all power to you. As for me, when I was eight years old, the idea of wearing anything remotely resembling pantyhose was about as appealing as a trip to the dentist
But there I was, cast as “jealousy” in a church play about sin performed by the Sunday School. The drama pitted the Fruit of the Spirit (love, joy, peace etc.) against the seven deadly sins — things like jealousy, malice and pride — in an epic fight to the death for the souls of mankind. I don’t remember auditioning to play the part of jealousy, but I was clearly an unsuitable child to be playing self-control, goodness, gentleness, or any of the other more desirable roles.
And so, jealousy it was.
The Sunday school teacher decided that the best way to depict jealousy was by decking me out head-to-toe in bright green, including a pair of stockings that could rival the Emerald City itself. That is how I ended up strutting my stuff in ladies’ hosiery in front of a congregation of largely appreciative adults.
