One of the reasons why I'm an atheist
I know this is not very well written but it has made me so angry that I have found it very difficult to write
Heard from a very dear old friend the other week, it's taken me this long to come to terms with what she told me, she moved to America with her husband many years ago and every year or so we write to update each other on how our lives are progressing.
In her last letter Grace told me she had cancer and was waiting for the result of the diagnosis. Then I got an email, very unusual as she always liked to write, it was from Phil her husband and this is where the horrid part begins.
Grace had just received a letter from her daughter in law saying that they, her and their son, didn't want her to see them or the grandchildren as their pastor, they belong to one of those cranky community religions, had told them that only evil people get cancer and that to stay pure they should have no contact.
This community is one of those that requires its followers to give its wealth and property to the church, something Grace and Phil refused to do when they were invited to join, and to have as little contact as possible with outsiders.
Both Grace and Phil have pleaded but to no avail, all this has not helped Grace with her illness only making her feel that perhaps this is all her fault. How cruel that when she most needs their support they turn away.
Fortunately they have another son who lives up in Canada who when he heard immediately traveled down to be with them and has now persuaded them to move up with him and his family.
Fortunately Grace's cancer is of the manageable type and Phil's Co insurance has agreed to their cover in Canada, think drugs are cheaper there, so although they have regrets that are going to move. When they told the son and daughter in law all they said was that they would pray for them but if they wanted to write to the grandchildren could they do it by email as they would have to vet it before letting them read it. Now how callus is that.
Waiting to here when they move also been trying to find out more about this so called Christian sect but understandably Phil and Grace don't want to talk about it.
Think it's a sad and horrible thing to happen at any time but when you reach our age and it happens its got to be so much harder
