My Faithful HERITAGE (Part 1)

by Daniel Banks

May 20th, 2005 - Ten years ago today I graduated from can what only be described as an institution for the control and manipulation of the simple mind, an independent fundamentalist Baptist Christian school. I do not have said simple mind and therefore constantly struggled to be accepted. And this is a brief look into that struggle. I am now 28 and still deal with the psychological damage that growing up in such an environment caused.

My parents were Baptist and raised my brothers and I the same. It was the letter of the law that prevailed in our household. Do what you're told when you're told. So went life. Not yet having the ability to choose my way, I was put into a Christian school in Philadelphia at a very young age where I quickly learned the "secret to eternal life" -- I became born again at age 7 (I had no idea what that meant but it was strongly recommended I do so -- so I did).

Not soon after, we moved to a small town in Wisconsin, where I can say my story starts to take its shape. It's funny looking back today -- my birthday and 10 year anniversary of my graduation -- to see where things went from there. I spent my 2nd, 3rd, and 4th grade years at this school and learned what Christian love really meant. It became clear that in this cult-like atmosphere, the accepted could do no wrong and the new kids who had yet to prove their spiritual worth were automatically dismissed. And so it was, not only with me but also with my family -- which prompted another move -- this time back east to Connecticut.

It's at this point where my parents decide to send me another route and put me into the public school system. Well, needless to say, I was not equipped to deal with this new environment and half-way into the year broke my kneecap while running from a bully and transferred back into the "safety" of a Christian school environment where I had the distinct privilege -- now I would call nightmare -- of being taught by a Mr. Stine.

Now let me pause here for a brief moment and give you a full picture of this school -- it was attached to a church and was run by the church's pastor who shortly after my graduation came forward with a confession that he had been cheating on his wife the entire time I was a student there. This was but one of several sexual scandals that occurred among the elite of this church-school system. Okay now back to my story.

He was an overweight individual who I believe had a general distaste for children and showed that on a number of occasions -- and unfortunately became the father of three. One such occasion happened in my first couple of weeks when I was left upstairs alone in the classroom while all of the kids went down to lunch. I was a 5th grader with a broken kneecap and I had a full leg brace on that did allow for easy maneuvering. I was pushed down and quite honestly could not get up -- instead of assisting me -- I was left alone and this would not be the last time that such an event would occur.

I could cite numerous examples of neglect and abuse -- all within my first six months at this school -- but still I stayed. It did not get much better the next year. On one particular occasion, I was put into a walk-in closet where I was not allowed to leave for the better portion of three hours. This, however, was not considered unusual punishment. Now mind you -- I was not yet a teenager and truthfully may have only needed a little extra attention. Not the case -- instead -- ignored and put away.

Flash forward one year when after surviving numerous gang wedgies from (now my soccer coach Mr. Stine and my "teammates") I finally lost my temper and told a teacher off -- who at the time was manhandling me. This event got me expelled. I did not hit the teacher, I did not swear at the teacher, I told him to leave me alone and pushed him away from me. I went back into the public school system where again had difficulty adjusting and by the time I was ready to hit high school my parents and I decided that the best move would be to go back to the Christian school. Perhaps the turning point decision of my life!