Religion

2naSalit

(103,287 posts)

40. It's the first poem I memorized

Sat Jan 19, 2013, 04:16 PM

Jan 2013

But my mother and grandmother both made me kneel at my bedside and recite it as a bedtime prayer... this was begun in the 1950s. My perception of it included death because death was acknowledged as a part of the life cycle, though looked upon with fear. When I asked them about it they told me that reciting it before bedtime was making a conscious plea to god to take care of me because as I slept, in their reckoning, I was unable to ask for salvation at the moment of death and this protected me either way. I was never haunted by the death aspect because I had little exposure to death first hand though I was aware that it happened regularly and was going to happen to everyone eventually.

It doesn't have a negative influence on me except that it's based on a christian philosophy as it is perceived today, which is something I don't subscribe to.

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Now I lay me down to sleep... [View all] MineralMan Jan 2013 OP

I remember that one, too. The Velveteen Ocelot Jan 2013 #1

It is creepy, isn't it? MineralMan Jan 2013 #2

I said that prayer as a child for years, and never had any depressing worries about not waking up. northoftheborder Jan 2013 #3

"There are four angels on my bed, there are four angels on my spread, Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John, monmouth3 Jan 2013 #68

I never found it disturbing in the least, quite the contrary. cbayer Jan 2013 #4

OK. That was your experience. MineralMan Jan 2013 #5

That was my point - we had different experiences. cbayer Jan 2013 #7

Well, clearly there is something different in our MineralMan Jan 2013 #14

She sounds like what I recall of my great-grandmother. cbayer Jan 2013 #17

my maternal grandmother and mother both were full of woe. Voice for Peace Jan 2013 #62

I think imagination is essential to a healthy childhood. GeorgeGist Jan 2013 #32

I certainly agree with that. I'm just not sure that the level of imagination that a child cbayer Jan 2013 #38

Funny it's supposed to be comforting... Kalidurga Jan 2013 #6

Yes, and apparently that was true for some people. MineralMan Jan 2013 #8

I think you are onto something. Kalidurga Jan 2013 #11

Horse patooties. cbayer Jan 2013 #15

You are again speaking beyond your competence, I think. MineralMan Jan 2013 #20

Yes, my competence is very, very low. cbayer Jan 2013 #21

Nah, it just has to do with how it is presented and explained to you as a child. cbayer Jan 2013 #12

You know, I don't think you are competent to tell me why I reacted in the way I did. MineralMan Jan 2013 #16

*kiss* cbayer Jan 2013 #19

I have no wish to kiss you. Please don't be so familiar. MineralMan Jan 2013 #22

Okey, dokey. I will leave the speculating on why others reacted they way they did cbayer Jan 2013 #28

How about ... DreamGypsy Jan 2013 #9

Now, that's not frightening. MineralMan Jan 2013 #10

Found this one as well, lol cbayer Jan 2013 #13

The earliest version of that was wriiten three hundred years ago. rug Jan 2013 #18

Yes, I'm aware of that. I use Wikipedia, too. MineralMan Jan 2013 #23

It's a strange mindset that calls it "death-oriented religious poetry". rug Jan 2013 #24

I'm familiar with Ring Around the Rosie, as well. MineralMan Jan 2013 #25

A votre service. rug Jan 2013 #26

Wiki says: "Urban legend says the song originally described the plague, but folklorists reject this" muriel_volestrangler Jan 2013 #69

Snopes agrees with wiki. rug Jan 2013 #71

No; the entire point of the rhyme is (a) you might die at any moment muriel_volestrangler Jan 2013 #72

That's utter rubbish. rug Jan 2013 #74

OK, we'll remove the bits about God keeping them alive or taking them to heaven muriel_volestrangler Jan 2013 #75

That is from your wiki. rug Jan 2013 #77

What - one local interpretation? muriel_volestrangler Jan 2013 #79

The original doesn't state where the hill was. rug Jan 2013 #80

So, nothing about 'death' in the version you learnt, either muriel_volestrangler Jan 2013 #82

I daresay breaking one's crown results in death. rug Jan 2013 #84

Nor is it today.... Bluenorthwest Jan 2013 #27

Absolutely correct. rug Jan 2013 #29

I think it has performed a sometimes valuable function in allowing cbayer Jan 2013 #30

I agree. It's naive to think children are unaware of death. rug Jan 2013 #31

So, it's OK to tell them it's God's will whether they live or die MineralMan Jan 2013 #35

The religious part of the poem is about love and mercy, not death by whim. rug Jan 2013 #46

'Mercy'? You want the child to think God is being extra kind by keeping them alive? muriel_volestrangler Jan 2013 #70

Don't put your twisted interpretation under my name. rug Jan 2013 #73

You're the one who brought up God's "mercy" for a rhyme about God keeping you alive muriel_volestrangler Jan 2013 #76

It's not about Godd keeping anyone alive - or killing anyone. rug Jan 2013 #78

Here are the bits about keeping the child alive: muriel_volestrangler Jan 2013 #81

Lol, really, are you now trying to use nursery rhymes to support your ant-theism? rug Jan 2013 #83

If you could trust him, there'd be no need to pray to stay alive every day and night muriel_volestrangler Jan 2013 #86

Do you really think this verse is a plea to stay alive? rug Jan 2013 #87

Yes, it self-evidently is muriel_volestrangler Jan 2013 #88

Hardly,. You know, this nursery rhyme seems to have a tighter grip on reality, rug Jan 2013 #89

And the rhyme explicitly says it's only God that stops death, every night (nt) muriel_volestrangler Jan 2013 #90

Well, then, it must truly be an evil entity. rug Jan 2013 #91

My Catholic childhood prayer was... murray hill farm Jan 2013 #85

Perfect opportunity ... GeorgeGist Jan 2013 #33

Perhaps, but that trust can be challenged by things like an unexpected cbayer Jan 2013 #36

Whatever do the children of non-believers do? MineralMan Jan 2013 #41

Of course they survive just fine. Their parents offer an alternative explanation, cbayer Jan 2013 #45

That's why my parents got me a pair of guinea pigs MineralMan Jan 2013 #48

That's great. Different parents do different things to teach their children, and, cbayer Jan 2013 #53

Not all parents transmit myths. MineralMan Jan 2013 #56

As soon as you were able to understand being the key. cbayer Jan 2013 #57

Children seem to survive the death of their toddler myths, I think. MineralMan Jan 2013 #59

Still sad to be the bearer of bad news, imo. cbayer Jan 2013 #61

My parents took an interesting position on religious education. MineralMan Jan 2013 #54

And many atheists would find the road your parents chose anathema. cbayer Jan 2013 #55

It worked out just fine, all around. MineralMan Jan 2013 #58

Seems like the people who have fear issues are usually non-believers Leontius Jan 2013 #34

At age 5, there are no believers or non-believers. MineralMan Jan 2013 #37

You were not capable of that level of reasoning at that age Leontius Jan 2013 #64

Really? okasha Jan 2013 #95

I got your answer to that right here, okasha. cbayer Jan 2013 #96

This is really fascinating. trotsky Jan 2013 #103

I stand by my statement. MineralMan Jan 2013 #97

My experience has been that the more extremely religious people The Velveteen Ocelot Jan 2013 #65

Yeah it's weird for sure. EvilAL Jan 2013 #39

It seems there were two very different reactions to it MineralMan Jan 2013 #43

Yeah, EvilAL Jan 2013 #49

It's the first poem I memorized 2naSalit Jan 2013 #40

Thanks for your perspective. MineralMan Jan 2013 #42

I'd seen it around and figured it was a prayer kids would say. EvilAL Jan 2013 #50

When I was a child I was accepting of it 2naSalit Jan 2013 #51

That prayer was written in the 1600's when a lot of children died moobu2 Jan 2013 #44

Makes sense. EvilAL Jan 2013 #52

Also when Homer made Bart EvilAL Jan 2013 #47

My non-religious father..... katanalori Jan 2013 #60

I can honestly say I shared the OP's opinion when young DryRain Jan 2013 #63

It is a sick and twisted prayer. Control-Z Jan 2013 #66

Your story is so poignant and heart breaking. cbayer Jan 2013 #67

My grandmother, a former schoolteacher.... jdadd Jan 2013 #92

Sensible MineralMan Jan 2013 #93

My grandmother used to make me say that when I spent the night at her and granddad's house. applegrove Jan 2013 #94

funny i barely recall being about 4yo and having a similar chat with my mom Phillip McCleod Jan 2013 #98

another one is 'will you swear to god on a bible?' Phillip McCleod Jan 2013 #99

So, you gave up your god in order to feel better about lying? cbayer Jan 2013 #100

hey i didn't invent the ultimatum. Phillip McCleod Jan 2013 #107

No, but you certainly made hay with the *ultimatum*. cbayer Jan 2013 #109

it didn't feel like hay making at the time. Phillip McCleod Jan 2013 #112

Your parents �didn't do indoctrination much,� okasha Jan 2013 #110

'strange' is the right word for my dad. Phillip McCleod Jan 2013 #111

I think it was taught in every home and Sunday School Sekhmets Daughter Jan 2013 #101

For someone who has already converted to Christianity, the poem is understandable. gtar100 Jan 2013 #102

I learned the first one as a small child. trotsky Jan 2013 #104

It seems like it bothered some people as children, MineralMan Jan 2013 #105

Some people are more easily indoctrinated than others, I think. trotsky Jan 2013 #106

I expect it's different life experiences. okasha Jan 2013 #108