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Or: an atheist ex-Christian attempts to write a (casual/lapsed) Muslim.
It's been 15 years since I went to church on a weekly basis. Not coincidentally, it's been 15 years since I moved out of my mother's house. We went to a United Methodist church while I was in high school. I *did* attend while I was home on breaks from college, but mainly so I could see my friend and sing. I miss singing.
But I still remember things:
A mighty fortress is our god -- well enough to know the dreadful alterations in a Catholic hymnal (I'm still amused at the irony of a Martin Luther hymn in a Catholic book)
A bunch of other hymns, far less well known: Be still my soul, the lord is on your side (to Finlandia) (I can recognize the titles and hum at least the first few bars of a lot of the songs listed at hymnsite.com.)
Holy, holy, holy lord, god of power and might. Blessed is he who comes in the name of the lord. Hosanna in the highest.
They say to write what you know, and I don't know Islam. I do, however, know how much you can retain after not using something for 15 years, when it's something you did regularly for even 4 years. And my character did it far longer than that, and more frequently. Five times a day, even. He'd remember his prayers, even if he doesn't believe a syllable of them. And if anyone calls me on that in the editing process, I'll sing Amazing Grace or Abide with Me or Come thou Fount of Every Blessing at them.
It's been 15 years since I went to church on a weekly basis. Not coincidentally, it's been 15 years since I moved out of my mother's house. We went to a United Methodist church while I was in high school. I *did* attend while I was home on breaks from college, but mainly so I could see my friend and sing. I miss singing.
But I still remember things:
A mighty fortress is our god -- well enough to know the dreadful alterations in a Catholic hymnal (I'm still amused at the irony of a Martin Luther hymn in a Catholic book)
A bunch of other hymns, far less well known: Be still my soul, the lord is on your side (to Finlandia) (I can recognize the titles and hum at least the first few bars of a lot of the songs listed at hymnsite.com.)
Holy, holy, holy lord, god of power and might. Blessed is he who comes in the name of the lord. Hosanna in the highest.
They say to write what you know, and I don't know Islam. I do, however, know how much you can retain after not using something for 15 years, when it's something you did regularly for even 4 years. And my character did it far longer than that, and more frequently. Five times a day, even. He'd remember his prayers, even if he doesn't believe a syllable of them. And if anyone calls me on that in the editing process, I'll sing Amazing Grace or Abide with Me or Come thou Fount of Every Blessing at them.
