Mr. Camacho left us alone for most of that first hour. I read the assignment. It was my third or forth time through Genesis. I read the creation story, reassuring myself that only a fool could believe such nonsense. I paused again at God's Editorial We.

"We created man in our own image."

It was the kinds of questions that come with writings like this that had gotten me kicked out of Sunday School years ago. Yet, here I was reading the Bible again...and laughing.

I laughed about God first making day and night and then creating the Sun three days later. I snickered as I read how Adam rejected all of the God given helpers like sheep, goats and cattle, holding out for a real mate.

Then I got to the part about racism, slavery and the separation of class. You know it as the story of Issac and Ishmael. For the clear minded reader, this story is all about the Arabs and Jews. The separation of race. The banishment of the "wild donkey of a man" and ascension of "the father of all that is good."

As usual, the more I read, the more angry I became. I resented having to go over this material. I resented dragging religion back into my life. And, above all, I resented every person who believes the Bible.

I was genuinly mad when Mr. Camacho came back through the door.

This time he was carrying the rest of our text books. My first concern was how huge these books were. 600 pages each, easily.

Now I was really mad.