A Croatian politician of note died a few days ago. As usual, he is celebrated to excess. Today I read in one of the leading newspapers that he had called for a priest just before he died. Many in this Catholic country would take the news as a welcome sign of spiritual rebirth. Not I. In fact, I felt proud of my parents once again. Born and raised as Catholics, they renounced their parents’ faith in their early youth. Calling for a priest had not even crossed their minds in their last days. This I know for sure, for I was with them through the ordeal. Yes, I feel proud of them both as much as I feel revolted by Christianity in all its guises. Or any other religion that revolves around an afterlife, no matter how enticing. All that there is to life is here and now. Death is its end, and that is all there is to it. The only gods are we ourselves. We need no intermediaries of any kind in either life or death, least of all the mendacious priests. I love you for teaching me this much, and without a moment’s hesitation, my dear parents!