Happy 2014 everyone! And Blessed Imbolic for those who observe it. For those who don't and want to know what it is about, do a Google or Yahoo or Bing search and find out about it! I mean, we are here on the internet where the biggest wealth of information in the world resides!
I always think the world can't get more shocking or hurtful to me. That last little vestige of optimism in me I guess. I WANT to see the good things in everyone and everything. For the most part I do that well. But then someone comes along who at first appeared good on the surface. But then that one little chink in their armor occurs and the ugliness comes spewing forth. That is what I experienced the third Wednesday of last month at a meeting of a civic group of which I am a member.
The meeting was over and I was packing up my lap top and having a conversation with another member when "Bob" comes up. He leans over to me and quietly, but loudly enough the person I was talking with can hear, declares "All you atheists are nothing but devil worshipers!" and walks away. The person I was talking to and I were left speechless! WTH?!?!?! The conversation that was interrupted had nothing what so ever to do with religion. And the comment was obviously directed to me.
I grew up in a home that was Christian. My mother was strict Church of Christ and my dad was a Methodist. From the time I could read I had a Bible. I wore that first Bible out reading it, over and over. Granted it was a children's Bible, but it was expected of me to read it and understand it, so I did my best. I freely admit I was sent home from Sunday school one time with a note asking my parents not to send me back. That was because I asked questions in my pursuit of understanding the Bible and it's teachings that the teacher and the preacher could not answer. Now to give an understanding of how that affected me, I was in the first grade. And I was being rejected by a church for wanting to learn about their religion. Rejection, no matter whether expressed directly to a child of that age or not hurts. Why wasn't I good enough to attend and learn with all my friends there? What did I do that was so wrong?
A little background information about me and my parents might help in that context. My dad was the calm, rational, scientifically minded parent. My mom was the throw caution to the wind and get pissed as hell at everyone and let them know it parent. Not calm and rational. A strange and difficult upbringing the say the least. When dad was trying to get me to calmly rationalize things, mom was screaming at me to fight back and hurt who ever hurt me. And those two different backgrounds still have a major effect on me today.
As I got older, my questions regarding the often time confusing teachings of the Bible got more compound and more difficult to answer. After I got married, the church my first husband and I attended had a minister (he earned the title of minister from me because he actually ministered to the people in his church, not just preached) who actually took the time and effort to discuss and reason the questions I had. But eventually he moved on to another church somewhere else and a new preacher took his place. Then being a member of the church became about how much money you made (which the church set your tithe off of, not what you could afford) and how nice your clothes were when you came to church. This was where I began to part ways with organized religion. To be told that based on $8000 a year income we could afford to tithe $150 a month and have bags of clothing showing up on my porch because what we were wearing wasn't good enough, I couldn't hang with that. That definitely was not something the Bible taught.
Through the years I have studied most of the world's religions, seeking the answers to the questions I'd always had. I eventually had to conclude that no single one had all the answers. I began to see that all religions had something to offer and a lot that was rubbish. But what to do with this information was the really big problem. So I decided that instead of subscribing to one dogma or religion, I would subscribe to none and instead follow my own path of spirituality. I don't recognize a God or Allah or any other name God is known by. I recognize one cosmic force, whether you want to call it God, Allah, Yehwah, Flying Spaghetti Monster, science or what have you. I don't see it as a good or evil entity. In fact most of the time I refer to it as cosmic chaos. Because that really is what it is, and humans are just looking to make some kind of sense out of it.
Does that make me an atheist? I don't believe so because atheists don't have the belief of a higher force. Maybe it make me an agnostic at the least. But humans have this need to label and I am constantly asked what religion I am by people and governmental forms. Why, I don't really understand, but that is the way it is. Most of the time I answer nondenominational. That seems to satisfy most people and they don't ask further, assuming I am Christian because that is what most people in this country believe you have to be. And living where I live, the Southern Bible Belt of the US, they don't take kindly to nonchristians. In fact, fire and death are still the preferred means of dealing with those they perceive as not being Christian, although they will deny it if asked. So you can see, I do not advertise the fact I am not a practicing Christian.
So why was I singled out for this verbal attack? At this meeting a man who belongs to the First Baptist Church had come to the group asking to use the building they own to have a Southern Gospel Sing event in it. A whole hour was tied up by members of the group asking him what kind of prayers would be said, whether or not one church was going to be promoted above others, and how to plan and organize his event. The key words being HIS EVENT. I couldn't have cared less about the details of his event. My only concern was that they leave the building as clean and intact after the event as it was when they started. So during all this brow beating, I mean well intentioned telling him what to do, I sat quietly in my seat shaking my head at the audacity of the group telling someone how to do their event. I was the only one who did not contribute in any way to that whole thing.
I guess in "Bob's" highly prejudiced and ignorant views that made me evil, made me an 'atheist devil worshiper'. At first I was shocked by his little outburst. By the time I got home I was actually amused. I mean really, since atheists don't believe in God they obviously don't believe in the devil! The next day I kind of felt sad for "Bob" in his ignorance. But now I am kind of mad that he made me the apex for his hatred. I've never done anything to him, except ignore him when his ignorance got to be too much. What gives him the right to pass a judgement like that on me? Obviously not the Bible since it teaches not go around judging others as that is not a Christian's place. I have had to work really hard to not write out a letter to the editor of our local paper about what being a good Christian means so that those who live in ignorant bliss like "Bob" can maybe see themselves as others see them. As a human being, it is not my place to do that. I would be no better than "Bob" if I did that, passing judgement on someone else.
I have friends of all religious beliefs and no religious beliefs. I am wondering how any of you would handle this situation. The one thing I am doing is cutting "Bob" out of any further involvement in my life. I don't have time for that kind of thing. But is there something else I could be doing to keep it from happening again? All thoughts are welcome and open for discussion. Just remember, respect for others above all!
I always think the world can't get more shocking or hurtful to me. That last little vestige of optimism in me I guess. I WANT to see the good things in everyone and everything. For the most part I do that well. But then someone comes along who at first appeared good on the surface. But then that one little chink in their armor occurs and the ugliness comes spewing forth. That is what I experienced the third Wednesday of last month at a meeting of a civic group of which I am a member.
The meeting was over and I was packing up my lap top and having a conversation with another member when "Bob" comes up. He leans over to me and quietly, but loudly enough the person I was talking with can hear, declares "All you atheists are nothing but devil worshipers!" and walks away. The person I was talking to and I were left speechless! WTH?!?!?! The conversation that was interrupted had nothing what so ever to do with religion. And the comment was obviously directed to me.
I grew up in a home that was Christian. My mother was strict Church of Christ and my dad was a Methodist. From the time I could read I had a Bible. I wore that first Bible out reading it, over and over. Granted it was a children's Bible, but it was expected of me to read it and understand it, so I did my best. I freely admit I was sent home from Sunday school one time with a note asking my parents not to send me back. That was because I asked questions in my pursuit of understanding the Bible and it's teachings that the teacher and the preacher could not answer. Now to give an understanding of how that affected me, I was in the first grade. And I was being rejected by a church for wanting to learn about their religion. Rejection, no matter whether expressed directly to a child of that age or not hurts. Why wasn't I good enough to attend and learn with all my friends there? What did I do that was so wrong?
A little background information about me and my parents might help in that context. My dad was the calm, rational, scientifically minded parent. My mom was the throw caution to the wind and get pissed as hell at everyone and let them know it parent. Not calm and rational. A strange and difficult upbringing the say the least. When dad was trying to get me to calmly rationalize things, mom was screaming at me to fight back and hurt who ever hurt me. And those two different backgrounds still have a major effect on me today.
As I got older, my questions regarding the often time confusing teachings of the Bible got more compound and more difficult to answer. After I got married, the church my first husband and I attended had a minister (he earned the title of minister from me because he actually ministered to the people in his church, not just preached) who actually took the time and effort to discuss and reason the questions I had. But eventually he moved on to another church somewhere else and a new preacher took his place. Then being a member of the church became about how much money you made (which the church set your tithe off of, not what you could afford) and how nice your clothes were when you came to church. This was where I began to part ways with organized religion. To be told that based on $8000 a year income we could afford to tithe $150 a month and have bags of clothing showing up on my porch because what we were wearing wasn't good enough, I couldn't hang with that. That definitely was not something the Bible taught.
Through the years I have studied most of the world's religions, seeking the answers to the questions I'd always had. I eventually had to conclude that no single one had all the answers. I began to see that all religions had something to offer and a lot that was rubbish. But what to do with this information was the really big problem. So I decided that instead of subscribing to one dogma or religion, I would subscribe to none and instead follow my own path of spirituality. I don't recognize a God or Allah or any other name God is known by. I recognize one cosmic force, whether you want to call it God, Allah, Yehwah, Flying Spaghetti Monster, science or what have you. I don't see it as a good or evil entity. In fact most of the time I refer to it as cosmic chaos. Because that really is what it is, and humans are just looking to make some kind of sense out of it.
Does that make me an atheist? I don't believe so because atheists don't have the belief of a higher force. Maybe it make me an agnostic at the least. But humans have this need to label and I am constantly asked what religion I am by people and governmental forms. Why, I don't really understand, but that is the way it is. Most of the time I answer nondenominational. That seems to satisfy most people and they don't ask further, assuming I am Christian because that is what most people in this country believe you have to be. And living where I live, the Southern Bible Belt of the US, they don't take kindly to nonchristians. In fact, fire and death are still the preferred means of dealing with those they perceive as not being Christian, although they will deny it if asked. So you can see, I do not advertise the fact I am not a practicing Christian.
So why was I singled out for this verbal attack? At this meeting a man who belongs to the First Baptist Church had come to the group asking to use the building they own to have a Southern Gospel Sing event in it. A whole hour was tied up by members of the group asking him what kind of prayers would be said, whether or not one church was going to be promoted above others, and how to plan and organize his event. The key words being HIS EVENT. I couldn't have cared less about the details of his event. My only concern was that they leave the building as clean and intact after the event as it was when they started. So during all this brow beating, I mean well intentioned telling him what to do, I sat quietly in my seat shaking my head at the audacity of the group telling someone how to do their event. I was the only one who did not contribute in any way to that whole thing.
I guess in "Bob's" highly prejudiced and ignorant views that made me evil, made me an 'atheist devil worshiper'. At first I was shocked by his little outburst. By the time I got home I was actually amused. I mean really, since atheists don't believe in God they obviously don't believe in the devil! The next day I kind of felt sad for "Bob" in his ignorance. But now I am kind of mad that he made me the apex for his hatred. I've never done anything to him, except ignore him when his ignorance got to be too much. What gives him the right to pass a judgement like that on me? Obviously not the Bible since it teaches not go around judging others as that is not a Christian's place. I have had to work really hard to not write out a letter to the editor of our local paper about what being a good Christian means so that those who live in ignorant bliss like "Bob" can maybe see themselves as others see them. As a human being, it is not my place to do that. I would be no better than "Bob" if I did that, passing judgement on someone else.
I have friends of all religious beliefs and no religious beliefs. I am wondering how any of you would handle this situation. The one thing I am doing is cutting "Bob" out of any further involvement in my life. I don't have time for that kind of thing. But is there something else I could be doing to keep it from happening again? All thoughts are welcome and open for discussion. Just remember, respect for others above all!
I am right there with you sister! I actually trained for and received my divinity license and I ministered at a very non-devotional church. All based on my beliefs. I used what ever worked for the sermon I was to give that week. We ran a food bank on Wednesdays and had a choir of sorts, though the music used was mostly folk music, with some gospel thrown in for good measure. It was open to ANYBODY, and the love in that small church just radiated out to embrace everyone. I ran this church until the landlord decided my church wasn't "Christian" enough and refused to sign a new lease with me. So that ended that. I just went out in the world and embraced the Earth Mother and nature. Life was good. I do not normally talk religion with ANYBODY, because so many can't talk about it if you aren't of their faith. (which is always the one true church, of course). I really felt your sincerity here and was compelled to leave my comment. Thank you my beautiful friend. Kismet
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