I took a trip on the "Stupid Train" last night, and I'll be the first to admit it. You'd think by now that I'd know better than to get invovled in a religious discussion on Facebook - or anywhere else, for that matter - but sometimes I'm like the big, old, large mouth bass sitting in the shade under a sunken log. If you dangle the bait in front of me at just the right moment, I'm gonna bite. And that's what happened last night.
A former - emphasis on the word "former" - Facebook friend made a post about how his state had just had a vote on a law that would spell out once and for all that life began at the moment of conception, and he was disappointed that the law failed to pass. He claims to be a devout Catholic and a "Christian," so of course he was all in favor of the law because that would be a stepping stone to getting Roe v. Wade overturned. Well, somewhere in the post he made a reference to something being unconstitutional, and that did it - that was the bait that I couldn't ignore.
Religion I can ignore; start spouting your ignorance about what the Constitution does and doesn't say, and I'm gonna jump in with both feet.
So in any event, two of his "Christian" friends joined in the conversation, and one of them wasted no time in proceeding directly to the "insulting" phase of what a "Christian" does when you disagree with them. The converstation had turned to the Holy Bible, and I voiced my opinion on that topic as well. (And if you've read my previous postings in this blog, you know what my opinions are.) The other person then posted something about my needing to go buy "The Complete Idiot's Guide To The Hebrew Bible," or something like that, followed by her - yes, her - opinion that I was not the "expert" on the Hebrew bible. I politely told her that no, I wasn't an expert on the Hebrew bible, that I never claimed to be, I never referred to the Hebrew bible but the Holy Bible (specifically the King James version), and that I never even knew a "Hebrew" bible existed. That pretty much put an end to that conversation, although the sarcasm from this so-called "Christian" was clear.
But things with the second poster, a male this time, got really nasty really quickly. This "Christian" proceeded directly to the name-calling phase of how a "Christian" acts when you disagree with them, calling me "a total dumb-ass." My reply was to ask him if this was how a true Christian acts towards others, and then I told the originator of the thread, "Nice "Christian" friend you've got there, John." (His name really is John, by the way.)
Up until now John had been pretty quiet about everything, but that was to change in another thread that was running along the same lines that I had also posted in. Then Johh took it upon himself to judge me according to HIS beliefs, telling me that he had "serious doubts" about my "devotion to being a Christian," after which he proceeded to regale me with a Bible lesson that ran somewhere along the lines of six or seven paragraphs long. I had already told him that I didn't believe most of the Old Testament, so guess what John did? Yep, you guessed it - started quoting scripture at me from the Old Testament!
As I've said before, like THAT'S gonna work...
But the part that really chapped my ass about the whole thing was not the quoting of scripture part; what got my dander up was when John climbed up on his holier-than-thou, religious high-horse and proceeded to talk down to me like I was some lower form of life, some ignorant heathen who needed to be "saved" because he was "worried about my soul." And YES, he really did say that.
If you know me by now, you can pretty much guess what my reaction was. If not, then let me sum it up for you.
I asked John just who the hell he was that HE should judge ME based on HIS religious views and not MINE. I then told him that my relationship with God was none of his business, and that he shouldn't worry about my soul because me and God had that all taken care of. I also said a few more things along the same lines, but I think you pretty much get the idea by now.
I then went to my home page in the preferences section and blocked John across the board so I never have to hear from him or be subjected to his holier-than-thou attitude and mundane preaching and Bible-thumping again.
So once again not one, not two, but THREE so-called "Christians" follow the same steps that folks like them always follow when they encounter someone who disagrees with them, and by now you'd think I'd know better.
As I've said before, I have no problem with other people's beliefs, I really don't. If you believe it and it works for you and makes you feel good, then that's great - I'm happy for you, I really am. But the moment you climb up on a "holier-than-thou" pedastal and start judging ME by YOUR beliefs, telling me that I'm a sinner, that I'm going to hell, and all that other crap - well, at that point I'm gonna turn on you like a rabid dog and tear you to shreds.
And those of you who know me - and I mean REALLY know me - know that I'm really, really good at that. (Hey, I was a basic training instructor at one time, remember?)
Then again, if I'd just learn not to bite at the bait when it's dangled in front of me I wouldn't have this problem, would I?
Oh, well, I guess you can't teach an old dog new tricks, huh?
IHC
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