And it's not "Me." And, it's not "You."
I grew up in a small town in Southern Kentucky. There was never much controversy over religion, politics, race...at least not around me. We were just a pretty tight knit community. It wasn't until I moved to a bigger city that I was not only faced with discrimination and vocal judgement...it was about me and to me.
At my first job, I was fresh out of college and green behind the ears. I went into my new office thinking that everyone was going to be friendly and we were going to be a team. And, for a while, it wasn't bad. However, it sure didn't end the way I thought it would.
I worked with a lot of women at this job. And women seem to run in packs like wolves at times...at least that's how I felt. There was a lady at the office who was very "religious." She spoke often about being a Christian and what it meant. She would even correct people -- that's not very Christian, she would say. It didn't take long for me to realize that this women thought she was above us, or at least me, in some way.
Well, I'm Catholic. And apparently, that can be a BIG deal to some people. This lady, began trying to "save me." I would come in to my desk in the mornings and there would be literature about how the Saints are false gods, scriptures on how having tattoos were a blight against God, everything I did...she pointed me out as a sinner.
Have you seen the remake of The Mist? Think Marcia Gay Harden only much shorter (I'd say 4 feet) and much bigger (I couldn't even fathom a guess.)
I ended up leaving the job, because it just wasn't worth the daily hassle of having this "Good Christian Woman" shunning me, or preaching to me, or handing me info on my path straight to Hades!
Well, if her actions are the definition of being a "Christian" count me out. There are so many people out there trying to shove their beliefs down other people throats -- through threats of eternal damnation, through coercion and intimidation. That's not the point people! And, you're making the rest of us look like complete idiots.
So, what is the Word? It's God, your God...my God...whatever God you believe in. That's the Word. We can share the Word as we know it through our actions to others. We can use it as inspiration to lift people up. We can keep it in our hearts to guide us to do the right things and be better people.
But...You are not the Word! You are not powerful or knowledgeable enough to be the Word. And, I believe, some people need to check themselves. Everyone has a right to their own opinion about the existence, or lack there of, of God.
2 comments:
Amen, sister. As a Catholic, I could not agree more with your statement. Personally, I have not experienced the same wrath of non-Catholic Christians, but my Hindu friend has. She was told by a "good, Christian woman" that she was going to hell because she did not believe in and worship Jesus Christ. My bad, I thought it was about God, not JC. When did it all shift?
The stereotypical remarks I have received from former agnostic coworders centered around the fact that I "shouldn't" believe certain things because I was Catholic. Where do you get off telling me what I should and shouldn't belive?!? Okay, enough ranking. You officially provoked a soft spot, Mer!
Krista -- Amen right back at ya! We grew up in the same town, so it's great hearing your viewpoint.
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