I’m not fighting everything religious; I’m fighting the imposition of the brand of Christianity on me and society at large. Think I’m tilting at windmills?
– In Ypsilanti, Mich.: An initiative on the November 2002 ballot asks to change the city’s non-discrimination ordinance to exclude sexual orientation.
– In Maine: The Christian Civic Association is collecting signatures that would put an initiative on the ballot that repeals domestic partnership benefits for government employees.
– In Cleveland Heights, Ohio: Opponents may sue to amend the city charter to prohibit same-sex partners from receiving benefits.
– In Tacoma, Wash.: Opponents of new anti-discrimination laws are gathering signatures to try and repeal them.
– In Nevada: There is a ballot initiative that asks voters if the state constitution should be amended to say marriage is only “between a male and female.”
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All of these initiatives have been launched by Christian groups. Kneejerk, I think not.
I’m not offended that you might pray for me. But if you’d like to do something religious in my (made-up-for-this-board) name, how about doing something for people who haven’t had the chances or luck that I’ve had? Visit someone in youth prison or in hospital or in an old people’s home. Someone who is lonely and without much in the way of human comfort. I believe it’s an activity approved of by Christians as well as humanists. And don’t tell anyone why you’re doing it. Go there in your name. Tell them you have not forgotten them. (I’m an athiest, but Quaker ways die hard.)
I have about twenty people praying for me all hoping that God will work his miracle on me. No luck so far. Must be God who hardened my heart like what he did to that Egyptian Pharoah.
On a more serious note, I cannot believe that the Supreme Creator of the Universe is some being who likes to see/hear grown adults grovel and the smells of burnt meat.
One of my best friends if very religious, and I suppose she would fit the fundamentalist label fairly well. I’m not really religious, haven’t been to church in years and in fact have some serious issues with the whole deal. [Note to self to try reaching Polycarp again.]
This is what I admire so much about my friend, though…where most of the fundamentalist folk I know spend their time witnessing rather loudly and abrasively, spouting scripture to point out how nasty something/one is, and announcing to all and sundry that they will “pray for you!”, my friend and her family quietly LIVE what they believe. Without imposing it, ever, on anyone else.
I imagine that they probably pray in general for unbelievers, just as they may pray for victims of a natural disaster–sort of a generic, hits-all-bases type of prayer. But when it comes to praying for an individual, you know what they do? They ASK. When I went through my divorce, she said, “Well, I can’t help as much as I would like to, but I would like to pray for you, if you don’t mind. Would that be okay?”
I thought it was touching, frankly, and I have no doubt that if I had said no, she would have refrained.
I’m not offended by people praying for me, dreamer. But I think it can become offensive very quickly to announce it to someone if you aren’t sure they’re receptive to the idea. Those people, I think, you must pray for in a general sense.
Best,
karol
I have just sold your email address to Satan for a frosted donut (with sprinkles!!), which He promised to deliver at a future date, much as your God promises salvation in return for all the souls your pray for today. I wrote your email address on a Post-It® note, then burned it in the flame of a black candle, which I placed inside a pentagram drawn with salt, while reciting the following spell: Ighting-Fay Ignorance-Ay Ince-Say Ineteen-Nay Eventy-Say Ee-Thray.
You should expect to be receiving a lot of spam from the Prince of Darkness shortly. You know, your’re right, I do feel better after I foist my religion on others! Have a nice day!!.
I’m not sure I should be doing this but I wanted to come back in here and say out loud that I made a mistake in posting this thread. I publicly disobeyed God and I am very sorry I did so. I meant no disrespect to anyone and again I apolgize.
I prayed to God before pressing “submit” that if it’s not in his will then don’t let it go through. You all witnessed that obviously is just what happened. Which has never happened to me before that I can recall (a thread title going through without it’s contents).
So instead of listening to the obvious I went ahead and posted it again. Yes, prideful it was, faithless and untrustworthy of God it was too. I’m disappointed in myself and I am pretty sure I won’t be going around to anyone telling them I will pray for them again.
I consider my SD experiences to be personal and this thread is ever more personal to me than I could have predicted. I learned a valueable lesson and I guess it was my time to learn it.
Actually, that happens all the time (it’s a hungry li’l squirrel). You needn’t ascribe the lack of an OP to a supernatural agency when simpler explanations are available.
dreamer, the SDMB has enough strain on the server already without having to contend with divine intervention on top of all that. Leave prayers connected to the functionality of the board for the hamsters to offer up…whatever the name of the hamster’s god is, I’m sure he’s more suited to the task
<tt>I prayed to God before pressing “submit” that if it’s not in his will then don’t let it go through. You all witnessed that obviously is just what happened.</tt>
I get it now. Software glitches are really signs from God. Which in turn means that Bill Gates is God.
Gobear is right. It wasn’t god’s fault you overstepped your bounds and behaved like an obnoxious christian. You did that all by yourself. Tsk, tsk…keep that up and you’ll end up in the bowels of hell with the rest of us heathens! :rolleyes:
It’s not so much that you’re so sure there’s a god…it’s the way you parade it around on a stick that irks me. :mad:
[delurking on this thread against my better judgment, but infuriated by injustice]
For pity’s sake, EchoKitty, go back and read for content. Dreamer distinctly said her impression is that her God tried to stop her and she went ahead anyway. I agree with you that what she did was Not A Good Thing. Dreamer, unlike some around here, has apparently been reading carefully and thinking considerably and she now sees the point, shoulders the blame, and resolves not to do it again. You can question her internal perceptions about the intervention of her God in this decision, but give somebody credit for a little growth instead of hanging on so blindly to your grudges.
[/delurk]
And a hell of a grudge it is, too. The continued cheap shots are not called for, EchoKitty. Take your :mad: smilie to the proper forum, but quit trying to turn these debates into a personal vendetta against a person who appears to be posting in perfectly good faith.
Well, I stand corrected. Sorry. I misread the post and didn’t express myself very well. I shoulder the blame for that. I wish god would have stopped me, but…
But Dreamer, don’t you see how self-absorbed it is for you to be praying about something like an internet post? And the notion that god would put that prayer at the top of his list and keep the post from going, instead of, say, CURING A DISEASE???
Knowing what I do about you from your posts, I don’t think you really believe that your god would have dropped what he was doing to stop your post. It just doesn’t sound like the god you speak of. I have to wonder if it wasn’t all just a little hype thrown in to make your point. I dunno…I could be wrong.
