On 06/03/2013 1:55 PM, George M. Middius wrote:

>> I may not have anything in common with the person saying it and I'm
>> pretty sure that our religious beliefs aren't the same... but if a
>> stranger wants to take the time to throw a blessing my way as an
>> expression of good will... or an expression of their faith, I'm OK with
>> that.
>
> That's not the message I get. To me, it's a reflexive expression of Baptists'
> ingrained religious fascism. They are supremely intolerant of anybody whom
> they can't corner and cram full of their proselytizing garbage.
>
>


It's not something that I am going to get terribly upset about but I
really don't appreciate them throwing their religion my way.


A few years ago I had to drive my wife to a funeral for her late
mother's best friend. The woman had been a long time atheist and had
been estranged from her only son for many years and it turned out to be
a matter of religion. He and his wife had become "born again". Later on
things thawed and when she had to move into an old folks home it was a
"Christian" home.

Apparently at the funeral the daughter in law spike about Marion had not
been a believer for most of her life but they were thrilled that in her
final days she had given herself to Jesus. She and the son were so
thrilled to walk into her room one day and find her reading a Bible.
This is a woman who had attended university in the 1920s. She worked in
and eventually owned her own book store. She had a vast collection of
books, but they were all disposed of when they moved her into the home.
The Bible was the only book in her room. Being a reader, she read thee
only thing available.

When I went to pick up my wife I was introduced to the son and DiL, Eric
and Edna. Edna asked about my parents. My father had been dead for a
few years and my mother had multiple medical issues. She asked my
mother's name and said she would pray for her. What do you say but
"thanks" ?

Holy crap. As I was being introduced to various people there Enid kept
coming up and saying" I'm going to pray for Helen". After the 5th of 6th
time I realized it wasn't about Helen at all. Edna was just trying to
show me what a bloody good christian she is. For the next few years she
would write to my wife a couple times a year with all sorts of preachy
crap until my wife, who is a church goer herself, finally wrote back and
told to her to lay off.