Today I had a most amusing conversation with someone I met outside, of all places, the local christian bookstore. I had just walked by the store on my way uptown to the local drugstore/candy store where a soda and a candy bar still cost only 75 cents. I had just happened to walk by two people having some small talk. Now normally I never really bother to pay attention much to people's business..just walking on my way not bothering anyone. However I could not help but overhear this little nugget of knowledge. "You can't be a christian in today's society anymore, you get persecuted for praying in a classroom or at a kid's ballgame or your faith in the lord is shot down. People really need to get right with god, this is injustice." I stopped and turned around. The beaded feathers from my leather hat swayed there gently (something I wear to show my native heritage), while my necklace of bone and cinnabar beads, one of my strong of prayer beads I wore, just clicked on my chest as the bone pentagram I wore hit the beads. I said nothing, I just looked at them and I chuckled, all before turning on around and walking away.
A man can't become a preacher in his church because of his own nature being with another man, but christians are persecuted. A woman is fired from her job because she has a koran in his cubicle, yet christians are persecuted. Our current president boasts he is appointed by god and is a "cruesader" like King Richard, yet christians are persecuted. A mormon, a luthren, a epsicopal, a angelican and a catholic can get funding for school before a buddhist, a sikh or a hindi, yet christians are persecuted. My car can be egged, the tires slashed and nasty slogans put on my car simply because of the sigil of travel I have on my bumper, yet christians are persecuted. There are at least 5-9 christian churches in every town and city in the tri-county area..but no groves, no mosques, no synagogues, no temples, yet christians are persecuted. My friend's application is nearly denied because he listed he was athiest while his methodist brother is quickly accepted onto the job "because of his strong values" while the both of them have the same qualifications...yet christians are persecuted.
Yeah...christians are really persecuted alright. I guess all of us heathens should go back to being out of sight so we don't offend you with our presence. What a sick joke.
Awesome post.
Common sense is as rare as genius. ~Emerson
Speaking as a Lutheran, I have to agree with what you posted here (I am so getting excommunicated for this....). I think everyone has a right to believe what they choose to believe. On the other hand, please make sure you don't get a sour taste in your mouth towards ALL Christians. We have our bad eggs, too, and everyone notices the few bad eggs before all the good ones. Please know that a lot (I would even venture to say "most")of Christians DON'T think they're persecuted, especially not here in the US. Most of us don't complain, and I don't associate with the ones who do.
~WriterNut~
I must say that I agree with everyone's post on this issue in some way or another. I'm a nondenominational Christian and I know that, like you've said, there are definitely some bad eggs and there are some that just don't realize what we're doing. Christians are 'persecuted' because of people like themselves that give us a bad name. Admittedly, I'm guilty of being a hypocrite from time to time, and I'm working on that. Really, we just need to take a chill pill and be thankful that we are allowed to worship as we choose. Bravo to everyone for speaking out.
The Compassionate Moderate
Great post. Really, everyone's 'persecuted' in one way or another. Name a group that isn't, and I'll bet there's a group of people against it. If there are people who support killing people because of their religion in today's age...
WriterNut: You're right that we shouldn't stereotype Christians and group them all together--there isn't a group that doesn't have its bad eggs.
You are obviously a good egg, my daughter. (pulls wise face, loses it, starts laughing) But seriously, thanks for the backup.
~WriterNut~
I agree with you, of course, and I think that most people would intellectually agree with you about any stereotype. However, it is not as easy to accept, emotionally. It is very easy to say being ______ (fill in the blak) is bad. It is less emotionally satisfying to say there are bad _____'s and there are good _______'s. It is even harder if you are part of that group.