I don't go to church.
There!!!!
I said it!!!
I am a firm believer in science.
I disagree with most teachings of "the church".
In this great country which is supposed to give us the Freedom of Religion, why is it that I am talked down to by people for this belief? I refuse to engage in debates in the workplace regarding religion or politics. However, I inevitably let slip the fact that I think the whole notion of religion is silly. This opens me up to the most horribly uncomfortable conversations with people who think I'm a "poor lost soul" and just "doesn't know" and "you should visit MY church sometime"... blah blah blah.....
In this country, I have the freedom to believe or to NOT believe anything I want. If I want to worship a giant talking potato, I will do so and I expect to not be scorned or looked-down upon or talked-down to or any other form of social persecution not as yet mentioned and not be forced to offer up any "defense" to my stance. I believe what I believe. Let it go.
{ I should clarify: This story comes from a very brief interaction I had with a person at work a few minutes ago. I went upstairs to deliver some girl scout cookies to one person, and another person who sits next to her turned around and joined in the coversation. Perfectly nice gentleman that I have spoken to on several previous instances. Today I find out that he is a preacher.... and he immediately started in on me asking where I go to church, etc.... When I just flatly answered "I don't" the look on his face was befitting a man who had just realized he was speaking to the person who just drowned a sack full of puppies... he looked at me like I'm the WORST person in the whole world.... so all I said was "We could have this conversation all day long, but I prefer not to." and he said "Oh, yes, we will.... any time you'd like"....
The whole interaction just bothered me... who is he to think I'm lesser of a person because I don't believe the same fairy tales and superstition that he does? Who is he to persecute ME? I'm not persecuting him for his beliefs.... He's free to believe what he wants just as I am. All I ever ask of anyone is to not shove their beliefs down my throat, and I will do likewise. I typically don't even offer up my opinions unless directly asked because they are viewed as scandalous (again - unfairly, in my opinion).
I have a rather ominous feeling that this conversation will happen sooner rather than later because this man ordered some girl scout cookies... which I will be delivering to him on Monday... *sigh* Oh well..... I can firmly yet politely decline a religious conversation. } _________________________________________________________
In other news: I CAN SEE !!!! My new contact lenses came in the mail yesterday!!! I've worn contacts since I was 17 years old... however, due to the rising cost of the things, I have had to do with my glasses for the past 6 months. Today I am wearing contacts for the first time in a long time and its fabulous!! I do like my glasses... they're quite stylish and cute and black-framed. But because of my horrible eye-sight, I have no peripheral vision while wearing them. Now that I have it back, its rather tripping me out! LOL!!!
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Song of the Day: "Peaches" by the Presidents of the United States of America (.... yes.... AGAIN.... LOL!!!! its firmly STUCK in my head and refuses to go anywhere!!!)
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One of my favorite past times is "People Watching". People are funny. If they don't think anybody is looking, they do the strangest things. They also do equally strange, yet different things when they think that people ARE watching them. Yesterday, I popped into a local Kroger to pick up a few things before heading home. I was finishing up a phone conversation before getting out of the car and walking through the gusty wind into the store. As I was glancing around the parking lot, I saw an elderly lady taking her cart back to the cart corral near her vehicle. Because she was walking between other cars, for a few minutes all I could see was her white curly hair. But as she got to the cart corral, I got a good view of her whole self.....
.... and her ensemble......
..... and I nearly fell out of the car......
This lady - who was at the very least 87 year old - was wearing a short, tight, black mini skirt with black tights. A striped ribbed top with a short black leather jacket over it.
I didn't get a look at her feet - but I'd be willing to bet that they were covered in tall high-heeled boots!!
I can't decide if I admire this woman for her devotion to herself and her own personal style... or if I pity her for not having the slightest idea how she appears to the world.
Either way - it was worth sharing.
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Today's Date: January 11, 2013 - FRIDAY !!!!
Today's Weather: rainy.... :( But with a promise of warmer temps!
Today's outfit: my fave Levi's and a Girl Scout tshirt (I'm delivering cookies today... WTF else would I wear???LOL) And my oldest, most favorite green fleece zip-up hoodie. I've had this thing since I was atleast 15 or 16!! Its cozy, its comfy, it has pockets that aren't too terribly deep, but not so shallow that everything falls out - just the perfect depth to put my hands when they're cold. :) And my horrible pepto-bismal pink sneakers. Makeup? Mary Kay all around!! I look good. *wink*
Today's Mood: I was actually feeling really good.... until the whole scene from above reared its ugly head. I don't know why it upsets me so much..... actually, I do... but I'll digress for now.
Currently reading: Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows (for about the 20th time - actually listening to the audiobook at work)
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Quotes of the day:
“Because religious belief, or non-belief, is such an important part of every person’s life, freedom of religion affects every individual. Religious institutions that use government power in support of themselves and force their views on persons of other faiths, or of no faith, undermine all our civil rights. Moreover, state support of an established religion tends to make the clergy unresponsive to their own people, and leads to corruption within religion itself. Erecting the “wall of separation between church and state,” therefore, is absolutely essential in a free society.” - Thomas Jefferson
"It is between fifty and sixty years since I read the Apocalypse, and I then considered it merely the ravings of a maniac, no more worthy, nor capable of explanation than the incoherences of our own nightly dreams.... what has no meaning admits no explanation."-- Thomas Jefferson, to Alexander Smyth, January 17, 1825
What is to be, will be, and no prayers of ours can arrest the decree.-- Abraham Lincoln
Let the human mind loose. It must be loose. It will be loose. Superstition and dogmatism cannot confine it.-- John Adams
"Of all the tyrannies that affect mankind, tyranny in religion is the worst."- Thomas Paine
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