I got a really snarky response to something I posted on Facecrack by someone I thought was a liberal to moderate Christian. This is the exchange:
Me: When is it okay for someone to browbeat a fellow passenger with information that God is punishing them? I'm fed up to here with the Christian privilege that says whatever Christians do is okay but it's not okay to criticize Christians. The author was mocking the person who deemed it necessary to "witness" to her
Me: So I asked another Christian friend if this crossed a line and the person said that no, they were making fun of the guy and his platitudes, besides which...God closing a door and opening a window isn't even in the Bible so it's not even scripture. They were making fun of the guy for being arrogant enough to think that he was "helping."
End exchange
I still think it's hilarious and am a bit pissed off that the responder chose to immediately chastise me instead of just saying, "hey, I find that offensive." In which case I would have extended my apologies that she was offended but I wouldn't have changed a thing because as my Christian friend (who has asked to remain anonymous in order to stay out of it) says, it's making fun of a guy and his platitudes because he thinks he's helping the Bloggess into the kingdom of his god.
Of late, I've noticed that friends who I often thought of as liberal/moderate are coming across nearly as fundie as the fundie friends I've had to push out of my life. And that includes some relatives of mine as well.
This particular friend has let me know that this blog makes her feel uncomfortable. I'm guessing it's because I criticize Christianity and Christians. I don't ridicule it/them and I don't make shit up about it/them. I'm talking about my experiences and the way I view it now that I'm free from it. Personal experience. It's not like what some of the Christians out there do, by making shit up and passing it off as truth. Which, when I was a Christian, I totally bought because of course, they wouldn't be lying because that would be a sin. Except they do. All the time.
And that particular commandment about not bearing false witness. Which really isn't about telling lies so much as it's about falsely damaging someone's reputation. Deliberately damaging someone's reputation. Which a lot of these fundie types do all the time. Because the minions believe everything they say.
So, yeah...a bit pissed off today. The whole Christian privilege thing that goes on includes not criticizing their brand of mythology because that's sacrilege. But it's okay to make up shit about what Pagans really believe, how they practice and what their history/mythology really is.
But it's outrageous to make a silly little joke about a silly little man who thinks platitudes really help people.
ETA: The rest of the exchange:
Name deleted: Kathy, I didn't miss what you think was the point of the blog. Really, I got that part, okay? Ridiculing Jesus being born "in a barn" and some imaginary conversation where He & God are sniping at each other in a demeaning fashion--none of that had ANYTHING to do with the guy. As for a sense of humor--that surprised me. If you had no sacred cows of your own, I wouldn't expect you to get it. But since you do, and since we know how you feel about people being disrespectful about them, I'm pretty surprised that you'd think this is funny. We'lll have to agree to disagree.
thebloggess.com
On the way home from our vacation/hospital-stay, Victor and I ended up traveling with a very well-meaning man who wouldn’t stop talking about how God put me in the hospital on purpose because apparently He hates me.
Me: When is it okay for someone to browbeat a fellow passenger with information that God is punishing them? I'm fed up to here with the Christian privilege that says whatever Christians do is okay but it's not okay to criticize Christians. The author was mocking the person who deemed it necessary to "witness" to her
Me: No, I wouldn't because I have a sense of humor about these things. And no, they were making fun of his platitudes about God opening up a window, not about Christianity.
Me: So I asked another Christian friend if this crossed a line and the person said that no, they were making fun of the guy and his platitudes, besides which...God closing a door and opening a window isn't even in the Bible so it's not even scripture. They were making fun of the guy for being arrogant enough to think that he was "helping."
End exchange
I still think it's hilarious and am a bit pissed off that the responder chose to immediately chastise me instead of just saying, "hey, I find that offensive." In which case I would have extended my apologies that she was offended but I wouldn't have changed a thing because as my Christian friend (who has asked to remain anonymous in order to stay out of it) says, it's making fun of a guy and his platitudes because he thinks he's helping the Bloggess into the kingdom of his god.
Of late, I've noticed that friends who I often thought of as liberal/moderate are coming across nearly as fundie as the fundie friends I've had to push out of my life. And that includes some relatives of mine as well.
This particular friend has let me know that this blog makes her feel uncomfortable. I'm guessing it's because I criticize Christianity and Christians. I don't ridicule it/them and I don't make shit up about it/them. I'm talking about my experiences and the way I view it now that I'm free from it. Personal experience. It's not like what some of the Christians out there do, by making shit up and passing it off as truth. Which, when I was a Christian, I totally bought because of course, they wouldn't be lying because that would be a sin. Except they do. All the time.
And that particular commandment about not bearing false witness. Which really isn't about telling lies so much as it's about falsely damaging someone's reputation. Deliberately damaging someone's reputation. Which a lot of these fundie types do all the time. Because the minions believe everything they say.
So, yeah...a bit pissed off today. The whole Christian privilege thing that goes on includes not criticizing their brand of mythology because that's sacrilege. But it's okay to make up shit about what Pagans really believe, how they practice and what their history/mythology really is.
But it's outrageous to make a silly little joke about a silly little man who thinks platitudes really help people.
ETA: The rest of the exchange:
Name deleted: Kathy, I didn't miss what you think was the point of the blog. Really, I got that part, okay? Ridiculing Jesus being born "in a barn" and some imaginary conversation where He & God are sniping at each other in a demeaning fashion--none of that had ANYTHING to do with the guy. As for a sense of humor--that surprised me. If you had no sacred cows of your own, I wouldn't expect you to get it. But since you do, and since we know how you feel about people being disrespectful about them, I'm pretty surprised that you'd think this is funny. We'lll have to agree to disagree.
- ME: We used to make cracks about Jesus being born in a barn years ago when I was a very devout Christian. And exchanges like the one above, imagining conversations between God and Jesus. In my old fundamenalist church. So you're offended, I get that. But obviously other Christians find this funny so it's not me being disrespectful at all.
- Me: And my sacred cows consist of being called a Satan worshiper. Not quite the same as having a sense of humor about God.
Delete that asshole and every other asshole who pisses you off. It's your Facebook, you shouldn't have to read crap from idiots. As the SisterWife says "Facebook should be a happy place" ; )
ReplyDeleteYou are absolutely right, Dark Mother. Life is too short to put up with people getting all butt hurt because their deity is a speshul snowflake. :)
ReplyDeleteI'm with Dark Mother - hear hear! Who needs that bullshit? Are you my friend or not? Are you here to be my mother, my teacher, my boss, my preacher OR - my friend?
ReplyDeleteHomey don't play that.
PS - thanks for not posting my reply on Facebook re: this. Ha!!!!! ;)
LOL! Like I would do that. I debated whether to post the exchange or not, but since facecrack is public (and your message was private, silly) I didn't figure I was breaking any kind of ethical protocol. BTW...I forgot I had friended her husband's account for purposes of playing games so she decided to come back and set me straight on my faults, including how I'm passionate about things so I must be dogmatic about them, too. And she brought up my fundie past when I couldn't see anything but my way. And this is friendship?
ReplyDeleteOh I know you wouldn't post our PMs. I was completely joking around when I said that. LOL I agree that what people put out there in the public sphere is, well, public. One of these days I'm sure this will bite me in the ass personally.
ReplyDelete