(April 12, 2014 at 11:42 am)Raeven Wrote:(April 10, 2014 at 9:48 pm)Vegamo Wrote: The other day I went over to a "frame shop" to get a quote on framing a bunch of Alex grey posters that I have. The old man was chatty and down to earth, we spent about half an hour talking before he spit out "I am a man of god and believe he put me down on earth to be a framer" I chuckled and carried on a different subject without actually realizing that I felt a sudden disconnect after hearing that.
I started realizing this before but when ever I am around religious folk I develop a disconnection and try to plead out as soon as possible. Basically I don't like being around them, even if they are generous and nice.
Does anyone else feel that way?
This is EXACTLY the thing I'd begun seeing over the past 25 years or so that caused me to become much more organized in my atheism. What I mean by 'organized' is, my status as a non-believer has never been in doubt, but my need to defend my position has never been called upon so casually or so often.
People didn't used to make statements like your framer did in this casual manner. I find it troubling, because it seems to be a matter of great importance to certain religious types (the fundamentalist mob, especially) to ascertain your own religious views before they decide how they're going to treat you as a customer, friend, acquaintance, etc.
I'm quite good at demurring in this situation without quite giving away my views, but I do dislike being put in such a position and I do disconnect. I also usually take my business elsewhere. The religious views of my clients have no bearing on how I treat them or what I charge them. I am suspicious of business owners, particularly, who appear to have this threshold for me to meet in my relationship with them -- whatever it is. Equally true for friendships and acquaintances. I really dislike this new practice of, "I'll show you mine if you show me yours." It's no one's fucking business.
I also dislike the way this practice not-so-subtly incorporates you into validating their point of view. Frequently, once they've pronounced their godly notions, I am expected to just accept all their religious statements as true. Such expressions as, "It's such a blessing, isn't it?" or, "I praise god every single day for... fill-in-the-blank," are thrown about with careless abandon, as if OF COURSE everyone feels this way.
My vision of a true hell? A fundamentalist dentist.
So yeah, disconnect. I really hate it.
Actually - I have long ago decided to simply cut off the conversation - saying that they have the right to believe in whatever spook they want to - and I have the same right NOT to.
IF they persist - since I have actually read the bible - and they likely have not - I simply ask them (They are normally women) - to read 1 Timothy 2 - where it says that women are not allowed to have any authority over a man - and must be silent - submissive and bear children to be saved.
And then I tell them to be silent and submissive -since that is THEIR belief
