It's been a week or so since my last rant, so I'm about due again. Here goes:
Y'all know I'm an atheist, but I'm not one of "those" atheists. I don't try to push it on people the same way I don't want people pushing their religion on me. But, having been raised Catholic, I've read the bible through several times. And...
I recently had a long conversation with a friend, a woman who's a devout Christian (extreme willpower exercised there not putting quotation marks around Christian...and let me tell you why) and she's actually a lovely lady. We get along well, we've had lunch and whatnot. (Although every other word out of her mouth is pray, prayer, Jesus, the Lord, Savior, etc...) Anyway, we got to talking about healthcare. She's rah rah Bush ultraconservative Republican and I'm a far left liberal Democrat atheist. Probably shouldn't talk about politics, but we're always careful to be respectful of each others' views. Anway, she's against universal health care. I'm for it.
Her argument: why should she have to pay for healthcare for people who don't have it? Why can't they just go out and GET JOBS WITH HEALTH INSURANCE? Why should my money go to pay for other people's health care, and let me tell you another thing, it really makes me angry that my money's going to pay for medicare for people that retire at 62. They need to work into their 70's and even 80's! I plan to. Why can't they? I shouldn't have to pay for homeless people's healthcare. I shouldn't have to pay for poor peoples' health care. They can get jobs and better themselves...blah blah blah. This went on for quite some time. I just smiled and listened, you know?
And, when she finished, I thought...Um...didn't Jesus say to give away all your earthly possessions because they mean nothing? Didn't Jesus say to give away your money to the poor? I thought it, but I didn't say it. Exercise in futility, it would have been. '
I got no beef with Jesus. I think he was a really cool dude. He tried hard to get everyone off their crappy, downer, hateful ideas and spread the love. I would go so far as to call him saintly. If I met Jesus, I'd give him a great big hug and tell him thank you and that I'm sorry the human race has so misconstrued his teachings over the years and used his name for so much nastiness. The human race owes this dude a big apology, IMO.
Anyway, my question: how do these people reconcile their...to put it lightly...uncharitable notions with being "Christians?" How can they use the bible to justify putting others down, stripping others of their constitutional rights, lamblast others for being poor, bitch about the possibility of parting with a couple of their coins to help someone else, etc...and in the same breath talk about prayer, prayer, prayer, Jesus, Jesus, Jesus, Lord, Lord, Lord, church, church, church?
I just don't get it.
