No, not everyone is your religion

My neighbor, whom I admire, just tells them she is Jewish and then launches into a monologue about her current difficulty in getting something kosher or her latest trip to Israel or the program she's going to at the Jewish Center like they would understand. I like it because it cuts right off any invitations to attend their church and reassures them that she is very happy and active with a social and supportive group. Sometimes I think that people here in the South just don't want anyone to be lonely.

tmarie64 wrote:So, you would actually TELL someone.. "You meant well, but it doesn't matter because YOUR religion doesn't mean anything to me"? REALLY... You would REALLY do that????

It depends on how they said it. If I'm hurting anyway, you're damn right I'm going to lash out. I could easily see myself saying that I don't believe in the concept that they just stated.

tmarie64 wrote:

If someone said that to me I would tell them, "Ok, Then forget it"... And turn around and walk away, and never look back.
How can you resent well wishes?

Very easily, it turns out.

all

tmarie64 wrote:And she could see the capital "G"?

As the OP stated this was posted somewhere, why, yes, the capital G can be assumed to be readily apparent.

I doubt a Jew would have posted "God"--more likely "G_d" or something similar. I suspect a Muslim would have posted "Allah." I doubt a Buddhist would have mentioned "God." I expect a Pagan of most any sort would have mentioned a specific deity or three (or at least a generic Lord/Lady thing, perhaps "Goddess"). A Hindu could be expected to mention a specific deity. And so forth.

We're rapidly running out of options, you see.

What was that thought, again? Something about you people being too sensitive?

tmarie64 wrote:So, you would actually TELL someone.. "You meant well, but it doesn't matter because YOUR religion doesn't mean anything to me"? REALLY... You would REALLY do that????

If someone said that to me I would tell them, "Ok, Then forget it"... And turn around and walk away, and never look back.
How can you resent well wishes?

If you were leaving one of my rituals, the blessing you would receive is this:
"You stand in the sight of the Aesir and Vanir, you shelter beneath the hammer of Thor. You leave this Frithstead peace holy to all who gather, and the protection of the gods attends you until your own hearth be reached. May the Wights and Alfar shield you, the Disir guide your way."

Now as a Christian, would you accept the invocation of two races of gods, the hovering presence of Thor to literally watch over you? Would you feel blessed to hear the spirits of the land and water, the elves, the spirits of your male ancestors all called up to cloak you, while the spirits of your female ancestors and thier mistress Frigga Odinswife lead you on? To us it is a courtesy and a blessing. To some other persons of faith it is simply a blessing to be accepted in the spirit it is offered. To others it is a heresy, treated somewhere between foolish idolitry and outright demon summoning. The blessing would leave them feeling profoundly uncomfortable, and thus would violate my own gods laws of hospitality, making it an actual heresy for me to so treat a guest of another faith.

Your god is not mine. My gods and goddesses are not yours. I accept you are on the right path for you, and know that I am on the right path for me. I wish you well upon yours, but have no urge to join you. I might praise you before my gods, for honour should be done those who have honour earned, but never would I ask anything of them in your name, nor extend their power over you or yours without your express permission. To do so would be rude.

The original post in this series showed someone doing just that. Now this one was a Christian being rude and presumptuous. To be fair, since there are more Christians than any one other religion in the region right now, it stands to reason they will have more examples of everything; from angles to a$$-hats, and this one is no angel. Every village has idiots; trust me, I am in charge of ours, and my idiots suffice to keep me too busy to point fingers at other faiths villages.

Good morning everyone. I'd like to add my 2cents if I may. Last yr a Sergeant friend of mine, lost his son to suicide. A teen not quite an adult. A very solemn situation for all. When he returned to our ranks there were acknowledgements of condolences given by a lot of us. And not a word was spoken. A touch on the shoulder, hugs were given, holding ones hands for a few seconds, a reassuring firm greeting that lasted a tad longer, even a nod of reassurance. Sometimes you don't even need words....actions speak louder.

John T Mainer wrote:I might praise you before my gods, for honour should be done those who have honour earned, but never would I ask anything of them in your name, nor extend their power over you or yours without your express permission. To do so would be rude.

Precisely, John.

Civilized people simply don't extend their religious reassurances to those not of their faith unless they have asked beforehand if that person would care to receive them. If the answer is, "No, thank you," then the person offering thinks of non-religious phrases if s/he is truly considerate and well-mannered. Or even better, asks the person what are appropriate things to say when wishing to offer support or condolence within the context of that person's faith.

As for issuing a parting shot and then leaving in a huff if you don't get the reaction you expect, such behavior is not only immensely rude and childish but arrogant besides. Anyone who'd do this is simply adding insult to injury.

Here's what I think, and I am not sure if I am saying it well: Bringing YOUR faith into MY situation makes MY situation about YOU. I would include the "I know how you feel; my cat just died." comment in that too.

It is MY situation, or rather, in this it is Gilly's friend's situation. So why would anyone need to make it about themselves?

That's what I think too and, by the way, what I posted in reply to everyone. It isn't about you, it is about them.

Death for some people is awkward, strange, & for some it is an event that is not in everyone's book of experiences. While there are people who are comfortable with attending funeral, a wake, a rosary, the grave side service. But we all must pass thru Death's door. There are some people who think that death is the end, & some who think that death is the beginning. There are people who don't want to see the dead, & some that give a kiss to the dead. There are people who do not go to funerals even if it is a family member, people who need to be "high" to deal when they are confronted by death. There are people who feel it is a solemn occassion, & there are people who feel it should be a light, & joyous event.
IMO: Funerals are for the living, not for the dead. To remind a few people here/not to take away from the conversation: A case in point: Last yr when John's mother passed away, I was sitting @ the funeral home, when a neice of Maw Maw's came through the front door, she seen me, & she was crying all ready...she stated as she hugged me "Oh I am so sorry, Dee." I guided her to sit next to me on the couch. She stated that she didn't know until her sister had told her, & that if she knew that Aunt Kathleen had been this sick she would of stopped by to visit. I understood, what she was trying to say, because even at the age of 88 death comes suddenly, & people do have lives to live! I gave her a tissue, she wiped her eyes & started sobbing again. I rubbed her back, & she stated: "Dee? I'm homeless, I don't have anywhere to live." This was a total shock to my system, I frantically searched around for a familiar face, while keeping my composure. My daughter was near by I asked her to bring cousin to the kitchen to get something to drink......
Gang? I had to quickly & physically get up & walk out of the funeral home, complete w bummened knee, brace, & cane! Judgement, Anger, & total Surprise along with loss of words, & me grasping for & tring to find patience. I wanted to wrap my hands around neice's neck! This was NO place for a scene & this was NOT the time to add stress to a situation. And yet not the funeral nor the homelessness was about me. I held my tongue as long as I could until I grabbed one of my sons, & told him to keep his father away from neice as best he could. He looked at me questioning, I shook my head & quipped "Not now, just do this for me & your father."
I know maybe I'm missing some physcological reasoning behind this episode in my life. We must experience human kind in all of its glory. There is always a 1st time for everyting, isn't there? People are funny aren't they?