ALL: TallPockets is about to take on a very 'sensitive' subject. On the PLUS side, he's most probably ALREADY OFFENDED most everyone here by now, so what the hey.
"Forgive old, grumpy TallPockets - he knows not what he does". WINK.
MANY of MY fellow BRETHREN (of ALL 'colors' in the voting booth and those who have NO 'color' or voting proclivities) often ask me, "TallPockets, WHY is it that it seems that so many folks attack US Christians or religious folks these days?"
So, DUMB TallPockets, being just that, forges ahead. Which reminds me of the old, Alexander Pope saying, "Fools rush in where ANGELS fear to tread".
Anyhooooo .... I TRY to tell such above folks this:
Well, MAYBE it's because they see and hear ALOT of preachers on t.v. or politicians, or their neighbors or those in their OWN CHURCH, who SAY one thing and DO exactly what they preach or speak AGAINST? All the time, claiming the moral and religious superiority platform.
MAYBE it's because they see a MULTI-MILLION dollar CHURCH built very close to a POORER than DIRT community of peoples?
MAYBE it's because such RELIGIOUS folks get very angry when they're told they can't do something YET those same offendees have NO problem being openly critical towards OTHERS who do NOT believe what THEY believe in America?
MAYBE it's because they hear US saying, "HATE the SIN and LOVE the SINNER" all the time. But, in REAL LIFE PRACTICE, they see WE HATE the SINNER as well as their SIN?
MAYBE it's because WE RELIGIOUS folks get all ANGRY at THOSE who do NOT believe as WE now do. Even though, for MANY of US, it might have taken YEARS to get HERE?
*** (BTW FOLKS: ***
MANY ''DEMOCRATS'' and ''INDEPENDENTS'' in MY area are NOT happy with the IDEA that goes around, that ONLY ''REPUBLICANS'' are TRUE believers in RELIGION). ***
Personally, I STILL can NOT understand WHY someone claiming to be RELIGIOUS would EVER get ANGRY at someone else just because that someone else did not see what WE claim to see?
To DUMB old ME, if my KID was MISSING out on something in life that "I" thought to be GOOD for him or her, I would not be MAD at them. I would be SAD FOR them. Make sense, folks???
TallPockets used to SMOKE years back. Two packs a day for FIVE years. The BOSS I worked for HARASSED me for MONTHS to get me to QUIT. All the while, same above said boss had SMOKED for THIRTY years before he saw the LIGHT. I told said boss I had another 25 YEARS to BEAT his PROGRESS. WINK.
HECK, dear folks, "I" don't like US "RELIGIOUS" folks, at times, EITHER!
WE seem to be able to quote scripture by the verse loads yet WE seem, FAR too OFTEN, to ONLY quote the one that BEST bolsters the argument WE want to WIN.
WE also often seem to IGNORE the INCONVENIENT ones that we are SUPPOSED to follow. You know, the ones that are "HARD" to do, sometimes.
To DUMB old ME, I use THIS verse as MY life METAPHOR and INSTRUCTION:
"Ye shall be judged by how ye treat the LEAST among ye" .....
Pretty darned SIMPLE, folks, as "I" see it. If you buy the "PREMISE", as comedians say, you buy the 'BIT' as it were.
IF and WHEN WE get to actually MEETING the above direction, MAYBE a BUNCH of folks will feel MUCH better towards RELIGIOUS folks???
WE complain about the right to PRAY in schools. PUBLIC schools. PERSONALLY, "I" have NO problem with PRAYER in schools IF ALL religions and faiths can do so, likewise.
My PREFERENCE, however, would be leave SCHOOLS to TEACH school subjects and leave CHURCHES to teach church subjects.
MANY of us SAY that we don't want GOVERNMENT to even BEGIN to TELL US what to DO, how to live OUR lives, what we can BELIEVE or NOT believe, etc. MOST of us SAY how BADLY that GOVERNMENT can NOT run things WELL and we need LESS of it! To THAT I say, ''AMEN''! WINK.
"I" do NOT want the GOVERNMENT getting involved in MY or ANYONE ELSE's RELIGION, dear citizens.
That is YOUR personal choice. It should NEVER be made by ANYONE person, persons, OR a GOVERNMENT institution, from MY humble perspective. PERIOD.
Btw: To MY fellow BRETHREN. I PRAYED in school. Not always OUT LOUD. But I did PRAY. As a school kid I PRAYED like you wouldn't believe to PASS my MATH tests. GRIN. Among, of course, other more serious things.
Like for my CLASSMATE who was two years ahead of me and was my friend who I used to ride the schoolbus with who DIED in VIETNAM. The announcement of his DEATH was given over the school intercom to ALL students that dreary day. A day I'll NEVER forget and always remember.
It is also this old man's OPINION, that you CANNNOT 'legislate' MORALITY. By that, I simply mean that a GOVERNMENT can pass MORAL type laws and LEGAL laws for the overall good of society. Yet, they cannot MAKE or FORCE someone to NOT break them.
Just the mere ISSUANCE of such does not MAKE it so in society. SOCIETY, and the PEOPLE who make it up, are RESPONSIBLE to ACT accordingly. In a UTOPIAN society, NO LAWS would even be REQUIRED!
To further justify this thought and view of mine, I offer the TEN COMMANDMENTS. Look at WHO wrote them and HOW OFTEN since then they have been and WILL CONTINUE to be, BROKEN by people.
So, I simply say, keep the GOVERNMENT out of OUR PERSONAL lives. (Another famous quote from a recent president).
"Oh ye of little faith" ------------
Another quotation I often speak to MY BRETHREN.
When I ask HONEST questions to them like, "WHAT exactly is it that you CANNOT do regarding your 'religion' these days?
They go on to say stuff like, "My kid can't PRAY in school". I smile and tell them, "TELL your kid to go ahead and PRAY". I further state, IF they kick him and 80% of the other kids outta' school for a PRAYER here or there, they'll soon have NO school.
I further go on to say that they can't lock 200 MILLION folks up all at once. It wouldn't be feasible first of all and the country would SHUT DOWN due to NO ONE WORKING. SMILE.
I also ask them IF the government passed a LAW stating RELIGION was ILLEGAL tomorrow, would they STOP being religious?
This usually brings either a RED FACE or a wry smile from said brethren friends of mine.
BTW: I do PREFER a RELIGIOUS person be PRESIDENT but I also state that with this:
I know MANY RELIGIOUS folks in my area of ALL stripes, colors or lack of such. I also know MANY folks NOT of the RELIGIOUS characterization who I deem to be GOOD folks as well.
Just because someone IS religious, to ME, doesn't mean that I would RIDE with them in their CAR as they may be a LOUSY or UNSAFE driver. Nor, because of the same views, would I want them to be my BANKER or my COMPANY C.E.O. because they were NOT GOOD at such.
It applies to the SURGEON operating on my LOVED ones or on behalf of our BELOVED SOLDIERS fighting for their LIVES on a hospital bed overseas.
That ALSO qualifies, for ME, regarding the OFFICE OF PRESIDENT of AMERICA.
Simply put, I want the BEST QUALIFIED person to do the JOB available.
(I'll let the MAN upstairs take care of the 'people' thingy in HIS own way. Somehow, I don't think HE will need MY or anyone else's help? WINK).
ANYONE reading this, believer or NOT, want to ADD to the WHY part of my piece? THANKS, in advance, for any/all suggestions. Be NICE, now. GRIN. MUCH appreciated.
To all MY religious BRETHREN:
There is one other often quoted saying I learned growing up (well, OK .... I haven't YET grown up! WINK) ---
"PRACTICE what you PREACH"
Right church, wrong PEW yours,
TallPockets.
BTW: TallPocket's FAVORITE PRAYER (He OFTEN recites!):
"Dear LORD, let my WORDS be TENDER & SWEET. For, SOON and OFTEN, I may have to EAT them!". WINK.
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