A pleasant Facebook Christmas surprise (salvation, churches, Islam, worship)

[cupper3]

I was pleasantly surprised this Christmas with the lack of overtly religious wishes which normally one sees on Facebook at Easter and Christmas time. I had firmly resolved that for every 20 religious Christmas messages, that I would retaliate with an overtly secular one, most of which would have originated from Hitchens. Or maybe Dawkins. I posted none.

Instead what happened this year were many heartfelt wishes for the Christmas season, as well as wishes to family and very few that were overtly religious, and even those were in good taste. Perhaps finally posters on Facebook realize that their religion belongs at home and in their churches, and not out in public being pushed on everyone. It was such a pleasant change to see.

Maybe many of them took to heart the following quote.

Attributed to Maggie Smith:

"My dear, religion is like a penis. It's a perfectly fine thing for one to have and take pride in, but when one takes it out and waves it in my face we have a problem."

[DewDropInn]

Originally Posted by cupper3

. I had firmly resolved that for every 20 religious Christmas messages, that I would retaliate with an overtly secular one, most of which would have originated from Hitchens.

What about Christmas cards? Do/did you keep track of how many religious cards you receive and "retaliate" when you get too many with an overtly religious message?

Retaliate. An aggressive action. Because someone has posted something you don't like. Sound like mean girl drama in junior high school.

[cupper3]

Originally Posted by DewDropInn

What about Christmas cards? Do/did you keep track of how many religious cards you receive and "retaliate" when you get too many with an overtly religious message?

Retaliate. An aggressive action. Because someone has posted something you don't like. Sound like mean girl drama in junior high school.

Interesting the enough, I just had a long conversation with my daughter about Christmas cards and help you get sent now.

Perhaps retaliate is a strong word, but I've checked to having a religious message pushed on me and a place that I view as a place for social interaction. And yes, I obviously understand that there will be some of that religious fervor pushed, but when it starts getting to the point that every second message is a call to salvation, it is time for me to interject for a secular message.

Just keeping it real.

[bulmabriefs144]

Originally Posted by DewDropInn

What about Christmas cards? Do/did you keep track of how many religious cards you receive and "retaliate" when you get too many with an overtly religious message?

Retaliate. An aggressive action. Because someone has posted something you don't like. Sound like mean girl drama in junior high school.

Mmm. This seems common in religion stuff.

You know, I think the true meaning of Christmas is something like this. That for one day, we step out of afterschool special mode, and just get along. Jesus was a dude who died on a cross over people's small-mindedness.

Not to make us converts. But because this is enough. Stop stoning people for sin. And this is why I can't abide Islam. They basically are in a time warp that never got the modernizing effect of Christians. We don't need to convert to Jesus worship. But we need to move past this mentality that insulting someone is a stoning penalty.

This world could be our playground, if we treated everyone the way that we want to be treated, and saw the value in each other. But the last person who suggested that was hung from a cross.