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Yes, it does. And where I grew up too, they're just as insanely religious. But yeah, the South is known for this sort of thing. Some Saturdays, and way too early, the JW's come knocking, but I don't answer. And the nearby Baptist churches leave tracts and invitations to their churches. It's maddening.
LOL the asking where you go to church is probably one of my biggest pet peeves. When you try and be nice and say "I don't go to church" it turns into why not? and how I should visit their church. I've really had it here with this stuff. I feel like a fish out of water, flailing around looking for like minded people to throw me back in the water.
Where you live sounds great.
Well, it's New Jersey. A bit more populated than where you are. High taxes.
But an ocean with great beaches, excellent pizza, and a lot of racial and religious diversity, which also means more food choices. Oh, and a really big cool city just to the east.
I know nothing other than what you wrote but there is no way in hell that anyone who believes in God and Jesus will ever want anything to do with you on any romantic level and possibly only level. You aren’t the devil but you are anti God, so, almost the same. I would have never considered dating an atheist. I may be friends with one buy only of religion never came up. Just find someone like you. I wouldn’t even date anyone out of my religion. I’m Catholic. How could I possibly ever date a Jew? She thinks my lord and savior is just some carpenter rabbi. I’m not even that religious but that is a dealbreaker for me and probably many people.
This is no big deal. Don’t know what upset you so much. Have no idea who “she” even is. But whoever she is, it’s no loss if she is not on the same page with you.
That's putting it mildly, she is funny farm nuts. My neighbor was my hero, even though I didn't know it until two days later. Yes you're right, it was about religion but it was more about her insanity. She fooled me and I thought I was done being gullible. I guess that never ends if you're a good person.
You weren't being gullible by any means. The woman blindsided you. I mean, you were like trapped...in your own home no less...Grrrrr.
Been there before.
It sux.
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Exactly, and you're the kind of christian that is representing. Empathy for others, no matter what they believe, and that's all that should matter. Poor Rodney.
Well, thanks. I don't really give two hoots about religious beliefs. Yes, I'm Catholic. Or, should I say, I'm "Catholic." I don't look at homosexuals (for example) and think/say, "Y'all are gonna burn in hell"! Whereas a number of Catholics -- and non-Catholic Christians -- would think exactly that. And yes, it bothers me that some of them do...and that some of them can get very VOCAL about it...to the point of your "friend". Spewing off...flipping you the double bird...Ugh...
Sometimes, being a member of my religion disgusts me...film at eleven.
What you experienced is NOT what Christianity is all about.
I do not look at a professed atheist who suffers from some kind of trauma and think, "Well, you DESERVED what you got for not believing in God! *wags finger to shame you* Yeah. Riiiiight.
No, no, no. NOT my style.
I've worked with abused women before. Didn't matter if they were white, black, Hispanic, Catholic, Hindu, Muslim, or green from Mars. While you didn't suffer from constant abuse, your "friend" *ahem* abused you.
Christian or atheist...you didn't deserve that treatment. That was so over the top, there WAS no top.
*Asks God to turn His back for a moment* I hear stuff like this, and I don't wanna be "Christian"...I wanna smack your "friend" into the next century...and have her regret that she landed there. *O.k. God. You can come back now...:*
ETA: The more I think about this, the more I realize that her angry outburst wasn't about *you*. While you may have been the catalyst, this really had nothing to do with *you*.
You weren't being gullible by any means. The woman blindsided you. I mean, you were like trapped...in your own home no less...Grrrrr.
Been there before.
It sux.
Well, thanks. I don't really give two hoots about religious beliefs. Yes, I'm Catholic. Or, should I say, I'm "Catholic." I don't look at homosexuals (for example) and think/say, "Y'all are gonna burn in hell"! Whereas a number of Catholics -- and non-Catholic Christians -- would think exactly that. And yes, it bothers me that some of them do...and that some of them can get very VOCAL about it...to the point of your "friend". Spewing off...flipping you the double bird...Ugh...
Sometimes, being a member of my religion disgusts me...film at eleven.
What you experienced is NOT what Christianity is all about.
I do not look at a professed atheist who suffers from some kind of trauma and think, "Well, you DESERVED what you got for not believing in God! *wags finger to shame you* Yeah. Riiiiight.
No, no, no. NOT my style.
I've worked with abused women before. Didn't matter if they were white, black, Hispanic, Catholic, Hindu, Muslim, or green from Mars. While you didn't suffer from constant abuse, your "friend" *ahem* abused you.
Christian or atheist...you didn't deserve that treatment. That was so over the top, there WAS no top.
*Asks God to turn His back for a moment* I hear stuff like this, and I don't wanna be "Christian"...I wanna smack your "friend" into the next century...and have her regret that she landed there. *O.k. God. You can come back now...:*
ETA: The more I think about this, the more I realize that her angry outburst wasn't about *you*. While you may have been the catalyst, this really had nothing to do with *you*.
Just sayin'...
It is bothersome when you are a part of Christianity but then there are the lunatic fringe that makes all of Christianity look bad. That's true with any kind of group, just look at the Maga. That's all I'll say about that.
I'm sure working with abused women was extremely hard and very difficult to witness. There was some physical abuse in my past but not like that. I really feel for those women, they go through hell and can't escape. I'm very glad there are shelters for them to go to.
To me, being Catholic is interesting. The neighbor who made sure she left that night is Catholic and I've learned some things from him about it. That was my goal here after I de-converted from Christianity, to learn about other religions. But at this board anyway, some of the religious can't get past the atheist thing to be able to talk about their religion to me.
So, incoming sarcasm and burns when that happens. I don't like to argue. I like to debate and discuss. That's what kind of discussion I was hoping for but you're right, I was verbally assaulted and if I hadn't been insistent on her leaving she might have turned violent. You should have seen the crazy look in her eyes. If I were still a Christian, I would have definitely thought she was possessed.
No, it really wasn't about me, I think it would have happened eventually with her over something else, she's obviously mentally disturbed and I'm not equipped to handle that. I'll just have to wait until I move to make new friends. I guess it's never a good idea to assume someone is like they were 30 years ago.
That's great that your FIL is well-cared for. She will need a break from care-giving though, I hope someone is there to relieve her once in a while. I watch my Mom's health decline when she was taking care of her husband. It takes a huge toll on the caregiver. That's going to be me I'm afraid, sooner than later. I won't mind at all, I just know what caregiving can do to a person.
They are fairly well-off and had long-term care insurance so now they have daily help. At first she didn't like the intrusiveness of it but she got used to it quickly enough. I think it took 6 months for all that to kick in, which is common with those policies.
He is blind, incontinent, and needs 24/7 oxygen because during his last hospitalization he caught Covid and it permanently scarred his lungs. That is too much for one person to handle.
I have been a sole caregiver for the first 6 or 7 years of this century so I know whereof you speak ...
I doubt you'd have to go that far. When I used to go to Ithaca to visit my brother at Cornell, the exit I/we would take off I-86 featured a nearby home with a large, homemade lawn sign reading, 'FRACK HERE, CUOMO!'. Andrew Cuomo was state governor at the time, and the resident was obviously protesting NY's statewide ban on hydraulic fracturing...he probably knew of people selling their properties to energy companies in nearby PA and making a carcinogenic windfall. Gasland was a great documentary on the topic....
Yeah there's a guy in Cortland with giant yard signs proclaiming Trump the rightful President. Occasionally right-wingers mount protests in downtown Ithaca, and they've been known to take an ugly turn.
I empathize with your loneliness, OP. But you let her go on four or more hours and in your home? That would not last five minutes in my house. I would have politely shown her the door and I do know how hard that can be to do. Better to have boundaries and hold lunatics at arm's length if not able to cut them off completely. Once a nut reveals themselves they will never be allowed in my home.
Eta, I read further and understand better. Maybe should iave called the police tho to make a record of her coming back. Still not too late if it could help. They could talk to the neighbor too. Many homeless are at least mentally unwell if not bat crap crazy. I'm glad she didn't attack physically. Best wishes. Stay well.
Thanks PegE, I do have one friend, my neighbor, who doesn't judge me so that's very helpful. I'm finally getting to a place where I want to socialize more and it's impossible here. She seems to be just like another ex-friend who was not mentally stable and behaved the same way as this old "friend". Talking incessantly, and if I tried to get a word in they looked at me like I was being rude! It was a long, drawn out process to finally get shed of the ex-friend. She also talked non-stop about god so those two are very similar.
Apparently I attract nut-jobs. They cling to me like leaches. And the chances of finding another atheist around here are very slim. So, you all will be seeing a lot more of me since my Mother is well enough right now to do for herself mostly and I need my friends at C-D. So here I will be.
I can't stand constant jabbering, unfinished thoughts and not being heard. There must be something in the water that makes these people around here completely insane. I filter my water.
They are fairly well-off and had long-term care insurance so now they have daily help. At first she didn't like the intrusiveness of it but she got used to it quickly enough. I think it took 6 months for all that to kick in, which is common with those policies.
He is blind, incontinent, and needs 24/7 oxygen because during his last hospitalization he caught Covid and it permanently scarred his lungs. That is too much for one person to handle.
I have been a sole caregiver for the first 6 or 7 years of this century so I know whereof you speak ...
That's great that they had the insurance, that's not a bad idea. Yes, the intrusiveness is exactly why my Mother wouldn't accept help. She's OCD/perfectionist and to have people walking through her house getting it dirty was completely unacceptable to her.
OH my, he does need constant care, that's terrible that he contracted Covid in the hospital. It really is too much for one person. I'm sorry you had to go through that Mordant, at least you stepped up and did what needed to be done. That's admirable.
What you experienced is NOT what Christianity is all about.
It is not what it's supposed to be about, and in this case I think it's pretty clear the person's main problem is mental illness, and I resist the temptation to pin this whole sorry incident exclusively on religion.
I will say though that the more authoritarian forms of Christianity, especially pentecostalism, often play into this and serve as an attractor for people with certain dysfunctions.
With this particular person it's hard to separate how much her faith serves as an excuse for her dysfunction, or the opposite. BUT, that is kind of my point.
My version of your disclaimer used to be more along the lines of trying to disassociate the faith from the antics of various televangelists, every time there would be another absurd scandal. But also occasionally trying to disassociate from the bad actions of in-duh-viduals using the faith as an excuse or justification.
It's an aspect of being a Christian that I very much do NOT miss.
It is not what it's supposed to be about, and in this case I think it's pretty clear the person's main problem is mental illness, and I resist the temptation to pin this whole sorry incident exclusively on religion.
I will say though that the more authoritarian forms of Christianity, especially pentecostalism, often play into this and serve as an attractor for people with certain dysfunctions.
With this particular person it's hard to separate how much her faith serves as an excuse for her dysfunction, or the opposite. BUT, that is kind of my point.
My version of your disclaimer used to be more along the lines of trying to disassociate the faith from the antics of various televangelists, every time there would be another absurd scandal. But also occasionally trying to disassociate from the bad actions of in-duh-viduals using the faith as an excuse or justification.
It's an aspect of being a Christian that I very much do NOT miss.
She used to be fun nutty, now she's just scary. Mental illness and dysfunction run rampant in her family so I'm not really surprised that she became the same. You are absolutely correct, it is not religion's fault that she is such a poor representation of it. There are a lot of those. This is straight up mental illness and like Mink said, my admission of being an atheist was only the catalyst.
I do not miss it either. You know, what's scary is I once felt as she does about atheists. It's pure ignorance and in her case, being mentally ill. She grew up in Fundamentalism also so there is some brainwashing with her too. But that is not my problem, I am only responsible for myself. I had to learn the hard way not to take on other people's problems. But I learned. I'm finding my voice irl, whereas I didn't speak up or out like I do on C-D.
Putting things in writing puts it all in perspective. There is a certain freedom that comes with posting here, not only are you not known, it gives you a voice when you wouldn't have one otherwise. If I want to express my views and opinions to someone, I write them a letter. It's cathartic and I don't even have to give it to them. I can't be interrupted when writing. That's a big deal to me.
But back to your post lol, I feel the same way, I don't miss it either.
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Oh, and a really big cool city just to the east.
I don't look at homosexuals (for example) and think/say, "Y'all are gonna burn in hell"! Whereas a number of Catholics -- and non-Catholic Christians -- would think exactly that. 
And yes, it bothers me that some of them do...and that some of them can get very VOCAL about it...to the point of your "friend". Spewing off...flipping you the double bird...Ugh...
