>Caliann the Elf <calianng_graves at yahoo.com> wrote: > >>Frank Mayhar <frank at exit.com> wrote: > >>"Easy to ignore?" Where have _you_ been living? > > > >As for me, I have been living in SE Texas, which is the BUCKLE in the > >Bible Belt. Yes, I have had religion affect me negatively, especially > >the Christian religion. I *still* find it pretty easy to ignore 90% >of >the time. Okay, now that everyone knows where you are living, I wonder if you ever go outside of your house? :) Perhaps it is easier for some to ignore than others. I have had problems ignoring it and I live in So. Cal. which I would believe by comparison to Texas is very liberal in its religious views. (Or, perhaps, now that I look back on Frank Mayhar’s thread, and see he is from here too I wonder if we are in a more religious climate than we would like to imagine.) Yet, every time I make a solid attempt to ignore it, or people that are trying to push it, I find myself having it pushed at me. When this happens I eventually, (as I usually do *try* to ignore it but these people won't quit), find myself yet again having to stop and say "look, here are my views and no offense but anything you say is not going to change my mind on that, so please stop trying because at no point in this conversation am I going to agree with you, ever." >My family still sends me "God Loves You" based e-mails. I delete >them. I >learned long ago not to try to talk them out of sending them >to me. ><shrugs> Okay, what do you do about holidays? Times when people are in this hospital? Birth of children in your family? Can you ignore it then when they say "If only God..." or "God has been good to us..." etc. Or worse yet, expressing their Christian views and their disdain for anyone that is not Christian. Of course, if you believe in God, or are Christian I am sure this is much easier. >I have found even less of a reason to share my religious preferences >as my >sexual preferences. Work makes a sparkling conversation topic >at work. > > Humph, I myself have found the exact opposite. In fact one of the reasons I left my last job because the entire office tried to push religion. The funny thing is though, they were of various religions and always trying to push it, I now work for a group of Mormons and I hardly ever hear it. Nonetheless, it is hard when even *they* start talking religion, as it seems a great majority of people do at one time or another, to know how to speak. This is especially difficult when ignoring the situation would be inappropriate, saying "I am an __________" would be even less appropriate, or even worse may give them reason to think about terminating my employment (other than my reading this darn message board instead of working half the time). >As for being insulted by national figures on public television? Well, >I >have yet to take anything said on television personally. How can >someone >who does not know me insult me? Yeah, this one I have to agree with you on. On television in general, if you don't like it, turn it off. If you don't like the political structure you are under, work for social change. In sum, I find the whole religion thing very difficult to ignore, so please elucidate to me as to how this can be accomplished since you attest that you have mastered this art. I swear if it is as simple as you make it and you have some ‘sure fire won’t fail method’ I will be eternally grateful. ~Holly~ _________________________________________________________________ Add photos to your e-mail with MSN 8. Get 2 months FREE*. http://join.msn.com/?page=features/featuredemail