christ NO
Oh goddess - the christians. A stocky white womon, short, very strate dyed cinnamon hair parted on the side and held back with a small silver barrette approached me today at a rest stop, claiming she admired my truck. She was staring at the anti-monsanto/womyn growing peace organic side. But she didn't know who monsanto is and she doesn't speak spanish.
I had seen her van parked at the curb when I walked to the bathroom earlier - it was covered in those maybe 2"x3" stick-on silver letters on a pale gold background that blended in with her dirty rose paint job - with bible sayings and her devotion to christ was blatant. I smiled to myself as I went out of my way to avoid her - how can I talk about someone with her vehicle covered in messages...
But when I returned to my truck and began pumping my veggie oil, she appeared and we got to talking. Renee shared an interesting story with me - a couple actually - one saying god told her to give her camper to a homeless man, which is why now she only has a van to travel around and sleep in. As she flushed out the story, he was actually working on a construction job but sleeping in the office. She felt, even though he was homeless, he was working hard so he deserved the camper, as per god's instruction.
She also identified as a christian minister and had the kind face and demeanor fitting for one, with a bulky sweater on and no collar.
She said she'd been ministering in Idaho in a church where her husband was pastor. A white church, of course. Then the church started forming a militia, refusing to pay taxes, going off the grid while arming themselves. She stood up against this and was kicked out - of the church and her marriage.
How scary!
Still, she's committed to christ and god and VERY concerned that I do not share her commitment nor her god - which I was more than willing to point out so she didn't mistake my proselytizing as any agreement with her 'do what christ says' message.
She tried very hard to smile and nod her head, even though I'm saying things she could never agree with like when she pointed to the heavans where her god resides and I pointed to the vast desert, the hawk perched above us on the mesquite tree, the distant mountains standing stiff as egg whites plopped onto a tray where my goddesses reside.
We agreed on the horrific state of our country and I tried to get her to explain how she can separate the religion as it has manifested itself for 2000 years and her faith in the christian god. She nodded and agreed that horrible things have been happening "lately" in the name of christ - but she hurries to add that it is not christ's fault.
When I challenged her "lately" myth, she began to get agitated and wanted me to prove that people have been slaughtered in the name of christianity since the religion began. I told her to prove to me that they haven't. I talked about the fuckin "discovery doctrine" that she never heard of, the crusades that she saw as a benign and welcomed spreading of light through the 'dark' ages.
It became clear to her that I was not going to start worshiping her god but she actually kept our connection going until her last argument about her concern with my afterlife. I had already told her I'm a Jew but it was when I claimed Jews don't believe in an afterlife.
That, more than anything, put her over the edge. I told her I was more concerned with how I'm living this life than about some 'afterlife' christians have made up. I told her my behavior was not dependent on ensuring my entrance into 'heaven' but on caring for all life on this planet.
She walked off in a huff, so angry she wouldn't say goodbye.
I had seen her van parked at the curb when I walked to the bathroom earlier - it was covered in those maybe 2"x3" stick-on silver letters on a pale gold background that blended in with her dirty rose paint job - with bible sayings and her devotion to christ was blatant. I smiled to myself as I went out of my way to avoid her - how can I talk about someone with her vehicle covered in messages...
But when I returned to my truck and began pumping my veggie oil, she appeared and we got to talking. Renee shared an interesting story with me - a couple actually - one saying god told her to give her camper to a homeless man, which is why now she only has a van to travel around and sleep in. As she flushed out the story, he was actually working on a construction job but sleeping in the office. She felt, even though he was homeless, he was working hard so he deserved the camper, as per god's instruction.
She also identified as a christian minister and had the kind face and demeanor fitting for one, with a bulky sweater on and no collar.
She said she'd been ministering in Idaho in a church where her husband was pastor. A white church, of course. Then the church started forming a militia, refusing to pay taxes, going off the grid while arming themselves. She stood up against this and was kicked out - of the church and her marriage.
How scary!
Still, she's committed to christ and god and VERY concerned that I do not share her commitment nor her god - which I was more than willing to point out so she didn't mistake my proselytizing as any agreement with her 'do what christ says' message.
She tried very hard to smile and nod her head, even though I'm saying things she could never agree with like when she pointed to the heavans where her god resides and I pointed to the vast desert, the hawk perched above us on the mesquite tree, the distant mountains standing stiff as egg whites plopped onto a tray where my goddesses reside.
We agreed on the horrific state of our country and I tried to get her to explain how she can separate the religion as it has manifested itself for 2000 years and her faith in the christian god. She nodded and agreed that horrible things have been happening "lately" in the name of christ - but she hurries to add that it is not christ's fault.
When I challenged her "lately" myth, she began to get agitated and wanted me to prove that people have been slaughtered in the name of christianity since the religion began. I told her to prove to me that they haven't. I talked about the fuckin "discovery doctrine" that she never heard of, the crusades that she saw as a benign and welcomed spreading of light through the 'dark' ages.
It became clear to her that I was not going to start worshiping her god but she actually kept our connection going until her last argument about her concern with my afterlife. I had already told her I'm a Jew but it was when I claimed Jews don't believe in an afterlife.
That, more than anything, put her over the edge. I told her I was more concerned with how I'm living this life than about some 'afterlife' christians have made up. I told her my behavior was not dependent on ensuring my entrance into 'heaven' but on caring for all life on this planet.
She walked off in a huff, so angry she wouldn't say goodbye.
posted by Xan @ 3:07 PM
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