Crazy Lady vs The Pope
Crazy Sec-Lady was complaining about catholics because they pray to mary too much. *rolls eyes* Something about idols. I roll my eyes because of the infinitesimally tiny things people use to get themselves into a furor with people who are, essentially, the same as they are.
EDIT: crazy secretary-lady – the pope quoted some ancient pope, and some religion got really angry – I think it was the muslims, cause he said they were violent, and then he – get this, he turned and he prayed to their god! He prayed to mecca!
I couldn’t take it. I couldn’t let her keep going. I had to stop her conversation, I’m afraid, and explain that, first of all, mecca isn’t a statue as she thought it was, it was a place, and what he did was turn in the direction of that place, as a show of respect (from all signs, a wildly successful one, at that). Second, that the god of christianity, islam, and judaism is the same source – it’s a matter of what prophets you believe that separate you. (yes, it’s a gross oversimplification I’m sure, but she needed it).
She’d apparently heard some new incendiary radio show guy on the way in, who was -also- giving shit to Pope JPII for having “done something similar”. I explained he’d prayed at the western wall, which was a similar conciliatory gesture for the jewish people. ‘cept I used smaller words.
ARGH it’s so IRRITATING. WHAT IS WRONG WITH PEOPLE? It’s like the ENJOY being divisive assholes! Arrogant pride and smug superiority. Righteousness! I’ve had it to here with righteousness.
We’ve had a good long conversation now. She asked me what ‘flavor’ I was, and I told her (in a much kinder way) to look up “humanism” on wikipedia if she was interested in knowing. It’s certainly far easier than trying to explain in depth.
She’s worried because her daughter was invited to go to church with a friend, and it’s an ‘all encompassing church’ (clearly unitarian). She says, “if they say everyone is right, doesn’t that mean everyone is wrong, too? Does that mean they don’t teach about jesus?”
She then explained to me how her church works (“by the book”).
I despise talking about religion at work. I feel like I gave someone a bit of education, and maybe that will spread amongst her friends and they’ll stop hating on the big P for doing something nice, but I just COULD NOT SIT HERE ANY LONGER IN SILENCE.
PS I’ve had it to here with homonym errors when I’m cranky!
People like her need a good smiting.
*sigh* I hate people like that. You lasted longer then I probably would have. Good for you for saying something.
It was so annoying because I don’t -want- to talk religion with the crazy secretary lady. She already says things that horrify me, and if I told her half the things I’ve participated in, I think she’d cross me every time she looked at me.
I’m not friends or close or anything with the people I work with (Trase and George excluded). It’s corporate and a private company. When she asked me what ‘flavor’ I was, inside I slumped against a wall, defeated by my own inability to keep my mouth shut.
I think it was worth it. I don’t regret it, but I find that I’m angry because I’m frustrated – my choice was to remain anonymous and free of her direct conversation about god, or speak up and blow that away.
This would be so much different if I were at school, or with friends, or in a public setting.
It’s like the ENJOY being divisive assholes! Arrogant pride and smug superiority. Righteousness!
Bingo. Got it in one.
— Steve has to restrain himself from explaining to the self-righteous how this behaviour can be explained by Darwinian evolution…
i’m continually amazed by ignorant people who don’t know
a) that Islam, Christianity, and Judaism all share the same God, and even the same backstories
or worse
b) that Islam and Hinduism are 2 different religions! seriously, i’ve talked to people who think that people from India are terrorists (and I mean India, not Pakistan)
It took her awhile to figure out who had the ‘giant fat man idols’
/headdesk
Thank you for doing that!
see, I broke down when my coworkers and the student workers didn’t know how miscegenation laws existed/were used and still don’t see that there is any similarity to the protection of marriage acts.
But, then they have known I was weird. I wear tie-dye after all.
Thank you for speaking up. Hopefully, you won’t suffer too much for it.
I applaud you for pointing out that other religions than hers exist, and widening her world just a little bit. Even if she doesn’t spread it, it was totally worth it.
I’d probably end up spending a full-time job worth of hours on her every time something close-minded or “what do you mean, there are others in the world besides christians, jews, and muslims?” came out of her mouth.
Thank you for not sitting in silence. *hugs*
That sort of ignorance is not exclusively American, but I’ve only ever seen Americans seem to take pride in it. That makes me so very angry.
You done good, Cap’t. The chick is obviously some sort of Conservative Protestant–talking about Catholic idols gives it away. And Pope Yo Benny just went to the Blue Mosque and prayed while the imam there did too. And he went to the Orthodox church and prayed with the Ecumenical Patriarch there too. She’s willfully ignorant. And that makes her responsible for getting educated.
You have so much more patience than I do. I can’t just keep my mouth shut about stuff like that and I won’t let up until I’m forced to… or until I get so frustrated I hit someone, which has only happened a couple times.
People like that are one of the primary root causes of the worst of the problems in the world.