Opinion

3-18-11




I don’t believe in god. I am pro choice. I am anti capital punishment. I am believe that illegal immigrants should be deported. I am for gay marriage. I eat meat and drink milk. I don’t approve of spanking. I think school days should be longer and less homework should be assigned.



I also think people are too fucking sensitive.



And let me tell you, sometimes I am a big problem when it comes to that.



As I have been covering for a coworker for the last few weeks, her emails are automatically forwarded to me. In the last few days, a handful of those emails are from other colleagues that are not work related. They are prayers and inspirational messages, not really addressed to anyone in particular, but sent to clearly a set of friends.



I have to be honest-my first reaction was wrong. I was annoyed. What the heck are these people doing, using company resources to send religious material around? If I were sending some kind of Satan talk around, I am guessing it would be frowned upon. I was quick to over react. Religion, as open minded I am to people having faith, I get worked up when it gets a pass compared to someone with no faith.



But now that I have sat back, I realize I may have jumped the gun. All these people were doing was the equivalent of sending emailed jokes. Aside from the fact that most of those forwarded jokes suck, is there really any harm done? Was I scarred for life because I was emailed this?



What is my point with this email tale? Look, as much as it pains me to say this, most people are not evil. Many of them do not share all of my opinions. Even my own husband doesn’t agree with everything I believe in. Yet, Ken and I can have open dialogue about each topic and not hate each other afterwards.



Sometimes we feel stronger about certain topics. I sported the No on Prop 8 bumper sticker proudly. Many people use biblical passages on things like their email signature or Facebook status. Hopefully, though, these are people that don’t hate me because I don’t even look at them. Hopefully, they respect the fact that I although I am way happy with their ability to find support in God, that I don’t need that at this point in my life.



Unfortunately, there are people that can’t get past the idea that their belief is not the only one. The people that are preachy and have their minds so incredibly sealed shut that they refuse to have a mature conversation about the topic at hand. These are the people that start their argument with phrases like, “You mean you really can see the good in….” or “How could you ever think that this is ok?”



I can safely say that I understand, and am ok with the “other side” of each of my bold statements in the first paragraph. I respect people who believe different than me. If we all believed the same way on things, I am guessing this would be a pretty boring place.



I am just sad for the folks that pick fights when it comes to their belief. An excellent example is the Westboro Baptist Church. I don’t agree with their belief. Homosexuality is more than ok with me. But I know that they are not the only segment of the people who feel that sexual preference should never deviate from Adam and Eve. Adam and Steve is wrong because of their god, and even though I think it is crazy, it is what it is.



What I have a problem with is when this church uses its opinion in a negative fashion. When they picket a funeral, praying on people who are already fragile because of their grief, it seems as though this is rude and petty and inappropriate. I no longer can consider them rational human beings with legitimate complaints. Instead, they are religious bullies, who seem to be more hell bent on pissing people off than the actual big picture.



Shock campaigns done by everyone from politicians to PETA are counter productive. Honestly, I am at a point where I don’t want to vote for any candidates because of their smear tactics. I want to kiss a girl in front of the Westboro Baptist Church. I want to eat a steak when I see anything from PETA.



Our primitive need to fight with one another is so strong that many causes resort to playground name calling and are more proud of a good blow than a person who might become more educated about the topic. They bait people with questions that they say are only meant for their “people”, when they know damn well that someone else will respond, with their side. Those opinions given are then met with the need to destroy the person.



I remember being on sites like Café Mom. People would post something concerning Atheism, clearly designed to spark a fight with people of faith. Someone would then post a comment that was religious, an they were attacked by a swarm of atheists, ready to tear their soul apart. Did they think this hate would somehow inspire people to give up their church? Even I was offended, and I have for a long time hated using the word Atheist to describe myself because I did not want to be aligned with a group of people so ready to suck the life out of anyone who might not see their point of view.



Perhaps the old rule of not discussing religion and politics in mixed company should be reinstated, and amended to include so many other hot topics.



I love the passion people have, but sometimes they get over zealous and they end up sabotaging their whole point.



My dad is a perfect example of someone who felt inundated with a campaign that he eventually stopped caring. He was beat over the head with commercials and news reports and all this information telling him he needed to invest in reusable bags for the grocery store. He was ok with the idea. But when the stores opted to remove the handles from the paper bags that he had been using as what he thought was a better alternative to plastic, he went though the roof. Not only did my dad announce he would never use the canvas bags, he would only use plastic because at least those have handles. His complaints are incredibly valid. He is a person who isn’t some young hipster looking to save the planet. He will gladly do his part, which is what he felt he was doing by using paper bags that he diligently recycled. But if his part was not cumbersome or frustrating, why not just throw in the towel and admit, you don’t give a shit?



This is the attitude I don’t want to have. I don’t want to wake up every day and stop caring about the injustices of the world simply because the marketing group in their corner is more interested in controversial buzz they get than actually educating the masses on what can be done. We, as people looking to better our time on this planet, need to know our audience. We need to step back and think about the possibly offensive things we do that we justify as an attempt to get people on our side. Please keep in mind that we are not just talking to our own demographic that is accustomed to this. We are talking to older people set in their ways. We are talking to children who don’t yet understand all the complexities of our world. We are talking to people who are simply just trying to survive day to day, and if we are only telling them they are wrong, what incentive is there to listen to us?