this is no longer my blog

he has to open his mouth.

So, Supervising [editor's note: in the last post, i attempted to highlight in blue all names that appeared in my little Who's Who glossary, but that was just too much work. so i'm not doing it anymore] is leading a weekly Bible study called Parables from the Backside. Which, first, makes me giggle because the word "backside" always makes me think of butts, and my development obviously has been stunted at about a 10 year old level. Second, I get excited because I think "Ooooh! We might actually talk about Jesus and Scripture outside of a middle class, white, privileged frame of reference! But, since myself and PD are the youngest people there by at least a good 40+ years, and no one in that group (besides myself, Supervising and his family) are what you could consider liberal, we often get sidetracked. Today we were focusing on the Parable of the Sower. Someone mentioned in their Bible it was called A Story about a Farmer. One of the gentlemen spoke up and said that's because kids these days wouldn't know what a sower is. This degenerated into a conversation about things being wrong with farming equipment and vehicles falling apart. That lasted several more minutes than it should, despite Supervising's best efforts to get it back on track. But that set the tone, and so most of the conversation at this Bible study was about how society is degenerating and the youth of today are Godless heathens who have no morals, listen to horrendous music, don't go anywhere constructive like dance halls and skating rinks because they see sex as a recreational activity, and no one goes into the military anymore so they don't know how to be responsible "I mean just take a look at their dorm rooms!" (that was an actual quote from someone). This conversation was fueled by none other than the wonderful Tom. I had thought I was beginning to tolerate him, but when he made comments like 75% of black families don't have fathers, but you can't say that out loud, you can't even write a letter about that to the paper, because of that "stupid political correctness"; or talking about sin and the "Godless heathens" who practice homosexuality; or when we went around the circle and were asked "What makes you feel closest to God?" and his answer was "Hell." Yes, the fear of hell and damnation is why he believes in God. And then there was the question "Do you think God gives everyone a chance to experience God's love?" Pastor's wife commented that she thinks God gives everyone a chance, but often times it's people who get in the way. They commented on this a while, but Tom said that he didn't think that everyone had a chance, "just look at Michael Jackson's kids." So, finally I spoke up and said, "But that's Michael Jackson's fault. That's not God's fault." Tom looked at me and said, "You're passing the buck. He asked "Does everyone have a chance to experience-" and I interrupted him and said, "Does GOD GIVE everyone a chance." Tom shook his head NO, turned to Supervising and said, "What was it you said?" And Supervising agreed with me. Of course. And then Tom just scowled at me and shook his head and muttered something about how he was still right or something like that.
I didn't want to come over to the Bible study tonight. I just was having a rare introvert moment, and wanted to sit at home by myself, but I forced myself to go because I SHOULD and I'd never hear the end of it, because the Pastor's wife would think I skipped out just so I could watch Survivor. So I went. And several times I just wanted to get up and leave because the conversation was just going downhill. I can't believe that some people can call themselves Christians and be so hateful and mean. I just don't understand it at all.