Big, Bigger, Bigots

So I've lived in Oklahoma my whole life ... 41 years, 1 month, 25 days, and counting. That might not seem long to you if you're one of my, erm, better-established friends, or it may seem an eternity to someone who's obviously stumbled across this blog TOTALLY by accident (go away, whippersnapper, we geezers have nothing for you - ha). Either way, it's all I've got, so WTF-ever, just deal.

Forty-one years in Oklahoma can be full of everything or devoid of anything, depending on the subject at hand and one's particular point of view. In my case, it's both, which is sometimes fun to try to describe; it's The Great There/Not-There ... let me (try to) explain. When I say it's "full of everything" ... that means good. I mean, *really* good. When I was a kid, we used to not be so watched-over; even now, people will stop and help you if you're pulled over to the side of the road with your hazard lights flashing; if you get caught short a nickel or a quarter or whatever in the convenience store, somebody behind you in line will offer up the difference and tell you not to worry about it when you begin with the round of profuse thanks and apologies. When I say it's "devoid of anything" ... that means bad. I mean, *really* bad. Don't get me wrong; we have traffic and pollution and drugs and crime and awful people who do mean things to others. However, pound for pound, we have more of the other bit than we have of this one.

And then I get up the other day and I'm snooting through the news, as is my wont, and I come across this story: Oklahoma Pol's Screed Vs. Gays Sparks Furor ... which made me wonder. I mean, *really* wonder. So then I went to watch the video myself ... I'm Listening ... which made me wonder even more.

I wonder why people are so eager and happy to believe someone when they *say* they're Christian without waiting for physical proof. There's a Mohandas Gandhi quote that I really like that says, "I like your Christ. I do not like your Christians. They are so unlike your Christ."

I wonder why people want to rant and rave about something being an abomination according to a cute old incomplete mythological anthology when they cherry-pick the bits they like and talk down the bits they don't. (Levitican law, anyone?) It's not just Old Testament stuff, either; there are plenty of bits in the New Testament that Xians roundly ignore:
>>> At the church I attend, some women lead a Bible study. What is the best way to tell them to shut up? We must not have women speaking in church when 1 Timothy 2:12 forbids them to do so. And does this also apply to the choir?
>>> Many of the women in our church wear jewelry. Since women are forbidden to wear jewelry (1 Peter 3:3) what is the best way to tell them they are going to hell?
>>> I want to obey 2 Thessalonians 1:26 and greet all the women at our church with a kiss. Why do I get strange looks from them when I do - especially from their husbands? What about French kissing? And should I also be kissing the husbands?
>>> Recently, I have asked several women in my church to marry me since it is permissible for a man to have many wives (1 Kings 11:3). Why do I continually get rejected? People at church are beginning to talk.
>>> There are many unbelievers where I work and because we are forbidden to associate with them (1 Corinthians 4:11), I am wondering how best to tell them to keep away from me. Would a sign on my desk do the job?

I wonder why people don't bother to think for themselves.

(NOTE: I don't mean any bashing by this post. Well, not really, except for as regards the hypocritical assholes who want us all to believe that they've better than the rest of us - they're not - and that they truly care whether any certain person is going to hell - they don' t - and that they'd love to help any certain person be saved - they wouldn't. Well, now I think about it, yeah, I do mean to bash. You people aren't any better than anybody else. Sugarcandy Mountain isn't really there, guys.)