Proud of Myself

I'm not the best when it comes to confrontations in life, whether in person or on-line, but I posted a link on FB the other day that one of my conservative friends responded to. The video was regarding the Tea Party and the upcoming election. This person talked about how much better life was "back then" when there was still prayer and the Bible in school and how it is so much worse now. I just couldn't let that go without a response. This is what I came up with. It's a bit long, but I feel it is polite and still conveys what I really think about such things. I'll put it here exactly as I wrote it, just remember this was a response.

"Well, I'm gonna have to respectfully disagree with you on the praying and Bible in school makes the country better argument. I don't think it's fair to force people who aren't Christian to read the Bible or pray to a God they don't believe in in a public school setting. I don't think it would act to unite people, but would divide them further and only create more anger and resentment against Christians in this country if they tried to foist themselves on everybody. If a person wants to pray in school, they are welcome to. I used to bless my food before lunch or pray before a test and I kept it to myself and God and I feel I turned out just fine.

I also must respectfully disagree on the idea that the country was a better place back then. I don't know what era "back then" was, but I think of times when there was still segregation and women were expected to stay at home and raise children only and I cannot think of those as better times than the ones we live in now. How can a group of people who claim to want to enjoy the freedoms we have in this country want to then foist their ideals on others and cause those people to enjoy their freedoms less? It isn't fair. Most liberal people I know don't want to force conservatives to not live their lives the way they want to, they just want the freedom to live their lives too. I just don't see how that's so horrible. Taking away freedoms and rights won't make people Christians. It'll make them hate Christians."

My Thoughts on Demons

I was watching one of those ghost hunting shows late last night and they were in a place known for having demons. Like they had footage of a guy who was possessed and another guy exorcising him. And then the ghost hunter guy started feeling a bit demonish during the show and they stopped filming and apparently exorcised him too. Now, I don't know how much I actually believe that this really happens. Pictures, footage, tv shows, movies, those are all easily "doctorable". Stories, myths, legends, might be just that, things to scare ourselves into good behavior or keep our kids in line.

I have to think that if demons truly exist, like really they are minions of Satan or whatever, they aren't gonna possess one random guy. What does that accomplish? Not much, I say. He'd just get locked up in the mental ward, or wander the streets as just one among many homeless people. I think, more likely, it was a way of explaining mental illness in a time when there was no science to explain it.

I think if a demon was truly going to do its thing, it would infect minds, not take over people. It's going to take over people who can influence other people. A demon wants to make a difference in the world, right? A horrible difference, but a difference nonetheless. I think people who are already predisposed towards hate are what a demon would utilize. Think of the Rev. Fred Phelps and his followers. So irrational in their hatred, yet they get their name and beliefs out there. And it's said that the Devil can quote scripture too, so who's to say people like that aren't being influenced by a little more than irrational hatred? Think of somebody like Hitler? So out there, and so powerful. Or groups like the KKK. Who knows...But I think it just goes to show that people need to have and keep love in their hearts, and make that the guiding force in their lives. Because if you hate, you will use it, and if you love, you will use it too.