She did it again. And this is my last year in this fucked up place.

[riff]

She made us listen to her pray. She asked us to bow our heads with her and pray.

Lord, <blah, blah, blah, blah, blah>, in your name.....

All she was doing was asking that we keep our priorities straight and try to do the best we could do. Worthy aspirations- no argument there.

But I did not bow my head. And I did not pray along. I sat there, offended that she would ram her faith down my throat like that in a meeting of state employees.

It PISSES ME OFF! It doesn't bother me to say "under God" when we say the pledge (and we said it and I put my hand on my heart too), but it strikes me as somewhat hypocritical to pledge allegiance to the flag right after you have trampled the Constitution, which is basically what the cloth stands for.

And it isn't even so much "praying" that bothers me so much as the fact that she MAKES A POINT OUT OF PRAYING as if to say, "Fuck the law. This is my meeting and we are gonna pray.

I'm sick of it. What am I supposed to do, just sit there and act like it doesn't bother me? Don't rock the boat?

FUUUUUUUCCCKKKK! SHIT!

Having worked myself up, I am going to move around.

Sorry to gripe and whine. Sometimes I just hate it there.

 

[Dillinger]

Come to the light, lover. Come join us Discordians and be free!

http://www-2.cs.cmu.edu/~tilt/principia/

And, while you're at it, get yourself some SLACK!

http://subgenius.com/

 

[lavender]

 

[Ask For More]

I remember at my old school, when we'd have to attend mass three times a week, regardless of our religious background.
That used to really piss me off.

 

[Guest]

 

[deliciously_naughty]

Lavy...I certainly am. I suppose the south never got the memo on that pesky separation of church and state thing. On the other hand, in the north we tend to be more outspoken about stuff like that b/c it's not as homogenous. However, I still got a lot of shit when I refused to recite the pledge of alliegience. For me, it was b/c it ends with "with liberty and justice for all" and I don't feel that we have that...and I refused to say it as my means of protest. I was 15-17 at the time, but I'm kinda proud of it still. And up in Maine, it's like a little slice of the south up north...theyr'e very into prayer...and I remember people getting upset when we couldn't pray before the football game. Not that prayer would've helped that team, but....

 

[Ask For More]

My old school prides themselves on teaching the students to think for themselves.
Fucking hypocrites.

 

[Black_Bird]

... It makes me sick too, Riff.

It's funny; when prayer is declaired off limits, they cry about religious freedom. When prayer isn't declaired off limits, they want to make sure everybody has exactly the same religion as themselves.

Ask next meeting if you can lead the prayers... then pray to Allah and see if they get the point.

 

[modest mouse]

Originally posted by lavender But, I think people in the north would be shocked at how much religion is alive and well in southern public schools.

Its not exactly paying off in education quality.

I'm from the North and would probably be one of those shocked. Offended and angry too.

Pet peeve.

 

[floridaguy64]

She made us listen to her pray. She asked us to bow our heads with her and pray.

Lord, <blah, blah, blah, blah, blah>, in your name.....

All she was doing was asking that we keep our priorities straight and try to do the best we could do. Worthy aspirations- no argument there.

But I did not bow my head. And I did not pray along. I sat there, offended that she would ram her faith down my throat like that in a meeting of state employees.

It PISSES ME OFF! It doesn't bother me to say "under God" when we say the pledge (and we said it and I put my hand on my heart too), but it strikes me as somewhat hypocritical to pledge allegiance to the flag right after you have trampled the Constitution, which is basically what the cloth stands for.

And it isn't even so much "praying" that bothers me so much as the fact that she MAKES A POINT OUT OF PRAYING as if to say, "Fuck the law. This is my meeting and we are gonna pray.

I'm sick of it. What am I supposed to do, just sit there and act like it doesn't bother me? Don't rock the boat?

FUUUUUUUCCCKKKK! SHIT!

Having worked myself up, I am going to move around.

Sorry to gripe and whine. Sometimes I just hate it there.

The all I can offer for advice' sake is "GIT!" If you are so miserable there, GIT!... Leave and take the good in your existence with you!

I'm Scotts/Irish... a 3rd Generation US Marine(we've personally seen every US conflict since 1841)... No sypathy here from the flag standpoint... Our Constitution is an ever growing entity... we may not always agree, but it is for the good of all US citizens that it was created and still continues to grow and evolve into somthing greater than it's beginning.

I'm also Roman Catholic... whilst I might not attend mass or confessional on a devout basis, I do still retain faith... what's wrong with a prayer at the beginning of a meal? While I don't always do it, whenever I break bread with friends that do, I take no offense and practice with them. My faith is all mine,... I'll never try to force it upon another, I will accomodate others while as a guest upon thier premises...

'nuff said.

 

[erosman]

hypocrisy is alive and well, and not just in the church and its propagators. Isn't freedom something each of us can choose to generate in our attitude toward others?...even the freedom to act...to be hypocritical. Doesnt' Lit pride itself in personal freedom? The freedom to assume whatever mantra one pleases.

riff, don't get yourself so worked up. Show her what it means to give others freedom. Your strongest statement comes from the choices that reflect an inner freedom...free from the legalities of religion. You are free to choose, and to offer others the same...perhaps she doesn't know this freedom.

 

[Shy Tall Guy]

She made us listen to her pray. She asked us to bow our heads with her and pray.

At a meeting of employees?? State employees? Sheesh - she must feel really secure where she is to pull something like that. The only times I have seen anything like this in a place of business was when something bad happened to somebody and we were asked to have a moment of silence/etc. - but never public prayer that I recall, much less starting off a typical meeting.

 

[riff]

Well, I did some writing about this stuff and drew a picture.

I have come to the conclusion that it isn't a case of me being upset about laws being broken because I myself break them from time the time.

So the constitutional aspect is just an excuse for self-righteous indignation, and makes me every bit as hypocritical as she is.

It's more of a power struggle, I think. When in a situation like I was in, my natural response is to react like a brat: get pissed off, justify myself, and stomp off as though I were the victim. And I do this because of the way that I "internalize" things.

In all honesty, part of me wants to just jump ship. People have been arguing over this crap for years (I have) and it never got me anything but pissed off. So why do it? I truly wish it didn't bother me the way it does- note, all prayer does not bother me like this. I am a great fan of moments of silence to use as you see fit.

If I fought this, I would either lose or just be miserable through the process. Best thing I can do is walk away.

But this raises something of an ethical issue. Isn't this something like the way Hitler came to power? By people just kind of turning their heads away? But I don't want a complicated life. And I really don't want to make a big issue out of it. Just wish it wasn't the way it is.

Let her pray in Jesus name. Idiots rule.

But to give you an idea of the climate here, let me share an observation or two:

Whenever she talks about the way they do things in California, she sneers, along with the other clones she has hired.

A guest speaker on the dangers of drugs today warned us about the dangers of techno music and raves. When he talked about the appeal of E to some of the smarter students (as opposed to the less smart who he says are more likely to become methamphetamine addicts) he said that some of the mind expanding qualities of E appeal to them, "Like being at one with the universe and interconnected to everything and all that trash."

All that trash.

You gotta love the Bible Belt! Eh?

All of this because my rebelliousness is a form of creating self-importance?

Sometimes, it's hard to give a shit anymore.

 

[Problem Child]

Re: Re: She did it again. And this is my last year in this fucked up place.

The all I can offer for advice' sake is "GIT!" If you are so miserable there, GIT!... Leave and take the good in your existence with you!

I'm Scotts/Irish... a 3rd Generation US Marine(we've personally seen every US conflict since 1841)... No sypathy here from the flag standpoint... Our Constitution is an ever growing entity... we may not always agree, but it is for the good of all US citizens that it was created and still continues to grow and evolve into somthing greater than it's beginning.

I'm also Roman Catholic... whilst I might not attend mass or confessional on a devout basis, I do still retain faith... what's wrong with a prayer at the beginning of a meal? While I don't always do it, whenever I break bread with friends that do, I take no offense and practice with them. My faith is all mine,... I'll never try to force it upon another, I will accomodate others while as a guest upon thier premises...



Two things:

1) Do you really have to mention that you are a "third generation U.S. Marine" in every post? I mean it doesn't matter if you are commenting on whether it's going to be rainy tomorrow or whether we should invade Manchuria, you mention it damn near every time you post. We get it, you were in the Marines.

2) What if some people don't want to "git"? What if they enjoy living in your redneck part of the woods, but don't enjoy having someone else's religion shoved down their throat? Did you join the Marines to defend all of the constitution, or just the parts you like?

 

[lavender]

 

[sunstruck]

I don't think it's a battle worth fighting. Unless you actually think you can get her fired in which case GO FOR IT! Other than that it IS just going to make you miserable.

I'm feeling rather defeatest tongith though. Normally I would say fuck that, tell her to shove her cross up her ass and take it to the school board. But I doubt it would get you anywhere as it sounds like they'd back her.

Is this why you're leaving next year?

 

[marksgirl]

Do and only Do what makes you happy riff.......that is the only thing you have to do. If prayer does not make you happy then don't do it...but it is a issue of respect right? If it makes them happy let them do it...right? It's called...let it go in one ear and out the other if somewhere in there it does not stick and make you happy! Or better yet...just let it roll off your back..***** is to short dude!

 

[Guest]

I'm sorry, riff. I don't get it.

Then again, I was raised in the South, and was always given to choice via moment of silence. I was never coerced.
Forcing anything, on a person, only presents resentment. Someone needs to open their mind.

 

[riff]

I don't think it's a battle worth fighting. Unless you actually think you can get her fired in which case GO FOR IT! Other than that it IS just going to make you miserable.

I'm feeling rather defeatest tongith though. Normally I would say fuck that, tell her to shove her cross up her ass and take it to the school board. But I doubt it would get you anywhere as it sounds like they'd back her.

Is this why you're leaving next year?

It's part of it. I love living in the south though. At least when I lived in Jacksonville, FL I could walk it off on the beach. Maybe I need to move to a big city- so long as it isn't like Dallas. Or way out in the woods and fuck the world of idiots all together. LOL.

Anyone here from Hawaii? Puerto Rico? I could always go to Russia and live with my friends there, but I'd get shot quicker than shit for running my mouth too much.

 

[riff]

Do and only Do what makes you happy riff.......that is the only thing you have to do. If prayer does not make you happy then don't do it...but it is a issue of respect right? If it makes them happy let them do it...right? It's called...let it go in one ear and out the other if somewhere in there it does not stick and make you happy! Or better yet...just let it roll off your back..***** is to short dude!

This is extremely difficult to argue with.

 

[riff]

I'm sorry, riff. I don't get it.

Then again, I was raised in the South, and was always given to choice via moment of silence. I was never coerced.
Forcing anything, on a person, only presents resentment. Someone needs to open their mind.

Umberto Eco was right. The inquistion creates heretics and the heretics in turn create heresy.

That pretty much sums it up, I guess.

 

[sunstruck]

Ya know we do have some nice rural, non bible toting towns up here. lol

When I left catholic school for public high school I called it my Jesus free education. Note, I have NOTHING against Jesus, but it was great to be able to go to school and only have to worry about my education and my social life as opposed to my education, my social life, and my imortal soul.

 

[La Principessa]

This is extremely difficult to argue with.

I NEVER thought I would EVER say this to a man.....

you've got a cute pussy there!!!

 

[RudeNastyAssBitch]

That's A Really Fucking Good Idea Blackbird!

... It makes me sick too, Riff.

It's funny; when prayer is declaired off limits, they cry about religious freedom. When prayer isn't declaired off limits, they want to make sure everybody has exactly the same religion as themselves.

Ask next meeting if you can lead the prayers... then pray to Allah and see if they get the point.

 

[Dillinger]

I have come to believe that the whole world is an enigma, a harmless enigma that is made terrible by our own mad attempt to interpret it as though it had an underlying truth.

-- Umberto Eco