Sorry sarameg, that sounds pretty awful.

hush-up-and-go-awayist

All hail JZ, Voice of the Prophet!

Will you be keeping in touch with him, sara?

Grandma E is a literalist. She's not ignorant or unable to function in soceity. She's constantly reading non fiction books --- histories, commentaries, etc -- to learn not just about the Bible, but Biblical times, how people lived, what the politics were, what the societies were like, etc. If you can understand that, then it's easier to understand why there were certain laws, why people from the Bible acted the way they did, etc.

She says that her joy and understanding of God and her relationship with God grows and changes the older she gets and the more she learns. There are things that she can't answer, questions can't understand all of God's actions or his plans because God is so much more and so much greater. But He's in charge and so she has faith and trusts in him.

I love Grandma E.

It really isn't very hard to function in a society that consists of a lot of people who hold opinions you think are wrong.

Well, in general I would say this is true, and one of those cognitive dissonances you just live with. But, like, doesn't "This person has no morals (because she isn't religious)" would be kind of a dealbreaker, wouldn't it? I mean a whole nother order of magnitude of "you think it's wrong".

Like, I am a stone cold Steve Austin atheist, but there is no Atheist's Handbook that disallows me from consorting among the godded. I mean, even if there were, I would be skeptical of it, because, you know.

like, doesn't "This person has no morals (because she isn't religious)" would be kind of a dealbreaker, wouldn't it?

My most devout Christian friend operated on the following premise: "ita, you're going to hell. But that's your choice, and I'm not going to try and talk you out of it. Want to do lunch?"

Worked well for the both of us. Her best friend was Jewish, and they never had faith-based problems either.

But, like, doesn't "This person has no morals (because she isn't religious)" would be kind of a dealbreaker, wouldn't it?

I don't think all Christians or all religous people think that atheists or non believers of their particular religon are without morals.

It seems to be a very exterimist view that only those who know God are good people.

Edited to clarify: I think only people who are religous extremists hold the view that people who don't believe in God are without morals.

But, like, doesn't "This person has no morals (because she isn't religious)" would be kind of a dealbreaker, wouldn't it? I mean a whole nother order of magnitude of "you think it's wrong".

This is the kind of person who can't be friends with non-believers. Most of us, hopefully, live our lives Not Judging (lest we be judged), Loving Our Neighbor as Ourselves, and just trying to be good examples of Christ on Earth. (Not saying I/we do a good job of it, but this, hopefully, is the aim).

Will you be keeping in touch with him, sara?

Oh yeah.

I'm just going to miss the day to day. Even when he annoyed me, he was good company. It's not as if he's falling off the planet, I just HATE CHANGE. Especially when it moves fun people farther from me.