Also, I can't understand to the point of being angry with LDS. Jew were murdered because they were Jews. Why can't they respect personal choices? If I wanted to convert, I would have done so.

Well, they believe that the after-death baptism is optional for the person baptized -- the dead person, in the afterlife, can decide whether or not to accept it, and what they're doing is giving them the chance.

hil, you need to post some pics, so that we can give the traditional buffista greeting.

Hee. Does it still count as the traditional buffista greeting if it's online?

We haven't had a DCista get-together in a while.

move 280 miles away? :)

A valid and healthy strategy, as far as I'm concerned. Living in another time zone has vastly improved my relationship with my mother.

One of the biggest problem with dealing with my mother is that she has no empathy. She honestly doesn't get that people feel differently about things that she does. Or if she understands that they feel differently, she thinks that they're wrong. We joke that she needs therapy but it wont do any good because she won't believe that the therapist knows more than she does.

Your mother's insecurities and neediness and manipulations - these problems are all external to you. You cannot fix them or her. You cannot change her. The only thing left is to learn how to keep it from oozing into you, and how to take up as little guilt as possible. You have the right to set and enforce your boundaries. You are not obligated by any sane definition of filial duty to allow your mother to remove your boundaries for her own convenience. Remember Cordelia (not Chase but rather Lear's daughter) - in a way, your mother is asking you to declare a false allegiance to her beyond all reason and right because the excessive indulgence of the false is easier and more distracting than dealing directly with the pain of loss and the stress of the changes that must be made in her mental and social landscape.

Remember Cordelia (not Chase but rather Lear's daughter)

I love that we need to clarify this :)

in a way, your mother is asking you to declare a false allegiance to her beyond all reason and right because the excessive indulgence of the false is easier and more distracting than dealing directly with the pain of loss and the stress of the changes that must be made in her mental and social landscape.

yes, she can't blame my dad or God for her unhappiness, so she'll blame me.

I'm not saying everybody needs to believe in God, but if you're going to do it? DO it. Don't try and develop some sort of pocket-sized almighty that you can wrap your puny human brain around with ease.

This. SO this.

I had a very religious education, so everything was cloaked in Christianity. I keep learning things outside of that environment, and I am still being shocked by how different things actually are than they were presented to me.

Of course, I am currently in a VERY liberal learning environment, which some of my extended family is unpleased about. But, I'm so happy to get this opportunity. It gives me the chance to say, "Ok. I've seen both ends of the spectrum. What's *actually* going on?" It's a very powerful opportunity.

Of course, if this is true, then well, like centuries of people will just go to hell because there wasn't anyone who believed this way until Martin Luther came along.

Yeah, thinking about this led me to thinking about all the people who lived and died without hearing about Jesus, because they were in a pre-European contact area or lived before he was born or were raised in a situation that didn't allow contact with other religions (19th century purdah, etc.). All of them are going to hell for not being washed in the blood of the lamb? And I'm supposed to worship someone who sets this up, rather than looking for a way to exorcise him?

And then I became a Pagan.

[link]

Once I saw this guy on a bridge about to jump. I said, "Don't do it!" He said, "Nobody loves me." I said, "God loves you. Do you believe in God?"

He said, "Yes." I said, "Are you a Christian or a Jew?" He said, "A Christian." I said, "Me, too! Protestant or Catholic?" He said, "Protestant." I said, "Me, too! What franchise?" He said, "Baptist." I said, "Me, too! Northern Baptist or Southern Baptist?" He said, "Northern Baptist." I said, "Me, too! Northern Conservative Baptist or Northern Liberal Baptist?"

He said, "Northern Conservative Baptist." I said, "Me, too! Northern Conservative Baptist Great Lakes Region, or Northern Conservative Baptist Eastern Region?" He said, "Northern Conservative Baptist Great Lakes Region." I said, "Me, too!"

Northern Conservative†Baptist Great Lakes Region Council of 1879, or Northern Conservative Baptist Great Lakes Region Council of 1912?" He said, "Northern Conservative Baptist Great Lakes Region Council of 1912." I said, "Die, heretic!" And I pushed him over.

I said, "Die, heretic!" And I pushed him over.

It's sad, but true. My step-grandma was a missionary through one of the two big Independent Baptist groups. My grandfather was a member of the other one. He gives her so much trouble about being part of the "wrong" group. It's bizarre.

A morning Haiku.

Cat love is
Purring on my chest
Falls asleep.

Another

Cat head bump
wake up wake up now
please feed me

Gronk is here
Sentences too short
good for haiku

Leg cramp again
Up too early, now
back to sleep