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Do you wear your Christianity on your sleeve?
Posted by bloggernoob • 4/08/09 • Subscribe to this Discussion [RSS] • Report This Topic
Topics: jesus
I was at the dentist office and noticed a picture depicting rapture. The image had a cross that served as a bridge to heaven. I found the image to be really offensive. Is it appropriate to have something like this up in a place of business? I know that Christianity can be good for business, especially if you go to a big church. But, would jesus really like that?
If jesus was alive, i don't think he would like people profiting off of him. (not unless he was making some commission, or a licensing fee)
Do you guys wear your Christianity on your sleeve. Any other religion? Scientology?
User Comments
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No, I wear it on my biceps so you can see it when my shirt explodes.
But seriously, I'm careful and strong with how I bring my religion in to my relationships, and if I'm not, I strive to be more that way. -
I love christian art, so I wouldn't find it offensive, but I do find the penchant or need to promote it in a business setting from a pragmatic point of view rather disturbing (professionally speaking). Disturbing because his/her clientele may come from all walks of life and in a place of business it the service they provide that is important, not their personal beliefs that might prove bothersome or offensive to their clients. -
Like on an armband?-
or as a fashion accessory, cross necklace, or the wwjd plastic bracelet.
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I have no outer emblem to signify a religion and I don't keep images of any kind in the open. I don't wear jewelry. I do wear a veil in public, but not in the manner of Muslims or any other group.
People think I'm religious. I can assure anyone that I am as irreligious as irreligious gets. -
I don't wear christianity at all and those who keep using this forum as a pulpit, proselytizing and spamming for Jesus peeve me right off. IMO they have poisoned this forum with their toxic belief system.-
time, long time no chat. how u doing? and why so militant?
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Militant! What a freaking understatement. For two months we have been poisoned by lamers dominating the forum and achieving nothing more than ill will because no one out here is buying what they are trying to sell.
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time, your avatar is looking very youthful and healthy. let's be smiling happy people laughing.
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I'd find a new dentist if I saw the rapture on their wall.-
Indeed and if I ever hear a disembodied voice telling me to do anything I will seek professional help immediately.
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I keep my faith in my heart. I don't think I have to wear it like a shield or use it as a weapon. My actions show who I am and what I believe. -
My Spinning instructor plays Christian Rock during Spin class. It really ticks me off. Someday I'm going to pretend I'm Buddhist and complain to management.-
that's terrible. jesus christ...christian rock? is your instructor serious?
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Spin class as in spin yarn or something else? -
i could never teach a spinning class; my music is too much for the masses. i took over one day bc the teacher was late and hooked my ipod up to the stereo system. there were many complaints files with the teacher when she showed up. ha, i don;t even think my stuff is that bad.
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I'm a proud believer and I also believe that showing off your faith is not a bad thing to do if you do it in a positive way and not come off as hardcore or something.
Hey Brazen one, I miss you where have you been? Oh, was I the one who walked away? Glad to see you here...-
Not sure I understand why people get so offended by other people's religion. I can see getting annoyed if someone is pushing their beliefs on you or telling you that their beliefs are better or more correct than yours. I don't tolerate that. I do think, however, that a professional can choose to hang anything they want in their office. If you do not like it, you have the choice to not support their business. But why does his faith offend you?
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I'm guess the dentist is a christian and that he/she put the poster up because he/she believes in Christ. I'm sure he/she considered the ramifications of losing business. If the dentist put up the poster with the motive to get more money...then no, Jesus wouldn't like that. -
Kind of scary that any medical office feels the need to give its customers one more dose of god. The dentist wasn't so confident in his abilities???? -
What does confidence in one's abilities have to do with a poster??
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What happened to the last patient that made the dentist think putting up a rapture poster was a good idea.
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Perhaps the dentist was into inhaling the nitrous oxide?
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Only if I want to be bashed in the street real bad...
If Jesus is alive til today, he will be zonked out with all the antipsychotic avaiable today, sactioned incompetent by mental health act, locked up somewhere in the unknown...-
good point. or if jesus was alive today. he might start up a new religion. that's what he did the last time he was here right? or if his return isn't as popular, he might end up a D list celebrity trying to make a comeback by going on reality tv. Celebrity apprentice? Dancing with the stars?
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He didn't start a new religion, he just wanted to reform the religion he was born into, it was other people that started the religion, after he has long since died.
Martin Luther has a similar story, he wanted to reform the Catholic Church not fuel a huge break from the church and start a long bloody reformation.
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I refuse to patronize a business that so openingly promotes their religion to others.
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can i get an amen! yeah, we have to understand that these established religions have changed a lot through out the years. they are run like businesses. it's important to not be too involved with established religion. church, and faith are two separate things.
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We could - and this is just an inspiration:
Start promoting Satanism as much - and see how much it gets an argument level.
I think it would be an interesting turn about as fair play.
I'm not religious in any way - shape or form - I have no opinion of Christianity or ANY other religion.
But I do hate those that have a personal belief in something that is so personal that it is a dominating force in their life.
It's scary - it's cult like and it's bizarre to me.
Anyhow - I think if you ALL truly want to do something about it - start a discussion group on Satan... Start making posts like:
Do you love Satan?
Has Satan given you hope?
When you're down do you call Satan?
Do you pray to Satan Daily?
Did Satan sacrifice his life for you?
How often do you pray to Satan?
What do you do for Satan?
Do you blog for Satan?
Does Satan give you blessings?
Don't you hate it when others condemn Satan.
Hallelujah for Satan!
Satan Rocks!
Give your checks to Satan
Believe in Satan and live happily ever after
May Satan Bless you
More and more turn to Satan as the world falls apart under false Christianity rulers
Satan Brings joy!
And so on and so forth!
I think that this would be censored immediately - but it would be interesting to see the results.
Call it a conspiracy - or an opportunistic overthrow - But methinks it would be a fun experiment.-
It was kind of creepy when I saw this for the first time, but if you're actually trying to make Christians see in-your-face worship of the Christian God from non-Christians' point of view, then that post was really quite clever.
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I'm sure BC's moderator wouldn't censor wagerwitch's thought. Different view is welcome, here. Right? -
I'm not saying that I'm into Satan or anything - I'm just saying it's perhaps time to turn the table?
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@wagerwitch
Satan on your sleeve!
lol ... woo hoo!
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Late last year we had a household disaster that necessitated a lot of work from various contractors to fix. One contractor came to view the damage to some valuable wood doors, left his card and promised to email me a quote. I was not until after he left that I looked at the card and realized that he was promoting Christianity by advertising it on his business card.
To make a long story short, the man was a cheat and a liar and a racist. He told the referral agency that he didn't want to bid the job because he was concerned about getting payment...we later discovered that his concern was based on my husband's race and faith, not on anything concrete. How do I know this? His wife told me over the phone "We knew you people wouldn't pay us!" They kept our doors two months (supposed to be max 10 days), demanded that we pay for the work before they were delivered and inspected and, when we got the doors back (without prepayment) they had not done the work contracted and had actually further damaged them! The wife called the next day wanting payment and when I said the workmanship was unacceptable (roughly sanded, one coat of varnish on one door, NO varnish at all on the other, the repairs not even attempted), she responded that she knew we would not pay the before they even took the job.
THIS is the experience I get with people who wear their Christianity on their sleeve...a sense of entitlement and superiority that I find absolutely disgraceful. I think Jesus would be horrified to find himself used as a marketing tool by greedy (look up the Jabez movement...these people were Jabez Christians) and unscrupulous people such as these.
For me, the next time I see a display of Christianity in a business environment, I plan to run full tilt to the nearest non-Christian competitor.-
I would say that he wasn't "promoting Christianity by advertising it on his business card" at all, but promoting himself by attempting to associate himself with Christian principles. Although the sentiment in these forums is quite the opposite, there are (sadly) many people out in the world who naively believe that they can trust anyone who calls himself a Christian--and, as with any other angle that can be worked, the world is full of charlatans who have figured out how to exploit that. -
Seriously, Mme X, Google the Jabez Prayer movement...you are in for an eye opener when it comes to using Jesus as a promotional marketing tool and having an outrageous sense of entitlement just because one self-identifies as a Christian!
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It's not a surprise to me at all, but I read it differently. I don't think it's primarily people feeling a sense of entitlement because they are Christians using Jesus as a marketing tool, but people lying that they are Christians because it is profitable to do so.
I actually wrote about this on my Catholic blog about a year: catholicinside.blogspot.com/2008/03/hijacking-jesus.html -
violet, sorry to hear of your bad experience. I know alot of people who use the christian network for self gain. i have a lot of friends who ended up becoming pastors. I also know a lot of business owners who display bible quotes and pictures of jesus on their walls to advertise that the business is owned by a "good wholesome christian"
to be honest, it's rather disgusting and silly at the same time.
We all love brand name products. Jesus is the biggest brand in the world. Second only to Google.
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I wear my Christianity on the bottom of my shoe. Apologies if someone's already said this. I couldn't be bothered to read though another religious thread on BC.-
lol ...
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I believe it's because I stepped in it.
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In all seriousness, I wear my religion around my neck. I virtually never go out in public without my crucifix necklace visible, and it was a very conscious decision, for two reasons.
The first is that for many years I worked in an industry where I had a high level of public contact. As a teacher, trainer, and event presenter I came in contact with hundreds of people every month, and I always heard versions of the same question/comment: How do you stay so positive/where do you get so much energy/you obviously care about every individual you work with, etc. etc. Obviously, it wasn't appropriate to share my personal faith with people in this context, but I did want them to know from where that energy, positivity and caring derived.
Second, it helps keep me at my best. I'm very aware of the damage done to Christianity by people who claim the name but don't walk the walk. So long as I'm wearing that crucifix, everything I do (for better or worse) is an "advertisement" for Christianity. That consciousness helps me keep it in the forefront of my mind that my actions have a broader impact than I might see in the moment and that every little interaction counts.-
@MadameX
This is long overdue. I wish to tell you that I recognize you as a true Christian, and that I do respect you for not sharing your faith with others unless or until it's appropriate to do so.
You demonstrate:
Quiet confidence ie. unshakable faith in your faith or belief system and no urgent desire or need to share it.
Discernment ie. knowing when, where and how to share what you believe with others and when, where and how not to.
Restraint ie. the ability to choose not to indulge oneself by entering a room full of strangers and posting topics that are likely to create ill will.
I salute you and sincerely hope that all those self identifying as Christians on this forum will follow your lead. -
Here here! "Christians" get a bad name on here due to the people we all know are idiots. Madamex is one of the people who actually give Christians a good name. -
TT, I second your commendation.
Interestingly, one of the things I like most about modern Catholicism is its lack of proselytizing. I'm not down with the dogma, but I like that Catholic converts come to the Church, not the other way around. I also know very few Catholics who feel compelled to share, without invitation, their beliefs...again, very much appreciated. I do not have to share a belief to respect it and those who hold it, and I very much respect MmeX's way of living her faith.
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wrong spot
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I noticed that someone wrote "I refuse to patronize a business that so openingly promotes their religion to others." I was wondering why does it make a difference? Why should it matter to you? Some people view their religion and the money or service they give to be a form of charity. So should a business be punished because they believe in good, love, acceptance, virtue, honesty, forgiveness, serenity, caring, hope, and that's just tip of the ice berg. What's up behind that idea. Another aspect to review is food markets. Kosher products are certified that they are safer and cleaner food products. Does that make a difference? If so, why? It's only out there because of religion.
Please excuse my line of questioning. I'm not here to rant, bash or act rude to anyone. I'm here for knowledge, business, and companionship. But, I'm beginning to see a trend arise against religion. But not all religions are included. Just Christianity. I agree that not all Christians are Christ-like, but to sit in judgment of them because they are Christian is serving what good or purpose? I mean, if a person has gone to school, or built a business from scratch and is generally a good person or a GREAT person in their professional field- what matters pertaining to what they hang on their office walls? Why is that so important to you that some persons would boycott or get irritated over. You don't pay their taxes. You haven't walked in their shoes. For all you know the are a wonderful professional, business person, shop owner or neighbor. The bridge goes both ways is all I'm saying. So there "Christian" religious. What gives? Why do you care anyways? Is your life so swallow and empty that you feel the need to be so...um, needy, picky, nasty, I don't know. My doctor is a Hindu. He has his crap hanging everywhere. But I wouldn't want anyone else to cut me open. I could careless what he has hanging in his office. I just don't understand why it should matter.-
u must be christian
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I grew up Christian (Baptist) but no longer self-identify as a Christian. For me, Christianity is following the examples Christ set and heeding his words: in my experience, the vast majority of those who self-identify as Christians today do neither. They want the name and the reputation of being followers of Christ, but they have no interest in doing the work and self-sacrifice that is necessary.
Christ was the person who threw the moneylenders from the temple. He did that not because moneylending was bad, but because mixing commerce with the sacred was sacrilege. How is flogging Jesus as your corporate partner any different? He was pretty clear about using those things sacred for financial gain...condemnatory.
Today I see all manner of businesses that are not directly related to Christianity (like Christian bookstores) using Jesus as a marketing tool. They expect to gain trust from customers and they expect to pull Christian customers away from competitors who do not advertise their Christian affiliation. This is exactly opposite what Christ demonstrated in the temple...this is using the sacred to further one's business...it is sacrilege and I find it hypocritical and dishonest.
Furthermore, Christ was against people proclaiming their piety in public. He admonished those he found praying in public and told them to go pray quietly in a closet. So, making a public display of one's religious affiliation is unChristlike and not in keeping with the teachings of Jesus, either.
My husband is Hindu, so I know a bit about your doctor's faith. There is nothing in the Gita that admonishes Hindus to pray in private or not to mix their business with their beliefs. So, unlike the so-called Christian who uses his religion to boost his business in direct opposition to the teachings of Christ, the Hindu businessman or doctor is not being a hypocrite by displaying tokens of his faith. That said, the only evidence you will find outside our home that my husband is Hindu...aside from the fact that one look at him tells you he is Indian...is the red string on his right wrist (from the Luxsmi prayers) and the tiny little Ganesha statue under a glass dome on the dashboard of his sports car. Nothing on his business card, nothing in his office, nothing from his lips.
To my mind, people who advertise themselves as Christians in a business setting are anything but Christian because they are ignoring the teachings of Christ and trying to use Christianity as a way to improve their bottom line. This makes them hypocrites at best, dishonest at worst, and I choose not do to business with either. -
1brncowco lectured me with this "I noticed that someone wrote "I refuse to patronize a business that so openingly promotes their religion to others." I was wondering why does it make a difference? Why should it matter to you? Some people view their religion and the money or service they give to be a form of charity. So should a business be punished because they believe in good, love, acceptance, virtue, honesty, forgiveness, serenity, caring, hope, and that's just tip of the ice berg."
Why should I spend MY money at a business I do not support, whose beliefs I do not condone when they so blantantly want me to know where they stand? Promoting their religion to customers has nothing to do with love, acceptance, and yadda yadda. It is making a statement, it is letting everyone who walks in the door know their opinion on religion, it also bring into question their openmindedness and often makes me question their ethics. If I want religion then I would go visit a religious establishment, not a doctors office.
You will also note that I did not once in my statement single out Christianity, I said religion, and that means religion period not just your religion. Also Violet was spot on about some Christians not knowing their own religion in their zealousness to advertise to the world there opinion on religion.
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second that-
can I third that....well I did anyway.
I'd be more worried about his qualifications as a dentist than I would his faith.
Happy Easter -
I think his ethics are every bit as important as his professional credentials.
Would you patronize him if he had Nazi or Satanic symbols in his office or White Supremacist literature or NAMBLA pamphlets in the waiting room? If the newspaper on the side table had a headline that he has just been convicted of defrauding insurance companies and his patients?
Or are all of these things OK as long as he has the right qualifications for drilling your teeth?
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Who must be a Christian? Me?
You know, after I sat here for a minute and thought about your statement based off guessing, I have to ask, why does that matter to you? Only Christians can think on these lines and not a Buddhist? This is exactly what I'm talking about. It's like my opinion bears no weight because it might be "Christian" based. What's up with that? You know it is just as easy for me to assume you must be a begot and/or a racist if I thought along your lines. So I guess its safe to say, You are. How does that make you feel? Better? Come on, give it break.-
It has nothing to do with whether or not your opinion bears weight, it has to do with hypocrisy and ethics. People who claim to be Christian and behave in ways quite the opposite of the teachings of Christ are hypocrites. Like the man who was so publicly pious and used Christianity as his marketing tool (complete with a cross on his business card) who turned out to be a racist, a cheat, and a liar. HE thinks he is a good Christian, but what would Jesus think?
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Did you consider it's what Christians say and how they say it that lets us know when were dealing with a conservative Christian fundamentalist. A person that follows the Buhdist Philosophy (not really a religion) really would not have presented things in the why many Christians do.
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again I second that
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Is it appropriate to have something like this up in a place of business?
Depends on the clients. I go to a Japanese restaraunt that has some shinto shrines in the doorway. I don't really care because they do the job I asked them to do... make me sushi. I go to a record store that is owned by some santeria practicing people and they have all types of weird crap in there, but again they do their job and order my records so I don't care
I know that Christianity can be good for business, especially if you go to a big church. But, would jesus really like that?
An impossible question to answer
Do you guys wear your Christianity on your sleeve. Any other religion? Scientology?
I tend to keep my faith to myself unless I am called to defend it or I see a bunch of people bashing it while letting all of the other ones get away with the same crap they bash christians for. I am luke warm-
Do the Shinto or Santeria faiths consider mixing commerce with expressions of faith to be sacrilege? Christ threw the moneylenders out of the temple and said that it would be easier for a camel to pass through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to get into heaven, remember?
Do the Shinto or Santeria faiths proscribe public displays of faith and piety? Christ did...he found a man praying publicly and loudly and told him to go pray quietly in a closet. In fact, if I remember my scripture correctly, Christ said "Thou hypocrite!" to the man.
When people identify with a belief system and then pander to their pockets by doing things their belief system proscribes, I have a problem with that. It is hypocricy and indicates that their ethics are in line with their wallets, not their belief system.
So, of course Christians can be legitimately criticized for behaviours for which Shintos get a free pass. It is being true to your own belief system that is salient here, not everybody being evaluated as if they all believed the same thing! -
The guy had painting up, it didn't say "and the lord said cometh to this dentist or die" it's a picture. It would seem that the issues of profiting off of something and displaying something are being confused. MY point was I do not get offended when I see things that I don't believe in plastered in places that I do business, because I am not that petty.
when you find me where he said they guy is selling the prints, then I'll take issue. If it is inside the office, people didn't notice it from outside and say "oh cool he's a christian I am sooo going there. I don't know if you remember, we've had this exact same exchange several times, neither of us budge.
*note: do keep in mind that though raised christian over half of my life was spent with my mother who went from straight satanism for 6 years to gardenrian wiccan, so despite how close minded people assume I am due to a religious affiliation, I am actually open to other religions hence the reason I do not get offended nor try to convert others. -
the picture had a cross that served as a bridge across the fire flames of hell. it was offensive.
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I didn't say I was offended. I said they are hypocrites which causes me to seriously question their ethics, and for that reason I will not patronize them.
I am OK with people of other faiths engaging in the same behaviour as long as they are not violating the teachings of their faith...and engaging in hypocrisy...in doing so.
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If you only had a cross around you and no other thing to employ as ladder or bridge to save your soul or for the purpose of reaching and be united with your beloved, what's wrong with that? -
The question was asked and Christians answered. How is that proselytizing? If you don't like the Christianized posts and what they have to say then don't read them and certainly don't comment on them.
Now as to the question. This dentist has learned his craft and has, I am assuming, a profitable practice (do you really know any poor dentists) He is not making money off of Jesus by hanging a piece of art that he finds attractive. He is just a Christian who is a dentist and likes art.
Would people be just as offended if he hung "The Last Supper" by Da Vinci. Of course not. He is a Christian who happens to have a piece of artwork in his office. If it offends you don't go. You can even send him a note telling him why if you so choose.-
AMEN to that! lol.
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very well put, that was pretty much what I was saying, only your comment spelled it out much more effectively than mine
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some people love jesus. some people lave allah. some people love buddha. you're going to be offended a lot in life if you are offended by other people's faith. i say live and let live. if a dentist does good work and my teeth are shiny and clean, i could care less if he has a picture of jesus on the wall. if you are someone who is offended by that, then just don't go back. seems pretty simple to me.
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I don't find it offensive that he hangs a piece of Christian art.
I would find it offensive if he was playing Christian music and handing my proselytizing literature while imploring me to pray for God's forgiveness in Jesus's name when I actually came to get my teeth cleaned.
And as for all the religious threads, I really think using BC as a forum for being a witness for Christ is hideously ineffective. It just makes people mad.-
Always dogging on the Christians. See, I find this to be offensive in it's very nature. I haven't been here long enough to make an assessment. But I can tell you one thing, stuff like what you just wrote, promotes nothing but hate. You said itself that it makes people angry. The root of all anger is fear. Fear leads to hate. Please.........
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Oh please, if you participated more in the threads, you would realize that I am not one of the Christian baiters. I am so tolerant compared to what so many others on BC write in response to religious threads.
I just think religious threads need to have their own forum, not general discussion forums. I am just as adamant about political threads as well.
I think that creating controversial threads regarding theological arguments does anything but make people angry. It doesn't change anyone's minds. -
"I would find it offensive if he was playing Christian music and handing my proselytizing literature while imploring me to pray for God's forgiveness in Jesus's name when I actually came to get my teeth cleaned."
I agree... That makes sense to me, that I can understand completely
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SweetViolet, Bloggernoob wasn't talking about you being offended. They weren't even claiming that you declared that.
THEY were expressing their own views.-
I was expressing MY view vis-a-vis EndlesslySheSaid's comment.
Or are you saying I am not permitted to express my view on this thread?
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When my grandmother, who was a christian, passed away I inherited her wedding and engagement rings. The engagement ring is a symbol of Christianity. It has a large cross in the middle representing the father and two smaller on the sides representing the the son and the holy ghost. If you turn the ring all three images are doves.
I am not a Christian but of all the jewlery that I own that is the jelery that I cherish the most because it belonged to someone I loved dearly.
Would I be offended by the poaster? No, I usually choose to ignore things like that. Where I live there are crosses all along the freeway activerain.com/blogsview/66512/Three-Crosses-Along-the-Highway This is throughout the state. It's just there.
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