I got angrier today than I ever have been in my entire life.

[mobro]

i have a friend that i used to always refer to as "religous". he kindly corrected me the other day with this.
"Religion" will let you down.
a "Church" will let you down.
"People" will let you down.
you can't look to any of them to find your peace or a relationship with God. Because sooner or later, they will all let you down. but according to him, God wont.

I don't know if he is right or not ,and I guess that depends on the person really, but I can sure see his logic. i can also tell you that i got jumped on and told off by just about every "religous" person I know for the same thing me and him were discussing. never once did he put me down or try to pass judgement. he just politely referred me in God's direction. I am not trying to push this on anybody. I hate when people do that "look how good I am" crap. I am far from "religous" by any means. but the man has a peace about him that could make anybody curious.

and for the record, i don't have anything for a church or most of the judgmental people in it.

 

[fistfullofsteel]

Napoleon Bonaparte (1769-1821):
"All religions have been made by men."
"Religion is excellent stuff for keeping common people quiet."

 

[Bikini Mod]

I can give a little more detail.

My mom had a breakdown last summer. She had some really really awful things happen to her just before she met my father that she supressed with years and years of giving herself to others. It's safe to say she is the quintessential mother, and that's how everyone in her church felt about her. Like she was their mother. Anyway, last summer we had to deal with something that brought up all of those repressed memories and my mother ended up in the hospital.

She and her vestry decided the best course of action would be to go on short term disability while she focused on getting herself back together. Several months ago, while my mom was still in an extremely fragile state, the bishop called her in for an appointment and told her that the vestry had gone to him and told him they wanted to move on to another priest, that they didn't want her to come back.

Initially I had been angry with them. How could they do something so cruel, to let her get blindsided by this when they knew all she was going through? I thought they were a bunch of chickenshit assholes. My mom avoided and avoided and put off talking to the vestry, I think because she was so hurt that none of them had come to her first and told her and explained their choice to her.

I asked my dad this morning, before I was supposed to see all these people, if she had ever spoken with them. He told me yes, and that they had never gone to the Bishop. The bishop lied, they still wanted her to come back. And then he had lied to the vestry and told them she wanted to retire. My mom had then made the choice that she didn't have the energy to do the work (it's a huge church and she used to do 80 hour weeks) anymore and that's when she (actually) chose to retire.

That sonofabitch lied to my poor mother and made her feel like shit when she was going through one of the most difficult times of her life, after all she has done for this diocese, and he's supposed to be a leader in the church? Fuck him.

I feel your pain...

But as Mightymouse said - it is important to separate this (these people) and your faith.

Religion is flawed as it comes from man.

Faith is divine as it comes from God - whomever that god may be.

I am truly sorry for your entire family.