Christians have for far too long been able to get away with the most rude remarks imaginable under the guise of "telling the truth," as recorded in the Bible. They threaten people with eternal torment; they snoop in people's bedrooms and presume to tell them how to love their significant others -- and even who their significant others ought to be -- and they say all sorts of terribly rude things in strictly social situations under the guise of "speaking their convictions."

I am currently reading Jesus Doesn't Live Here any More, by Skipp Porteous. In it he tells about some nosy fundies who, upon announcing his intention to marry his third wife, told him and her that they were "praying that he and Linda (his first wife) would get back together again." So, what was supposed to be a joyous occasion announcing the love of two individuals for each other was turned into a bully pulpit that threw a wet blanket on the occasion.

While I don't approve of multiple marriages, I hardly see the announcement of two people's love for each other and the perfect opportunity to thrust my feelings regarding this topic onto the celebrants. In the first place, it doesn't matter one whit how *I* feel about multiple marriages; what matters is how they feel about each other. And since they have seen fit to publicly announce their feelings toward each other, all I can do at that point is accept their feelings as genuine and hope for the best.

Believers are, as a whole, a bunch of busybodies who not only lack the most elementary components of socialization, but are, as a rule, aware of the lack and completely ready to justify that lack on "moral" grounds.

Morality is a PERSONAL matter. I can no more tell somebody else what is moral than they have the right to tell me what is moral. If bible-bangers want to keep each other in line with such rudeness, I guess that's their business, but they really ought to have better sense about what constitutes acceptable behavior within their own little culture, and what constitutes acceptable behavior within the larger culture in which we all live, regardless of religious beliefs.

Saying that the average militant fundy lacks sensitivity is an understatement; thinking that we as non believers can possibly educate them about this lack is hubris; but letting them get away with the hurtful things that they say under the guise of "speaking out of love" is cowardice.

"My mind is my own church." -- Thomas Paine

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