Felt like I had to come to DU to cleanse myself

[woodsprite]

after having family dinner with the fundies last night. UGH!!! We were celebrating my birthday and everything was fine until they started in on Schiavo, saying how her husband was a murderer, he wouldn't give her a divorce and give her parents the money to care for her, etc.

That was bad enough, then they started in on losing the Pope. They couldn't say too much because my Catholic BIL was sitting right there. And finally, they started in on Johnny Cochran. I never KNEW my in-laws could be SOOOOO hateful. They were rejoiceing because he was dead and my MIL was making it sound like God got revenge on him for the OJ trial. I told my niece that "He had an inoperable brain tumor" and my MIL got this wild-eyed look and said "GOOD! He got what he deserved."

So much for supposedly being Christian! Anyway, I've been very upset about them last night. Still upset this morning and thought bathing myself in the light and sanity of DU would help.

Thanks!

[Ironpost]

1. Smart move.

[IrateCitizen]

2. They acted like this at the party for YOUR birthday???

If I were in your shoes, I would have given it to them with both barrels a-blazin', right then and there.

I'm all for people airing their opinions in the spirit of having a discussion (but if they're fundies, that's impossible), but if it's a birthday dinner for YOU then YOU shouldn't have to sit there and listen to their mindless drivel.

You should have told them to STFU. Seriously. Right then and there, and been very explicit about how you don't appreciate them airing their shit at an occasion that's supposed to be a celebration of YOUR birthday.

[FreedomAngel82]

7. I agree

I'm sure you know the saying: "it's my party and I can cry if I want to."

[Warpy]

14. Family members like that were the reason I insisted on

driving in a separate car to those functions. I can keep peace only so long, and then I just have to leave, usually with nothing worse than "Sorry, but I just can't listen to this stuff any more. Bye."

The problem with haters like that is if you do speak up for yourself, the object of their spew becomes YOU, and they try to be snide and clever doing it, which is really a pathetic spectacle.

Separate cars solved the problem. My ex could drink and put up with it. I had to stay sober, so I left.

[Marnieworld]

3. So what justice system would they prefer?

OJ freakin' butchered those people-of that I have no doubt. But Johnnie Cochran didn't. He was just doing his job. That is our legal system. It is adversarial and the constitution has protections for defendants to which we all (potentially) benefit from. Johnnie made some dough with his gift sure, but he also took on many cases fighting for the little guy against the man.

I'm sure that these "fundies" that you speak of aren't given to critical analysis and independent thinking. I'm not a Christian but I have a vague awareness of Jesus' teachings. My guess is that he wasn't a big fan of revenge killings and rejoicing in such. But then again what do I know? I'm just a liberal who hates America right?

[FreedomAngel82]

8. Right

Jesus was very humble and wouldn't rejoice in something like that. Those people aren't Christ's followers that's for sure. They have some weird view if they do think they are.

[IrateCitizen]

11. They don't care about the Gospels -- it's all OT and Revelations to them.

These so called "Christians" wouldn't know any of the tenets from the Gospels if they jumped up and bit them in the ass. All they ever refer to is the Old Testament (especially Leviticus) and Revelations. Christianity is not a way of life for them, it's an identity and a license to feel superior to others.

They're not Christians, they're christianists. I would almost guarantee if Christ were to come back again, they would crucify him all over again.

[FreedomAngel82]

18. I've noticed that

You never hear them quoting from Matthew, Mark, Luke or John. Because then they couldn't base their policies on anything. Their policies aren't based on Jesus' teachings at all.

[IrateCitizen]

19. That's why I refer to them as christianists, not Christians. (nt)

[tnlefty]

4. Sorry to see that someone else has such "fun family gatherings"

as I. My sons and I all have birthdays in Feb. and at our family birthday dinner one of my older brothers hatefully told me to STFU. I had a running joke going that I had X number of months to be 44, then X number of weeks, then days and it was lighthearted and fun. The day of this gathering his wife was joking around with me about who in the crowd had just turned 45, etc. We were in the kitchen helping my mother get everything ready and we were laughing and cutting up about my age and he walked up behind me and very hatefully stated "it's better than the alternative, so you just shut the fuck up." I left the kitchen and haven't said a word to him since. We stayed home and celebrated Easter as just our nuclear family. This incident was one of his more minor asshole moments to be sure, but I'm sick of this shit. They're also rascist, homophobic and it's getting to the point that it's not worth the emotional toll that it takes just to be around them. He's infamous for drinking too much, becoming obnoxious and showing his ass. When he's not drinking he still acts like a bully and if anyone even slightly defends against this bullshit, hateful attacks he runs whining and crying to my mother who thinks he can do no wrong and lashes out at anyone who would dare cross her "golden boy".

I empathize with you and it gets really tough sometimes. Hopefully, you'll feel later today or tomorrow or sometime soon anyway.

[FreedomAngel82]

9. It's just like them

to be bullies.

[demnan]

5. Yes you missed the various cleansing cat poop threads

this morning.

[Hardrada]

16. Or the refreshing and tingling favorite car threads!

[FreedomAngel82]

6. Simply amazing

Their attitudes about things never cease to amaze me.

[Cleita]

10. How come these people are always so sure of themselves?

They seem to have all the answers, yet they don't seem to be able to explain what they meant when you ask them.

[tx_dem41]

12. I usually advocate trying to be more tolerant of family over ..

...political discussion. But, what your MIL said was not political, it was inhumane. Its easy for me to say, but I would have calmly stood up, left the dinner table and gone home. I would also never return.

[Hand]

13. Well hey, woodsprite...

A VERY Happy Birthday to you from your DU family! And many, many more!

:party: :toast: :yourock: :headbang: :loveya: :grouphug:

[woodsprite]

15. I did make a comment that went like

"Well, if Cochran ended up that way because of all he's done wrong, then we're really screwed because half of Congress and the administration is gonna kick off and Bush is gonna lead the parade."

I think it went over my MILs head though or she chose to ignore that I said it. I leaned over to my compadre (my sane, Wiccan SIL) and whispered "If you want the real truth, try visiting some non-fundamentalist websites". She said this was the first time that she had heard someone felt like that about Schiavo. She was a paramedic for years and had started trying to explain to my other SIL and MIL about how the body does have basic reflexive reactions even if the brain is not functioning.

I swear I was sitting there thinking "I've known this lady (MIL) for over 30 years - but I never really KNEW her". She was scary - like out of the Excorcist scary! I expected her head to start spinning any moment. I was ready to duck if something started spewing out of her mouth.

In July, I have 9 days with them down at the beach this summer -- WTF did I do that for? It's gonna be a L-O-N-G vacation. :(

[MissMarple]

17. Well, life is too short to be around toxic people.

They sound like ignorant bullies reveling in their own hatred. I don't see why you put up with it. I avoid certain family members of mine. It is better for my emotional, and physical health to not be subjected to their insecurities and vitriol. I don't sacrifice myself for those kinds of family values. They are not going to change. We also have Limbaugh type followers on the other side of our family, but no one discusses politics or religion when we get together. And, thus we get along.

And I like IrateCitizen's term for these kinds bible proclaiming hypocrits...christianists. They make a mockery of Christ and honest Christians.

And on a lighter note, happy birthday, Aries! :hi: