Deep Thoughts: In my face every day

Thursday, July 23, 2009

In my face every day

I recently had a conversation with a polytheist regarding the display of religious icons in his office. He said they helped ground him in his faith. I’m not really sure what that means. I just know that every time I visit his office, I get to see a statue of his god. The icons are there for me too.

I counted how many religious symbols I spotted today. So far my count is at 144. Most were encountered while driving to and from work. Of course, I saw the obligatory cross above a heaving cleavage a few times today too. Most recently at dinner, where I am lucky I did not get slapped by my wife. No honey, I was just looking at her crucifix, I swear.

On the road the relentless assault is subtle and pervasive. Religious symbols can be as simple as the outline of a cross like in my photo above. Or it can be a church steeple, billboard, or bumper sticker. My point is, these displays are everywhere. They are a constant reminder that the balance of power rests in the hands of the faithful and they have a message for us. How do you deal with that?

Technorati Tags: Religion,Photography

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Rox1SMF 42p · 822 weeks ago

This is the thing that so many people simply do not understand. For me. it's not so much the pervasiveness of religious *imagery* per se (because as a student of myth, I see things many people don't even KNOW are religious symbols) but the decidedly evangelical sales pitches that we're bombarded with now that the fundies have hijacked popular culture and media.

I deal with it by vocally dissenting as often and as succinctly as possible, and encouraging others to do the same. All anyone has to do is study even just the past 50 years of American Christianity and it becomes clear that it's all about power. We simply cannot allow it to go on, and the special privileges that have been unconstitutionally granted to believers must be rescinded.

Private citizens & churches can display Jesusy hoo-ha anywhere they like, as long as I'M not paying for its residing there.

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Thinking Heresy · 822 weeks ago

I agree with Rox1SMF. I am not so much bothered by the religious imagery per se as the proselytizing. That bothers me.

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Buffy 83p · 822 weeks ago

I don't care how many religious baubles people wear and throw up on their private property. It's only when they try to use my tax dollars to erect their monuments that I take issue.

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3 replies · active 822 weeks ago

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Mojoey 107p · 822 weeks ago

I hear you. That's when I really get pissed too.

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Rox1SMF 42p · 822 weeks ago

A friend from HS posted a link to stoptheabortionmandate.com on Facebook, saying "It's not about 'pro-life' anymore, this is about your tax money going to fund abortions... (blah blah)" My comment that we ALL pay for shit we don't necessarily agree with started a longish thread, which she ultimately deleted. I made the point that non-Christians are paying for HER church to be tax-exempt, and that it's funny how they don't see it as a problem for OUR tax money to go to maintaining religious monuments erected in violation of everyone's First Amendment rights.

They can't handle the truth. They've enjoyed special treatment, increasingly so over the past 30 years, and like spoiled fucking children they have a sense of entitlement. We'll be fixing that, and they can kick & scream all they want but the law WILL prevail goddammit!

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Mojoey 107p · 822 weeks ago

it's all about them. It always is.

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Jack 119p · 822 weeks ago

How do I deal with it? Not very well. It is so pervasive around here (Mississippi) that I don't even notice it on the good days. On the not so good days, it makes me mad. Why? Because I do not feel free to promote by beliefs about religion like they do. And that makes me mad.

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1 reply · active 822 weeks ago

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Mojoey 107p · 822 weeks ago

Heck - you get punished if you openly promote your beliefs.

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matt 68p · 822 weeks ago

the symbols appear to be harmless, to me they mean nothing, to the religious it just reaffirms their twisted beliefs , what does bother me is when they come to my door and proselytize and when these "alleged religious" vote to use taxpayer money to erect their monuments or engrave their religious words on public buildings

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Les 16p · 822 weeks ago

I generally ignore it though some of the more obnoxious forms -- I'm looking at you "Messages From God Billboards" -- tend to annoy when I see them.

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Autarkis 12p · 822 weeks ago

This is such an interesting question that I had to formulate a blog post myself to answer it!

http://somestepsahead.blogspot.com/2009/07/self-h...

Basically, I think that it's important to know where your rage or annoyance is coming from to develop an individual coping strategy. :) The long answer in my blog post.

Thank you mojoey for the inspiration! :)

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1 reply · active 822 weeks ago

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Mojoey 107p · 822 weeks ago

My coping strategy is to make fun of them. It helps.

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