There are times it's all I can do to keep a lid on it

I was in a local store grabbing a soda when two teachers on a break from a Columbus Day teachers' meeting strolled in. As they were waiting at the counter they were (loudly) discussing religion (the area around here is ultra-conservative and fundie) and one said to the other, "Yeah, I got in trouble just for reading the Bible to my class".

Well DUH, ya knucklehead!!! If you want to teach Sunday School, raise your hand and tote your Bible to church. No doubt she would love it if someone stood in front of her class and started reading the Koran or the Torah, too. <sarcasm alert> I felt like screaming, "Yeah, well if you ever start preaching in my kid's class I'll not only sue your ass off but that of the school board, too!" Only I don't have any kids in school and knowing the area in which I live, I'd probably have been arrested for public disturbance of some sort.

Arrgghh.... damn, I had to get out of there before my mouth got me in trouble. I've a quick temper and probably would have ended up just screaming at her. Counterproductive, no doubt, but what do you do when you cross paths with bullcrap like this?

You are in the right, but they are in their bubble.

Many of these people think their religion can save the world from "sin and disorder." I like this quote regarding that:

"There was a time when everyone believed in God- it was called the Dark Ages"

and I don't honestly think the religious far right has any idea what's about to happen to them.

Even believers are sick to death of the harassment and bullying.

Unless it's the backs of nonbelievers being lashed.

The whole impetus behind this is (surprise, surprise) fear. If someone is a Christian then they can be trusted. If they're not, they are the enemy. Simple as that.

It doesn't even matter how many times the true believers have been ripped off by some scam artist whose room is dominated by a prayer stand and an open, large King James Bible. They still fall for the fish symbol and the "God bless you." The madness will go on forever.

against the fundies, and I'm talking about believers.

People are sicker of the bullies than you think they are.

Christian solidarity just aint what it used to be.

But yes, they're trying to whip up hate at the fictional atheist monolith, you can even see that at work here.

I just don't think it's going to work.

When that teacher complained about being reprimanded for reading the Bible to her class, I wonder who finally reported her? I know when I was a little kid I would have been too scared to have reported my teacher (and afraid to be ostracized for doing so). How do we know just how much of this B.S. is going on in our public schools and simply doesn't get reported? How many folks have even talked to their kids about this kind of force-fed fundamentalism in the classroom?

and she had to have been reprimanded because a parent complained about proselytizing the kids in the classroom. Remember, Catholic, JW, Jewish, Mormon, and a few other sect's parents are not going to be thrilled by knowing their kids are being read to out of the KJV, the "wrong" bible for their sect.

That's one of the things I mean about backlash. I think parents now are a little more ready to complain when teachers step out of line, pushing their own religious agenda in a classroom.

It might have scared the shit out of her. :D

"Excuse me, if you want to read the bible in school, I suggest you move to Iran." and then gotten into a real slanging match.

I'm at the point where I'd just as soon knock someone like that upside the head as hard as possible and let the chips fall where they may.