Another story of religious hypocrisy

[titaniumsalute]

So yesterday I stopped at my local watering hole on my way home from work. It is actually a craft brewery and a hookah bar so not exactly a traditional "corner bar." Most people in there know each other (especially early when I am there) mainly due to a common bond to drink awesome craft beer.

This time of year is "season" here in FL so we do get a chunk of tourists. My bar opens at 5pm and I was there about 5:45. A loud, much too friendly couple greeted me at the bar as I took my seat. They immediately started talking about how they are from Minnesota, they a staying in (wherever) Florida for a week, they have hated the cold weather down here (mid 60s), etc. They bragged about starting to drink Bloodies for breakfast, tiki huts all day...now beer at this establishment. They were shitfaced, loud, close talkers, talking over each other and obnoxious. OK whatever. This isn't my first rodeo to a bar with organisms a little too ripe with alcohol.

So we do the friendly chat thing as to not to be rude. They talked about this awesome Dodge Challanger they rented for the week...it's a great car...who cares. Then it happens, after a long day of BS at work, they ask "So where do you stand on this whole birth control thing?" At first I was taken by surprise because I'd never been asked about it and frankly haven't thought about it much beyond whatever someone decides for themsleves is OK by me. I also knew that this was not a conversation I wanted to be in regardless.

I responded with something like "Beats the shit out of me...I believe in good beer and unwinding from a hard day's work." Of course these two jag-offs don't get the picture and then start in on the whole "Well, we're Catholics and this is absolute WAR! And our church and other churches are being persecuted by the communists in office and blah blah BLAH! We believe in the sanctity of life..." I said wait a minute. Let me get this straight. The two of you are deeply religious? "Yes, very" was the response. I said the hotel you are staying in is about 15 minutes away correct? "Yes, yes it is." I said you two have been drinking all day and when you leave here you're going to take your rental car with your drunk asses and DRIVE on my local streets to get back to the hotel? You call that protecting the sanctity of LIFE? I have fucking kids that ride bikes on these streets. I have a wife who drives home from work each day...as do I on these streets." Oh shit I was steamed.

The good news is the owner of the brewery was already on the way to kick these two out. He tried to talk them into waiting for a cab. They refused but when he mentioned he'd call the police instead of a cab...well they waited for that cab.

But what I struggle with is that so many of these people are so stuck on one thought...one illogical thought. They can't deviate a hair on this one thought and they will fight to the death on that one thought. But yet they live in an alternate universe and completely live a life of opposing that thought. I'm sure if i brought up Priests and Pedophiles it would have gotten really ugly. These same assholes who are bent out of shape about contraception were the same ones shuffling pedophiles around like chess pieces.

[sarcasmo]

1. From this guys point of view, the church is out to control women not just contraception.

[titaniumsalute]

2. At least the Catholic Church is

I'd like to knwo who their PR firm is...Father Sphincter's Brand Awareness Association?

[Arugula Latte]

14. And the Mormons, and the Baptists, and the Hassidic Jews, and the Muslim fundamentalists...and so on

Seriously ... Fuck Religion. It sucks.

[Initech]

13. That's all it's about - control of women.

Nothing more, nothing less. The Catholic Church *COMPLETELY* stepped out of boundaries with this one - they really crossed a line that should not have been crossed.

[deucemagnet]

3. And vacationing in a state that routinely carries out the death penalty, to boot.

The Catholic church is against that, as well. Where is the outrage?

[onethatcares]

4. if you happen to see them again,

ask what they think about the bishops covering up for pedophile priests. That's a sanctity of life issue they may want to deal with.

Good luck.

[Warpy]

5. Sadly, they won't remember the encounter

or at least deny that they do.

I've lived in a tourist trap. I've often wondered why tourists behave so much worse on vacation than they do at home, seemingly not caring how many people they insult.

At least they kept it at home in the US instead of pissing off everyone they came into contact with overseas.

[rexcat]

17. Not all tourists act poorly...

but those who do spoil it for everyone else.

My wife grew up in Titusville and we met at UCF. We left Florida in 1980 and I never want to move back. None the less we return home twice a year with the kids to see family but we avoid the touristy things if we can help it. There is just so many times one can go see Disney and the other tourist things. Titusville is not exactly a tourist meca but I still have friends in Cocoa Beach and at the local hospital where I used to work.

[RKP5637]

26. I use to travel a lot internationally for my employment and often I was so

embarrassed to even say I was an American, so many make such asses of themselves abroad.

[dflprincess]

6. They didn't happen to mention where they're from in Minnesota?

Because I'm guessing Sterns or Benton County (both in Bachmann's district).

[titaniumsalute]

19. No they didn't

And I didn't ask...

[glowing]

7. As a fellow Floridian who is also over run with the tourist idiots, thanks for making them

take a cab... They will run up a bar tab and think nothing of the cost, but then freak out at having to pay for a 15 min ride to their hotel which will cost at the most $10.00.. I hope the cabbie took them the "long" way back.. LOL

[RKP5637]

8. I would ask them why they are so intent in bringing hell on earth and are they the ambassadors!

Guess I don't mix too well with religious people.

[Initech]

9. George Carlin was right - they made the whole "sanctity of life" thing up!

[RKP5637]

10. George got it exactly right, as always! They are anti-women. n/t

[Initech]

15. If you're pre-born you're fine! If you're pre-school you're fucked!

That man was a genius.

[RKP5637]

16. I really really miss him! He always told things the way they were! n/t

[Initech]

18. He'd probably explode teabagger heads left and right if he were still alive.

Although I think Bill Hicks would've climbed to the top of the watchtower by now.

[RKP5637]

23. Who do we have today similar to Bill Hicks or George Carlin? n/t

[Initech]

27. Lewis Black comes to mind.

In fact I saw one interview with Carlin where he highly praised Lewis and pretty much said he was the true successor.

[RKP5637]

28. Yep, he's probably the closest. n/t

[Initech]

30. I'd also say David Cross and Dave Attell.

David Cross for the scathing editorials on the Xtian right and republicans, Dave Attell for the uncensored no-holds-barred late-night party animal side.

[titaniumsalute]

20. Yup he was the best

Thank God for Youtube...the younger generations can learn about this brilliant mind and the older generations can continue to enjoy Carlin.

[RKP5637]

24. +1,000,000 +++ n/t

[Brettongarcia]

21. In the Bible"life" referred to having the life of the spirit, of the mind. Which embryos don't have

Nor do conservative Catholics.

We need to turn them on to the importance of intelligence, a mind.

[spanone]

11. i find it laughable that the church thinks it holds the moral high ground

after the pedophile shuffle

[titaniumsalute]

22. My feelings on this

Frankly I think there are people who strive to be like Christ...or disciples of Christ. And then there's the faux Christians or the orpportunists. I know good people who attend church, work in missions, etc. who are good people, anti-war, tolerant, etc. But I also knwo the church-going militant Christians who fall in line with this extreme wing nuttiness that has seemed to dominate the right for the past 10-15 years.

I try not to label an entire group a certain way.

[RKP5637]

25. That's a good way to look at it. I'm not a religious person, but I've known religious people

that are like the former you mentioned. It's a shame that a really loud vocal group has co-opted the 'goodness' of religion into "the church-going militant Christians who fall in line with this extreme wing nuttiness that has seemed to dominate the right for the past 10-15 years."

When in church many years ago one phrase that always stuck in my mind was beware of the devil who will come in many forms. That's how I view the extreme wing nuttiness.

I tend to lump everyone together and label the entire group a certain way, but I know that is not good ... it's more a level of frustration listening to the hatefulness and BS thrown out by militant Christians and their wackiness.

[titaniumsalute]

29. Oh trust me...if you pulled up old posts

I am very guilty of categorizing people, groups, etc. And usually it is out of frustration or anger. But in reality nothing is black and white (except a 1965 Television.) In all fairness there's good and evil in every group, every society, every culture. I think what is frustrating is that the evil extreme right-wing has a very big mega-phone right now between FOX, talk radio and numerous other outlets.