I hope this helps, and if it's not very clear, I do say sorry up front. I'm not the best at expressing myself clearly. That said here goes... I also have problems with organized religion, but have never thought of it from the POV you laid out above. I think I just have a big problem with one religion feeling as though it's the 'right' one. I'm just not convinced one belief is the 'right' belief.
And that also leads to my anger over religious hypocrites as outlined above. I'm not so much offended by it as outraged. Mainly because usually the biggest "come to Jesus" nuts are the ones who are the biggest hypocrites of them all. The most recent example I can think of for this is Newt Gingrich -- the whole time he was demanding Clinton's head on a platter for diddling and intern he was cheating on wife #2 with a staffer who is now wife #3. The hypocrisy of it all makes my BLOOD BOIL!
And the problem with fundamentalists (of all religious persuasions) is that they are absolutely convinced that they are right. You can't reason with them. It's part of why I feel that the troubles in the middle east will never be resolved. How can you possible agree on something if everyone thinks theirs is the 'divine' prophecy or whatever. And don't even get me going on the Sunni/Shia thing and how long *that's* been going on. Sigh.
I had forgotten you were from Cali, so thanks for the reminder. Regarding Texas, I think you're right... a city is a city vs. the country. The biggest shock to me was when I was working in our corporate offices in Houston was that people had all kinds of religious symbols everywhere and were very public about it. They would pray at their desks (bless their lunch etc). They would hum/sing gospel songs at their desks while working. I was just not used to it.
Again, it's that whole "Puritanical' New England thing. Like you said, no one really asks you here what your religion is (well, except on Hospital forms, but that's different). It's much more 'MYOB' up here. And in some ways I really prefer that.
And that also leads to my anger over religious hypocrites as outlined above. I'm not so much offended by it as outraged. Mainly because usually the biggest "come to Jesus" nuts are the ones who are the biggest hypocrites of them all. The most recent example I can think of for this is Newt Gingrich -- the whole time he was demanding Clinton's head on a platter for diddling and intern he was cheating on wife #2 with a staffer who is now wife #3. The hypocrisy of it all makes my BLOOD BOIL!
And the problem with fundamentalists (of all religious persuasions) is that they are absolutely convinced that they are right. You can't reason with them. It's part of why I feel that the troubles in the middle east will never be resolved. How can you possible agree on something if everyone thinks theirs is the 'divine' prophecy or whatever. And don't even get me going on the Sunni/Shia thing and how long *that's* been going on. Sigh.
I had forgotten you were from Cali, so thanks for the reminder. Regarding Texas, I think you're right... a city is a city vs. the country. The biggest shock to me was when I was working in our corporate offices in Houston was that people had all kinds of religious symbols everywhere and were very public about it. They would pray at their desks (bless their lunch etc). They would hum/sing gospel songs at their desks while working. I was just not used to it.
Again, it's that whole "Puritanical' New England thing. Like you said, no one really asks you here what your religion is (well, except on Hospital forms, but that's different). It's much more 'MYOB' up here. And in some ways I really prefer that.
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