Things I Shouldn’t Say? [PREACHY]

If you know me, you know the filter between my brain and my wagging tongue frequently fails to work. This results in the treat of random songs floating out of my mouth, blunt words dropping like anvils though I try to be diplomatic, and the rare clamping down of mouth over tongue that leads to awkward silence because some power greater than my mortal mind prompts me, just in time, not to drop that truth bomb. 

Lately, I’ve been struggling with people telling me that I am not a Christian and then proceeding to inform me of what exactly the religion I am baptized into believes though they haven’t studied the teachings of said religion for as long as I have. This weighs heavy on my heart. If you see my beliefs this way, how do you see me?

Let’s take a step back in time to a couple of decades ago. My roommate came home from trip with his fiancée and proceeded to tell me about some “Mormons” he annoyed at the wedding he attended. (Yes. My roommate was male. Quelle horreur! Another opportunity for people to tell me I was unchristian and not following my faith. Still boggles my mind that I grew up living with my two brothers and no one questioned that, but I live with a guy I think of as a brother and the assumptions abound. Anyway, the culmination of his conversation with his future “Mormon” relatives was that they could drink champagne if they wanted and make all the excuses they wanted, but he knew me and knew that I went to church almost every day. (We had activities every day. We were very social creatures and didn’t exactly blend with the skimpily clad drunks stumbling down High Street.) And my friend, who apparently listened to my random ramblings and respected me, chose to believe me when I shared my beliefs. He disagreed, often strenuously, but he accepted me for who I am and was willing to defend my beliefs to others.

But can I call people out for judging me right after they accuse me of judging them? Probably not. Just because I express an opinion that disagrees with you, particularly if you didn’t press your opposing view prior to me sharing mine, doesn’t mean I am judging you. What happened to the world where we could talk to each other and agree to disagree?

For instance, I have been told I can not love both “Star Wars” and “Star Trek” and yet I do. I also love “Doctor Who” and “Defiance” and “Firefly” and really need to watch more “Babylon Five” and “Farscape” because I liked what I saw, but feel like I need to see more to declare myself a fan.

Hope you are all enjoying this major day for nerds to celebrate what makes our world a little brighter even though it seems to be burning down around us. What makes you want to be better and influence the world for good?