Is anyone else an atheist with BC besides me?
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Alice, that would be an excellent yard improvement every w
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Miriandra, are they risen because the star was in the yeast on Christmas morn?
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Hahahahaha! Love it, miriandra!!!
I have one of those god like creatures, so I believe!!!
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Pretty baby!! Come to the cats thread!!
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I was thinking pink flamingos, but cats in nativity scenes work great!
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Flower gardening has been a hobby of mine for decades. I joined a garden club this year in my hometown. It’s a group of about ten women, all over sixty, I had no idea there’d be a religious overtone or undertone to it, and I’m not going to last a whole year. One woman is a preacher’s wife; she and her husband are big in their faith having pastored a mega church in California before retiring and moving back east.
We meet once a month. There is prayer before eating. Group texts usually include a couple women praising god. One member gave us a pamphlet with garden club info that had a bible verse printed on the back. Conversation is sometimes peppered with a religious reference or two. I didn’t know this was going to occur. All the women are kind and generous but at some point, I’m going to need to bow out gracefully and am going to have to mention I don’t conform to man-made religion. I think they assume everyone is a Christian.
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They ALWAYS assume you're in their cult. 🤮
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They might just be too easy in their flock. You could try mentioning that you aren't particularly religious and overt religious expression makes you uncomfortable. They might be willing to dial it back during the meetings. If they are ok with it, great! You've found a good group. If they get their noses out of joint, well ... you were already planning on bowing out.
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Alice, it's maddening how they always think everyone is of the same mindset! The garden club women live in an insulated world of their own making, associating with likeminded people, never venturing outside the safety of the religious box they've chosen to live in.
Miriandra, I don't want the women to have to alter their conversations to accommodate me. It just never occurred to me the club would have a religious slant.
At this month's gathering, I caught a subtle whiff of disapproval when I mentioned taking a free online course offered by Yale University called “The Science of Well-Being." The retired preacher's wife did not seem to like hearing the word “science". I'm thinking it's because her belief is that well-being is only obtained thru or handed down by god, and there can't possibly be practical ways of creating well-being in one's life (there are).
I appreciate this thread so much. It truly helps having the support of other women who live by their non-beliefs. I did happen to strike up a conversation with a woman at the Y recently about the hypocrisy of religion. It was a welcome relief. Her father was part Native American and she talked about how he felt the need to pass as white back in the day when Native Americans were even more heavily discriminated against. It was interesting talking with her.
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I took that course! I liked the information, but I did NOT like the context that I had to take it in.
Our massage chain has a career advancement system for therapists. You can take a batch of online classes they offer (they have an intra-company online education platform), get a few letters of recommendation from your team and your manager, and you can be promoted to Elite Therapist. This makes you a little more expensive to clients, but it also gives you a nice raise and boosts your prestige. A lot of MTs see their bookings increase after their promotion, despite the price change.
The next level is Master Therapist. To achieve that, you have to already be an Elite MT and show leadership in your team. You also have to take the "Science of Well-Being" course. When you complete the course, the final step is a corporate-produced slideshow with some encouraging words - and then they show their true intentions for the course. "Congratulations! You are a real leader in your studio, and we're proud of you! Now that you have learned the Science of Well-Being, you know that happiness does not come from making more money, getting a better job, or going on Instagram-worthy vacations. You can now share this information with your team in a leadership role."
So, in a career-advancement program, they are telling us that we should not ask for raises, promotions, or take vacations, because they don't bring happiness. Ruth can confirm that this is the exact opposite from what the class says.
Money does indeed increase happiness up to about $75K. Below that, money is providing for your basic needs - food, shelter, heathcare, etc. - until you feel financially secure. Above that, studies show that feelings of happiness from your money plateau out. I don't know any massage therapists, certainly not any working for a retail massage studio or spa, who are making $75K or more.
Vacations do indeed bring happiness because they are novel. The brain loves and is stimulated by new things. When you get a new car, it's exciting and fun to explore. But after a few months, it becomes just your car, and doesn't bring happiness anymore. A vacation is exciting because it is limited. It never becomes normal. Then you get bonus happiness when you remember the good times you had on vacation. They're a double-happy!
Finally, what kind of career-advancement program would discourage participants from working to advance their careers? Only an hypocritical one that actually wants to limit employee development, or wants experienced therapists to rotate out to make room for newer, cheaper employees. And then they task their Master MTs to spread those ideas to their team - that they should not ask for raises, time off, or promotions. It's practically brainwashing.
So while the class itself is really good, I was insulted by how obviously backhanded the situation was. Plus, I was disappointed by the lack of administrative responses in the course. They relied on the student pool to address questions and discussions with no input from actual teachers or instructors. If you're taking it for personal enrichment, that's fine; but I was taking it for a "grade" of sorts. So overall, a mixed review.
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When I first moved to my neighborhood, the ladies (all retired) setup a text group. To get to know each other, each lady would ask a question and we'd all respond. When the religion question came up, I just didn't respond. I don't know if anyone noticed. We've had the text group now for 3+ years. I got prayers while I was going through BC treatment, but was too tired to really engage. I get tired of being asked to pray - from the trivial to the serious. Didn't realize there was a sliding scale. I avoid religious topics. I offer good vibes, well wishes, etc.
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I agree with your thoughts on the Science of Well-Being class too, Ruth! It's very superficial to say that money and possessions can't bring happiness, when they can create a more comfortable environment for us to enjoy. They may not bring happiness, but they can sure get rid of a lot of unhappiness!
I like that much of the class was a validation for a lot of the wisdom you've already learned and discovered for yourself: being thankful for what you have, but not taking it for granted. There are definitely some good bits in the class, but it could use some updates.
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I think the 75K seems outdated. I like not having to worry about money- post date checks etc
I am in the Bay Area and don't run into so many religious people. Not even my quilting guild ever says the stuff your garden club has said. I do hear stories from people about how the church folks let them down when they needed help ( my very religious Christian optometrist told me her DH was stage 4 colon cancer and she was the only income and provided the health insurance etc and the church folks told her to quit her job and stay hone and take care of her husband and when she said he would have no health care if she did- they shunned her!!!
I have many friends who are ex- Catholics- Some of my DHs friends have very religious wives- I no longer tolerate the "god gave you cancer" comments.
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FB friend just posted a link to a Christian Network article/youtube video by an ex-psychic warning against Yoga. "You are opening Demonic Doors".... My FB friend's comment was "Just be careful who you worship unwittingly". Of course what popped into my head was a vision of myself looking up from a downward dog to see a giant blue elephant-headed god squattting in front of me, but the more I thought of it, I doubt that you can actually worship without intent, that is, unwittingly.
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FB friend just posted a link to a Christian Network article/youtube video by an ex-psychic warning against Yoga. "You are opening Demonic Doors".... My FB friend's comment was "Just be careful who you worship unwittingly". Of course what popped into my head was a vision of myself looking up from a downward dog to see a giant blue elephant-headed god squattting in front of me, but the more I thought of it, I doubt that you can actually worship without intent, that is, unwittingly.
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NKB, your optometrist's church probably saw her DH's cancer as a sign for her to return to her wifely duty of caretaker of the family. By rejecting her god-given role, she became a Jezebel. How dare she make a positive impact on her community instead of locking herself up in her house! Her intelligence and talents are just temptations sent by Satan, luring her into a life of public good helping people see and experience their world. She's supposed to waste her gifts and be poor and in debt, but bless'd in the eyes of Margie and Alice who gave up their dreams after marriage.</sarcasm> I hope she's found a more supportive church since then. She deserves better.
Jelson, that was hilarious! But still not as crazy as some of the random things people have attributed to demons. But the one thing the evangelical gatekeepers will never call demonic is the unbridled hatred they happily show towards anyone different from their world-view.
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Jelson, I snorted tea all over my phone! I wonder if doing that accidentally summoned a demon? 👹 Cool. But with my luck, my demon would have dandruff, halitosis, ugly toenails, gas, and be painfully boring.
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Miranda- yes, I believe that is it- not logical or helpful. one of her kids actually left college to come home and care for him. just wish she could have gotten the support she needed.
A divinities professor at Duke wrote a book about getting stage 4 colon cancer and her church rejected her because obviously she was not a true believer if this happened to her.
I do think non religious people ghost people with cancer also though. and all sorts of people help those with cancer - some of the European people on this BCO have commented on how generous Americans are with volunteering rides and food to people they don't know and helping out saying it is not really a "thing" where they are.
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Bwahaha!
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I wonder just what was on the artist's mind when this was painted?
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Exactly, spookie!
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For your annual holiday amusement.
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Spookie, that's brilliant.
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EXCELLENT!!!!!!
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Hysterical!
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😆😂🤣
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Wrenn, that's brilliant. And hilarious.
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