Sunday, October 19, 2008

Suburban Christianity

Richardson is crawling with Christians. The people here are nice enough, but there's a definite social gulf between the people who go to church and the people who don't. Personally, I think the Judeo-Christian personal conscience, along with Socratic reason, forms the moral bedrock of Western civilization, and I go to church for weddings and funerals and sometimes at Christmas or Easter. However, I'm pretty sure that to the people around here my own religious beliefs would sound like a cross between witchcraft and science fiction, and are heretical enough to warrant strong disapproval or outright ostracism from Christian company. Also, while I'm not a "liberal" in the current American usage, my opinions on homosexuality, evolution, stem cell research and abortion would go over like a lead balloon at the parish picnic. Several of our expatriate Canadian acquaintances have said that going to church is the best way to make friends in Dallas, but I just can't do it.

RATING: 40%

(Image from www.andymasteroffish.com.)

6 comments:

DCP said...

I don't think that *I* recommended going to church to make friends. American Christianity seems more obsessed with fire and brimstone than love and acceptance.

John said...

No, it wasn't you. It was the 20 or so oilmen we met from Alberta at Canadian Thanksgiving.

John said...

They're definitely more worried about the forces of evil at work in the world in some kind of supernatural, literal way, that's for sure.

LoCo said...

I'm sorry to hear that! Where I'm from, only two groups of people go to church: Asian-Americans, and old people. Also I guess, Asian-American old people.

John said...

I can never tell how old Asian people are. They could be 12, they could be 60. I hate it when people say they all look the same, though. It's just not true. Sometimes I see Asian versions of people I know, which is weird.

Chris said...

It's a known fact Jesus rode dinosaurs because he told me last night.

PS - He says if you don't believe it he'll give you a free ride to Hell on one sometime.