Interesting Conversation Just Now

[Dhampir]

Not sure where to put this. Not really a rant, but where's better?

 

So I was just at the house where I grew up, and ended up having a chat with my stepmother (whom I hate myself for not hating more, but that's a whole 'nother story). At some point, we got to discussing religious accommodations, such as footbaths for muslims and such, particularly on college campuses. The conversation shifted to christianity in general, whereupon she mentioned something about the level of incest in the OT.

 

Ordinarily, religion is a subject I don't discuss much with anyone in real life, but upon my bringing up the fact that Adam and Eve were siblings at the very least, necessitating that every person would therefore be a product of their initial incest, I decided to probe a little. Now, I'm sure my family knows that religion and I aren't the closest of mates, but I've yet to divulge the fullness of my apostacy. I asked, since she acknowledged that Adam and Eve's union was incestuous, if she believed that that story was literal, to which she said yes. She said that she believed this because she is a christian.

 

Okay, I'ma probe a little further then. I decide to tell her what I think about that statement, which is to say that many Jews and Christians alike don't believe that it's a literal story, that certain circles believe a wide range of things regarding it. She's still on board at this point, so I decide to put it all out there, and say that it's not necessarily that she believes the bible, so much as she believes what her predecessors in the faith have taught her to believe...

 

That's when we hit the ceiling. She said "hold on!", at which point I know she is becoming defensive, and says that she will not allow herself to be indoctrinated by other peoples' beliefs. Took me a moment to realize that she was talking about me. Took me another moment to realize that she knew just a little more about where I was coming from than I gave her credit for. She added, though not talking explicitly about me, that "Everybody has to believe in something" and "I'll believe what I believe and if you hold to what you believe in/ have faith in, that's fine, and I'll respect you for it".

 

Well, first of all, that last quote, which is paraphrased somewhat, is a damn far cry from about 3 years ago, when I was threatened with "eviction" simply for having a book, written by a christian (albeit Catholic, it was Shelby Spong), which just happened to have the word "Atheism" in it a few times. I wasn't even an atheist at that point, I was actually looking at other viewpoints-- but whatever.

What bothers me is that she'd say that she wouldn't be indoctrinated by other people, meaning me in particular at this point, precisely at the moment that I said she had been indoctrinated by other people. Sure, her intelligence, which I must grudgingly say is frequently greater than I give credit for, is nonetheless stunted heavily by a very powerful stubbornness. Regardless, I just don't get how she can't see what I was trying to tell her. She wouldn't listen at that point to my statements, but even though she expressed concern over the amount of incest in the OT, she nonetheless refused to question her beliefs/indoctrination, or admit the possibility that she had been indoctrinated, even though she pretty much accepted it till I said it explicitly.

 

Anyway, I sort of dropped it from there, although I felt bad about being accused of something like that, and we talked about other stuff, some of which was rather biblical. It didn't turn nearly as bad as it could have.

Yeah, I know, there's not much new here, but it is rather unique, and rather perplexing, so... have at it.

[GraphicsGuy]

Xians seem to get insulted REALLY quickly if you suggest they've just been "indoctrinated."

 

But how else do you term it? So much in this life "indoctrinates" us into thinking, believing, acting in certain manners. When you really sit down and try to form your own opinions on anything you really start to learn just how indoctrinated you've become to societal "norms."

 

To have the term turned around to point at YOU is weird though. I mean, you're suggesting someone think for themselves...if they take your "advice" that is hardly indoctrination. Although, if I try to see if from the twisted Xian point-of-view "logic" it makes sense why she might call it that...still...