10 signs that your religion is under attack.

[doggie]

so funny check the link for more

http://www.addictinginfo.org/2014/02/28 ... er-attack/

There is a lot of worry and concern about religious freedom in the news these days. Sure, it’s rampant! People around the globe are being oppressed and slaughtered. It ain’t pretty out there, folks. But somebody, somewhere, right here in our own country can be found this very moment whining about how their own religious freedom has been violated right here in our own backyard.

Take heed! Tell everyone to keep watch! These same terrible things could happen to you. Don’t allow your religious freedom to be endangered.

Not sure if your religious freedom is being threatened? Here are 10 signs that your religion is under attack.

#10. Your country or region is engaged in a decade-long war on terror. You must hide the cross on your necklace because Fox news portrays your religious group as terrorists and people look at you with disdain everywhere you go.

#9. You are unable to marry your soul-mate because no public officials are willing to legally join a couple that actually believes God intended marriage to be between one man and one woman.

#8. Excited by the news of your fifth pregnancy, you are headed to the doctor for your first prenatal appointment but you cannot get past all the zero-population growth picketers and protestors. As they block the sidewalk, they yell and jeer, calling you “whore†and “human rabbitâ€. The God-given life within your womb leaps with terror at the anger. When you return to your car, you find it covered with smashed eggs.

#7. Your state allows monuments to be displayed on the capitol lawn but the planning committee has refused to allow your creative sculpture of the Ten Commandments even though they already have a Hindu monkey statue to Lord Hanuman prominently displayed.

#6. Your vacation request has been denied for Christmas day. You requested this holy day off from work so that you can celebrate the birth of your savior in prayer with your family. However, your boss denies your vacation request and asks why you cannot simply observe and practice your faith in early December on Hanukkah and Kwanzaa like everyone else does.

#5. Your rapidly growing church group must hold crowded services in a two-car garage because, in your city, churches cannot be built within five miles of any of the Mosques or other historic sites deemed as sacred ground.

#4. The science teacher at your daughter’s school insists that evolution is scientific fact. Despite your efforts to openly discuss Creationism he laughs heartily and rambles on about fossils and carbon dating.

#3. You are outraged because a particular political party repeatedly bashes Christianity, slamming the “Bible†and “Jesusâ€, in an effort to distract public attention from their own failures and impending downfall. They have even accused the president of being a Christian!

#2. Your car gets towed by haters while you are in church on Sunday. “Christians Don’t Park Here†signs have been posted on the street all around your church.

#1. You are forced to use birth control in order to remain covered under your insurance plan. You wonder why. Clearly someone somewhere doesn’t think you are smart enough to responsibly manage the equipment you were born with.

[louisa05]

#6 is actually the official official policy for all manufacturing employees of the major corporation my husband works for. They are given extra leave days to compensate for working holidays. In other words...you don't get Christmas off, but here's an extra day so you can celebrate or a random day in October or some time.

Just saying.

[Nobodysdoormat]

Maybe I'm tired but I don't get it.

[doggie]

Maybe I'm tired but I don't get it.

Must be it is the reverse of what Christians do

[miffy]

People who think this need to fellowship with some Christians in Islamic countries.

[tralala]

#4. The science teacher at your daughter’s school insists that evolution is scientific fact. Despite your efforts to openly discuss Creationism he laughs heartily and rambles on about fossils and carbon dating.

Well....depending on the part of the country you live in, I can see this being a very real situation.

If some guy going "LOL" to creationism is the worst thing you might have to face in the USA, I think crying persecution is a bit of a stretch. :violin:

And its not like christianity itself has a monopoly on creationism either!

[dairyfreelife]

Hanuman is a monkey/human god in Hindu. The face more of a monkey, but the body of a human and he seems to stand erect sometimes like humans.

Also, don't get 4. Creationism does not have any scientific basis, so not really discussing it in a science classroom should be normal. Also, science does not claim evolution as fact, but as a theory, like gravity. Scientific theory is not the same as making theories in other subjects or disciplines. You cannot prove anything, only disprove it. Intelligent design does not stand up to the scientific method, therefore has been disproved by the scientific community as a whole. Not willing to talk about a matter that is not a part of science does not equal persecution. It just means religious ideas do not belong in public school classrooms.

[Marianne]

#4. The science teacher at your daughter’s school insists that evolution is scientific fact. Despite your efforts to openly discuss Creationism he laughs heartily and rambles on about fossils and carbon dating.

It's the right things to do. Good, teacher.

[debrand]

#6 is actually the official official policy for all manufacturing employees of the major corporation my husband works for. They are given extra leave days to compensate for working holidays. In other words...you don't get Christmas off, but here's an extra day so you can celebrate or a random day in October or some time.

Just saying.

I like this article because I have found that right leaning Christians can NOT put themselves in nonChristian position. They don't realize that they have Christian privilege int the United States. Strangely many in the media help this sense of entitlement by viewing all Christians as having the same mindset so if you are a progressive and Christian, your view will be overlooked also.

I think that some companies expect employees to take Christmas off so that is all the only time that they offer during December. The two civilian companies that my husband worked for both provide for Christmas as a paid day off. If you want another religious holiday off, you would have to take a day off without pay or use your vacation time.

The company that your husband works for sounds like a great place to work, by the way.

At my husband's last job, the company had a Christmas party with gifts, free booze and gambling. Before we did anything a manager asked us to bow our heads as someone led us in a prayer. It was a weird atmosphere, to say the least. Here in the south eastern US you are assumed to be either of Christian faith or to accept that Christians are the main force in power. The reverse would be if we all were asked to bow five times to Mecca or chant in unison to another god/goddess

[debrand]

#4. The science teacher at your daughter’s school insists that evolution is scientific fact. Despite your efforts to openly discuss Creationism he laughs heartily and rambles on about fossils and carbon dating.

It's the right things to do. Good, teacher.

I think that a better example would be that your child's Sunday School teacher refused to teach them that Jesus was a real person and instead taught that god was just a myth among many.

[Jana814]

Is this list something that actually happened?

[RosyDaisy]

This is satire, right?

[louisa05]

I like this article because I have found that right leaning Christians can NOT put themselves in nonChristian position. They don't realize that they have Christian privilege int the United States. Strangely many in the media help this sense of entitlement by viewing all Christians as having the same mindset so if you are a progressive and Christian, your view will be overlooked also.

I think that some companies expect employees to take Christmas off so that is all the only time that they offer during December. The two civilian companies that my husband worked for both provide for Christmas as a paid day off. If you want another religious holiday off, you would have to take a day off without pay or use your vacation time.

The company that your husband works for sounds like a great place to work, by the way.

At my husband's last job, the company had a Christmas party with gifts, free booze and gambling. Before we did anything a manager asked us to bow our heads as someone led us in a prayer. It was a weird atmosphere, to say the least. Here in the south eastern US you are assumed to be either of Christian faith or to accept that Christians are the main force in power. The reverse would be if we all were asked to bow five times to Mecca or chant in unison to another god/goddess

I don't know whether to laugh or cry at that. No, it is not a great place to work. Holidays are no longer an option on the table and there is no holiday pay. For any holiday. Period. End of discussion. You might have an outside shot at getting your holiday off if it is not a federal or Christian holiday just because it would look like you are asking for a random day. No one gets Christmas, Easter, Thanksgiving, July 4th, etc...off. Sorry, but I don't enjoy NEVER spending a holiday with my husband. There is nothing great about that. We miss out on times with family and friends (or I go alone).

He has worked there for not quite five years and the shift schedules for the entire plant have changed five times which upends our entire life. Not one of them has been 9 to 5. Currently he rotates days and nights on a weekly basis which basically means you never sleep because your body has no chance to develop a routine. Short term that leads to a compromised immune system and in truly massive rates: type 2 diabetes. Long term, it has been connected to higher rates of cancer and heart disease.

Then there is the mandatory overtime. He did not have a day off--not a single day--from mid March last year until the second week of June. That is perfectly legal in the state we live in. At that time he was working second shift. End of social life. When you work second shift seven days a week, just as one example, you can never see a movie in a theater. Literally. Movie times just don't work--you have to be to work before the matinee is over and aren't off in time for a late show. That is only one example. The list of family events he missed in the spring and summer was ridiculous. Once in a lifetime events in a few cases. I'm pretty sure my extended family stopped believing he was working and figured we were having problems or he hates them.

But, yep, if it fulfills your progressive fantasy of knocking down Christianity, then I guess it is a great place to work. Screw marriages, families, and any notion of a life outside the workplace. At least those damn Christians are working on Christmas.

[doggie]

This is satire, right?

yes.

[Jana814]

yes.

Thank G-d!! Some of these things r nuts I didn't think it was true!

[OkToBeTakei]

Is it just me or was it not blatantly obvious this was irony and quite funny too?

louisa05 that sounds like an absolute shitty job. Obviously there are reasons why your husband does not seek other employment. Economy is such that I see more and more rolling temp contracts which would be the only way to circumvent employment law in this way here :(

[louisa05]

Is it just me or was it not blatantly obvious this was irony and quite funny too?

louisa05 that sounds like an absolute shitty job. Obviously there are reasons why your husband does not seek other employment. Economy is such that I see more and more rolling temp contracts which would be the only way to circumvent employment law in this way here :(

He is seeking other employment. Just not finding it as of yet. :cry:

He took this job at the height of the recession after his former employer burnt down the business for insurance (sentencing should be this spring). Now he is having a hard time getting back in his field (which wasn't really hiring anywhere when the fire happened) because people can't get past the "dumping meat in a dog food plant" on his resume. Add in that his last employer can't give a reference very credibly, what with the state and federal criminal charges, and this corporation also has a policy of not providing any references for anyone below management level (a supervisor can be fired for even speaking to someone about an employee or former employee)... It is a hard climb to get out.

[OkToBeTakei]

He is seeking other employment. Just not finding it as of yet. :cry:

He took this job at the height of the recession after his former employer burnt down the business for insurance (sentencing should be this spring). Now he is having a hard time getting back in his field (which wasn't really hiring anywhere when the fire happened) because people can't get past the "dumping meat in a dog food plant" on his resume. Add in that his last employer can't give a reference very credibly, what with the state and federal criminal charges, and this corporation also has a policy of not providing any references for anyone below management level (a supervisor can be fired for even speaking to someone about an employee or former employee)... It is a hard climb to get out.

That's awful. No words really, just a hope that something better comes his way really soon, for you both. All the more frustrating and depressing when you are not able to orchestrate your own life, especially when as it sounds like with your husband you are a decent person just trying to make a living and career. Best of wishes.

[debrand]

I don't know whether to laugh or cry at that. No, it is not a great place to work. Holidays are no longer an option on the table and there is no holiday pay. For any holiday. Period. End of discussion. You might have an outside shot at getting your holiday off if it is not a federal or Christian holiday just because it would look like you are asking for a random day. No one gets Christmas, Easter, Thanksgiving, July 4th, etc...off. Sorry, but I don't enjoy NEVER spending a holiday with my husband. There is nothing great about that. We miss out on times with family and friends (or I go alone).

He has worked there for not quite five years and the shift schedules for the entire plant have changed five times which upends our entire life. Not one of them has been 9 to 5. Currently he rotates days and nights on a weekly basis which basically means you never sleep because your body has no chance to develop a routine. Short term that leads to a compromised immune system and in truly massive rates: type 2 diabetes. Long term, it has been connected to higher rates of cancer and heart disease.

Then there is the mandatory overtime. He did not have a day off--not a single day--from mid March last year until the second week of June. That is perfectly legal in the state we live in. At that time he was working second shift. End of social life. When you work second shift seven days a week, just as one example, you can never see a movie in a theater. Literally. Movie times just don't work--you have to be to work before the matinee is over and aren't off in time for a late show. That is only one example. The list of family events he missed in the spring and summer was ridiculous. Once in a lifetime events in a few cases. I'm pretty sure my extended family stopped believing he was working and figured we were having problems or he hates them.

But, yep, if it fulfills your progressive fantasy of knocking down Christianity, then I guess it is a great place to work. Screw marriages, families, and any notion of a life outside the workplace. At least those damn Christians are working on Christmas.

I must have misread your first post because I thought that you meant that individuals could decide which day to take off for their own religious holiday. So a Muslim could exchange Ramadan for Christmas or a Jewish person could have Hanukkah off. That would seem fair. It sounds as if in your situation, your husband has to use vacation time for his holidays. Is that correct? So, he doesn't get both vacation and holiday time off?

I am sorry that you are angry and disillusioned with your husband's job. It sounds as if you have every right to be angry. However are you using the word, you in the last sentence in the general sense of the word or do you honestly believe that I have something against Christians and Christmas? I hope that you don't think that of me.

Workers in the United States need a stronger union.

[debrand]

That's awful. No words really, just a hope that something better comes his way really soon, for you both. All the more frustrating and depressing when you are not able to orchestrate your own life, especially when as it sounds like with your husband you are a decent person just trying to make a living and career. Best of wishes.

I am trying to understand the bolded. So, if you work for the company, the mangers can't give their employees references even if they were great employees? Of course, I understand that you can't tell us what state that you live in but what general part of the country is this job? It sounds awful. I hope you find a better job also.

[louisa05]

I must have misread your first post because I thought that you meant that individuals could decide which day to take off for their own religious holiday. So a Muslim could exchange Ramadan for Christmas or a Jewish person could have Hanukkah off. That would seem fair. It sounds as if in your situation, your husband has to use vacation time for his holidays. Is that correct? So, he doesn't get both vacation and holiday time off?

I am sorry that you are angry and disillusioned with your husband's job. It sounds as if you have every right to be angry. However are you using the word, you in the last sentence in the general sense of the word or do you honestly believe that I have something against Christians and Christmas? I hope that you don't think that of me.

Workers in the United States need a stronger union.

That was how your post came off--that this particular corporation was doing something great by not allowing employees to have Christian holidays off. Likely because you misunderstood the policy.

Again, no, they do not get to exchange holidays. They get extra days off for the year equivalent to the number of paid holidays that office workers and management get in the company. They are, in general, not allowed to use those days on an actual recognized federal holiday and since they are given the extra days, there is no holiday pay for working them either. Frankly, because this country recognizes Christian holidays only when it comes to religious holidays, they are discriminating against Christian employees because a Muslim could easily request to use one of the days off at Ramadan or a Jew could use one of the days for Rosh Hashanah without being questioned.

This company has broadcast far and wide that Easter is a paid holiday because of backlash caused by a stupid email forward years ago. That is only true for their manufacturing employees on a technicality. I can't say which corporation it is lest they track me down and fire him before he has another job, but I will just say that the CEOs at international HQ probably enjoy their spaghetti with chili on top and let you all make assumptions from there.

To answer the question about references, that is a company wide policy--not just in one state or location. No one in management from floor leaders up is allowed to give a reference for a current or former employee. Of course, that does not apply to executives who get all the shiny reference letters they may ever need.

[debrand]

[

That was how your post came off--that this particular corporation was doing something great by not allowing employees to have Christian holidays off. Likely because you misunderstood the policy.

I owe you an apology because I worded my post incorrectly and I also misunderstood the company's policies. Although part of my misunderstanding is because the company's policies sound really insane. Sorry again, louisa.

[Childless]

I must have misread your first post because I thought that you meant that individuals could decide which day to take off for their own religious holiday. So a Muslim could exchange Ramadan for Christmas or a Jewish person could have Hanukkah off. That would seem fair. It sounds as if in your situation, your husband has to use vacation time for his holidays. Is that correct? So, he doesn't get both vacation and holiday time off?

I am sorry that you are angry and disillusioned with your husband's job. It sounds as if you have every right to be angry. However are you using the word, you in the last sentence in the general sense of the word or do you honestly believe that I have something against Christians and Christmas? I hope that you don't think that of me.

Workers in the United States need a stronger union.

I have a friend who worked for a company that did that. They got their allotted vacation time (depending on seniority) and X paid holidays a year. They could decide when to take those holidays. So, for example, my friend, who has family out of state, would work the day after Thanksgiving and tack that holiday onto his Christmas vacation to give him more time to travel. Also, those of different religions at the company could use the days to take time off to celebrate their religion's holidays without having to use vacation time. I though that was awesome. Much better than forcing them to take random days off during the year which they would use to sit around and do nothing since they didn't celebrate that particular holiday. I had fantasies of working there and using all my holidays with my vacation time to take a kick ass trip overseas. I'm not religious, so working on Christmas day wouldn't bother me in the least. But, alas, I didn't have the correct degree to work at that particular company.

[thoughtful]

It is clearly satire, or more accurately, a portrayal of what it can feel like to be anything other than a right-wing Christian in the US sometimes.

I agree with Debrand that #4 would line up better with the idea if it was a Sunday school teacher, to create the feeling of hiring someone to do a teaching job, and having them do the opposite of what the job actually is.

But, in general, I think the list makes the point well.

Of course, the problem with anything that is supposed to trigger a "what if the shoe was on the other foot" epiphany for Christian privilege is that some of the intended audience won't get the feeling it is supposed to convey, because they think they have the One True Answer.

It's like trying the "how would you feel if Johnny took your toy" ploy with a child who has grabbed Johnny's toy. It can work with some kids, but these people are like the kid who whines, "I don't care -- it's miiiiine!" about every object he wants.

They think the rest of us should feel left out, disadvantaged, wrong and put-upon, because we don't believe exactly what they believe.

[louisa05]

I just want to clarify that I hate the Christian right's persecution complex and have no argument about the intent of the article in question.

I just wanted to point out that money-grubbing profit before all corporations don't always care whose holidays, traditions or spiritual practice they interfere with. Those that pretend otherwise are lying because if given the choice between the bottom line and their supposedly dearly held religious principles, they would pick the bottom line.