Comment by Joan Denoo on July 16, 2012 at 12:48pm

Now, all that said, I recognize I am fully human, responsible for my choices, if I want to be safe I have to do things that make me safe. Happiness follows from doing the things I like to do ... be with family, be a good neighbor, participate in my community and refuse to remain silent in the face of violence in the home, and create processes for freeing oneself and standing as a full citizen of the world.
Beauty surrounds me, as my photos testify, and loving, caring, compassionate family and friends join in making life interesting, meaningful and fun.
So, today, the first day of the rest of my life, I am safe, content, looking forward to eating the left-over roast chicken I made yesterday that I stuffed with herbs from the garden. I shall make Asian chicken salad for dinner tonight and use bones to create a splendid broth in anticipation of a cold soup. Yes, life is good.

Comment by sk8eycat on July 16, 2012 at 2:35pm

Note to all my friends: I am having frustrating problems linking to AN via the e-mail notifications of new posts in "my" groups.  ALL other links included in e-mails work fine, EXCEPT the ones to AN groups.  Is there a version of hackiing that blocks atheists?  I'm serious, for a change.

PS: @ Flyiing Atheist - Don't throw out the baby with the bath water!  I think that "Nooooo!" is funny, cute, and absolutely true.  We are all born atheists; andas the song from "South Pacific" said, "We Have To Be Carefully Taught" to be anything else.

@Joan - I am so fortunate that my parents were somewhat "casual christians." I think Dad was actually a closeted atheist, at least he quietly taught me to think for myself. I was the one who plonked myself down in a Baptwit church when I was a teen (because all the "popular" kids went there), and then tormented myself for years because I couldn't manage to force myself to believe what they were teaching, and that the "popular" kids actually got answers to their prayers directly from God/Jesus.  I thought there was something wrong with me. 

Finally, when I was about 25 I read the entire KJV because I was looking for answers/help.  When I finished, I thought, "Huh?" And read it again, and realized it was 99.99999% fiction.  I couldn't possibly suspend my disbelief long enough to even say the words, "Our Father."  I knew who my father was, and it wasn't some imaginary tyrant made up by ignorant Bronze Age goat-herders, and who behaved the way their tribal chiefs did.  He was the brilliant, honest accountant sitting in the living room, smoking his pipe and watching the news on TV.

As I said, I was bloody fortunate, and I'm sorry your whole family was so completely locked into the bullying kind of fundaMENTALism.  It's all about control, and it's a sickness.  The fact that you were able and smart enough to pull yourself out of it is a major victory.

 

I'll be back when I figure out what's wrong with my computer. And get it fixed.  (I got here today by going to my "Favorites" list...)

Felaine

Comment by Ruth Anthony-Gardner on July 16, 2012 at 2:36pm

Sorry, Joan. My life is too interesting to waste thinking about the historical figure behind Xian memeplexes. Any historical figure can "ascend" to the role of divine. Elvis Presley could have spawned a religion, Joseph Smith did. That doesn't motivate me to waste my afternoons delving into their histories.

There's NO FASCINATION for me.

Comment by sk8eycat on July 16, 2012 at 2:39pm

 Why I refuse to shop at a certain big box store:

I suppose I should give them points for having a sense of humor, but I can't.  Lowest common denominator, and all that.

Comment by Idaho Spud on July 16, 2012 at 2:45pm

I agree Ruth.

Comment by Idaho Spud on July 16, 2012 at 2:48pm

I don't shop at Wal-Mart either sk8eycat, but the new sign made me laugh. :)

Comment by Joan Denoo on July 16, 2012 at 3:16pm

Ruth, you make good sense. Thanks. 

Comment by Pat on July 16, 2012 at 3:18pm

@sk8eycat. While the sign is funny, there will no doubt be some dumb ass who thinks 15 is the number of hands.

Comment by El Solo Lobo on July 16, 2012 at 3:26pm

I love Walmart. I just wish there were more of them and they were bigger.

Comment by Patricia on July 16, 2012 at 3:47pm

sk8eycat....I was having that same problem with going through the AN emails. I found it had something to do with google/chrome. I had uninstalled it as I'm getting annoyed with google dictating to me about where I can go or what I can do, but had to put it back in as firefox & IE9 64 bit won't work. Now AN email links work fine again.....damn them!!!!

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