6 Days to the Reunion

[Kerry502]

Only 6 more days until my 35th high school reunion. God help me. Help me stand the fundamental, right-wing, conservative Christian Republicans that apparently most all of my classmates have become. I don't get it. I was one of them; I grew up with them in the same era, the same southern suburb in Smyrna, GA. I grew up a Baptist and went to church every Sunday. I went to VBS every summer and was in the youth group. I learned my books of the Bible and learned about Jesus. I am to this day a Christian and still believe in Jesus. The one thing I remember about growing up Baptist that I really questioned was how we as Baptists were the only "right" religion. I mean even among other Protestant religions (Methodists, Presbyterian, etc.) the Baptists were the only ones that were right. By right I guess that meant the ones that God really liked because we were doing the way He wanted us to. The Methodists were good people, but God bless 'em, they were just not right. I mean, the Bible clearly says (?) that a person should be dunked completely in water to be saved -- not sprinkled on the forehead as babies! But even though the other Protestant religions were not right, they were at least Christians and would most likely make it to heaven, behind the Baptists of course. Now the religions that weren't Christian were a whole nuther story. The Mormons, Jehovah Witness,Buddhists, even the Jews weren't just not right, they were completely wrong! They didn't accept Jesus as Lord and Savior and therefore were going to Hell for eternity. And for us Baptists, even hanging around with "one of them" was cause for concern for your eternal soul. The Catholics were confusing to me because they were Christians (sort of) but not Protestants and their spiritual status was iffy.

Anyway, I always (secretly) questioned why we Baptists were the only ones that God truly loved. I mean, don't the other religions also believe in God and believe that He loves them too? Why would God let all these other religions believe He loves them when He really doesn't? Wouldn't that be mean? I know that the old testament God was mean, but new testament God was love. Didn't He love the other religions too?

That's what began my path away from fundamental Christianity. That path has lead me to believe that God does love all religions and in following Jesus as God, we are to love them also. Jesus walked among the people, the sinners, the leapers and loved them. I truly believe if Jesus was with us physically today, he would be a liberal. He would have the bleeding heart for the poor, the people out-of-work, the single mother, the addicted. He would not be preaching that it's all about my way or the highway, me & mine, get what you can and too bad for the rest. Yet, to me, that's what the fundamental Christian/Republicans are saying. And would Jesus really be a guns-rights advocate and condone the killing of a doctor in his church? I don't think so.

Apparently, the rest of the class of 1974 in Smyrna, GA doesn't feel the same way. They are still the Baptists and have grown stronger in their Christianity -- and the path to the religious right Republican. There are a couple of us that are liberal, left-wingers but we are certainly in the minority. Not only in our class, but in our cities and state. They are definitely the majority in GA.

So, I'll cling to my 2 fellow liberals and try my best to not talk politics to the others. I'll talk about high school, my family, their families, and that's pretty much it. I can do that for 4 hours. I can do it. I've given birth, lost both parents, gotten lost in downtown Paris with no map and visited Socialist Cuba -- I can do this!

[Stickmom]

Jun. 22, 2009 at 1:51 AM

I've given birth, lost both parents, gotten lost in downtown Paris with no map and visited Socialist Cuba -- I can do this!

LOLOLOL!!!! You CAN!! Go, enjoy....have FUN!! And, then come back and tell us about it! :-)