When this blog was created, we knew of nothing called Facebook. Yes, there was Myspace...but that's a different animal. I love Facebook. I love knowing what my "friends" are doing and going thru. I love getting invitations to parties and MMA fight watching parties...
Status updates are my favorites, and I have several favorite friends that I troll Facebook for daily to check out what they're doing. My friend COLIN always writes in CAPS and always likes his own status. His status updates are usually pretty random, and he suggested that I go as "Sexy Abraham Lincoln" for Halloween to counter all of the 30-something slut costumes. My friend Holland has the best kid anecdotes ever. Her son is a funny little guy that I'd love to spend time with. My friend Tracy has great tits and everyone on Facebook knows it. My friend Dre (Andrea back in the day) hates it when you tag her in pictures that are pre-2000. My friend Amanda drops her kids on their heads and has pajama parties, and my friend Jamie paints wine glasses and hates her job. (By the way, Jamie is painting me some wine glasses just in time for XMAS with the American Atheists logo...I'm sure she's taking orders, so if you want some...email me and I'll get you in contact with her).
Then...there are status updates that make me crazy. Now, I don't mean to offend anyone (haha), and if you want to delete me from your friends list, please feel free to do so, this is America.
"Pray for me"
"Pray for my dad"
"Pray for my sister"
"Pray for my dog"
Seriously?
Facebook is not a coven of saints. (Trust me, I know *wink*)
Today, my (I love you) Mom tried to stick it to me when I posted a Freud quote about the absurdity of religion with a quote from Einstein about "God." My cousin followed with a quote from Ravi Zacharias. (Boo).
Here's my issue. I'm "out" as an atheist, but I don't think that people know what the word means. (a)=without (theist)=belief in a god. I don't hate Christians. I don't hate Muslims. I don't hate Jews. I just don't believe in a god. Why is this so hard to understand?
Likewise, why is it that Christians that I know have a hard time reconciling "Religion" with "god." (ie. my mom's quote from Einstein about "God" had nothing to do with religion, because Einstein didn't subscribe to any traditional religion).
Facebook has minimalized the word "friend."
If I knew you in high school, but I haven't spoken to you in the 14 years that I have been out, you probably aren't my friend. I have very few real friends.
I will continue to voice my heathenism on Facebook status updates, because I am one, and I hate christmas (as opposed to those who love Christ-mas)...the holidays have resurrected the infidel in me. I am not ashamed to be a non-believer.
What do you do, though, when you have "friends" who post this:
"Let's see how many people on f/b aren't ashamed to show their Love for God and admit that Jesus is their Savior. We need to get God back in America. If you are not ashamed copy and paste this in your status"
Dislike button, anyone? My only recourse was to ask if God lost his green card. I dunno.
So, with my first sporadic post (forgive me as I get back into the groove), I leave you with this bit of humor:
From: Pace, Stacy US-HSP
Sent: Monday, November 16, 2009 10:02 AM
To: Wang, Jennifer (US-HSP)
Subject: I've always wondered where he likes to party...
UPS Delivery Date / Time: 12-November-2009
Delivery Location: FRONT DESK
Signed by: JESUS
Shipment Detail
Ship To:
MGM GRAND-LAS VEGAS
From: Wang, Jennifer (US-HSP)
Sent: Monday, November 16, 2009
To: Pace, Stacy US-HSP
Subject: RE: I've always wondered where he likes to party...
NICE! Jesus <3’s> Sin City!
I am of peace, always.
4 comments:
Hi! Its so funny that I came across your post just now on planet atheism. I was just on facebook and decided to delete someone I know from my old neighborhood/childhood days. Everyday..i mean EVERY day he has a quote from the bible..I couldn't take it anymore so off he went..lol.
He has nothing else to say? ever?
I mean really.
anyway, you made me laugh..
Your mother wrote the Einstein quote because she loves Einstein's mind and (if given the chance to go back in history) would love to be Einstein's muse. Your mother also is in concordance with Einstein's "belief" in a "god" the creator without the need to have this "god" based in any particular religion. Yes, your mother goes to church every week, and often prays. That is because your mother obtains a certain amount of personal serenity from these activities... a serenity which could be considered the result of meditation... which your mother also realizes. Your mother also knows that it is not her place in this world to convince any person, one way or another, that there is or is not a god. It is merely her own mental preservation that she seeks. Your mother also does not believe in "hell", but hopes that this life is not all there there "is"... she admits,however, that she has no idea what "else" there might "be". Your mother also admires and loves you very much. (She apparently likes run-on sentances too.)
Love, Mom
ps... I hate god on Facebook too. I don't think God gives a rats rear end if you post or forward that email... Can you give me a hallelujah!
I agree with you that FB minimizes the definition of friend.
I try SO HARD to ignore the "pray for me" status updates because it is often someone's way of reaching out. If someone says something that's wrong, I bypass the pleading and just send them a message to ask if they need to talk. For some reason, that seems to help them more than than all of the "I will!" and "Praying!" comments they get on their status updates, though I can't imagine why . . . ;)
Post a Comment