Groups > Rural & Small Town Life

I detest churches. I think that they take away people's most fundamental right: the right to think for themselves, and replace that with a 'system' of beliefs which erode personal responsibility and individual integrity. (Just wanted to get that out of the way.)

Churches serve social functions within the community, too. They serve to bring people together based on their common superstitions, fear and ignorance. The more churches a community has, the further away from that community I'd like to be found.

Unfortunately, no other 'institution' has really arisen to fulfill that 'community' need people seem to have (well, maybe with the notable exception of the Klan...)

I guess some people are just not meant for small town living.

JackieRodzinski

TheInquiringEye

Regarding animal husbandry,

My late uncle started as a semen collector for Ralston-Purina's artificial insemination business, there is simply no job lower on the totem pole. My mother, on the other hand, was New York City born and raised. On her first visit with my father to meet his family, she went to get ice from the freezer, and hollered out to the living room to ask what the "stuff in the bags" was.

Steve hollered back, "It's BULL Juice! The ice is on the left!"

He paid his dues and when he died in the eighties he was a vice president of his division at Ralston Purina.

Well, as a pastor I sometimes detest churches, too, but possibly for different reasons. ;)

I have often enough been surprised by the compassionate and reasoned positions taken by some of the dear old blue hairs who pull me aside to tell me not to worry about my liberal positions on this, that or the other thing. It happened this weekend when I brought up homosexuality in the sermon. Not that this is by any means a universal, but enough for me to hold out some hope.

Teacup, if there is employment discrimination happening on the basis of religion and you want to challenge it, I'd suggest getting in touch with your state's ACLU. After that, I know that some Protestant denominations would tend to support action to reverse that.