Zoe’s Journal

I may have just caused myself to be disowned by at least 3 sectors of my family. At the very least - alienated. More so than I already am.

And it’s all because of a stupid email chain letter about a Muslim holiday stamp. It said:

So I said, to everyone on the stupid list (which included my mother, my grandparents, my uncle & aunt, an assistant pastor, etc…):

The United States is also guilty of many senseless bombings of Muslim civilian places in their own country (if you don’t believe me, research it). Just as there are some Christian fanatics, there are fanatics of every religion. It is completely wrong and unfair of us to disrespect their holidays and customs. Christmas has become more than just a religious holiday, like it or not. To boycott this stamp would be the exact same thing as boycotting a stamp of Jesus on the Cross because of that one christian fanatic who blew up an abortion clinic. Think about it.

FYI, I am atheist, and still celebrate Christmas. Would you deny me this traditional holiday? I’m sorry if this truth offended you. This email very much offended me. Thank you for listening.

I got one reply. I’m not going to say from who.

I am sorry you got so infiltrated with the world.
If God had not answered our prayers, you would not be alive.
If Jesus never came, How did they base all the years? No matter what anyone thinks, facts are facts even if no one believes them. You had a great, great grandma and Grandpa that you never saw. Does that mean they did not live. Just food for thought.
Do you not know that time 2007 included, means 2007 years after the death of Christ?
Do you not see all the colors of the trees? God did that.

This is impossible to reason with. Not because I don’t have reasons WHY, but because of the simple close-mindedness to logic. Because each question is so simple! Yes, I do live in the world. No, I do not live in a bubble. It’s possible that the DOCTORS and SCIENCE kept me alive - don’t they get any credit? Or were the tubes and wires only for show? Of course Jesus was a person. There are historical documents attesting to that fact. That doesn’t mean he was anything more than a person! And, DUH. I know that there have to be great-great grandparents. That, again, is science. Yes, the years are dated by the life of Jesus. I never said religion didn’t exist, or that it’s not influential. I only claim that it is not based on FACT. It is based on the fear of hell and ignorance of the scientific processes surrounding us all, like the very leaves on the tree that change color and die. That can be very readily explained in any middle or high school biology book.

But, to be nice, I replied very decorously.

Yes, I see all the things you mentioned. I happen to believe that science and reason have better answers than using the crutch of ‘god did it, end of story’. I am happy you have your beliefs. I do not share them… I hope you can accept that.

GAH! I don’t know why I even bother! Irrationality! Unwillingness to save themselves from ignorance! Why can’t they explain these things past the “God made it, End of Story” excuse? Seems pretty pitiful.

But then. I’m not trying to convert anyone to atheism. I am asking only that they, (as “god-created humans”, they believe) use their ‘god-given’ brains and actually THINK! REASON! GAHHHHHH!!!!!!!

*grumbles*

ice cream.

P.P.S. And do you know what? The so-called “Muslim Christmas Stamp” isn’t even true. It’s a stamp that celebrates TWO muslim holidays not even vaguely related to Christmas.

According to the U.S. Postal Service, a 34-cent stamp was issued in September of 2001 and October of 2002 commemorating two important Islamic celebrations or eids. They are Eid al-Fitr and Eid al-Adha. On those days, Muslims greet one another with “Eid mubarak,” which translates literally as “blessed festival.” The phrase is written in Islamic calligraphy on the stamp. The Islamic celebrations the postage stamp commemorates are roughly in November and January and are celebrations that many Muslims focus on during the Christian holidays.

P.P.P.S I am getting sick and tired of MySpace bulletins that have a subject line of “OMG, He Didn’t!”, and then an inside message that basically says “Unfortunately, 97% of myspacers wont repost this. When Jesus died on the cross He was thinking of you. If you are one of the 3% who will stand up for Him just repost this with your city’s name.”

I know it’s stupid. I KNOW it’s silly. But it STILL MAKES ME MAD.

And where the hell, do they get off saying that 97% don’t repost? About 50% fucking percent do! It’s fucking annoying.

*grumbles*

triple cherry chocolate sundae

Today at work, I was rephrasing a section on one the company websites, and I got stuck trying to find a word that kind of meant ‘confidential’, but which really meant that ‘agents of this company are allowed to see this information, but no one else is, so you will have to register with the website‘. I thought ‘Private’ and ‘Confidential’ were words just asking for trouble, and they were a little extreme anyhow.

So, I pulled up Thesaurus.com, and searched for synonyms to the word ‘Confidential’. I got no further than the second google ad-words ad on the page. This is what I found:

What?! What’s wrong with masturbation? And what the hell does “online, interactive private ministry” have to do with beating masturbation? Does this mean that the person giving the ‘interactive private ministry’ is just going to, let’s say, satisfy the supplicant so well that they don’t need to masturbate?

Seems to me like the religious community is once again poking its head into little dark corners that they shouldn’t be in.

The LotR just showed me this fabulously hilarious video.

I know this is corny and raunchy, but what the hell.

Well, parts of my family already think I’m a devil-worshiper, so this should come as no surprise.

Because, after all, all Satan wants to do is keep blood from spilling. Right?