I have an acquaintance who is an atheist. Not that there is anything wrong with that.
What is wrong is her choice of entertainment. She likes to 'troll' Christian web pages leaving comments. I assumed trolling was something unpleasant because literature has depicted these creatures as ugly and slow-witted. Urban Dictionary gave me this description:
"the art of deliberately, cleverly, and secretly pissing people off, usually via the internet, using dialogue.
Trolling is the act of purposefully antagonizing other people on the internet. She likes to use the knowledge gained from association with family members who were doctors in theology and divinity for debate, or rather berate. It is an amusement.
We are human beings, intelligent and self-aware, possessing both reason and emotion, with the potential for immense good as well as terrible evil. I am sad about her choice of paths, her rejection of 'myths', has not made her a kinder or gentler person. If she believes religion is harming people on the earth, holding back human advancement, replacing it with bullying is not the way to go.
"I believe in kindness, love, and the human spirit and their ability to overcome challenges and adversity and to create a better world. --The Atheist Creed
I had a fight with my husband yesterday. I admit it--I snapped. He tried to help me and I did not want it. It was a straw on camel because I was stewing over a situation he put me in on Friday. A situation I did not have the chance to discuss because of the splish splash incident. He attempted to make me do something I don't agree with and he knows it. Well anyway, off on another topic. Same theme.
Saturday, he wanted me to watch Dark Shadows, the Johnny Depp movie (I hate Depp movies). I started it, he fell asleep, per usual. It had witchcraft and satanism in it. Practices my faith excludes. I left the room and went to watch Cupcake Wars on my computer. So we pick up the conversation on Sunday morning...
I mentioned we have different tastes in movies.
Did you watch the whole movie?
No, it had witchcraft and satanism in it. I don't agree with these things. This is not entertainment to me.
You need to know your enemy. You're being all church lady. (What does that mean?)
He spent several minutes telling me how 'disappointed' he was that I did not watch the movie. There was a theme he wanted to me understand. My stomach churned that he did not respect a core belief of mine. That he thought he could override it by angry words.
Later, he put on his shoes saying he might as well leave now (he had a job to get to) as he didn't want to be around me. I had yelled at him for no reason when he was just trying to be helpful (yesterday). I give him that. He then gave me a script I should have used to decline his help. Inside my head, my jaw dropped. If I tried that with him...He said I can be incredibly hateful. Again, jaw drop...
He was filling up some water jugs and I asked him if he was filling the up the batteries in the machinery he uses for work. No, I am filling water jugs. Sooooo an 'unhateful' answer... And then he just leaves without saying goodbye.
I know I should apologize, but it just feels like empowering his bad behavior.
Aristotle, the ancient Greek philosopher claimed that a good tragic play must arouse pity from the audience, adding that the best way to accomplish this was through the usage of dramatic irony. I present the following three act play for your enjoyment.
Characters [Husband and Wife]
Act One [Scene: Parking lot of national pharmaceutical chain. Husband and wife stand next to vehicle. Another vehicle approaches. Driver is yelling.]
Unknown driver: (Muffled name), you are such a slut!
[Vehicle exits scene. Husband and wife share smile. Enter their vehicle and drive off. Wife rolls down window.]
Husband: "You rolled down the window to hear him yell something else.
Wife: (Gasps) "I did not. I wanted some air. It is stuffy in here.
Husband: "Yay, right. You love gossip. How come you can never own up to your actions?
Wife: (Using logic) "How could I hear him? He drove to the other side of the building before we left and is long gone.
Husband: "Uh huh, I know you so well, always denying things to look innocent. I’ve been through that before.
[Wife sits stunned. Husband is joyous. They travel to their destination. End of Act One.]
Act Two [Scene: Home of Husband’s son and family. RockStar game is being played. Wife played drums. Husband finished singing and scoring high. Husband sings professionally.]
Son: (Hands microphone to Wife) "You can sing this song.
Wife: "No. I don’t want to.
Husband: (Mocking) "What about all that money you spent on singing lessons?
Wife: "I had a few and haven’t practiced at all. I won’t sing with you in the room.
Son: "Come on. You can choose another song if you want.
[After several attempts to coerce Wife into singing, Husband abruptly leaves home and enters vehicle. Wife makes apologies and says goodbye. End of Act Two]
Act Three. [Tense ride home. Wife turns off radio.]
Wife: (Timid) "I won’t sing around you because you have made negative comments about my singing in the past.
Husband: "You ruined the family fun we were having by not participating.
Wife: "I played the drums. I am not going to take a hit to my self-esteem. That was not right to just walk out and not say goodbye to your son.
Husband: (Scoffs) "So now your going to lecture me on that? It was like when we’d go to Karaoke night. There were not so good singers. After they heard me, they gave up and went home rather then sing again. You couldn’t compete against me. That is the real reason you did not want to sing. Again, not taking responsibility for your actions and playing innocent. I know you so well. Better than you will ever know me.
Wife: (Gasping like a fish. Silence the rest of the way home) [End of play]
Soren Kierkegaard said, ‘Irony is a disciplinarian feared only by those who do not know it, but cherished by those who do’. My husband is a bully. According to David Hawkins in his book Dealing with the Crazymakers in Your Life, '(Aggressors)…are expert at throwing out accusations, shifting the blame, and attacking others… They can’t look honestly at their condition. Most lack the ability to be aware of, and sensitive to their deception. It’s called denial.’ Come, Dear Readers, cherish the irony. The man who ‘knows me so well’ rejects reality. Let me roll down the window to let the fresh air in.
