The Nurse thinks again about religious people
The Nurse knows what she likes, and she likes what she knows.
But that doesn’t mean she’s inflexible.
The Nurse is busy luring the Screws into a false sense of security. Behind that meaty, mild exterior lurks a razor sharp intelligence and a burning desire to escape. But she’s biding her time.
In the meantime she’s allowed occasional visitors. Her friend X has been dropping by for a few years now. Last time, she was shocked to find out that he was a committed Christian. Taken aback, The Nurse blustered her way past X’s casual comment and said nothing.
There’s fuck all to do down here in solitary and The Nurse has a lot of time to think. After a few days it stuck her that she actually respects X’s religious beliefs.
A proper puzzle. The Nurse worried away at it for a few weeks before she realised why. In the end, she found the answer - so simple she’d overlooked it.
X never tries to convert her. He doesn’t go on and on about his beliefs; he never mentions them. And he doesn’t do that infuriating ‘I forgive you and pity you. You’re misguided and a bit silly. You haven’t thought god through properly’ bit; guaranteed to make her grind her pointy teeth in fury.
Trying on this unexpected tolerance for size, The Nurse finally understands it isn’t religious people per se who are a pain in the arse and a danger to society. The nutter brigade who try to convert the rest of us – be they Muslim or Christian – are the baddies.
If kept private, religious beliefs do no harm. Insist they follow you into your workplace and social life and they soon start to cause chaos.
The Nurse thinks the faithful should keep their beliefs to themselves like X does. Then everyone might stop fighting.
Trevor from Dolls House wrote,
I’m all for people keeping their beliefs to themselves – and stop knocking at my door with their leaflets and pointy heads – nutters -
Link | October 28th, 2008 at 5:24 pm
Val from 0800Numbers wrote,
You know this took me back years when I read it. I remember an incident in my childhood, one of the first times I felt let down by someone I trusted.
I was very young, just in primary school and quite a shy child I guess. So, when a seemingly fairly popular classmate made it clear she would like to be my “best friend” I was chuffed to say the least.
The long and the short of it was I got an invite to tea followed by an intense grilling from “my friend” and other family members about my thoughts on religion.
I was just a child after all and this was so out of order.
It turned out she was in fact a Jehovahs Witness and I can remember to this day how let down I felt because her intention even at that very young age was to “save me” which was even more important than my friendship!
Strange how things like this remain with you!
Link | November 5th, 2008 at 4:58 pm
Tim from DIY Homebuilt Windpower Generators wrote,
I think you hit the nail on the head. Imagine if everyone was happy to let others make up their own minds instead of coercing them by force or with words and guilt.
Link | November 17th, 2008 at 4:15 am
Teeth whitening in california wrote,
Thanks, that must have taken a loads of work to put that together. This is a great summary.
Link | August 15th, 2009 at 12:40 pm
Herb Shallcross wrote,
Good for Friend X! Christians are directed to visit prisoners.
I’m an atheist, myself. Rather a bleak philosophy if you think about it, and I certainly wouldn’t feel good about trying to burden anyone else with it. Possibly if my beliefs could enrich someone else’s life I’d try to share them.
I am old enough to remember how uncomfortable being made to read Bible verses in public school was, and I wouldn’t like to go back to that, but I’m willing to accept people’s sincere, loving attempts to show me a better life as long as they have no power to compel me to choose it.
Looking at the Ten Commandments, the only one I can’t get behind is the having no other god than me one. It would be a better world if people generally lived by the other nine. If some people are guided toward being good people by religion, I get a benefit from that. Having to deflect the occasional believer is a small price to pay.
Link | December 31st, 2009 at 3:46 am
Herbert L. Shallcross III wrote,
In my youth, there was still a great deal of social pressure to conform to some form of religion. Atheism was considered shocking.
Now in the developed nations, religion has very litle co-ercive power, and that seems good to me. As an atheist, I am more comfortable anyway.
Now, people like the nurse are intolerant of any religious expression, and given the chance, they would be delighted to use the power of government to compel secular belief.
Try to remember that we only think we know the truth.
Link | January 12th, 2010 at 11:32 pm