Post #326396 by mzoltarp on Sat, Aug 18, 2007 7:15 AM

I'm a "cradle Catholic" and grew up in a church full of icons (a saint for every possible thing like Saint Claire for TV and Saint Dymphna for palsy etc.) so the tiki icon thing is just a parallel for me. A friend of mine is a Baptist preacher's son and he is as hardcore born again as hard core born agains can get, but he also adores and decorates with tiki masks, mugs, etc. Mind you he does not drink alcohol, but he is very live and let live. The mother in law here I think is similar to people who gain self esteem by putting others down. Clearly not all Christians feel the need to destroy others.

If I am confident in myself and I see someone with tikis and I think tikis are wrong, I might pray for the person but I would also realize it's that person's path to God or not. Saving my own soul is a 24-7 job and really the only soul I can or cannot save.

If I am NOT confident in myself, I have to tear down others to feel morally superior. I actually would believe that I was saved and it was my job to fix others. How funny it would be to imagine this kind of person before God at judgment with God asking why she was so mean and unchristian to so many.

The essence of Christianity is to love thy neighbor. That means making allowances for people. It means saying "to each his own."

If this woman had no religion at all, she would be putting down the daughter and son in law's choice of paint colors, cleanliness of the house, how the kids are being raised, etc.

She's just playing the religion card because it's the trump she thinks will make others feel morally inferior.