more optimistic than I thought

*

"...For we know that our patchwork heritage is a strength, not a weakness. We are a nation of Christians and Muslims, Jews and Hindus — and non-believers. We are shaped by every language and culture, drawn from every end of this Earth; and because we have tasted the bitter swill of civil war and segregation and emerged from that dark chapter stronger and more united, we cannot help but believe that the old hatreds shall someday pass; that the lines of tribe shall soon dissolve; that as the world grows smaller, our common humanity shall reveal itself..."

-Barack Obama


*in which amelia learns an important lesson about using cocoa powder with finely detailed stencils on an uneven sticky surface. grrr.

I'm so glad there's a plan.

People die.
I work in an office and my lovely husband works in an office.
Sometimes people our coworkers know die.
(Luckily no one we know has died for a few years. *knock* *knock*)
Whenever a relative of someone in the office passes away, someone else circulates a card among the staff so everyone who wants can express their condolences.

Nice, comforting, awesome.

I have a coworker who is a Jehovah's Witness.
He always writes this in the sympathy cards:*

I do not believe death is a natural thing
and
At a time like this I am comforted by the thoughts that this was never God's plan, and he plans to fix this one day Rev 21:4

I know proselytizing is part of his religion, but really?

I mean, doesn't "there's a time and a place for everything" come from the bible too?

For everything there is a season, and a time for every matter under heaven. Ecclesiastes 3:1

I'm not against everything in the bible, or Pete Seeger and the Byrds for that matter.
But using someone's grief to preach your beliefs, rather than sympathize or console, or even worse- to attempt a conversion (look at the consolation of religion everybody! wouldn't you like some?) really strikes the wrong chord with me.

Not to mention just being fucking ridiculous--no birth control and no death? Way to go Earth's limited resources!
Oh wait, that's right; god has magic powers, an indescribable plan and works in mysterious ways.

Great.


*yeah I'm a snoop, but it's admittedly damn hard to think what to say to someone in deep grief and looking at others' notes helps.