Hell in a Handbasket

I am fairly confident by now that most everyone is aware of how I feel about organized religion.
All organized religion.
It is the institutions and their policies that I dislike.
The people that are allowed to abuse with impunity being moved hither and yon to protect not the vulnerable but the priests/pastors who perpetrate these crimes.
The horrors done in the name of god makes my lip curl and if this was the wild west guess who would be wearing a black and white hat?
A gunslinger with a conscious and a need to avenge damages done.
Wandered off there a little bit but the point is I dislike religion.
Now saying that one of my regular customers who is so sweet and kind is an associate pastor in my city.
I shop for him ever couple of weeks when he has a lot on his plate.
He has a growing family and given his position it affords him time to spend with his kids as they are growing.
I think this is awesome.
He has been very vocal with regards to getting vaccinated.
That this is how in-house services will be able to recommence by getting vaccinated.
He shows up in my news headlines every so often.
And when he does I read it and I smile because you can feel his genuine caring for his parishioners.
The province did a series of ads to reach out to those who are vaccine hesitant using various pastors and priests to get the message out there.
I think this is awesome.
This is about caring about the wellbeing of the people that you tend to and care for.
This is about not wanting to watch people die and officiating over a funeral where people cannot mourn together.
Where comfort cannot be given.
In other words grow the fuck up get vaccinated and let’s get back to a new version of normality that we are going to be living with.
That is me.
He is much nicer.
Again white hat/black hat kinda gal.
So imagine my surprise this morning when I woke up to another headline about my favorite pastor.
A negative one.
Well rather not a negative article about him but the fallout he has had to face since making the ad.
He is going to hell.
He is horrible.
He is part of the conspiracy.
He took money. (He did not)
How could he sell out his faith like this?
He does not respond with anger.
He has been attacked on his personal FB page to point where he had to change privacy settings.
He does not hang up on people.
He is getting angry and hate filled emails and voice messages.
He feels that openness and talking are the way to go.
I am not so kind.
Everyone has a right to an opinion.
Everyone has a right to voice that opinion.
What everyone does not have the right to do is decide that they and they alone know what their god is telling them and everyone else is wrong.
Wrong.
Wrong.
WRONG!
Christianity at its best.
As long as you do as I say and act as I want my love and adulation is yours.
As soon as you contradict or offer up a differing opinion boom hammer is lowered and you are now a denizen of hell.
Out of all the hate filled messages he received that one really really gets to me.
He is going to hell for believing in protecting those he loves and protects.
He is going to hell for trying to save those around him.
He is going to hell for trying to educate others.
He is straight up going to hell.
What I find funny is that all those who have called and threatened him; all who have stood up and told him he is going to hell might want to sit back on down because hate and vile filled words are the way of satan to paraphrase while love and acceptance is the way of god.
Seems to me that these days it is all ass backwards.
©June 30/21
Picture is my own

Author: Jay-lyn Doerksen

A single hard working mom of a soon to be teenage son. A poet and story teller I have wanted to write since I was a child. This space is where I share stories about myself and my life and the creative poetry that stirs my soul. My hope is you will pull up a chair and a cup of coffee delving into the world that I offer and you find simple enjoyment for a few moments. Welcome to The Wonderful & Wacky World of One Single Mom

14 thoughts on “Hell in a Handbasket”

  1. Such a shame that the pastor has been treated that way for trying to do something good. Those people are not Christians.

    There’s a church in our area that has continued to defy the pandemic restrictions at the risk of fines and jail time. I don’t understand the logic. I guess they think God will protect them from the virus.

    Liked by 1 person

  2. That is terrible. I’m also not a fan of organized religion but reading your description of the pastor, he seems to genuinely care about his congregation and the community at large. It is a shame that the holier than thou folks are treating him this way. I can’t help but laugh at those that truly believe they are bathed in the blood so therefore protected and that the vaccine is the mark of the beast. Shame.

    Liked by 1 person

    1. No it is not. Every time I open up my news feed there is another archbishop proclaiming that they are being persecuted. They raise funds for churches and residences while neglecting their obligations. Ordered to pay $25 million to residential school survivors based on good faith raised money. They raised 3 million and a judge decreed that that was enough. They had made enough of an effort to raise money. I am enraged. Is it any wonder how far and fast I have run from the church. I was raised catholic. Nothing will ever get me in a church again.

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