Picture the kindest, most generous woman in your church. I'm talking about the lady who constantly puts the needs of others above her own. The woman who cooks for hurting families, volunteers her time to assist those suffering from addiction, and can always be counted on to simply lend an ear when a fellow parishioner is suffering from a seemingly trivial dilemma. Let's call this woman, Mrs. Lovelady.
Now picture the heavily made-up woman who sits in the exact same pew each week. She tries to treat you with respect, but is unable to hide her contempt while chatting with you and your ordinary family during the post-church meet and greet. Typically people like you silently paint her kitchen while she converses with her Prada clad peers, thus making it difficult for her to speak to you as an equal, even at church, where overt discrimination based on social status is outwardly frowned upon. We'll call her, Mrs. Snoot.
Now pretend Mrs. Lovelady stops believing.
Since many religions insist good deeds are meaningless unless performed with the express purpose of pleasing their specific deity, Mrs. Lovelady immediately goes from a "good Christian woman" to a "heathen woman." This radical transformation occurs simply because of the thoughts pulsating through her brain.
"I tell my daughter Suzy that you're the person I most want her to emulate as she progresses into womanhood," a parishioner informs Mrs. Lovelady.
"While I will always lend a hand to assist persons of all religions in times of tumult, I am no longer certain I believe in the teachings of the church," Mrs. Lovelady meekly replies, worried she will be shunned by her dearest friends.
"Suzy, avert your eyes before you both float to hell in a sea of wickedness!"
How does one argue against such nonsense!?
They're saying Mrs. Snoot, a lady best described by a word that rhymes with "witch", is looked upon more favorably by their deity than the kindest woman they know.
In one second, she loses it all.
And Mrs. Lovelady doesn't even have to stop completely believing to be considered yet another individual who has succumbed to evil. It's not sufficient for her to be certain there is a god and that he or she is just, rather the kind woman must believe in very specific details that have absolutely nothing to do with good and evil.
If you hadn't been taught your specific religion was the one true belief system since the day you were born, can you honestly say any of the above makes rational sense!?
On the other hand, if the scenario does come true and your beliefs happen to be 100% accurate, the good thing for me is that I'll be lucky enough to spend eternity cheerfully chatting with Mrs. Lovelady while for eons you'll receive the cold shoulder from Mrs. Snoot.
If she hires you to fix her personal pearly gates, inside the main pearly gates, please tell her "hi" from below. It will be the location from where the loud music and boisterous laughter emanates.
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