Reply #145: I nearly punched out an Episcopal priest last year, and I wish I had

[Sundoggy]

True story. And I'm going to go into a little detail that perhaps I really shouldn't.

The priest at my poor son's memorial service thought it would be appropriate to, instead of talking about my son's life, preach a sermon about how whenever we sin by, for instance, viewing porn sites online, etc., we are asking for death.

I was in the front row of the church. I stood up and walked out. Here was this "Christian" putting images of my blameless son looking at porn sites, and thus deserving death, in the minds of the thousand-odd people who had come to mourn a life cut short. I re-entered the church after the service to confront him and I found that my dear sister, a Methodist minister, was reading him the riot act loudly in front of dozens of people. Good old sis.

A few weeks before it was clear that my son was in his final decline, a clearly concerned Christian asked me if I thought that perhaps this was God's way of getting the family all back in the church. (The rest of my family attends church.) It is a DARN good thing that was a phone conversation, and it is a DARN good thing that person has since moved out of town.

Finally, my son's last conversation with me was an agonizing, word-by-word discussion of whether or not he was so sick because we weren't close enough to God.

SOMEONE had put that despicable theory in his head. If I knew who, I'd be in jail right now.

I HATE Christians. I know you're not all like that, but too bad. Keep your fantasies away from me, they've caused enough agony in my life. And yes, I clearly realize that a good Christian, my sister, jumped up when she was needed.

But my son died wondering if it was my fault. Try living with that. I'm STILL not at all sure I can.

You thought YOU had a horror story in your life?

Christians have simply hurt me too much. I want NOTHING to do with them.

Apologies for being uncomfortably honest.