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Both of you seem quite comfortable lumping all Christians together because of such things as the Crusades and witch burning.

No, we're just pointing out that double-standard exists, and that it's reprehensible. I don't intend to lump all Christians together. I don't believe that my wife, for example, has much in common with you or Jeff or Jon beyond the fact that you all believe in the same person from 2000 years ago. I have not once said anything bad about Christians, only ones who wear it on their sleeves in what appears to me to be an exclusionary tactic. Even then, I only complained about the practice, not the people, although I'll admit to a prejudice against the people who use that tactic. In my experience, they are the people I'd rather avoid. My wife tends to agree, even if she's somewhat less dogmatic about it than I am.

That being said, I do actually use a Christian-branded VCR repairman, because he's good, fast, and cheap. He was recommended to me by someone else, otherwise I'd probably have avoided him. (In reality, I beleve that the man is Arabic, but I'm not sure. He has a vague indeterminate accent and olive skin. He could be Greek for all I know.) But he's not in that I'm better than you mode by any stretch of the imagination, though he does wear it on his sleeve, which bothers me, though he's certainly genuine about it.

I think the thing that sits wrong with me has a close relationship with your question "why else would I have ever mentioned that I'm Christian?". I think that's the crux of the matter. Why would you bring it up? Your religion, IMO, is a matter between you and your God. I'm not relevant to it at all. It's exactly like saying "I'd like to be your plumber, and, by the way, I really like Happy Days." It may be accurate; it may be something that's important to you, perhaps very important, but it does not affect me at all, and, honestly, I don't care to hear about it. It's certainly within your rights to tell me, but it's also within my rights to not care and be irritated by it.

People can express themselves as much as they want. They can be proud of things. But that doesn't mean that everyone is going to magically like them and that no one will be offended. If they think that's the case, they're terribly naive. Religion in particular pulls up strong emotions. If they think that they can get the good ones and there be no bad ones, again, they're naive. And the place for group pride is not in advertising I don't think. I have no problem with a Christian pride parade any more than I have a problem with a Gay pride parade or Irish pride or whatever.

Again, I'll admit to lumping the Christian advertisers together, but I do not lump all Christians together. I don't think badly of you, despite the fact that you keep trying to put words in my mouth. I haven't yet figured out if you're just being argumentative, if you're really trying to understand what I'm saying and I'm not expressing myself clearly enough, or if you just can't comprehend my attitude.

Eh; I've totally lost my train of thought. Rest assured that I don't think you're an idiot or hate you or anything.
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Bitt Faulk