Have you ever met anyone that completely broke your "mold" for them?
At the risk of offending someone, I'm going to apologize in advance and say that ChristineES has broken the mold I have of a Baptist. My experience with Baptists has not always been pleasant, since most of those I have known -- either personally or on RF -- have been quite critical of my beliefs and very outspoken in telling me that I am not a real Christian. That is very, very difficult for me to hear. Consequently, I've become cautious whenever a new Baptist comes on board RF and expect it to just be a matter of time before we have a run-in over whether Mormons are Christians. Christine has completely won me over with her kindness, courtesy, respect and tolerance. If she were the only Baptist I'd ever spoken to, I'd think that Baptists were just about the most Christian people on earth.
Do most people have a "mold" that they expect you to fit in just because of your religion?
Oh, I'm pretty sure they do. I'm probably a lot more liberal than most Mormons I know. I question everything I'm taught and have to make decisions based on what I personally feel to be right, and not based on what someone else -- even one of my Church's leaders -- has said. I absolutely hate being thought of as the stereotypical Latter-day Saint, even though I am very strong in my faith. When someone gets to know me and then, at a later date says, "Oh! I didn't realize you were a Mormon!" I'm quite flattered. (That, in and of itself, sets me apart from most members of my Church, who would probably be insulted under those circumstances.) I feel that I am more willing to live and let live than the average Latter-day Saint. By that, I am referring to my feelings about things such as same-sex marriage, etc. I work for an LDS man who boasts, "Never has a drop of alcohol touched my lips." I absolutely detest him, because I know that to him, never having had a drink in his life means that he is the cream of the crop. To me, there are many, many things that are worse than having a cup of coffee or even a glass of wine. I definitely don't fit the mold with respect to that particular point of view.
Are there any "molds" that you have in your mind about people of differing religions?
Absolutely. I'm not proud of it, either, but when you talk to ten or twelve people of the same religion and they all seem to have certain qualities in common, it's hard not to stereotype them. Bearing in mind that I always try to get to know another person for himself or herself without being influenced by his or her religion, here are my observations:
Catholics and Orthodox Christians seem to be better educated in their respective religions than most Protestants. They seem to be better able to defend their beliefs and produce evidence for the doctrines they accept as true. For the most part, they seem to be the most tolerant of all Christians. I seldom have a Catholic tell me I'm not a "real" Christian (although it has happened). I like how the are, for the most part, very committed to their own beliefs. I appreciate the fact that they're sure of themselves, even though I don't agree with them on a lot of things. Mostly, they're a lot like Victor, which is why I like him so much.
Protestants: Most of the more liberal ones are pretty much like Catholics in terms of how they come across to me. Lunamoth, for instance, is a great example of a Protestant Christian. She is a deep thinker and is non-judgmental. The more conservative, fundamentalist ones generally drive me up a wall -- primarily because they tend to like to tell me that I'm going to Hell, and that just never seems to sit right with me. One Pentacostal Christian who has totally broken the mold, in my opinion, is Dawny. She, like ChristineES, is a wonderful example of someone who is a true Christian.
Baha'is are wonderful. I'm always happy to see a new Baha'i here on RF. I know I can count on them to be open-minded and tolerant of my beliefs. I can pretty much say that I've never met a Baha'i I didn't like.
Unitarian Universalists are also great people. They are characteristically respectful of everyone and not at all judgmental. Many of them have beliefs that are just a bit too liberal for me, but I know they won't jump down my throat if I disagree with them on something.
Muslims: I don't have a lot of Muslim friends and haven't interacted with many here on RF. Like most Christians, when I hear that someone is a Muslim, my first thought is one of uncertainty, simply because I haven't had as much experience with them. Most of the Muslims I've met online (and the few I know in person) have been genuinely nice people who, like Catholics, are extremely commited to their beliefs. I truly admire their integrity and feel as if it is a quality that must have been deeply ingrained in them throughout their lives.
Jews: I really don't have a mold for Jews because I haven't interacted with enough of them to have much of a feeling for what to expect.
Eastern Religions (Buddhists, Hindus) -- Almost without exception, very nice people. Open-minded, friendly, non-judgmental.
Pagans and Wiccans are wonderful people -- except for one (and no, Draka, it's NOT you!!!). They are warm and friendly and open-minded and I have grown to think the world of most of the ones I'm met here on RF.
Atheists and agnostics: These seem to be in two completely opposite camps. There are the ones like Sunstone, MidnightBlue, Robtex, Fluffy and Jay -- all of whom I really, really like! They don't believe in God, but so what? It hasn't made them any less decent or kind (and for those of you who haven't figured it out yet, Jay truly IS kind. He's just a different kind of kind
). Then there are what I call fundamentalist atheists. I won't name any names, but they know who they are. They are here to torment theists. They are insulting and demeaning and I truly wish they'd all just take a flying leap. Whenever I see a new atheist here on RF, I wonder what kind of an atheist he or she is going to be. I haven't figured out a mold for atheists yet, since they do seem to come in a pretty huge variety of types.
See, now I bet you wish you hadn't asked.
