W. Somerset Maugham (1874-1966) writer
I purchased one of our luxury items – firewood. The others being books and CDs. The guy who delivered the firewood said the price was $5 more than what I was quoted the day I ordered it. I told him I would call the place and tell them, but he asked me not to, he didn’t care about his tip.
I didn’t argue, which is not my nature and I gave him his tip anyway, because while we disagreed completely about religion, he was still a nice guy. The conversation started because he was telling god to bless the family and me, then he used an example about homosexuals should not be together because of what the Bible says.
I had to point out to him the hypocrisy of the Bible on this topic. I showed the delivery man an article from the 2004 Los Angeles Times opinion piece titled “Holy Terror.” Even before I could show him the direct quote from the newspaper on Leviticus 20:13 that says homosexuals should be killed: “if a man lies with a male as with a woman, both of them have committed an abomination; they shall be put to death,” he dismissed the article as the writer’s interpretation. I said it was a direct quote from the Bible, but he had never seen it. He couldn’t believe that the Bible could contradict itself from the Ten Commandments. I attempted to show him other quotes called out by the newspaper that the Bible also instructs us to murder people who work on the Sabbath (which is what he was doing), along with adulterers and children who curse their parents.
He had his beliefs and nothing I said was going to change his mind. I wished him well and thanked him for stacking the wood.
7 comments:
How lucky for you that he asked for a blessing on you and your family.
We got wood yesterday, too. I am glad to report it went without incident relative to our sexuality. The money was exchanged and we drove it home, whereupon we stacked it ourselves. Knowing how this went for you, I'm glad we got it from the "stack it yourself" place. Good to tip him AND show him the Bible. You tried.
Hi Feefif, It can never hurt.
Hi sporks, I was shocked when he mentioned that example, so I attempted to have a discussion, but it was completely one sided. I suspect if I had changed his mind, he would have gone back to drinking and after congratulating him for four years of being sober, I was happy to let him stack wood and bid him farewell.
Sounds like all sorts of fun.
Yes, might I suggest our luxury wood depot? It's on the north end of Topanga Canyon Blvd., not far south of the 118 freeway. Look for the giant mountains of split wood; you can't miss it. We've never been quoted Bible verse of any sort there.
Having been raised without religious instruction but having taken classes in college on both the Old Testament and the New Testament as literature, I'm reasonably certain that I've read more of the Bible in its proper context than the many evangelical nut jobs who rely on their pastors to spoon-feed them highly subjective and conveniently selective readings.
Hey Jack, it was one of those moments when I even wondered why I tried.
Hi Teresa, that is exactly where I purchased it from. I find the wood selection to be great, but they are very pricey. On The Mark, got wood in Topanga Canyon somewhere for less than half the price.
Regarding the delivery guy, my response to Jack sums it up. Why even try?
So nobody made a joke about the pleasure of getting wood? Let me be the first then. ;-)
I'm damned whichever way I look at it from the point of view of the bible.. On quite a few counts, cursing my parents being the least of it. lol
Love and forgiveness never really seems to occur to some people, does it? Just the condemnation, and the blame. And you now what they say about real homophobes.
I'm sure he was just dying for a big mary with a mustache, to hang out with in a truck stop somewhere, if truth be known. ;-)
Wood's been a bit hard to get hold of in Seattle lately, we're down to our last few chunks, which I'm saving for a special occasion. YOu'd think for a town surrounded by trees we'd do ok, wouldn't you?
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