I hadn't thought of that. That's an excellent idea! It also means that the next time she gives me one I won't be thinking "one more for the stock pile"... it'll actually be something of use. They're all fresh and new... never touched... and there are more than a couple.

I have a bible I was given years ago... lovely old thing.

Now this is a funny thing... my sister has given me some beautiful rosaries... she has them specially made and has given me one each time one of my ratty girls has passed away. She gave me an engraved crucifix once too, and I have three small glass angels. Now I know she sends these things with love, and they're to indicate her sadness that I've lost one of my girls, and her belief that they're in a nice place and no longer suffering (all have been ill before they passed sadly). I know my sister respects me, and I know she loves me, and I treasure her rosaries.

If my aunt sent them... well, they'd be on the way to the local church with those bibles.

It's the sentiment behind the gift that bothers me where my aunt is concerned. My Catholic mother-in-law is eager to convert me too, and she's a Japanese replica of my aunt... same hair, same size, same tone, same attitude. She wants me Catholic and pregnant.

Agreed. It's the spirit behind the gifting that makes the gift either a treasure or a subtle tactic. In the case of the mom-in-law, it was so that, accompanying those beads, which were as you say of yours, beautiful and well made with no expense spared. The reason for that was she believed the spirit of christ would be in the beads, because she had her priest bless them before the mailing, so that the christ spirit might reach out and touch my heart and bring me back to the path of god.

She was so cute. When she said that, after the first mailing, as to her intent in the gifting, I was in the room and hubby had the speaker phone activated, so I could hear her tell him her intentions as she forwarded the beads. Poor little thing, I imagined her all bright eyed as she lay them gently in the box, thinking herself christs girl scout, sending the beaded calvary to save the soul of the ungodly half-Dyke that was currently sleeping with her son.

That could explain, right after our first anniversary, why she sent two. Come to think about it. Maybe one was in case he strayed from the path, I could use it as a lasso and bring him back to the path where he belonged. Meanwhile along with those beads, she would have had to send a compass and a damn fine map, if she was expecting me to even acknowledge her path existed. But that's faith and to think, she helped enrich the gross accounts of those bead manufacturers, while I had the opportunity to make Madonnas manager go: Hmmmm, quirky! As he opened my shipment.

Respect can mean to hold in high esteem or to show consideration (kindness) so when we use the word in a religious sense we need to determine in which context to use it. I respect a persons decision to believe in God as I show consideration that they chose their belief as something right for them so a personal decision by them has my respect but I don't respect or hold their opinion in high regard.

She spiked your beads.

My mother-in-law, already offended by my unwillingness to be converted and impregnated, is thoroughly perplexed by my vegetarianism. When she visited, years ago, she used to bring pork chops. When my husband told her he was converting to vegetarianism she rushed at him with sausage rolls.

Now that's the visual I needed first thing on a Sunday morning. Piggy in a blanket, with a high speed mom-in-law behind 'em.

I've had all sorts of insults slung at me because I'm a vegetarian. It always knocks me for six when anyone takes offence at me not eating the food they like. I think it's pretty much the same with all things... if you choose what's right for you you're always going to have people wanting you to choose what's right for them. I've been to dinners where, knowing I am a veggie, the hostess has presented a platter of raw meat to be cooked at the table in the belief that if I just wrap my nostrils around the whiff of all that gorgeous meat I will be converted.

She don't have respect for you then....my mother in law (well she may as well be lol) is not as bad but was always trying to organise our wedding ect...telling us what to do with the baby

You've heard of Liverpool FC?? lol yea got her a skip for her 1st birthday...trying to convert her to a liverpool supporter LMAO even said this sept, they are going to get her all new bedding all liverpool gear...thats where I draw the line and say NO ENOUGH!!!

My mother-in-law, at our wedding, tried to fix it so her family were in all the photos, and every time the photographer said "shall we have one of the bride and groom" she replied "how about one of the groom and his mother/sister/brother?". She cried all through the wedding, and sulked all through the reception. She told me once that I didn't need to bother wearing make-up, and that some women just know when nothing's going to be an improvement!



Football... now there's another religion.

uuuccckkk my mom did the same thing, when her beloved son was getting married

garys mom exactly one hour after becky was born...had them up flashing cameras into my new-borns face..."lets all have pics of me with becky...grandad with beck...such and such with becky" flash flash blind everyone with cameras FLASH!! not once did the old bat say --- " how about one with the new mother and Becky?" infact gary didnt even suggest it...so I wanted to kick em all out of the ward LMAO...grrrrrrrrrr get out you bunch of cretins and take your cameras with you...!!!

Imagine...only 1 hour later after giving birth in come the troops......man all I wanted was peice and quiet..to be left alone for a while with my new-born....but ohhhhhhhh nooo FLASH GORDON and his wife flash flash hold the baby up thats it FLASH!!!!!!!!! at that time I was pressing the biuzzer for a nurse to come and chuck em all out!!!!

What am I saying ONE HOUR eh??? nooo i forgot...mins after I gave birth...his mom was waiting in the recovery room...with a camera...I was just stitched up...and left to recover for a bit and low and behold dun dun dun..there she was..the mother in law waiting...................flash gordon was still down stairs lol



YES football is a religion....but not happening in my home thats for sure!!!!

On my Bebo..you can see her in her Liverpool skip...aaacccckkkk!!!!!!!!!

It's unthunkable that anyone would want to be so thoughtless isn't it.

My mother-in-law, a day after my grandmother passed away, was trying to persuade my hubbie to think of leaving me for another woman - she had one all lined up! I bet she conducted interviews and everything.

OMG what a nutter lol no offence Shadow...but seriously...

someone should start a new thread...The Dreaded Mother in law..just add the word GOD to it and bingo it stays here lol just kidding lol

or a thread - Why do a lot of mothers fav their sons...................remove the cotton wool already!!!!!!!! add the word God and presto it stays too just kidding again

No offence taken... she is seriously deranged.

I think respect for religion will increase in direct proportion to the religious affording respect for the diversity of a secular community.
I think this article relates , among many others available of like kind, are a start in that direction.




Top pastor preaches lesson of tolerance
Tuesday May 08, 2007
By Simon Collins


Lois Wilson is visiting from Canada to debate religious diversity and Christianity.
An 80-year-old Christian leader from Canada has come out of retirement to try to douse the flames of religious intolerance in New Zealand.

The Very Rev Dr Lois Wilson, who was president of the World Council of Churches from 1983 to 1990 and later a Canadian senator, will speak in a debate at Auckland's Holy Trinity Cathedral tonight on the issue, "Does religious diversity undermine Christian faith?"

The debate comes as conservative churches plan a protest march at an Asia-Pacific Interfaith Dialogue, to be chaired by Prime Minister Helen Clark, at Waitangi from May 29-31.

Philippines President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo, Indonesian Foreign Minister Hassan Wirayuda and Australian Foreign Minister Alexander Downer are expected to attend the meeting.

Churches led by the Destiny Church and the Exclusive Brethren spoke out in February against a draft national statement of religious diversity, which said New Zealand had no state religion.
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