Don’t Call Me Your Friend…
Don’t you just love hearing “I have a lot of (insert minority group here) friends, but…”? In many cases it’s a sentence designed to soften the bigoted blow that is about to be delivered, in a way that tries to disguise the fact that the person is really bigoted. I hear this sentence uttered by christians all the time. “I have a lot of Atheist friends, but…” The but is all but kind. It’s a qualifier that telegraphs to the minority the intention to demean. I don’t like being called a friend in this fashion, because it almost always takes place when I’m not around. For the person that’s calling me a friend, the fact that I’m not there is the license to say just about anything they want about who they think I am, assign negative emotions to my life, and assassinate my character. What a friend.
Don’t Call Me Your Friend
I really don’t like being called your friend if you use this phrase (“I have a lot of Atheist friends, but…”) when I’m not around. Quite frankly, you cheapen and denigrate me. You’re putting me down while trying to make yourself appear inclusive, caring, compassionate, empathetic, genuine. But, the reality of calling me a friend in this way is far from complimentary. Come on. Admit it. You’re just trying to make yourself seem more “christian” in the New Testament, Jesus loves everybody, sort of way. In reality, you’re just taking a big christian piss all over me, as I’m assigned to being the out house for your religious disdain.
Don’t call me your friend if you qualify it with but. I’m not really your “friend… but”. I’m just a placeholder, a license for religious bigotry poorly hidden behind a useless platitude and a faux smile. So, don’t use me as a scapegoat for your ignorance. You don’t know what a friend really is.
January 11, 2012 at 8:13 am
This was a great article RJ! I hate when people try to be your “friend” when all they do behind your back is talk down on you like you’re lower than dirt. Keep up the good work my dude!
January 11, 2012 at 1:23 pm
You forgot the OTHER application of “friend”, as in “We’re going to screw you over and there’s nothing you can do about it my friend.” EXCUSE ME?
January 16, 2012 at 6:05 am
Preach on brother….hammer on at the anvil of truth.
Its like this bastardised term “tolerate”….”oh I do disagree with (insert atheist name here)’s strident and sometimes offensive attacks on my faith, but I am a tolerant person and so tolerate his bigotry and spite.”
Well wouldnt butter not melt in your baby smooth butt cheeks you patronising twat? You tolerate the stink of stale piss in a multi-storey car park rather than gettng a ticket for parking your car on main street. Screw you and your tolerance.
Like you Im sick to my back teeth of these “freinds” who “tolerate” me. Screw em. To me they are shabby ass fence sitters (aka agnostics) or smarmy collaborators (so called moderate people of faith). Get on board, or get out of the way.
Hammer on brother RJ, hammer on.