As a born-again Christian, I've often been accused of trying to earn Brownie-points, or of thinking I'm morally superior or a hypocrite - it comes with the territory as a Christian that other people think we're very weak & narcissistic at times, not admitting we need the 'crutch' of an invisible deity and not getting our 'just desserts' when we screw up because we've prayed and God forgives us and we go on our merry way and we're clinging to that illusion of righteous entitlement.

"I bet you're a street angel/house devil, admit it, nobody's that humble, there's going to be an agenda somewhere. Fakers, charlatans under a veneer of niceness & charming, clever words! You're just after money and personal gain off the backs of unsuspecting, trusting folk!" they sneer. Healing the sick, casting out demons & raising the dead? The supernatural? Absolute magical thinking and fantasy, come on now, it's not reasonable - you show me proof and I might believe you etc but if truth be told you scare me and I'd rather just avoid you and not deal with the ugly, dark feelings about myself that bubble up from my gut when we're together.

"Bloody holier-than-thou Christians make me so angry! So cliquey & elitist! All the wars are caused by religion..." they snarl (because born-again Christians get lumped in with the bad behavior of anyone who does things in God's watered-down name - we're just an easy group to pick on). Singling out the spectacular Swindler or Pervert or Adulterer from the Christian ranks as a scapegoat and hurling abuse about those ills they've done to Society makes it more comfortable for people to say "They've done far worse things than I've ever done. I would never behave like that." In denial, convincing themselves that it's only those people who are the fallen-from-grace demonized who've brought the world to the brink of disaster when it is EVERY individual's responsibility to behave with consistent goodness to make the world a better place.

And the 'fact' that we just know we're right and other faith viewpoints are wrong and we talk about that (the nerve!) and yes, yes, yes, you can't explain what your faith feels like, you just keep saying if others were Christians too then they'd know what it felt like, well, I just don't wanna know or understand you and your life, I'll save my sympathy for someone more worthy than you deluded fools... Calling yourself a 'saint'! Don't you come around me again, getting me all hopeful and then letting me down, trying my patience with your rules I keep breaking (according to YOU) & leaving me worse off than before, you hear?

It struck a chord with me