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shesus · 04-04-2009, 08:05 PM

Even though I am no longer a religious person and it's been over 10 years since I've been to church, the church newsletters still follow me with every move. I should let them know they can stop sending them, but it's always interesting to read what religious slant they take on things. This weeks 'Letter from the Pastor' was about stigmas and I found it interesting.

People are sometimes assigned stigmas, Dave the Drunk, Kelley the Slut, Larry the Liar, Susie the Slob, Andy the Asshole, etc. These are generally hard to live down. I think this is because they are formed based on a repetitive action.

My uncle Dave is a drunk. He always has been and probably always will be. Even after time in jail, evictions from states, and countless AA meetings, he's still a drunk. He lives with my grandparents and can't get a job. It's a sad situation, but unfortunately he is defined by his stigma.

My cousin Kelley was a slut. There is no other way to say it. She couldn't remember how many people she had been with at age 17. She cheated on her husband and actually was unsure of who the father was of her first child. Luckily, the child looked like her husband. When she left her husband for her current husband, she was still trying to sleep with other guys. I don't think she does that anymore, but she also has 4 kids and has kept on the weight from the pregnancies. So, I often wonder if she could still would be doing that behavior if she did not have the obstacles.

I do think that people can change their behavior, but the tendency to repeat the action is always present because it is in their nature. According to the church newsletter, one way to drop a stigma is to walk into the house of the Lord and leave the stigma with him.

What do you think? Do you know someone who has overcome or not overcome a stigma? Have you overcome a stigma? Do you think everyone has a stigma attached to them? Do you think that sometimes stigmas are attached to people unfairly?

04-04-2009, 08:05 PM	#1 (permalink)
shesus Fancy Location: Chicago	Can a leopard change his spots? Even though I am no longer a religious person and it's been over 10 years since I've been to church, the church newsletters still follow me with every move. I should let them know they can stop sending them, but it's always interesting to read what religious slant they take on things. This weeks 'Letter from the Pastor' was about stigmas and I found it interesting. People are sometimes assigned stigmas, Dave the Drunk, Kelley the Slut, Larry the Liar, Susie the Slob, Andy the Asshole, etc. These are generally hard to live down. I think this is because they are formed based on a repetitive action. My uncle Dave is a drunk. He always has been and probably always will be. Even after time in jail, evictions from states, and countless AA meetings, he's still a drunk. He lives with my grandparents and can't get a job. It's a sad situation, but unfortunately he is defined by his stigma. My cousin Kelley was a slut. There is no other way to say it. She couldn't remember how many people she had been with at age 17. She cheated on her husband and actually was unsure of who the father was of her first child. Luckily, the child looked like her husband. When she left her husband for her current husband, she was still trying to sleep with other guys. I don't think she does that anymore, but she also has 4 kids and has kept on the weight from the pregnancies. So, I often wonder if she could still would be doing that behavior if she did not have the obstacles. I do think that people can change their behavior, but the tendency to repeat the action is always present because it is in their nature. According to the church newsletter, one way to drop a stigma is to walk into the house of the Lord and leave the stigma with him. What do you think? Do you know someone who has overcome or not overcome a stigma? Have you overcome a stigma? Do you think everyone has a stigma attached to them? Do you think that sometimes stigmas are attached to people unfairly? __________________ Whatever did happen to your soul? I heard you sold it Choose Heaven for the weather and Hell for the company