Christofascism in senior residences

[privateParticipant]

I am 86 and not a christian. The evangelical busybodies who are in the majority in this senior residential (federally assisted) complex are making life miserable for me.

They evidently gave my phone number to the minister of their nearby church. That minister made a hate phonecall to me. He told me that I am going to hell because I don’t belong to his church. I don’t know what else he might have wanted to say, because I immediately hung up.

The manager here is also an evangelical, unsympathetic, and she has been callous and abusive to me in many ways over the five years I’ve been here. The huge corporation which owns this place is unresponsive and so powerful nationally that the resident is always wrong.

Certain areas in this state are known to be hard core christofascist. Unfortunately, many years ago I moved here for work reasons, beause there had been race riots in my area and work dried up. So I went from being shot at by rioters in the old location — to being screamed at by Jesus freaks on the sidewalk at the new location. What a welcome.

Wish I had known ahead of time that the residents here are mainly intellectually challenged and were sort of herded into the evangelical church. I think they were exploited as a group.

This is a sad and lonely place for normals and non-christians. Entertainment here (and it’s obvious what audience it is tailored to suit) consists of twice a week ice cream bars and COLORING BOOKS supplied so the residents can color between the lines (yes, like 5-year-olds).

I didn’t know I would be trapped here with people who are mental problems (yes, unfortunately there are paranoid schizophrenics to harass us here also) and religious fanatics. Since I no longer drive and do not have family, living among crazy and hateful people is taking its toll on me stresswise.
Every day I have to guard against events/people that send my blood pressure sky high. I am almost perpetually on the brink of a stroke because my labile BP can’t be controlled.

Sometimes the religious folk drone on and on about god/heaven/angels/etc. interminably in the so-called community room. This is supposed to be a religion-free area because it’s a federally supported building, but there are two church meetings inside it every week and there are ZERO nonchristians living here, except for myself.

I think it should be against the law to federally support a place that actually selects against mentally normal people and also against nonchristians. This one-sided place is depressing and also obviously fosters persecution of normals. I despise the uncaring management which practically smirks and snickers at anyone who complains.

I will stop now, because even worse injustices have been committed against me here by the management. But, to me, religious persecution in a place that is supposedly committed to justice for all seems like the worst slap in the face. Those who permit it should lose their jobs. However, they continue to prosper in what is now Trumpland. And they are allowed to force normals to live in (to be isolated in) what is more like a mental hospital than a normal residential setting. Only the mentally afflicted and the religious fanatics have friends here, because this place is designed for them alone.

I waited years to obtain a place in federally supported housing. What a sad place to be in, however, because its the end of the line for the rest of my life, no matter how much injustice there is (and there has been mental abuse here also).

We are not even allowed to transfer to other residences. We have nowhere else to go, because all places have at least 5 years long (and closed) waiting lists. A person would have to go to the bottom of any other residence’s waiting list (and die before ever being called).

I had no idea i was being parked in a den of christofascism and mental cases.

[JadeBlackOliveParticipant]

What a horrid situation for you to finish your life with! I wish I could help.

[PopeBeanieModerator]

private, I’ve favorited your post (for myself) because I think it’s so iconic and relevant to what we (who might call ourselves) atheists are up against. The prejudice you’re up against comes from the same place in the human heart as that manufactured by extreme Islamists and cultists who can’t live without belonging to a tribe that’s in existential crisis against any outsiders or free thinkers.

Technically, I’m actually an agnostic in reality, but call myself an atheist in spirit because of the rampant, arrogant theism that surrounds us. By the way, your story has inspired me to start a new Group here. I’ll invite personally invite you when it’s set up, in case you’re interested.

[tom sarbeckParticipant]

private, I’m 87 and live in a veterans home with just over 1000 others: mostly veterans plus a few spouses of veterans. Only one of them advertises his atheism as I do—in a Toastmasters club here I gave a talk on Six Kinds of Atheists to interested-looking others. A few more are open about their non-theism.

My short story is that because xianity needs unhappy people, I do what makes me happy. That includes visiting several atheist discussion websites. I have a long story too, but here I will say only that I hope you find ways to make yourself happy.

[_Robert_Participant]

I feel bad for you, private. I also admire you for your courage and conviction.

I am a mostly an atheist in secret, however I have been snapping back at theists lately. Sometimes the stupidity gets to me. The look on their faces is priceless !

[DavisModerator]

Two horrid problems you are the victim of. Many Christians and even barely-religious people think that it is they who are being opessed. They simply don’t believe that non-christian bullying exists. That if it does it is very isolated and exceptional. But it does and clearly you are suffering greatly for it. You need to be vocal about this. The prevalence of abuse towards atheists in some regions of the US and the severity of the bullying needs to be acknowledged and believed. It’s somewhat similar to the denial that sexual abuse is rare and mostly something one can brush off as a bad day. Getting people to believe victims and acknowledge it is not just a few bad apples is essential in changing attitudes like “I’ve never seen guys manhandling women” or “None of my friends would do something like that” or “I don’t see it therefore its rare”. The #metoo movement, what is so powerful about it, is that so many victims of sexual abuse (men too), are putting it out in the open. The numbers are enormous. The severity of the experiences as life long trauma is clean as day. It is hard to maintain the abuse is done by a few bad apples. Not when literally millions of women around the world from all stripes of class, race, sexuality, even gender…including famous people and for some…even their neigbour or family member sufferedit.

Unfortunately, there is no #IAlsoSufferReligiousAbuse movement. There is next to zero consciousness of how many atheists live in fear and those who come out, how many are bullied and harassed (even to death). Most christians deny that things are like that these days. In fact, they are the ones being opressed by Americas new facist anti-christian anti-man anti-family-values communist immigrant loving movement. Going online and telling your story is one of the steps. If you think you are up for it, you should tell your story on as many forums as you can. Tell it directly, unedited with details and how you suffer because of it. And if you get responses, encourage others to join you. You could be a pioneer of a movement.

As for the shitty American retirement homes…America is famous for spending the absolute minimum necessary on social programs (if they even exist at all in some states). For someone who has worked their lives (I assume) and retired, deserve better. Again, people know that retirement homes can be dull and even dismal. But few know the harassment or bullying that can come from staff, heath neglect and little control over abusive retirees. Another movement you might be a pioneer in.

You’ve been dealt a pretty shitty hand. That really sucks. It shouldn’t be that way. And I’m sorry you have to deal with these people’s scummy and nasty behavior. I hope you can find some small improvements here and there or a solution. And if you are up for it, have the will and energy for it, join the barely emerging movements to expose non-christian bullying and inadequate social programs.

[Daniel W.Participant]

Private, I’m sorry you are going through this.  I wish I could stand outside your residence with a big sign and picket them, and write a letter to the editor, describing this senior abuse.  I fear that would not make your life better, so it’s a catch-22.  I hope that you can find allies there.

[privateParticipant]

@davis and ALL who have answered my post. Thank you for your concern and perceptive viewpoints. I will NOT advocate for change. I will not be co-opted into the joke of building a kinder, gentler Ebola. If I could burn the whole rotten system down (metaphorically speaking) and replace it with something clean, I would. Since I cannot, I consider it a civic duty to warn any unlucky “normal” newcomers that in this place the police have conspired with management to frame normals for the wrongdoing of the criminals and corrupt corporationists and religious fanatics that pass through here and/or inflict themselves upon us. Therefore, abandon all hope ye who enter….etc., etc., etc.

[Reg the Fronkey FarmerModerator]

I admire your attitude!

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