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Here’s me: I’m a 40-year old white female, straight, single… I own a three-bedroom home, and I’ve been a school teacher for 16 years… I don’t smoke, have never had more than a sip of alcohol in one sitting, and have never in my life tried any ‘recreational’ drugs. On a wild Friday night, I like to get Chinese food takeout and grab a new book at the library. If you sent me a personalized message in response to my inquiry that said (I’m paraphrasing from the other post): “Would you be uncomfortable in a Christian home?” my first thought would be: You don’t want me in your house just because I don’t believe in God.
However, if your personal profile information mentioned that you are Christian family, or if it were written as part of your listing, I wouldn’t think anything of it… but I think in a message you are sending out it comes across as… I don’t know what - confrontational, maybe? It’s unclear why you would ask the question unless you give reference to the expectations that come with your Christianity.
That being said, I don’t think there’s anything at all unusual about mentioning your faith, it’s your house… if I want to say that I’m only renting to single men, aged 35-45, with recent photos and a killer smile, that’s my prerogative!
I think you’re getting close to it here. If someone mentions that they are a Christian in passing I’d be like “ok, no problem”. Someone asks “will you feel uncomfortable in a Christian house?” and I’d be thinking “well, I wouldn’t have been uncomfortable until you asked! Now I feel like I should be worried!”
And this cuts the other way of course - we had a couple stay with us who mentioned in their profile that they were Christian. Cool, no problem. Had they sent us a message saying, “we’re Christians. Is that OK with you? Will it be an issue?” At the point I’d be thinking, “it sounds like it might be more of an issue for you rather than for me!”
What you call targeting; I call proving discrimination. In the horrific old days, brave black people would ask to be served at restaurants where the owners only wanted to serve white people. Do you believe that black people should have gone to other businesses where the owners “would love to take care of them”? I am absolutely fine with small businesses where discrimination is practiced being shut down.
I had that same thought, but more like “well I hope you’re looking for an extra 5 or 10 pounds…and to want to sit on the couch and stare at the television all night”. I’m sure that not all pot smokers do that, but over time, it TOTALLY dulled my brain. Maybe that’s why I became a Christian - BWAH HA HA HA HA!
Politely disagree…there truly are certain people I want to alienate. Bigots, racists, homophobics. I share space with these people. I really don’t want them here, I guess in reality, that’s quite discriminatory isn’t it? Hm.
and this is the cause of all the evil in the world, the terrorism, the nationalism, and the fear and hatred that drives people to ‘kill for peace’ (as John Lennon put it)…
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Sorry to quote you but I can’t make out what post you’re replying to - it helps if you hit reply directly to that post otherwise it gets a bit confusing …
I wonder what your thoughts are on my earlier reply to your original post about other causes of “all the evil in the world” besides religion? I’d really be interested to know.
I just think that overall, people need to be respectful of people’s deeply held religious beliefs, even if you disagree. A devout Muslim would think they are sinning eating at a Kosher deli, a devout Orthodox Jew would think they were sinning purchasing from a Halal shop, and from the outside many of their practices seem similar but I would be in the wrong to demand that either serve me pork products.
There is a slippery slope in finding a way to provide for your family while observing your religious beliefs, my dad decided as a pharmacist he would work at a Catholic hospital. A baker should probably choose to simply make baked goods instead of baking wedding cakes if they truly think baking a wedding cake for a gay wedding is participating in the ceremony.
But there are ways to ensure that practices you disagree with are not happening in your home without turning away perfectly lovely people who would abide by your house rules.
A devout Muslim would have no problem eating Kosher food unless it is prepared with alcohol. As Kosher laws are stricter than Halal laws; much Halal food is not Kosher.
But there’s more to Halal and Kosher in the eyes of the devout than just the physical practices, there is also a spiritual side and prayers during preparation that would be in violation of the opposite faith. It makes no sense from the outside, but it has deeply spiritual connotations for the very devout. And some muslims and some jewish would have no issue, just like most christian would have no issue being involved in all wedding ceremonies. But personal faith is a deeper issue, and that’s why putting a religious stamp or label has so many meanings to different people.
Have you spent much time around either devout Muslims or Jews? I have. We have had devout Muslim guests who eat my cooking as I don’t cook with pork and only serve them food that doesn’t contain alcohol. For Orthodox Jews, all food must be served on dishes which have never touched non-Kosher food in kitchens where non-Kosher food has never been prepared. They will only eat things like fruit and vegetables and packaged food that is labeled Kosher from disposable dishes if they are in a non-Kosher kitchen. I know all this from growing up with a close friend who was Orthodox Jewish. When her mother developed Alzheimer’s; I would often take care of her mother for a few days. I was intensely schooled in how to not break the Kosher laws.
I am loving the lively discussion here! Thank you all so much for participating! I really have learned a thing or two that I didn’t know in my paltry six weeks of hosting.
To me hosting is a business, and normally a business is neutral about the four social incendiary subjects: politics, religion, etc. There is a price to be paid when a business mixes or mentions a certain belief or cause, and if the owner doesn’t mind paying it, then that is their choice. My thoughts, wearing only the hat of an ‘economic man’.
But for some of us, this is not just a business hat we are wearing. But as is implied by yours and many other posters, each host can choose how to run their business to suit their lives.
In actuality, few of us are really wearing only one hat, being complex humans, however the sizes of them probably differ (aka order of personal importance).
Lucky for you I’ll never be crossing your threshold. I’m very afraid of you Christians. You rant on about being discriminated against yet you’ve got Rick Warren (Purpose Driven Life) who is the head of a mainstream, bible based mega Christian church (franchises all over the U.S. called Calvary Chapel) in my neighborhood that espouses doctrines that clearly dictate that gays are an abomination and are going to burn in hell. My sister in law in Captistrano, CA who is a member told me I’m going to BURN IN HELL She also sent me a hand-written letter, which was a nice, personal touch :))))
So for me anyway, and probably for many others, I’d probably not choose your place.
I personally have no problem people listing their religions. I would hesitate to stay at Muslim or Jewish homes. I used to say this about Buddhist homes too but now know several and have stayed at their homes. All are welcome in my home though.
