THURSDAY THOUGHTS: THE RELIGIOUS CARD

It's sad when people have been so badly damaged that they are incapable of trusting others. 

It's another thing when you're FULLY aware that someone should only be trusted as far as you can physically throw them--if even THAT far. 

Folks hate it when you've got their number, especially when it’s all dressed up in religion.

There are days when a spade has to be called a spade: 
"You're not a friend, you're a user." 

"You're not concerned, you're nosy."

 
"You're not contributing, you're looking for a pat on the back."

 "You're not providing a great opportunity, you're expecting something for nothing."

 
"You're not a welcomed visitor, you're a pest." 

"You didn't part your lips to speak to me until you found out who I know.”

"You aren't trying to contribute to the cause, you're using the cause to promote yourself." 

"Your kid didn't want to visit. You want to go out and need a babysitter".

 "You don't want to work, you just want the title and position."

 "You didn't come to help, you came to eat."

 
"You don't love him/her. You love his/her wallet." 

"You're not lending a hand, you're an opportunist." 

"You're not trying to give, you're looking to get."

 
"That's not a business opportunity, it's a get rich quick scheme."

Don't be surprised if your accurate assessment and candor are met with offense, or a religious response like, "I'm going to pray for you". 

Scoundrels should be glad that you don’t send up a nice Davidic-type prayer for them.

People often think that because you own a Bible, that certain tactics and statements will rattle you-- like the very popular, "I thought you were supposed to be a Christian!"
Is that supposed to scare you, and plunge you deeper into the Bamboozled Abyss? 

Don't blink. 

Don't be alarmed by someone playing the religious card. Let them pray to the god they think they serve, who is just as lacking in ethics, consideration, and authenticity as they are. 

Don't worry about their prayer. 

Negatively motivated, cheesy and spiteful as it will be, it may reach the ceiling, but that's as far as it will go. 

Stupidity isn't something God wants to bestow upon you, and that's what some people hope--that you become, and remain trusting, stupid, and clueless as they run roughshod over your life, or the lives of your friends and family-- for their own personal gain.

It's kind of funny when a dishonest person, who you KNOW is dishonest, threatens you with prayer. 

I've read about the value of the effectual, fervent prayer of a righteous man. Not sure what is said about the prayer of an oblivious, arrogant, opportunistic, or conniving  man--or woman.

 

If you have been duped, don't pray for people to become become as gullible as you are. 

Pray that they gain the discernment to identify and avoid the kind of untrustworthy opportunists whose sneaky antics you so fiercely defend. 

Pray that you wake up and get a clue. 

When you open your eyes you'll understand that, sometimes, the problem you have with others, and the reason why you try so hard to make yourself impressive and discredit others, drive wedges between them and their friends and family, and make a veritable pest of yourself, is that they can SEE you. You KNOW they can see you, and that is problematic. 

To cut a con artist any slack would be a huge mistake. 

Mommy used to say, "You've peeped their hold card". 

They know they may be able to run a game on someone else, but they get no rope from you. 

If they could snag your trust, they'd be delirious, but they know they're not going to get it. So they continue to campaign with others in your life to make themselves seem invaluable.

Most people don't like to know they're being used, conned, and manipulated. Some will put up with unsavory people just to say they have a friend.

Keep an eye out for the elderly and vulnerable people in your life--even if from a distance. 

Some people prey upon those who like to brag about who, and how many people they're with, where they go, and how busy they are. 

People prey upon those who like to pick up the tab or boast of their financial security. 

They prey on the lonely, the insecure, and the disabled. 

Pay attention. Trust your instincts. Protect your loved ones. Don't give an opportunist, (even one who sits on a front row in a church near you) any rope. 

Encountering people who have pure motives will never make you feel as if you should open all of the windows, burn sage, and clean off the bottoms of your shoes with a mild abrasive. 

You know a load of crap when you see it. 

Don't doubt your judgment, no matter how fiercely people try to suck up, or dress up their deception in religious lingo.