Scorn

They tell me I’m going to burn in hell,
And they smile when they say it.
Sometimes they even laugh nervously.
How am I supposed to take this?
I get it from strangers and even colleagues
Who claim to be a friend.
If you don’t respond in that moment,
Later, they will deny it to your face.
They say it so casually,
They have no reason to remember.
They defend themselves by saying
You don’t believe in hell, why does it matter?
But the issue isn’t what I believe.
It’s the message they are communicating to me.
It’s a message that implies I am such an evil person
That I deserve eternal damnation, eternal torment.
It’s not neutral. It’s not compassionate.
It’s a condemnation.
“I’m going to pray for you,” is a bit less extreme,
But still conveys disapproval—it’s not support.
Context is everything.
If you know I don’t believe, why say this to me
Except to disapprove?
If you want to pray, fine, but why tell me?
If I’m not going around saying “Your god is stupid,”
Then why not respect me enough
Not to rub your disapproval in my face?