Maybe I need to find another blog site because this really doesn't relate exclusively to Mormonism.

My problem is with religious zealots of all types. Most people I know practice their faith unobtrusively, including a few of my Mormon friends. These people don't bother me in the least. However, there are a handful of extremely religious folk in my life just now, none being Mormon, who are driving me nuts. It's not really their religious views that are my problem but rather the extremism of all their actions and thinking. Two are evangelicals, and one is a devout, "religion on her sleeve" Catholic. Everything is about God and their particular devotion to God. And if you do not show they are saintly or praiseworthy and superior people by regularly commenting on their good works then they give you the evil eye. I simply refrain from comment when religion enters the conversation. Just today I ran into two of these people. They both chatted each other up profusely, praised each other for their devoutness of faith, and proclaimed how happy, happy, happy they were to see each other and how sorry they were that they hardly see each now days. I happen to know that they are not of the same faith, do not socialize in the same circles, and don't honestly make any effort whatsoever to get together. Their protestations of adoration just rang hollow to me. This is the same way I feel about people who walk around all day saying things like "Praise Jesus" or "Thank you Lord" for no particular reason. It all just makes me nauseated due to the whole show biz feel I get from these kind of displays.

My other complaint with one of the above mentioned is her refusal to forgive. She misunderstood something I said to her once and I've been begging for her forgiveness ever since, even though I've not actually done anything wrong. She just thinks I abused her because I asked her to wash her hands before treating my mother (she is a health care worker) when she had a cold.

Are there an inordinate number of religious zealots in the health care field or am I overly sensitive? Do Jesus lovers simply love the idea of a deity who absolves them of all their faults or do they ever actually think that forgiveness is something they should practice themselves towards others?

I'm sure getting tired of the evil eye just because the religious acts flaunted before me daily do not inspire me towards adoration.