#AtoZChallenge: Z is for ZEALOT

38 Comments#AtoZChallenge 2015, Language, Writing/Blogging
Welcome everyone, to the #AtoZChallenge Blogging Extravaganza, where 1500+ bloggers worldwide publish 26 posts in 26 days – one for each letter of the alphabet – covering a myriad of topics!
“Favourite Words” is my theme. (Not all of them – keeping it mild 😉 )
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Here it is!  The LAST DAY of the 2015 A to Z Blogging Challenge!
We made it!
CHEERS!!

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#AtoZChallenge 2015 - Z- is for
Day 26, April 30

#AtoZChallenge 2015: Z is for ZEALOT #dogladysden Click To Tweet

zealot

ˈzelət

noun

a person who is fanatical and uncompromising in pursuit of their religious, political, or other ideals.

Synonyms: fanatic, enthusiast, extremist, radical, young Turk, diehard, true believer, activist, militant; bigot, dogmatist, sectarian, partisan; informal: fiend, maniac, ultra, nut; eager beaver

historical: member of an ancient Jewish sect aiming at a world Jewish theocracy

I’ve met my share of zealots over the years, both in person and online. Let’s look at the synonym, “bigot”, which is more descriptive:

big·ot

ˈbiɡət

noun

a person who is intolerant toward those holding different opinions.

“don’t let a few small-minded bigots destroy the good image of the city”
synonyms: chauvinist, partisan, sectarian; racist, sexist, homophobe, dogmatist, jingoist

See also NEANDERTHAL

#AtoZChallenge, Z is for ZEALOT
villains.wikia.com

It’s no secret that I’m not religious, but I rarely mention it unless the subject comes up. Any zealot who says I will “burn in hell” or otherwise casts aspersions on my character is going to get a lecture. (There have been some absolutely ridiculous forum exchanges about that! 😛 )

Surely one can see the irony of condemning an atheist to hell? 😉 “Live and let live” is my motto and at no time would I ever castigate anyone for their beliefs. All I ask is to be granted the same courtesy, or, to put it in biblical terms, “Judge Not”.

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Sadly, some members of my husband’s family (old world Italian), were not accepting of our union, because I was neither Italian nor Catholic. They tried to break us up by telling lies about me and even refused to come to the wedding, despite our getting married in their church.

This was a concession I made at hubby’s request. He’s not religious either, but was hoping to appease “la famiglia”. In hindsight, I should have refused, as the hypocrisy made me uncomfortable (not to mention the interview with the priest, but that’s another story).

His elderly aunt even put a curse on us, (seriously!) and they all said it wouldn’t last. Yet, here we are, 42 years later! Who has the last laugh now, eh? 😀 Read the secrets to our longevity HERE.

Catholic wedding ceremony
Catholic wedding ceremony. Aug. 4, 1973 ©

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Why can’t we all just get along, regardless of ethnicity, creed or political affiliations?

Human race, unite!

Have you ever been denigrated by a zealot? How did you handle it?
Looking forward to your comments!

As this challenge ends, I want to thank you all for taking the time to visit, follow and comment on The Doglady’s Den.

Some offline matters have kept me from reciprocating as much as I’d like, but I promise to catch up over the next few days. 

It’s been a pleasure, meeting such talented writers and reading your interesting, informative posts. I fully intend to keep up with many of you and look forward to future interactions.

Best Regards,

Debbie

thank you smiley

P.S. See you on May 4 for the “REFLECTIONS” post!

AtoZChallenge 2015
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38 thoughts on “#AtoZChallenge: Z is for ZEALOT

  1. Great last atoz post debbie! I believe in letting others be Even though they do not believe in what u believe in. Zealots- not my cup of tea:-) learned a lot of funny new words through ur theme ! Keep writing 🙂

    1. Glad you liked it, Eli. 🙂 Yes, to each their own. I’ll never understand why some people are disturbed by others’ beliefs and lifestyles. Thanks for your comments over the month. Cheers!

  2. So, it’s a close to 2015 A to Z..Congrats Debbie and I so enjoyed all our posts including this one..
    Glad to have met you!! See you around!

    1. Thank you, Parul. Your posts were enlightening and contained such positive messages for women. Congratulations to you as well. 🙂 See you around the Blogosphere!

  3. If only the world got on without discrimination and being judgmental! I have had my fair share of “curses” 🙂 And yet, life goes on quite well except for the occasional and rather momentary hurt. Zealot is a good word for Z! Congratulations, Debbie! I loved your photo!

    1. Hi Vidya; I agree, the world would be so much better off. We had our share of misfortune over the years and always joked it was the curse at work. LOL There are only so many words for Z that make for interesting posts, yes? Glad you liked my choice and the photo too. Congratulations to you, as well. 🙂 I’m done with daily blogging for another year. Whew! Don’t know how you all do it and with multiple blogs, no less!

  4. Well……..I’m in that picture too!!! That elbow you see is me! LOL. And I am the “staunch Roman Catholic” Debbie talks about in her last comment. Loosely quoting, man has in him three graces, faith, hope and charity [today charity is substituted by love] and the greatest of these is charity. You can’t be a “staunch” religious person and forget that! And charity, or love, means that you accept whatever others are, or believe in. Even if you don’t agree. In my vision of the world, we were given freedom of choice…….and I might not agree, but if I have been free [at this age, I still choose to be a believer] to choose..why should others not have the same freedom. Integralists of any sort are to be frowned upon……and yes, sometimes, funnily enough, it is those who profess that being atheist is also being tolerant are the ones who are the most denigratory regarding those who believe. I am sad, as a Catholic, to hear or know that others don’t believe………but I will never, ever look down on them from some high pulpit, as most atheists [or so they call themselves] do ….and I speak from personal experience. An example? I have been praised for my intelligence, and in the same breath been told that my one flaw was being a Catholic! That is just one example! Now, tell me——-who would be considered zealot here! LOL. Great job Debbie…….am reading your posts at random and not always commenting! and luv ya……dear “oldest” friend! We go back even further than your marriage!

    1. LOL Your ears must have been burning, Bianca. I didn’t want to violate your privacy, so I deliberately chose a photo that didn’t show your face. 🙂 Thanks for dropping in and giving me a modicum of credibility bere. I agree that Atheists and religious people can be equally condescending, but as you know, that’s not my style, at all, or yours either. Glad you’re enjoying the posts.

  5. A curse!! seriously … So happy to hear about your long marriage, that’s the dream of every married couple 😀
    As for religion, I really don’t understand why people get so crazy about religion. Live and let live is my motto too.

    1. Yes, seriously, a curse! 🙂 We did have a lot of misfortune over the years and joked about it being true. At least we proved them all wrong about the marriage. Happy end of A-Z Challenge! Thanks for visiting.

  6. My mother was difficult with me about Mary not being Irish, and with my brother about his wife not being Catholic. Then she got her way with my my next brother: his beloved was Irish, Catholic, lived in the old neighborhood, her mom was a teacher, went to my mother’s alma mater, etc. etc… and my mother couldn’t stand her. Proves that old saying, “be careful what you wish for, you might just get it.” I think she realized finally that stuff doesn’t matter. The more everyone realizes that, the better things will be.

    1. That’s a great story about a lesson well-learned, John! 🙂 I can’t understand why people are so bigoted and find it completely distasteful. As you said, it doesn’t matter! Yes, I wish everyone would embrace that mindset. Congratulations on finishing the challenge! It was fun getting to know you. 🙂

  7. Zealot is a great word but not a nice thing to be by the sounds of it. I avoid those people whenever possible. That’s awful about members in your hubby’s family trying to sabotage your wedding, Debbie. Good you were strong enough to stand up to them and prove them wrong. Congrats on getting to the end of the challenge. WOOHOO! We made it!

    1. I do too, Cathy, but sometimes they find me. 😛 (I tend to be outspoken 😉 ) Yes, there was plenty of opposition to our marriage, including my own parents, for different reasons. We paid for the wedding ourselves and had a good time, so, screw ’em! LOL Yes, finally finished, but I’m still catching up on comments. Congrats to you too and thanks for visiting all the time. Cheers!

  8. I see more zealots in the media than in my little corner of the world…and I am thankful for that. Of course I always run into some especially on social media…ugh! Congrats on finishing the challenge. It was a booger bear! Love the picture and love that you proved the family wrong!

    1. Oh yes, plenty of zealots on social media! 😛 Thanks, Laura. Congrats to you, too. Glad you enjoyed the post and the outcome. Cheers!

  9. In India, we also have castes!
    I don’t even want to get started on these zealots though!
    So sorry to hear about the stuff you had to put up with at the time of your wedding, but, I’m just so happy that you both made it so far despite all the negativity!
    Congratulations on completing the challenge, Debbie! 😀

    1. Yes, it’s too bad people can’t just get along on an equal plane, regardless. We certainly rose above the bullshit and triumphed. Thanks, Kaddu. Congratulations to you, too. 🙂

  10. It’s been great, has it not? I do have a couple of articles left, but they should all be posted sometime during the day (I hope :3) You know that even some atheists I could mention but won’t (rest assured, you are not among them) could be considered zealots in preaching their dislike (mild term) against any religious person. As you said, Debbie, religion, or lack of such, is a personal choice, and the choice should be respected. I have been attacked over and over about my religious beliefs by people who have no idea what they’re talking about, and I will defend those beliefs fiercely, but I will not condemn anyone for theirs. I will share my beliefs, but I won’t force you to accept them. Is there such a thing as being a half-zealot?
    Thank you for your word blogs. I might just try it next year–we shall see. 😉

    1. Hi Mary; It has been an interesting month and don’t worry if the posts aren’t published on time. I would go ahead anyway, just to complete the set. 🙂 Yes, I know exactly who you mean and I certainly don’t do that. In fact, I’ve been enjoying your posts about the LDS church; very informative! Glad you enjoyed mine, as well. Cheers!

  11. Well, here we are at the end of this amazing challenge. I have really enjoyed all your posts and have learned some great new words along the way. The writer in me thanks you for that! I really loved the synonyms you listed too. LOVE the photo of you and your husband during your wedding ceremony. You’re so pretty!
    Re: zealots: I try to stay clear of them!
    Thanks for all your support this past month. XOXO

    1. Glad you enjoyed the posts, Michele. As for the photo, those were the days! Ah, to be young and pretty once again. 🙂 That’s okay, being old still beats the alternative! Congratulations on a successful A to Z Challenge. Your musical journey was fabulous and I loved it! Thanks for your support as well. XOXO

  12. Zealots are everywhere, what to do? Just ignore. Congrats for completing the A-Z Challenge!!

    1. Generally yes, but I won’t ignore a personal attack. 🙂 From my perspective, by judging me, they are not embracing the religious tenets they purport to follow. Congratulations to you as well. Cheers!

  13. I’ve come across a few zealots and bigots sometimes I smile and ignore sometimes I’ll state my views too. I guess if you looked at it from their point of view, I’d be a zealot and bigot too. In the end what’s your belief is your belief. What does it matter what others think.

    1. People who make judgements piss me off and I always respond to direct confrontations. I take no issue with those who have different beliefs and expect to be afforded the same courtesy. It’s a real pet peeve! 🙂

  14. Zealots of all description are the most frustrating and dangerous people. They condemn without trying to understand and they cause massive amounts of trouble. I’m of the opinion that caring and love are the important things in life and if you want to care and love for it’s own sake, great, if you want to do it because god told you to, also great 🙂 I’ve met my share of zealots and I do not put up with their crap.
    Tasha
    Tasha’s Thinkings | Wittegen Press | FB3X (AC)
    P.S. thanks for all the wonderful posts over the AtoZ 🙂

    1. I agree with you, Tasha – and John Lennon (“Whatever gets you through the night…”) 🙂 Glad you enjoyed my posts. I also enjoyed learning about all those devious demons from you. Cheers!

  15. Yes, I definitely have been though no names mentioned…let’s just say la famiglia (though I’m not Italian)! 😉 I used to not handle it well. Now I either ignore it or put my foot down, i.e., set my boundaries. 😉 <3

  16. Oh, we have more than enough of our share of zealots here!! That wedding picture is so sweet!! Congratulations on completing the AtoZ Challenge, it was a fun ride!

    1. Zealots are everywhere, Fab. 😛 Glad you enjoyed the photo. Congratulations to you, as well. It was fun, but also exhausting. LOL

  17. Can’t say I’ve ever been denigrated by a zealot and no one has openly accused me of being a zealot. I am a firm born again believer, but I’m willing to talk to people about opposing sides and other beliefs. Often I find that those who are most opposed to zealotry and declare themselves to be highly tolerant of other ideas actually are quite the opposite. There is an absurdity of attitude in the current political landscape where few things are really as they are depicted to be by others.

    Likewise some of the most bigoted people I know are those who accuse all sorts of others as being bigoted. I guess we are all bigoted to some degree where it comes to ideas with which we disagree.

    Arlee Bird
    A to Z Challenge Co-host
    Join us on May 4 with your post of Reflections about this year’s A to Z.

    1. Then, I would say that you’re not a zealot, Lee. 🙂 My problem is with those who condemn others for not believing as they do. Everyone is free to embrace whatever faith, philosophy, credo, moral code, etc. that works for them. As John Lennon once said: “Whatever gets you through the night, it’s alright”. My oldest friend, going back to 1970 (and maid of honour at our wedding), is a staunch Roman Catholic and we’ve never had a problem getting along. Two other friends are also born-again and that doesn’t affect our friendship either, Same with a friend who belongs to the LDS church. It’s a non-issue between us and nobody is going to change their way of thinking, so why even discuss it? You’re right too though, that some who profess to be tolerant aren’t. I’ve seen vile comments spouted by Atheists and zealots, alike. My point is, why can’t we all just get along? Can’t we rise above religious and political differences? We’re all human beings, regardless! I guess I’m sounding too much like a hippie again. 😉
      Happy Last Day of the A to Z!