I just barfed up my dinner.

This bitch is off her rocker. And I don't think Salon has any business publishing this kind of religious tripe, not that my expectations are too high after these past few weeks. Egads.

Salon, we need to talk. It's not me, it's you.

Anne should have posted the guy's name, phone number, address and (if possible) email address. We collectively would have taken care of him, if you know what I mean. Bada-boom, bada-bing. Leave the carpet, take the cannoli.

"If everyone on Earth could show the same forgiveness and surrender that she did, it would be a completely different world, a world with far less vendettas, paranoia, vengenance, crime and insanity."

Yeah, and a fuckload more carpet swindlers! Get a clue.

"If everyone on Earth could show the same forgiveness and surrender that she did, it would be a completely different world, a world with far less vendettas, paranoia, vengenance, crime and insanity."

Yeah, and a fuckload more carpet swindlers! Get a clue.

this article really "took me to a dark place." meaning, it annoyed the hell out of me. it annoyed me from the beginning, from the onslaught of bad metaphors, then her pukey speech about the ashmatic sunday school kids... then her calling on her squirrely man friend to take care of business because she didn't know how to handle it herself. then calling on some higher power who apparently has got her back in life-- if god does exist does she think he or she is really losing sleep over Lamott's bum carpet deal? yuck yuck yuck. i don't think it's unfair that i expect salon to be, if not all that good, at least secular. i don't want to wake up to some schmaltsy lesson about forgiveness, and certainly not coming from a wimpy, drippy woman who appears to be WAY over (or under?) medicated.

...I once read in the book Timeless Spring, a Soto Zen anthology:

Dongshan asked "The great incorrigible kills his father and mother, sheds buddha's blood and disrupts harmonious community: in these various deeds where is filial care?" Yunju replied, "Only in these are real filial care."

I'm not a Christian, nor any other flavor of religion, but I glean what I can from all of them and they all say similar things. As other writers have mentioned, anger is its own punishment. Getting even is losing.

And grace comes from unexpected places. Doing exactly the wrong thing may have the right outcome. She treated the guy with the love and respect he didn't "deserve".

Whether or not she chooses to turn the guy in, she has gained peace in her own mind (and from what she wrote that seems like a significant achievement).

... that it's ok for a Christian to "turn the other cheek" when someone sells them a moldy carpet, but if I went to get an abortion, my path would be strewn with Christians screaming at me that I was going to burn in hell? Heck, if I went to purchase an American Girl doll I'd likely hear about it. Double standard.

I knew immediately when I started reading this article, I could look forward to a TON of indignant atheist lefties fuming over non-sarcastic mentionings of church, God and Jesus in a Salon article! Imagine that! And now I see I had no reason to be disappointed. The tirelessly predictable secularists have nailed it again!

This little piece made no sense at all to me. So did Lamott reimburse the church herself? Did she write a letter to the local paper about being ripped off at the carpet store? Man, would I be a shitty Christian or what?

I knew immediately when I started reading these letters, I could look forward to a FEW indignant right-leaning Christian fanatics fuming over any criticism of another "true believer." Oh, poor pitiful Christians, so misunderstood! Must be that vast left-wing conspiracy again. What a joke!

reading these responses to anne's article has illustrated a very valuable lesson - that in every walk of life, among every gathering of people, in each community, there are a only few scattered diamonds, and many stones.

Isn't Christianity about charity of spirit and good works for others in way that does NOT call attention to itself? Isn't it resisting pride?

This column was ALL pride. It was the religous equivalent of the bodybuilder in the gym preening over his muslce development. Look at me, it's all about me!

The way she called the swindling merchant in the end. WHY did she call him? I think, honestly, to give herself a good ending to her story. Otherwise, let it go. Send the flowers if you must, but don't call. Or maybe she was hoping she'd get some words from teh guy that would validate how wonderful she is, how she is the embodiment of Christian grace. Honestly I'm glad he didn't give it to her. I just wish Salon gave her the brush-off, too.

This whole thing was all about Anne. I had no idea this woman was so obnoxiously sanctimonious and false.

let's not forget, W Green, that the U.S. IS A SECULAR NATION. of course secularists are predictable. that comes out of a tradition of reason and enlightenment. it seems it's often those who call themselves "christians" that are mercurial in nature/action, while using a poorly written piece of ancient fiction as their guide. no wonder christians are seen as unpredictable to the point of making no sense. i'm an atheist, and i welcome "predictable" as a label...thank you! and you can bet because i live in reality i would have had enough sense to unroll the carpet BEFORE forking over the money. duh.

This was one of the most inane pieces I've ever read in Salon. I don't understand what point Lamott was trying to make. I suppose it was something about that she felt better when she gave up her anger (goody, goody for her), but that really makes no sense because she had a perfect right to be angry.

Now, I'm not suggesting that she should have stewed in her anger, but it should have motivated her to do something effective -- not give flowers to a bullying crook who is probably still laughing over the crazy woman who wondered into his shop. Jesus didn't bestow daisies on the money changers, as I recall.

Also, I don't understand how anyone could be so dumb as to buy a carpet remnant in a shabby shop without unrolling it first. I don't know what she wanted her male friend to accomplish for her. To rough up the crook? No, that would have been unchristian. And, I'd like to know if she personally reimbursed her church, or what?

What a strange tale. Seems to have been written for no other purpose than for Lamott to show off what a good person she is, but she apparently had no thought about trying to prevent the carpet crook from ripping off other people. (I mean, she could at least have filed a complaint with someone!)

Sigh. What a waste!