::: OH, CHRIST! ::: There are words that are are so egregious that they cannot be excused in any context, never less so than when put into a personal letter. Words that I have never used in reference to another human being. Not ever. Not even by mistake. Words that, when used, coming out of the mouth of a self-styled "Christian" strike one immediately as being a reflection of who they really are in their self-revelations. ::: Not to be confused with a sudden lack of decidedly 'un-Christian' lapse of even the most perfunctory of respect for another human being. ::: Perhaps more confounding is that I thought I knew at least 'something' about this person, and cared about them to the degree that one can say one cares about someone one has never met in the flesh other than through a number of years of correspondence, only to suddenly be squarely faced with such a low opinion, if not outright hatred of women, which said - in a few choice words - more about the person than their very public claim to being Christian. ::: I did not respond, albeit tempting. Based on experience with abusers, I rather anticipated that a follow-up letter might be one containing excuses. Sure as God made little green apples, the very next day it arrived, complete with rationalization and blame. Not a shred of an apology. ::: It had seemed antithetical to anything remotely Christ-like, who had a temper, as do we all at times, wasn't at all fond of the Pharisees, the money-lenders in the Temple, had a few choice words for the goings-on in that house of worship and promptly marched out of the premises. If one is to believe in the literal story, as told in the Douay version of the Bible. ::: But, he respected women, at least one of whom was his Mother, and the other one of his best friends. ::: Honi soit qui mal y pense? ::: Now is not good for the Christian's health to rile the Aryan brown, for the Christian riles and Aryan smiles and he weareth the Christian down....::: The last person in the world anyone needs in their lives is a verbally abusive "friend". Abuse is abuse whether it be physical or verbal, either or both. The first can, on a continuum, lead to the latter. That is as inexcusable as it is unhealthy to any relationship. Never try to rationalize it. Words have power and meaning: first it's a word, then a slap, then a punch, then a blow - too late. Trapped. Get out! Don't even bother looking backward, you might turn into salt. ::: ...and the end in sight is tombstone white, a Fool lies here who tried to hustle the East. :::