hellbound?

by richard

Just curious, but when someone says “may God have mercy on your soul”, does it imply anything?

If someone says it to you, is it safe to assume that they think you’re on your way to hell?

6 comments

1 Geof F. Morris { 06.27.05 at 1408 }: For me, it implies that, in God’s place, I might not be so inclined to have mercy upon you.

That implication has all sorts of nastiness dripping from it [God complex, a lack of mercy and forgiveness, and an unrepentant heart] … stuff that is undoubtedly just as nasty as whatever I was decrying at the time.
2 Val { 06.27.05 at 2250 }: I’m not sure if my initial response upon reading this was appropriate, but I just laughed.
3 richard { 06.28.05 at 0848 }: Um… glad I could give you a laugh. I guess.

.

Why was it funny, again?
4 Mike { 06.28.05 at 1317 }: I think that there may be times when such a phrase can be used in an amusing way.

But I can think of a specific use of it recently that was not funny at all. Context matters. And yes, some contexts would leave that phrase to imply flat-out condemnation.
5 Val { 06.28.05 at 2255 }: point of clarification: I think I was imagining a gray-haired woman (complete with head shawl) pointing a crooked finger and saying it in a hoarse, cracking voice, right after you’ve done something heinous, like, take the last bottle of Aspirin from the Walgreen’s shelf right before she reached for it, too: “may God have mercy on your soul”
6 megan { 06.29.05 at 0955 }: i think that part should be played by the old woman from the princess bride. booo boooo…queen of refuse… ;^)

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