Squabbling At the Senior Center

AT THE SENIOR CENTER I don't mind hanging out on the edges. I'm the second youngest one there, and many of them are not terribly friendly. Even the ones who constantly volunteer and serve the community are not necessarily friendly, even though they're wonderful people. Unless you force yourself on them with eye contact, smile, and greeting, many of not most of the over eighty crowd neither speaks nor initiates contact. Sometimes you wonder what kind of attitude folks have, and how much underlying fear and anger built up over a lifetime. I noticed that the Bible study group had stopped meeting, so I decided to ask about it. I offered to start another Bible study class, and indicated that I intended to teach it the way Bible study is taught at Harvard; historical, critical, factual, scientific. The Director didn't directly answer my question about the former study group, but vaguely alluded to the fact that it had broken up and ceased to exist due to disagreements of some sort among those participating. I didn't have to use my imagination much to imagine various possible scenarios. The Director further indicated that she was skeptical about the Harvard approach, because she assumed that all the historical scientific factual stuff would leave out the spiritual inspirational devotional part, and, to a point, she is right. Of course, rigorous academic Bible study needn't replace devotional Bible study; it can add to it. Or maybe not. Just the other day there was an senior center meeting, anyone was welcome, to make decisions concerning the Bingo program, which is a good fund raising activity. On the surface, this topic is neither earth shaking, controversial, nor rocket science. How ugly can a community meeting to discuss senior Bingo become? Very, evidently. At least, it evidently can at our senior center, here in the middle of small town American nowheresville. One lady reportedly walked out, crying. Fpr real. Now, that just aint right. Something is very wrong here, right? Remember, we're talking about the salt of the earth here. Conservative Christian rural Americans in their seventies, eighties, and nineties. So, what's the problem? Bible study and bingo? Really? You have got to be kidding me, but tragically, you aren't. You, the Christian conservative wing of the republican party, really are that angry. Can you imagine these people trying to have a civil discussion about politics or public affairs? As if a little gay marriage and transgender civil rights and a few million Mexicans can piss off so many Americans that we elect Trump, and fight over Bible study and bingo at the senior.