No. I think that religion is dumb, abhorrent and immoral so I think the same about believers. There is no struggle involved.

I'm too soft-hearted lol

Update: He is now training as a priest.

I'm torn between care for my friend and wanting to make inappropriate jokes...

Unless he's inappropriate first, just be his friend.

Think whatever you want of him in your head, but be his friend until he proves you're not his.

I heard one of the most incredible conversion stories I've ever been told by a young conservative catholic priest about two years ago. Briefly, he was 24 at the time...just got his dream job, was set to be married in two weeks, and they were about to close on one hell of a house for a great price. He felt a feeling of intense freedom and love and serendipity wash over him, he knew that god was real, and then god spoke to him. So he quit his job, backed out on the house, and broke up with his squeeze to go to seminary.

It seemed to me that there must be some subtext of unfreedom, of unlove, of misfortune...underneath the glowing description of his life at the time. That maybe he didn't want one or any or some particular combo of those things and this was his way out of them. No, though. He informed me that he very much wanted all of it, and still did, but it couldn't happen because he was called. I asked all the usual questions about auditory hallucinations and got the usual answers.

Altered states.

(October 11, 2024 at 11:15 am)The Grand Nudger Wrote: I heard one of the most incredible conversion stories I've ever been told by a young conservative catholic priest about two years ago.  Briefly, he was 24 at the time...just got his dream job, was set to be married in two weeks, and they were about to close on one hell of a house for a great price.  He felt a feeling of intense freedom and love and serendipity wash over him,  he knew that god was real, and then god spoke to him.  So he quit his job, backed out on the house, and broke up with his squeeze to go to seminary.  

It seemed to me that there must be some subtext of unfreedom, of unlove, of misfortune...underneath the glowing description of his life at the time.  That maybe he didn't want one or any or some particular combo of those things and this was his way out of them.  No, though.  He informed me that he very much wanted all of it, and still did, but it couldn't happen because he was called.  I asked all the usual questions about auditory hallucinations and got the usual answers.  

Altered states.

That is so sad. I have no words.

Not for him. That's what makes it so incredible, to me.

So, lets say your friend experienced an altered state and came away with the same idea of becoming a priest - look at what some people do. There are darker possibilities, too. People experience altered states they attribute to gods (and any number of other things) which compel them to murder and terrorism, too. Or so they say. In the end, I think we have to accept their claims on principle as a meaningful if not entirely accurate description of what lead them to do such things...and on that count, so long as your buddy keeps his hands out of little kids pants, he'd be a relatively minor offender.

(October 11, 2024 at 12:02 pm)The Grand Nudger Wrote: Not for him.  That's what makes it so incredible, to me.  

So, lets say your friend experienced an altered state and came away with the same idea of becoming a priest - look at what some people do.  There are darker possibilities, too.  People experience altered states they attribute to gods (and any number of other things) which compel them to murder and terrorism, too.  Or so they say.  In the end, I think we have to accept their claims on principle as a meaningful if not entirely accurate description of what lead them to do such things...and on that count, so long as your buddy keeps his hands out of little kids pants, he'd be a relatively minor offender.

Yeah he's a good guy I've known a long time - I just can't help finding this stuff funny and then feeling guilty for laughing at someone's religious convictions that to them are very real.