Hello I'm a new member. Yesterday went on an Alpha Course evening and wanted to share what I remember of the experience.
Alpha course week 1 10th October
Missed the first week because on holiday.
First of all :-
Who am I – 51 year old semi-retired after career in the TV industry.
Where - Redditch UK
why am I attending the Alpha course? Well my cousin is a regular church goer where it was being held, and I have been to the this church on a number of occasions for family funerals/weddings fetes etc. because of that. She said why not go along to answer some questions I might have about Christianity, so I thought why not. I am an atheist – member of the national secular society – my cousin knows this – I have not kept it a secret . When I arrived for the first time I stated that I was an atheist so nobody was I any doubt.
This was my first week at the Alpha course. I had missed the opening week because I was on holiday , so assumed that I did not attend the “Who is Jesus - historical evidence for Jesus outside the bible “ part. Quite surprised and glad that in fact the first week is preamble and I hadn't missed anything – glad because I've got a lot to say about it. First of all was the meal. It was fishermans' pie – fish in white sauce with mashed potato on top and a sweetcorn with peas mixture to go with it. It was OK but looking forward to more exciting meals on future weeks (if I haven't been asked to stop coming that is !!). I was very surprised to find that I recognised most of the approximately 20 people there as being members of this particular church. There were a few people I didn't recognise. I spoke to one of them and discovered that he did not go to this church but his wife did and he went to church somewhere else. That left about 3 or 4 people that I did not recognise but I did not have a chance to speak to them. During the meal I sat next to one of the church members that I knew and asked what they were hoping to get out of the course that they didn't already get on a Sunday or at their regular prayer/bible study meetings but was told it was a chance to ask questions. Hmmm ! Not very convincing. My cousin was asked if she would attend the course and said “Why? I am already a christian “ maybe they were there to show support or get a free meal. After the meal the vicar of the church who was also running the course gave a 45 min talk/sermon. There was no DVD of Nicky Gumbel - there is obviously some discretion about what parts of the course have to be included. The vicar – who is a very nice and genteel man had promised me earlier that he was not going to preach but to follow the course agenda. However the latter half of his presentation definitely shifted into Sunday sermon mode – it is what he does – he probably can't help it.
After the talk we split up into 2 groups, one led by the vicar – that was mine – the other led by a prominent church member. My group consisted of the vicar, myself, a mother, father and daughter , a teenage girl approx 16 or 17 (more definite details later – although I do recognise the people I do not know anything more about them) a Portugese student and another chap of about 20 sitting to my right who I did not know but the vicar seemed to know him. There may have been others but my memory is not what it was and I am in my 50's now. Gaps may be filled in later. We started with the vicar asking if anyone had any questions or comments about talk (which was about the historical evidence for Jesus). I had already decided not to say anything to start with but there was an embarrassing silence so I mentioned that the comparison with the works of ancient historians (the alpha course argument is that the bible trumps other ancient works i.e. Herodotus and Tacitus) was a little unfair as these other works don't relate fantastical supernatural events. Again there was an embarassed silence – I tried to explain further but it was not a subject that seemed to evoke any response from anyone so I gave up on that track. It was clear very quickly that everyone else was a committed Christian churchgoer with the possible exception of the the young chap to my right - I' m hoping he may be an ally in future weeks, but for now it was me against the rest .
I cannot remember exactly what talks went on because I did (nor will I in future) not take a recording, but it fairly soon became me talking to the rest of the group. The teenage girl from the mother and father group stated that she grew up in a christian home with a christian mother and father (in fact they were there !) and she knew it was all true. I asked her if she had been brought up in a Hindu home with a Hindu mother and father whether she would be a Hindu now. She said she couldn't say so I asked her to take a guess. At this point her father intervened and said she wouldn't be guessing – I thought that was dodging the question.. There was a personal testimony from the father about how he had recovered from an illness – God got the credit for that The other teenage girl brought up the C.S.Lewis argument (Lunatic Lord or Liar) and I responded with the argument “ add Legend to that choice of answers – think of King Arthur and Robin Hood”. That was pretty much the pattern of the “discussion” - I was allowed to bang on about atheism with very little coming back even from the vicar. On occasion I felt I had been talking too much so took a back seat, only to find that there were more awkward silences. Maybe I was a bit of a shock to them and future weeks will be different – I hope so.
At the end of the discussion there was no hanging about chatting – people just sort of drifted off. I did a half-hearted wave and goodbye as I left but got little response. Don't seem to have any of the friendliness that I have read about from other Alpha Course accounts – don't feel like I've made any friends – probably the reverse and a I'm bit disheartened. I have resolved not to be so combative next week but it's difficult to let christians get away with some of the things they say with challenge.
I should say now that I did not go to the Alpha course just because I like an argument or “baiting” Christians – but to have a discussion with people about faith – why people have it – what the feel about it – but the group discussion was christians against me. If I had not been there I cannot see how it would have been any different from the regular bible study meeting that the church runs for its members.
That's all for now.
Alpha course week 1 10th October
Missed the first week because on holiday.
First of all :-
Who am I – 51 year old semi-retired after career in the TV industry.
Where - Redditch UK
why am I attending the Alpha course? Well my cousin is a regular church goer where it was being held, and I have been to the this church on a number of occasions for family funerals/weddings fetes etc. because of that. She said why not go along to answer some questions I might have about Christianity, so I thought why not. I am an atheist – member of the national secular society – my cousin knows this – I have not kept it a secret . When I arrived for the first time I stated that I was an atheist so nobody was I any doubt.
This was my first week at the Alpha course. I had missed the opening week because I was on holiday , so assumed that I did not attend the “Who is Jesus - historical evidence for Jesus outside the bible “ part. Quite surprised and glad that in fact the first week is preamble and I hadn't missed anything – glad because I've got a lot to say about it. First of all was the meal. It was fishermans' pie – fish in white sauce with mashed potato on top and a sweetcorn with peas mixture to go with it. It was OK but looking forward to more exciting meals on future weeks (if I haven't been asked to stop coming that is !!). I was very surprised to find that I recognised most of the approximately 20 people there as being members of this particular church. There were a few people I didn't recognise. I spoke to one of them and discovered that he did not go to this church but his wife did and he went to church somewhere else. That left about 3 or 4 people that I did not recognise but I did not have a chance to speak to them. During the meal I sat next to one of the church members that I knew and asked what they were hoping to get out of the course that they didn't already get on a Sunday or at their regular prayer/bible study meetings but was told it was a chance to ask questions. Hmmm ! Not very convincing. My cousin was asked if she would attend the course and said “Why? I am already a christian “ maybe they were there to show support or get a free meal. After the meal the vicar of the church who was also running the course gave a 45 min talk/sermon. There was no DVD of Nicky Gumbel - there is obviously some discretion about what parts of the course have to be included. The vicar – who is a very nice and genteel man had promised me earlier that he was not going to preach but to follow the course agenda. However the latter half of his presentation definitely shifted into Sunday sermon mode – it is what he does – he probably can't help it.
After the talk we split up into 2 groups, one led by the vicar – that was mine – the other led by a prominent church member. My group consisted of the vicar, myself, a mother, father and daughter , a teenage girl approx 16 or 17 (more definite details later – although I do recognise the people I do not know anything more about them) a Portugese student and another chap of about 20 sitting to my right who I did not know but the vicar seemed to know him. There may have been others but my memory is not what it was and I am in my 50's now. Gaps may be filled in later. We started with the vicar asking if anyone had any questions or comments about talk (which was about the historical evidence for Jesus). I had already decided not to say anything to start with but there was an embarrassing silence so I mentioned that the comparison with the works of ancient historians (the alpha course argument is that the bible trumps other ancient works i.e. Herodotus and Tacitus) was a little unfair as these other works don't relate fantastical supernatural events. Again there was an embarassed silence – I tried to explain further but it was not a subject that seemed to evoke any response from anyone so I gave up on that track. It was clear very quickly that everyone else was a committed Christian churchgoer with the possible exception of the the young chap to my right - I' m hoping he may be an ally in future weeks, but for now it was me against the rest .
I cannot remember exactly what talks went on because I did (nor will I in future) not take a recording, but it fairly soon became me talking to the rest of the group. The teenage girl from the mother and father group stated that she grew up in a christian home with a christian mother and father (in fact they were there !) and she knew it was all true. I asked her if she had been brought up in a Hindu home with a Hindu mother and father whether she would be a Hindu now. She said she couldn't say so I asked her to take a guess. At this point her father intervened and said she wouldn't be guessing – I thought that was dodging the question.. There was a personal testimony from the father about how he had recovered from an illness – God got the credit for that The other teenage girl brought up the C.S.Lewis argument (Lunatic Lord or Liar) and I responded with the argument “ add Legend to that choice of answers – think of King Arthur and Robin Hood”. That was pretty much the pattern of the “discussion” - I was allowed to bang on about atheism with very little coming back even from the vicar. On occasion I felt I had been talking too much so took a back seat, only to find that there were more awkward silences. Maybe I was a bit of a shock to them and future weeks will be different – I hope so.
At the end of the discussion there was no hanging about chatting – people just sort of drifted off. I did a half-hearted wave and goodbye as I left but got little response. Don't seem to have any of the friendliness that I have read about from other Alpha Course accounts – don't feel like I've made any friends – probably the reverse and a I'm bit disheartened. I have resolved not to be so combative next week but it's difficult to let christians get away with some of the things they say with challenge.
I should say now that I did not go to the Alpha course just because I like an argument or “baiting” Christians – but to have a discussion with people about faith – why people have it – what the feel about it – but the group discussion was christians against me. If I had not been there I cannot see how it would have been any different from the regular bible study meeting that the church runs for its members.
That's all for now.
