Facing the Morally Bad Future

[FallentoReason]

When I have people try to convince me of their thinking I ask myself if they're genuinely trying to help me or if their motives lie elsewhere. A lot of the time it seems people try to score points under the guise of 'helping'. They get satisfaction from saving or correcting people - the satisfaction is derived from being right, from being a saviour, rather than actually being interested in understanding how others feel or what they think. And of course, I'm not saying you friends are like this - I know nothing about them - but it's something to watch out for, especially with any subject someone's heavily invested in.

I think the general motive for discussing with me would be that they're helping me because they see that "eternity is at stake". So I think it's a mix of genuinely wanting to help but because theology says I'm at risk of dying eternally.

Personally, I say they shouldn't ask questions they aren't prepared to receive the answers to.

I did a test with a friend and I raised a small 'doubt'. Before I told him what it was I kept warning him that he might not be ready for this, that he most definitely hasn't looked into it therefore it will do harm to him. Because he believes he knows the absolute truth he would keep saying 'nah, c'mon hit me with anything. Just try me. You never know I might have an answer'. Well, I pretty much got forced in the end and I asked him how he knew that Apostles/disciples wrote the Gospels. Long story short... He didn't know how to respond and as a consequence he wants to organise for us to meet up with the pastor at his church (we're at different churches luckily). So the moral of that is that they actually don't know what they're getting into and therefore they will ask all the questions I'm sure. Anything to make me convert.

Provided they aren't going to kill/harm anyone (or themselves) then I say go ahead and answer. You state of non-belief isn't a choice any more more than any other belief you hold. You're revealing a truth about yourself.

This is actually what I fear the most. The theological savvy ones that apply the Bible to everyday life (to the extent that one of my friends would regularly go out and sleep with homeless people so that he could talk to them) have absolutely EVERYTHING to lose. I can't even begin to imagine what they would do. I also have several friends that are PK's (pastor's kids). I don't even want to imagine what their parents would think of me or how they would react....

Then I think you've answered your own question. While I can't say I know how difficult it is, I am at least aware it's not easy. If they're worth being around your friendship will weather your revelation. If not, I wonder do you really want a friendship contingent on believing the same thing?

I do have a lot of genuine friends which I enjoy being around. The ones that I don't see so often or only around church are aquaintances and the only thing that makes us talk is pretty much the shared belief that I used to have.

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TO EVERYONE

I really appreciate all this feedback on my situation. It's something that I've been struggling with the day I admitted to myself I had no faith left (~5 months ago).

Some of you might think I'm making a big fuss about it, but you have no idea. To describe the feeling: although it's not true of me, I can kind of feel like it's the same as having suicidal tendencies. In your mind you know it's for the better, but everything else is stopping you from doing it.

P.s. don't take that example out of context by the way. Suicide is NEVER beneficial.[/color]