RE: Request from a Christian.
January 1, 2017 at 6:40 am
(This post was last modified: January 1, 2017 at 7:13 am by Dragonspride1995.)
(December 31, 2016 at 9:19 pm)Brian37 Wrote:(December 31, 2016 at 9:00 pm)robvalue Wrote: Christians haven't done more than mildly annoy me, personally.
Being fair to ALL religions here, they go way beyond annoying me with all the divisions they cause worldwide and the attempts at pulpit politics and religious laws that deny rights to others. But again, that is worldwide and every religion for me.
But no, not seeking a godless world as if you could force one anyway. But we do need to get more humans to shift their priorities to education and less poverty and stop letting religion go unchecked as far as ability to challenge it.
All 7 billion of us are still the same species.
The finer points of Sharia law aside... What rules or laws that have been made by Christianity/Judaism/Catholicism are you speaking of?
(December 31, 2016 at 9:31 pm)robvalue Wrote: Sure yes, I agree. The amount of harm and persecution caused worldwide in the name of religion makes me furious. I'm very aware how easy I have things, in this regard. It's one of the reasons I'm here, to speak out against this harm, and to support those affected by it.
I agree with this. Power corrupts, and many times in history the Church has been given to big a role in government.
(December 31, 2016 at 11:02 pm)Luckie Wrote: OP could you please repost your testimony,here in the forum on this thread if indeed it isnt copy/pasted all over the internet?
I think it's worth writing a book on the discord that religion creates amongst family and interpersonal relations. For instance when I deconverted, I had a lot of misconceptions thrown my way by my family that I think could be remedied by simple understanding and education. I'd have family members throw in preconceived nktions in their sentences to me like, "I know you think it's a crazy idea, but I think God has a plan for everyone and everything".
Looking through their eyes, they must think that I've concluded that they are indèed crazy for praying to themselves and believing in apropos of nothing! To be quite honest, I don't. But it's a really tough subject to bring up! I've had to reach out to them in other ways, like when I saw them watching that show Ghost Adventures, I sat down and watched it with them. Of course they couldnt help saying stuff like "I know you don't believe in ghosts but the documekted evidence these guys get.." -- and I'd have to stop them and ask them why I necessarily don't believe in ghosts if I don't believe in god? I'd tell them I don't know if ghosts are real or not, and I think ghost hunting would be fun, but I can't say they aren't, just like I can't say god isn't real either. I'm still actively seeking proof for both, and until I do then the jury's still out. I'm not going to condemn someone for believing in god, though. And I'm not going to take the bible or any other religious text at anything but face value: edited versions of ancient texts written at least a generation after the fact.
As a matter of fact, Ghost Adventures to this day and hour and minute, is a bonding experience for me and my family because it's fun to get lost in possibly believing in the super natural.
More intolerant family members like my brother, mentioned that I shouldn't come crawling to him when I'm a puke slathered corpse on the side of the highway (apparently he thought I had a drinking problem that was now uncontrolled without god in my life). For the record, I'm allergic to most alcohol and fight hard just to finish all of the drink I paid for on the rare occassions I get out to restaurants!
He also said that he couldn't stajd being in the same room as non believers, and that my non belief was reason for why he couldn't come visit me. He also cited my mother, who is a Christian ad lesbian, as another sin he could not bear to be aro7nd, even on her death bed in the hospital having had a heart attack!
I had a couson recently ditch her girlfriend of 4 years for frivolous violations, in turn removing this very kind heart from the life of her son, who looked at the girlfriend as his only parental role model since he'd been raised by her. "Dundee" was his father figure for the entirety of his 5yr old life, and now has zero contact allowed by his mother. She's taken back her doctrine based life as a Catholic, and the family albeit split half on her side halfsaying it's not right--is already washing off the stain as nothing ever having happened. I think thats the worst, when it comes to religionis the purposeful closing of one's eyes, ears, and mouth in matters that leave them conflicted in their beliefs. At least when I was a Christian, I believed the OT was irrelevant and I didnt judge people on how they lived their lives but rather focused on judging myself! No, that didn't go over very well and I'm now recovering mentally from the anxiety disorders that that caused. Luckily O did give up the ghost beliefs, in the emd, because now I don't go around my home thinking I'm being watched--and am fine being in the same room with my step sister, whose a witch! Had a lovely Christmas, I did. After I got my mom past the fact that I do celebrate my favorite holiday still.
Ayways theres so much more, I'll try to think of it and come back here. Hopefully you too come back and share your testimony!
When I was adopted, my new parents are Protestant and my birth mom, and well lets say estranged father are Catholic. There is some bad blood in my family between the two. My Biological father blames Protestantism on my mother cheating. It's hard. But I'm trying to relate. I hope to hear more in the future.
(January 1, 2017 at 6:32 am)Alex K Wrote: Ayy what a mess! I'm sorry you had such bad experiences. But, if a bit of criticism is allowed, the exorcism stuff can be dangerous if you are dealing with people who have an actual psychological breakdown. Also, your march on whatever you thought was a black mass is just harrassment...
My old pastor would have said that psychological breakdowns are a result of demonic assault. My parents however liberally use the word crazy. From my past especially with Darrian I don't think its much of either. Forgive my one year of highschool psychology (one of the few subjects I payed attention in) I don't think many people just go crazy. I think there are times when their life is just going to crap, and they have been dealt with so harshly that they put up a front to scare people off. I kinda had this effect back in my grade school days. But I agree its dangerous, exorcisms are very uncommon, and there are very strict rules about them. This one worked because he called on Jesus.
As for the black mass well. It was a real black mass, It happened in oklahoma, the guy was a registered sex offender. He planned to desecrate a catholic figurine of saint mary. And something about raw pig hearts if I remember correctly. I'd normally link it but your going to have to google it in this instance. As for the march, I think it was a silent protest. So if you could go into why you think it was harassment I would appreciate it.
Something I have been dealing with lately is weighing the balance of freedom of religion, I have some... fairly hostile views on the religion of islam. And while I support trump, I am curious to see how this "muslim ban" plays out even if I think it's justified for other reasons, it will still require a law that discriminates on basis of a certain ethnicity. And gets dangerously close to what happened with American Japanese during world war two. (Japanese Americans, but I am trying to switch it)
(January 1, 2017 at 6:33 am)operator Wrote: My dad tried to force religion down my throat when I was young. He wasn't insane about it but he definitely tried to fill my head with that nonsense. We didn't have to like go to church or pray before meals or anything but he certainly pushed it a lot. Besides that I don't think I've really been treated poorly by Christians.
I don't know how to respond to this without touching on theology for a second. From our point of view we are pleading with you for your soul. Do you believe that we should not try to convert others?
(January 1, 2017 at 6:39 am)Alex K Wrote:(January 1, 2017 at 6:35 am)Dragonspride1995 Wrote: Crusades aside, I do have a argument for that but i'll ignore it. When else has there been a organized Christian attack on others, by a Church?
I remember hearing something about a guy bombing a abortion clinic but thats about it? Oh and I have heard arguments attributing the salem witch trials to Christians. Am I missing any?
Well...I heard about a march some church in montana organized to harrass people...
Could you give me a bit more info? It sounds like a organised protest but not a organized assault. And yea I have heard some of these street preachers going way overboard, and even stepping out of bounds of the Bible. Saying God hates people and stuff like that.
