A quick word on "Overwhelmingly Negative Influences"

[brewer]

Sorry, sounds like fox hole prayer/belief. Fear based. Bargaining. 

And when your/their ass isn't pulled from the fire, then what? No god?

No thanks. I don't fear death that much.

No if they die they do not need faith or belief.. they get the proof they sought. Some people are so hard hearted, they  have to have absolute indisputable proof. Kneeling before God... What better proof is there? Some people's demand for proof exceed their need to be right before God. Mine did not (thankfully)

And.. who said anything about fearing death?

This wasn't a bargain, this was a lord if your there looks like i will be there with you. If I am doing stuff to piss you off let me know before it is too late kind of thing.

You did when you said "save you from your fate". With all of the terminal disease/events listed obviously death was the subject/fate. If there was not fear, what would the human need to be saved from?

This was a bargain, made out of fear. You've done nothing to convince me otherwise.

[Whateverist]

I'd really like to ask MrsRich some questions about her own religious experience. I have no idea if she is actually using her account of if Drich is doing the answering. But if it is the missus, I'd be curious to know:

1) Is religion/church as important to you as it is the hubby?

2) Drich describes converting from atheism as an adult. Did you make such a conversion or have you always been a believer?

3) Are you also big on proselytizing in RL, and are you both members of the same church?

[emjay]

And are you just as big on this ASK business as he is?

[MrsTRich]

I'd really like to ask MrsRich some questions about her own religious experience. I have no idea if she is actually using her account of if Drich is doing the answering. But if it is the missus, I'd be curious to know:

1) Is religion/church as important to you as it is the hubby?

2) Drich describes converting from atheism as an adult. Did you make such a conversion or have you always been a believer?

3) Are you also big on proselytizing in RL, and are you both members of the same church?

1. Religion/church is probably more important to me than it is to Drich. By that, I mean that the actual politics of church and religion mean way more to me than it probably should but Drich is just very passionate with what the Bible reads and his relationship with God. He hardly goes to church with me anymore and he has the same kind of debates with the christians at church as he does with you all. He does his own studies and I believe at this time, he feels his time is better suited talking to y'all on here.
PS.. I tried to keep my Southern-ness in check but I can no longer contain it. You will hear more "y'alls" and fixin' to's".

2. I was born and raised in the church. My family went to church 3 times a week no matter what. I started gradually going less when I was 16 and quit going all together by the time I was 18 or 19. I'm not sure what all Drich has shared about me but I had quite a long period of debauchery, like big time. I was a believer throughout all of this, I just either didn't care or figured I'd straighten up later and hopefully be forgiven. I went back to church around 25 or 26 and met Drich. It still took me a while to stop the debauchery and I'm still, to this day, working on a true understanding of the Bible and my relationship with God. I think sometimes it is better the way Drich came to his understanding of God, on his own doing his own studies of the Bible and applying that to his life and his experiences. I grew up being taught what I was taught in church. Now I question some of that and have to take the good from that and the good from what Drich says and forget the questionable things from the church and the questionable things of what Drich says and figure things out on my own. I do still go to church every Sunday (but not 3 times a week)

3. I do not proselytize at all because I don't feel like I am a good example and am still trying to find my own way. I would certainly help anyone in anyway that I can but I just don't initiate conversations like that (also in part because I'm pretty shy and timid). Instead I would rather work in our pantry feeding homeless people.

We met in the church I grew up in and still attend today. We tried a few different churches in between but I just didn't feel comfortable with any of the other churches. We are both technically members of the same church but he really doesn't go anymore.

[MrsTRich]

And are you just as big on this ASK business as he is?

I am still in the process of ASKing

[Faith No More]

He hardly goes to church with me anymore and he has the same kind of debates with the christians at church as he does with you all.

Ooh! Does he call them indoctrinated, douchebag Nazis that can't think outside of their own bubble while simultaneously laughing at and trivializing any stories that people have told of their traumatizing experiences? And when one of them tries to bring up a counter-point does he just berate them for being too stupid to understand him? Does he argue points that contradicts other points he's made without batting an eye? Does he insist he is the expert on every subject?

No, I doubt he debates them as he does with us. They'd have put him in traction on more than one occasion.

[Minimalist]

Minimalist can be a dick. He's not comparable to someone who thinks we should all get AIDS, celebrates child abuse, and dismisses rape victims as liars. Not remotely comparable.

I work at it strenuously.  Not my job to give solace to alleged adults who still think they have invisible friends with magic powers.

I'm not running for Miss Congeniality.

[account_inactive]

It's like with Min.

He says some awful things on here fairly often. But we all know that's just Min's online persona as the grumpy ol' man, and we know he's a decent person irl.

What exactly has Min said on here that is so awful?

[Whateverist]

Like C_L he is obsessed with asses and the stuff that comes out of them. But whereas Cath-y is deep into the shit, Min just wants to get Jesus out of there. He gives himself tirelessly to helping any believer who comes to these forums to rid themselves of Jesus by blowing him on out of there. Like Drich he is too dedicated to doing this good unto others to worry about a few hurt feelings. That said, I've never heard him say he wished harm on anyone.

Of course, Drich only says those things because he wishes for us to be broken down the way he was so that Jesus can build us back up. Around here no one -very definitely myself included- appreciates that.

[Minimalist]

It's like with Min.

He says some awful things on here fairly often. But we all know that's just Min's online persona as the grumpy ol' man, and we know he's a decent person irl.

What exactly has Min said on here that is so awful?

She's pissed at me because the world is overcrowded and I think abortions are a reasonable part of the solution.... especially when the fetus' own mother doesn't want it.

I'll live with it.  The planet is far more important than some church shithead rattling on about how many kids jesus wants everyone to have.

https://youtu.be/fUspLVStPbk