Popular Post mcdaddy Posted May 6, 2012 Popular Post Share Posted May 6, 2012 As some of you know, i still go to church with my wife since she is still a believer. Well just a few minutes ago I walked out do to the absolute repugnance and disgust I felt. Instead of the usual sermon, they're having a missionary speak today. He had his own video they played on all the screens before he came up to speak. It starts with showing smiling faces, kids playing, lovers kissing, etc from different middle eastern country peoples. About every 30 seconds it cuts away to show a ticker that is slowly counting upwards, but getting progressively faster. 50...100...1000...2300...etc. after showing all these beautiful people, who for all intents and purposes are just normal people going about their day to day, at the end of the clip the number stops on 6501 or something like that. And underneath it says "the number of Muslims that died and went to hell today". I almost LOST it. I almost got up right then but I stayed, only for my wife. But I was holding her hand, and immediately dropped it, she could tell I was pissed. After this ignorant fucker gets up there and is talking for a few minutes, he starts showing pictures of actual people. "This is Muhammad. His father was a muslim, but he died and is in hell. This is his grandfather. He was a Muslim, he is in hell. And on and on. This is Fatima. She accepted Jeezus and they cut off her tongue and killed her, but now she's praising the Lard with her new tongue in heaven. Praise the lawd!! So I turn to my wife and say, " I'm not going to listen to this judgemental bullshit". And walk the F out. I'm in my car right now wondering how long she'll sit thru the indoctrination session. I fucking HATE missionaries. 18 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moderator Margee Posted May 6, 2012 Moderator Share Posted May 6, 2012 As some of you know, i still go to church with my wife since she is still a believer. Well just a few minutes ago I walked out do to the absolute repugnance and disgust I felt. Instead of the usual sermon, they're having a missionary speak today. He had his own video they played on all the screens before he came up to speak. It starts with showing smiling faces, kids playing, lovers kissing, etc from different middle eastern country peoples. About every 30 seconds it cuts away to show a ticker that is slowly counting upwards, but getting progressively faster. 50...100...1000...2300...etc. after showing all these beautiful people, who for all intents and purposes are just normal people going about their day to day, at the end of the clip the number stops on 6501 or something like that. And underneath it says "the number of Muslims that died and went to hell today". I almost LOST it. I almost got up right then but I stayed, only for my wife. But I was holding her hand, and immediately dropped it, she could tell I was pissed. After this ignorant fucker gets up there and is talking for a few minutes, he starts showing pictures of actual people. "This is Muhammad. His father was a muslim, but he died and is in hell. This is his grandfather. He was a Muslim, he is in hell. And on and on. This is Fatima. She accepted Jeezus and they cut off her tongue and killed her, but now she's praising the Lard with her new tongue in heaven. Praise the lawd!! So I turn to my wife and say, " I'm not going to listen to this judgemental bullshit". And walk the F out. I'm in my car right now wondering how long she'll sit thru the indoctrination session. I fucking HATE missionaries. I totally felt your frustration!! It was one of these services that did it for me, mcdaddy! That is so discusting - to have to watch that!! Might be a real good time to decide that this is it. Be honest and open with your wife..... Let her go to church if that's what she really needs and stay home on Sunday and make her a nice lunch when she returns. I do not regret the day I FINALLY walked out and NEVER been back! 3/12 years ago. Best of everything to you my friend!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Deva Posted May 6, 2012 Share Posted May 6, 2012 That was a disgusting program, mcdaddy, anyone with a grain of sense or compassion would also have walked out! These people are Not in Hell! There is nothing spiritual at all about this kind of thing. "Love is the absence of judgment" - His Holiness The Dalai Lama Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Suzanne Posted May 6, 2012 Share Posted May 6, 2012 Wow, that sure is hateful. I think I would have walked out of that one, too. Well done. Maybe the missionary saw you and, just for a second, had a wait-what's-happening moment. Let's hope so. Also, if there is a god, and a hell, then I'd like to think the first people to be sent to it are people like that. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Legion Posted May 6, 2012 Share Posted May 6, 2012 I went out into the woods for an extended two week camping trip to get away from society. While I was there a hunter came through and we chatted for a while. He explained that there were only two places to go: heaven or hell. And that God gave us a mind and a choice. Here we were, in the middle of a rich and diverse forest, complex beyond comprehension, and this guy is speaking of heaven and hell. I thought... man what a straightjacket he has placed on his own imagination. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mcdaddy Posted May 6, 2012 Author Share Posted May 6, 2012 I'm sure everyone in there probably just thought I was going to take a dump or something. Because he's a "man of god" on a "mission" to "save unreached people groups", and everything he says is "from the lips of Jeebus". Surely no one would actually walk out on that, right?!?! I can't believe the wife stayed the entire time. But I know I planted a seed. I mean, I know she's questioning the veracity of the hell and damnation doctrine. Maybe this put another nail in it for her. I can only hope. 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jackbauer Posted May 6, 2012 Share Posted May 6, 2012 I would have walked out too. I hate hate hate manipulative stuff like that, especially if it preys on people's fear of death. The so called "loving god" of Christianity is going to consign billions to hell simply because they were in the wrong religion. He doesn't give any direct proof or revelations of the "truth" until it's too late, but holds us infallible humans accountable to find the truth. Fuck that shit, it makes me see red! 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Exevolt Posted May 6, 2012 Share Posted May 6, 2012 The bogus level of that missionary is over 9000. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SoftIce Posted May 6, 2012 Share Posted May 6, 2012 Oh wow. I am raging just as hard as you are. I go to a Unity church. It's one of those 'satanic christian cult groups' as conservative christians like to put it. I don't know how you can stand that kind of bullshit. Seriously, people like that have a huge case of cognitive dissonance. Either that, or they are complete monsters. How the fuck can anyone condone the idea of hell and a loving god being compatible? I seriously don't understand how people that think a god will torture people for eternity would be able to stay sane. If I held that belief, that the average people around me when I was out at the coffee shop or the bookstore, would one day end up being tortured forever... Well. I think I'd end up in a loony bin. Is there any chance your wife would be open to going to a more liberal church? Or one that is... slightly less batshit insane and evil? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mcdaddy Posted May 6, 2012 Author Share Posted May 6, 2012 She's ex-Catholic (thx to me......how ironic). But today I told her if she ever wants to start going back to a catholic church it makes no diff to me. I guess its the lesser of two evils? Idk. At least they don't, in general, preach hate like fundies. She did agree with me tho that she hates it when they use he'll as a manipulative tool to scare people. And I told her I don't believe hell exists and left it at that. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mcdaddy Posted May 6, 2012 Author Share Posted May 6, 2012 Margee- thanks for the advice. Were not really at a place where I can just stop going, or that I want to cause the drama that would be involved if I just stopped cold turkey. But there is shit I won't sit around and listen to. Deva- love the quote!! fundamentalism is the most dissonant, contradictory crap sandwich ever. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mcdaddy Posted May 6, 2012 Author Share Posted May 6, 2012 Oh, and SoftIce.....you're raging just as hard as I am?? TMI.......TMI. haha! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Deva Posted May 6, 2012 Share Posted May 6, 2012 Deva- love the quote!! fundamentalism is the most dissonant, contradictory crap sandwich ever. Yep. Thank you. For more fun along the same lines (how misguided fundamentalism is), see the video I posted today in the Spirituality forum-- Buddhist thread. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
par4dcourse Posted May 6, 2012 Share Posted May 6, 2012 This seemed to fit the situation. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n9SmeeRE_zY 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
♦ ficino ♦ Posted May 6, 2012 Share Posted May 6, 2012 Hi mcdaddy, I got a buzz just reading your story of getting up and walking out. I just have to say that it's hard for me to see how you can go on with it. Are you sure that telling your wife that you no longer believe will be so bad? That it couldn't make your marriage more real - at least, by making you less frustrated? Just my reaction on reading what you wrote. All the best, my friend Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mcdaddy Posted May 6, 2012 Author Share Posted May 6, 2012 Ficino- she knows I don't buy into a ton of stuff the bible talks about, and have major disagreements with typical xian thinking. But I don't mind going with her, as long as crap like that doesn't happen too often. Today took the cake, but that's not necessarily the norm around there, so I can roll with it. She doesn't like doing things alone, and it makes her feel better to know I'm at least in the pew. So I'll do it for her, if for no other reason. Thanks for the concern, but I'm "strong minded". Aka I can dodge bullshit (like in darkmatter's Matrix video). But I won't listen to just anything. Gotta draw the line somewhere. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chikirin Posted May 6, 2012 Share Posted May 6, 2012 Yet this missionary is in a nice comfortable church talking not to muslims in order to save their souls but to christians plying them with guilt in order to get their money. These missionaries basically just live regular, non-evalngelizing lives and just do prayer walks and wait for divine appointments and stuff like that. I don't know how they're justified in earning a living doing that. They bank on the likelihood that the peple in the pews when they do support raising will be in awe of them. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
asanerman Posted May 6, 2012 Share Posted May 6, 2012 A good many years ago I served on staff of a large intercity Baptist church. One afternoon while discussing some staffing issues with the pastoral staff I mentioned Gandhi and the assistant pastor stopped me dead in the middle of a sentence to inform me and the other staff members, that Gandhi was burning in hell and that even the mentioning of his name was an abomination. Heads dropped as we all sat suspended in astonishment. Later that week I resigned. No longer could I compromise myself. I was one of fortunate ones, I had other career options, other significant work to do! Mcdaddy when I read your post I too know what it's like to sit "smoldering" in a church parking lot, gutted, ashamed and embarrassed to be apart of the lunacy that goes on in the name of religion. Same Keen once said,"The normal visceral reaction to carnage is to be nauseated and I want to vomit." I can relate! 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mcdaddy Posted May 6, 2012 Author Share Posted May 6, 2012 Yet this missionary is in a nice comfortable church talking not to muslims in order to save their souls but to christians plying them with guilt in order to get their money. These missionaries basically just live regular, non-evalngelizing lives and just do prayer walks and wait for divine appointments and stuff like that. I don't know how they're justified in earning a living doing that. They bank on the likelihood that the peple in the pews when they do support raising will be in awe of them. ^^*^^THIS. Con artists. I heard a story, I think it didn't literally happen, but it goes like this. Some missionaries go to the bush in Australia. They find some aboriginees, and start proselytizing. After they're done, the tribesman says, " what would have happened to us if no one had reaced us with your message"? The missionary says " God is just and wouldn't burn you forever if no one had preached the gospel to you. That wouldn't be fair of the Almighty to resign you to hell for eternity when it's not your fault that you'd never heard the gospel. I suppose you would have gone to heaven". The aboriginee then says, "Then why the fuck did you come here?!?!". Or something like that. But this ass pirate today, along with our pastor, thinks if you live in some remote corner of the earth that hasn't been reached, sorry, you're gonna fry bitch. Too bad, so sad. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
spherr Posted May 6, 2012 Share Posted May 6, 2012 Wow, sounds you had a rough morning. Mine was pretty similar to yours. I ended up telling my parents I'm done with my pastor whos a bigot. It feels so nice to get that frustration out! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moderator TrueFreedom Posted May 6, 2012 Moderator Share Posted May 6, 2012 Good for you, mcd. We walked out for good a couple of years ago. We weren't leading anything at the time, and it was a large church, so it took a while before people noticed. Most probably assumed that we had gone to another church. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JoeCoastie Posted May 7, 2012 Share Posted May 7, 2012 It was when I realized that people all across the world had other religions and would go to hell is when I started to doubt. Some argue if Jesus saves on faith alone or with works. Neither, Jesus saves based on geography, 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Positivist Posted May 7, 2012 Share Posted May 7, 2012 Seriously, people like that have a huge case of cognitive dissonance. Either that, or they are complete monsters. Well said, SoftIce! Well said! This kind of crap drove me to leave the church also. It infuriated me, along with the screaming from the pulpit about how many souls they're going to bag people they're going to baptize this year (they had targets! ). The cognitive dissonance was overwhelming. I thought there was something wrong with me that I couldn't buy the bullshit! I am so, so, so very glad those hideous days of crazy are behind me! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SoftIce Posted May 7, 2012 Share Posted May 7, 2012 She's ex-Catholic (thx to me......how ironic). But today I told her if she ever wants to start going back to a catholic church it makes no diff to me. I guess its the lesser of two evils? Idk. At least they don't, in general, preach hate like fundies. She did agree with me tho that she hates it when they use he'll as a manipulative tool to scare people. And I told her I don't believe hell exists and left it at that. I think there's a good number of non-denominational 'feel-good-ish' churches around. There was a big one I attended a couple times, although it still left me with a sour feeling, because you still that that subtle 'secret club elitism' going on, even if they don't realize they're doing it. But, it sounds like heaven (no pun intended) compared to what you described. If she's an ex-catholic, maybe she'd be more open to the idea of going to one of more more laid back varieties? Because she was able to question some of her beliefs before and came to the conclusion that she didn't believe in them (Catholicism) Ironically, a ton of people at the unity church i go to are ex-catholics. lol. If not, even if she could find a more laid back catholic church. I don't know that side of things (had no exposure to it), but I have a friend who is Catholic and she's usually pretty laid back and accepting of other people's beliefs, although we disagree on many fundamental topics. Good luck I hope things get better for you (and for her - because that IS a toxic environment). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SoftIce Posted May 7, 2012 Share Posted May 7, 2012 Seriously, people like that have a huge case of cognitive dissonance. Either that, or they are complete monsters. Well said, SoftIce! Well said! So very, very, very true. It's what caused me to go from a liberal Christian to a complete agnostic for several years a while ago, although I still felt like there was something out there, the many of the concepts in the Bible portrayed such fucked up view of their version of it. Kind of ironic, because it was a world religions class was what brought me out of my rage at the religion I was brought up on. The teacher I had was freaking awesome. He's like those old hippie types, that have long hair and wear sandles. I learned about how the canon was formed, and about how there were actually more than 4 gospels originally, and my views shifted and I read everything I could get my hands on that the church had deemed heretical. lol. At that point I got into NDE's and other stuff like that and formed my own beliefs, then I found Unity, which clicked a lot with me. I still rage over the idea that there are Christians that believe in the ET idea. Especially because some of them seem to be genuinely nice people. Its seems completely illogical, for anyone with any shred of morality, to believe in that. Think about it. Would anyone with any kind of morals condone throwing random decent people, children too, into a giant oven and burning them alive? I'd think sure as hell not. Now, what if instead of them just burning alive and dying, they have to stay in the oven, burning for eternity. How the fuck can anyone say that's 'moral'? FUCK, we consider people like Hitler to be evil, right? Well even HE didn't fucking torture people for eternity. How the god damned hell can someone say Hitler is evil but then turn around and say God is love, but that he also lets people be tortured for ever? Seriously? How the fuck does that work? HOW???? The only conclusion I can come to is cognitive dissonance. Sorry, that kind of turned into a giant rage rant. It's one of my trigger points. 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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