Christian Ping Pong

[rach]

Christian Ping Pong is when Christian beliefs sends your hopes flying to the sky (PING) and then reality comes back to kick you in the ass (PONG)

Christian Ping Pong came to mind the other day when in the car with a-mum.  This is the song that came to play: Strong Enough to Save by Tenth Avenue

[Verse 1:]
You fought
but you were just too weak
so you lost
all the things you try to keep
now you're on your knees, you're on your knees

But wait,
everything can change,
in a moments time you don't have to be afraid,
cause fear is just a lie
open up your eyes

[Chorus:]
And he'll break
open the skies to save
those who cry out his name
the One the wind and waves obey
is strong enough to save you

 

So here we've got our PING.  Our person in the song is experiencing a very bad time of it, he's been fighting and now is getting weak and giving up the fight, but according to the song our person just needs to cry out to God, and God will come crashing through the skies to save him in his time of need.

Now our man is set up in the perfect mindset for the PONG.  This is when he does cry out to God, he's got his hopes up, help is on it's way.  After all, he's just cried out to the one whose can control the actual wind and waves.  And....now he starts breathing some sighs of relief, all he's got to do is wait for the deliverance that's right on the way.....and......and.....nothing. 

 

When we were listening to this song I could not get the images of 9/11 out of my mind.  Particularly the men and women who had no choice but to jump from the windows.  We can only imagine the horrible cries that God was hearing on that day.  We can also be sure that we did not see any divine hand breaking through the skies to catch anybody.

 

Christian Ping Pong is what caused me the most hurt in my Christian days.  It is much worse to have to fall down from the clouds of false hopes rather than staying on the solid ground of reality to begin with.  After having already experienced a personal tragedy I am not sure what caused me to believe so firmly in the promises of God.  I think perhaps I was wanting too much for them to be true.  I also was convinced that the reason the Christian promises had not worked for me before was because I was not adhering strictly to the righteous Christian way of life as spelt out in the Bible.  Clearly everybody was "doing it wrong" and that's why it wasnt' working.  If I really stuck to righteous living, the promises would start coming true.....

 

PING: My God is so big, so strong and so mighty there's nothing my God cannot do

PONG: Turn on the news any given night....watch a Vietnam war documentary.....visit an institution for the severely mentally ill.....

 

Now that I've grown to adulthood the illusions about life are dropping off one by one.  It's terrifying to know that I must face whatever reality dishes out on my own.  That no God has me inside his special righteous-persons' protection bubble (I could never have been good enough for that club anyway).  But when the next tragedy strikes I will look not out for God, but within me, for whatever courage and ingenuity I can find, be my own saviour, the spirit that Ryan from the movie Gravity exemplified.....

 

Dr. Ryan Stone: All right, the way I see it, there's only two possible outcomes. Either I make it down there in one piece and I have one hell of a story to tell...or I burn up in the next ten minutes.  Because either way...it'll be one helluva ride   (Gravity)

[violetbutterfly]

This is an amazing description. It's so completely true. It's such a mind game.

[seven77]

Christian Ping Pong is a sport that all can play, but only a few seem to win.

 

A God who heals all, who forgives all, who makes us whole, and is the most wonderful thing ever. All you have to do to earn his favor is to get down on your knees and pray to Jesus. You do it and nothing happens. Oh, it wasn't his will, or it's not a part of his plan, or maybe his timing is different from yours. Whatever.

 

He never comes through for any of us. PONG PONG PONG.

[TheRedneckProfessor]

Reminds me of an old christian song:  "Ping Pong Over The Abyss" by The 77's

 

[Discern]

Yep this is true. When the pong comes, the cognitive dissonance kicks in and you try to reason your way through the obvious disconnect between reality and religious belief.

 

It's like a christian getting a job after being unemployed:

Praise God, He answered my prayers. It's the blessing of God, see His Word is true, if we are faithful He will provide!

 

Three months later, an economic downturn and you're laid off:

God must have a bigger purpose that I don't yet understand...this is just a test of faith and I just have to keep trusting in Him....God is good and will always provide...

 

 

And yet three months ago you were so sure that God was acting personally on your behalf, and you were so amazed and ecstatic.

[rach]

Yep this is true. When the pong comes, the cognitive dissonance kicks in and you try to reason your way through the obvious disconnect between reality and religious belief.

 

Been there, done that.  In my religious heyday there was a power outage and I needed to get somebody's garage door open.  A-mum's yelling "don't go out there in the storm, it won't open anyway."  But I prayed.  And it opened.  Because God    !!   At this point even fundicological A-mum is rolling her eyes and I'm bugging out "Because God!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!"  But God must have been busy during the next power outage because we had to get the candles out (PONG). 

[rach]

Reminds me of an old christian song:  "Ping Pong Over The Abyss" by The 77's

 

creepy song

[rach]

Christian Ping Pong is a sport that all can play, but only a few seem to win.

 

A God who heals all, who forgives all, who makes us whole, and is the most wonderful thing ever. All you have to do to earn his favor is to get down on your knees and pray to Jesus. You do it and nothing happens. Oh, it wasn't his will, or it's not a part of his plan, or maybe his timing is different from yours. Whatever.

 

He never comes through for any of us. PONG PONG PONG.

Every time nothing happened I was convinced I just needed to do more sin purging.  If I just throw this book away, if I just stopped listening to "ungodly" radio, if I just stopped thinking about the opposite sex, if I just stopped "coveting", if I just gave more money.......it goes on and on and on until you break. 

[violetbutterfly]

 

 

Christian Ping Pong is a sport that all can play, but only a few seem to win.

 

A God who heals all, who forgives all, who makes us whole, and is the most wonderful thing ever. All you have to do to earn his favor is to get down on your knees and pray to Jesus. You do it and nothing happens. Oh, it wasn't his will, or it's not a part of his plan, or maybe his timing is different from yours. Whatever.

 

He never comes through for any of us. PONG PONG PONG.

Every time nothing happened I was convinced I just needed to do more sin purging. If I just throw this book away, if I just stopped listening to "ungodly" radio, if I just stopped thinking about the opposite sex, if I just stopped "coveting", if I just gave more money.......it goes on and on and on until you break.

I did the same thing. It was awful. I stopped watching tv and movies, going out with friends, even stopped reading magazines. I tried to remove all sin from my life. I just isolated myself at home and prayed. Of course it created total misery and, shocker, nothing changed.

[♦ Fuego ♦]

Ooohhh yeah! I remember trying to purge all of the sinful things out of my life, because clearly that must be what is blocking god from moving in my life. I'd read Last Days Ministries material about all the thought crimes I committed daily against God's holiness, and I'd grovel in repentance without ever having the ability to change my humanity. Other believers would teach these concepts all the time, as if they were themselves experiencing the reality of what they preached. They'd keep saying that "God is an ever present help in times of trouble", but that only works for those that are sold out to him. There's always some next step of self-death and devotion that needs to be done to experience "the real presence of God".

 

When I look back, I realize that none of the pastors or other believers ever experienced transformation either, but they continue to preach it - the eternal carrot dangling out there. But they have to pretend that they have it in hand, even if only for a little while, and everyone clambers to grab the carrot that always seems just beyond reach. Slap on a big smile and dress nicely, then raise your hands and yell "JEEEEEESUUUUUUSSS!!!" And the act of doing this sometimes brings a mindless connection with those around you, all chanting the mantra of belief. There were sometimes emotional relief, but no real change, certainly no change to cancer, blindness, or premature death. But even though it never worked, the mindset of belief kept me locked in a system of fear that would not allow questioning of the very foundation of my belief.

[◊ crazyguy123 ◊]

Reminds me of an old christian song:  "Ping Pong Over The Abyss" by The 77's

 

 

If not for all of the religious nonsense in that song, I'd actually like it.

[RipVanWinkle]

The sign in front of a Baptist Church near my house reads as follows:

 

 WITH GOD YOU WILL BE PROVIDED EVERYTHING YOU NEED!

 

This is the biggest lie any religion can tell.     bill

[amateur]

The sign in front of a Baptist Church near my house reads as follows:

 

 WITH GOD YOU WILL BE PROVIDED EVERYTHING YOU NEED!

 

This is the biggest lie any religion can tell.     bill

Could god provide me with a cup of sugar and two eggs, please?  Thanks!

[TheRedneckProfessor]

 

Reminds me of an old christian song:  "Ping Pong Over The Abyss" by The 77's

 

 

If not for all of the religious nonsense in that song, I'd actually like it.

 

That is one of the few bands I do miss from "the time of christ".

[rach]

The sign in front of a Baptist Church near my house reads as follows:

 

 WITH GOD YOU WILL BE PROVIDED EVERYTHING YOU NEED!

 

This is the biggest lie any religion can tell.     bill

And to think I used to believe that.    I guess god doesn't think that orphaned children might have needed their parents

[Guest afireinside]

The sign in front of a Baptist Church near my house reads as follows:

 

WITH GOD YOU WILL BE PROVIDED EVERYTHING YOU NEED!

 

This is the biggest lie any religion can tell. bill

Do they forget the millions of Christians in Africa, The Phillipines and Asia who are dirt poor, sick and in pain? Does God's arm of provision not reach that far or are they just too ignorant to accept God's provision and love? Maybe they aren't real Christians

[TheRedneckProfessor]

 

The sign in front of a Baptist Church near my house reads as follows:

 

WITH GOD YOU WILL BE PROVIDED EVERYTHING YOU NEED!

 

This is the biggest lie any religion can tell. bill

Do they forget the millions of Christians in Africa, The Phillipines and Asia who are dirt poor, sick and in pain? Does God's arm of provision not reach that far or are they just too ignorant to accept God's provision and love? Maybe they aren't real Christians

 

I refer you back to the thread entitled "Suffering".  god is just allowing them to suffer to ensure their eternal reward.  Truly his mercy knows no end.  

[Guest afireinside]

They are SOOOO blessed!!

[Guest afireinside]

 

 

 

The sign in front of a Baptist Church near my house reads as follows:

 

WITH GOD YOU WILL BE PROVIDED EVERYTHING YOU NEED!

 

This is the biggest lie any religion can tell. bill

Do they forget the millions of Christians in Africa, The Phillipines and Asia who are dirt poor, sick and in pain? Does God's arm of provision not reach that far or are they just too ignorant to accept God's provision and love? Maybe they aren't real Christians

I refer you back to the thread entitled "Suffering". god is just allowing them to suffer to ensure their eternal reward. Truly his mercy knows no end.

Do Christians honestly believe this?

 

There is no linear correlation between socio-economic status and God. The wealthy Christians believe God is making them rich and the poor Christians believe God has made them sick and hungry. It's so inconsistent. I guess those of us in the middle are cursed? We get no worldly riches OR heavenly riches! Shit system

[FreeThinkerNZ]

 

 

 

The sign in front of a Baptist Church near my house reads as follows:

 

WITH GOD YOU WILL BE PROVIDED EVERYTHING YOU NEED!

 

This is the biggest lie any religion can tell. bill

Do they forget the millions of Christians in Africa, The Phillipines and Asia who are dirt poor, sick and in pain? Does God's arm of provision not reach that far or are they just too ignorant to accept God's provision and love? Maybe they aren't real Christians

I refer you back to the thread entitled "Suffering". god is just allowing them to suffer to ensure their eternal reward. Truly his mercy knows no end.

Do Christians honestly believe this?

 

There is no linear correlation between socio-economic status and God. The wealthy Christians believe God is making them rich and the poor Christians believe God has made them sick and hungry. It's so inconsistent. I guess those of us in the middle are cursed? We get no worldly riches OR heavenly riches! Shit system

 

We are better off than xians, even the wealthy ones, because (a) being an unbeliever rocks for some many reasons, ( we are not distracted by thoughts of an imaginary afterlife, so are more likely to plan ahead financially, and © we don't have the additional taxation of tithing to drag us down.

[TheRedneckProfessor]

 

 

 

The sign in front of a Baptist Church near my house reads as follows:

 

WITH GOD YOU WILL BE PROVIDED EVERYTHING YOU NEED!

 

This is the biggest lie any religion can tell. bill

Do they forget the millions of Christians in Africa, The Phillipines and Asia who are dirt poor, sick and in pain? Does God's arm of provision not reach that far or are they just too ignorant to accept God's provision and love? Maybe they aren't real Christians

I refer you back to the thread entitled "Suffering". god is just allowing them to suffer to ensure their eternal reward. Truly his mercy knows no end.

Do Christians honestly believe this?

 

There is no linear correlation between socio-economic status and God. The wealthy Christians believe God is making them rich and the poor Christians believe God has made them sick and hungry. It's so inconsistent. I guess those of us in the middle are cursed? We get no worldly riches OR heavenly riches! Shit system

 

christians have to believe this; otherwise it would become necessary for them to examine the evidence.  And christians don't like examining the evidence; it's easier to just believe.

[Guest afireinside]

 

 

 

 

 

The sign in front of a Baptist Church near my house reads as follows:

 

WITH GOD YOU WILL BE PROVIDED EVERYTHING YOU NEED!

 

This is the biggest lie any religion can tell. bill

Do they forget the millions of Christians in Africa, The Phillipines and Asia who are dirt poor, sick and in pain? Does God's arm of provision not reach that far or are they just too ignorant to accept God's provision and love? Maybe they aren't real Christians

I refer you back to the thread entitled "Suffering". god is just allowing them to suffer to ensure their eternal reward. Truly his mercy knows no end.

Do Christians honestly believe this?

 

There is no linear correlation between socio-economic status and God. The wealthy Christians believe God is making them rich and the poor Christians believe God has made them sick and hungry. It's so inconsistent. I guess those of us in the middle are cursed? We get no worldly riches OR heavenly riches! Shit system

christians have to believe this; otherwise it would become necessary for them to examine the evidence. And christians don't like examining the evidence; it's easier to just believe.

They conveniently do. However, if you question any doctrine ie. answered prayer, healing, tongues and explain that you have not seen evidence of these aspects of their belief they say "don't base your belief around your experience" they argue these things are Biblical so don't question their validity, just believe harder.

 

So what does the Bible actually say in regard to wealth disparity and the relation between suffering/social status and blessing?

 

Jesus seemed to side with the poor, offering them the consolation that they are ultimately blessed. At the same time Abraham, David and Solomon seemed to be overly wealthy to the point of owning more than they could ever use or need.

 

Blessed at either end, a bit like the tax system in my country, the rich evade taxes and the poor pay none but receive benefits from middle class tax payers.

 

Still I don't see many wealthy Christians trading places with the poor so I guess their affluent lifestyle is condoned in the eyes of their God.

[TheRedneckProfessor]

 

 

They conveniently do. However, if you question any doctrine ie. answered prayer, healing, tongues and explain that you have not seen evidence of these aspects of their belief they say "don't base your belief around your experience" they argue these things are Biblical so don't question their validity, just believe harder. ~afireinside

Funny thing is, when you tear apart whatever other evidence they give you, christians will always resort to an argument from experience.  "I know god is real because I experience him every day of my life; he's the very reason I was able to wake up this morning (my alarm clock had nothing to do with it!)."