Guest Furball Posted November 19, 2014 Share Posted November 19, 2014 As I am surfing the t.v. again, as usual, there are many times when nothing is on. As i come across Christian channels from time to time, I will usually stop for a second to see what the fairy tale believers are up to these days. Turns out, it’s the same Christian non-sense they were saying 13 years ago. My question is, what are Christians afraid of? They keep putting these brief clips up that ask questions and say things like this from people like dennis prager and todd friel, and james white etc. –keep in mind they play these messages (commercials) with scary music and word it in a way that seems like it’s a frightening reality:::: Without god and the bible this world is headed for disaster on a global scale. Without god, no scientific experiment will ever have any positive outcome that makes any sense. If Christianity dies out and god with it, this nation will go under. The only rational response to evil is a god that is good. (their logic, not mine) Most people age 30 and under are rejecting Christ and the bible more than any generation before (according to their numbers) Why are so many people rejecting the bible in these last days? (their question, not mine-and yes, according to Christians were ALWAYS in the last days) Why is morality failing on a global scale? (their question, not mine) How can I prepare for christ’s return? ( Their question, not mine) The reason for separating church and state is to separate the state from the church, not the other way around (their logic) With same sex marriage it will be interesting to see what punishments god brings on the united states, stay tuned. (their apologist logic) You get the picture here. It’s Christian programming trying to put fear into people. What are these people afraid of? There a countless numbers of people in societies around the world who reject Christianity and religion as a whole and their lives seem better off for it, not worse according to christian propaganda. They aren’t running around doing horrible evil things that Christians keep saying they will do, if they reject Christ and the bible. Reality keeps proving these people wrong time and time again, and yet they are so fearful of, and keep fearing anything and everything that doesn't agree with the “good book”. I don't get it. Instead of checking the facts themselves, they keep running in fear from reality, and believing a book, and in a god that's been proven a myth. Their so terrified that if the world finally rejects christianity and it's god, the whole world will immediately collapse in on itself, chaos will ensue and it will be the end of civilization as we know it. What non-sense. 7 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
amateur Posted November 19, 2014 Share Posted November 19, 2014 I don't understand that mind-set either. Xianity is supposed to make people feel safe under the protection of god (their words), so it seems ridiculous to fear anything that god could easily correct. I'm guessing that preachers and churches teach fear so that their congregants keep attending and giving money and don't question or think for themselves. There are all those nice verses in the bible about "don't worry about tomorrow, or for what you'll eat or wear, because doesn't god take care of the sparrows." They are not practicing not worrying or being anxious. Those really are nice verses -- it IS useless to worry about tomorrow. It is prudent to think about tomorrow and make rational plans, but not to worry or be anxious, maybe not because god will take care of tomorrow but because tomorrow will take care of itself, especially if we act as sensibly as we can today. I do remember back in the 90's, when I was raising my kids and belonged to a young mother's church group, some of the moms would say things like, "I am so afraid for when my kids start school. I don't want them exposed to all the horrible, scary children that might give them drugs, etc." Most of the moms were well enough off, but none of us was wealthy, and they would worry endlessly about either somehow paying for xian school, or enrolling their children in (shudder) public school. Some of the moms were seriously anxious about this stuff. I was like, whatever, my kids are going to public school as we pay enough taxes as it is. My kids have since graduated, both did excellently, and both had good experiences in a school district where there are some troubles with violence and drugs, but my kids stayed out of that because they were smart and we talked and I trusted them. And really, they both have turned out wonderfully! And I just wasn't that worried about them being offered drugs in kindergarten! I volunteered in my daughter's kindergarten and the kids were adorable! And I volunteered at various capacities through my kids' 8th grades, and found the kids I met to be generally pretty nice and pleasant to be around. I always liked the kids that my kids were friends with. And to get back to the original post, if the world is going to hell in a handbasket like they think, and the end is coming, why would Real Xians be afraid? Won't they be saved by god and us heathens will be left to suffer? You think they'd just be happy and smug!!! 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Super Moderator florduh Posted November 19, 2014 Super Moderator Share Posted November 19, 2014 Fear is the primary tool to promote the religion and keep the money rolling in. It's the old, well proven formula; create a problem then sell the solution to the frenzied masses. It works for diet aids, acne cream, Fox news, all conspiracy buffs and the church. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fweethawt Posted November 20, 2014 Share Posted November 20, 2014 Erectile dysfunction... The list just goes on! 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gall Posted November 20, 2014 Share Posted November 20, 2014 Fear is the primary tool to promote the religion and keep the money rolling in. It's the old, well proven formula; create a problem then sell the solution to the frenzied masses. It works for diet aids, acne cream, Fox news, all conspiracy buffs and the church. it also works for big government and big business like a champ... reminds me of the old computer game "lemmings" Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
centauri Posted November 20, 2014 Share Posted November 20, 2014 They're afraid that their stranglehold on so many human minds might not last for eternity. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
midniterider Posted November 20, 2014 Share Posted November 20, 2014 As I am surfing the t.v. again, as usual, there are many times when nothing is on. As i come across Christian channels from time to time, I will usually stop for a second to see what the fairy tale believers are up to these days. Turns out, it’s the same Christian non-sense they were saying 13 years ago. My question is, what are Christians afraid of? They keep putting these brief clips up that ask questions and say things like this from people like dennis prager and todd friel, and james white etc. –keep in mind they play these messages (commercials) with scary music and word it in a way that seems like it’s a frightening reality:::: Without god and the bible this world is headed for disaster on a global scale. Without god, no scientific experiment will ever have any positive outcome that makes any sense. If Christianity dies out and god with it, this nation will go under. The only rational response to evil is a god that is good. (their logic, not mine) Most people age 30 and under are rejecting Christ and the bible more than any generation before (according to their numbers) Why are so many people rejecting the bible in these last days? (their question, not mine-and yes, according to Christians were ALWAYS in the last days) Why is morality failing on a global scale? (their question, not mine) How can I prepare for christ’s return? ( Their question, not mine) The reason for separating church and state is to separate the state from the church, not the other way around (their logic) With same sex marriage it will be interesting to see what punishments god brings on the united states, stay tuned. (their apologist logic) You get the picture here. It’s Christian programming trying to put fear into people. What are these people afraid of? There a countless numbers of people in societies around the world who reject Christianity and religion as a whole and their lives seem better off for it, not worse according to christian propaganda. They aren’t running around doing horrible evil things that Christians keep saying they will do, if they reject Christ and the bible. Reality keeps proving these people wrong time and time again, and yet they are so fearful of, and keep fearing anything and everything that doesn't agree with the “good book”. I don't get it. Instead of checking the facts themselves, they keep running in fear from reality, and believing a book, and in a god that's been proven a myth. Their so terrified that if the world finally rejects christianity and it's god, the whole world will immediately collapse in on itself, chaos will ensue and it will be the end of civilization as we know it. What non-sense. If Christians don't generate a fearful problem.... then they can't sell you a solution. But they don't want you walking around in complete peace after being saved.... So they use the 'lukewarm Christian' fear to keep you attending church and putting money in the plate. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Leo Posted November 20, 2014 Share Posted November 20, 2014 I agree with Florduh and others here. Notice how the Church condemns almost every group who tries to better humanity. United Way, UNISEF, any number of other things where humans regardless of creed can benefit. Zealous groups absolutely must have unstable environments in order to flourish. Top this all off with the near-pornographic fetish Christian leaders have for the suffering of other people. Kind of reminds me of those socialist cult communes from the 60s who said things like "Work makes you free." They believe suffering makes one free. The fearful after 9/11 ... that was pretty awful. I got a phone call from the Wife saying a whole bunch of Mommys and other women were gathered at the church, all fearful. Wanting to pull their kids from school. We did not do so with our daughter. but it is a climate and a culture of fear. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
par4dcourse Posted November 20, 2014 Share Posted November 20, 2014 I've also noticed they don't deal with illness and death well. Even with the whole "better place" mindset, they seem to be, pardon the phrase, deathly afraid. 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
VahnBlue Posted November 20, 2014 Share Posted November 20, 2014 I've also noticed they don't deal with illness and death well. Even with the whole "better place" mindset, they seem to be, pardon the phrase, deathly afraid.Exactly Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cousin Ricky Posted November 20, 2014 Share Posted November 20, 2014 Fear is a tried and true effective motivator for rallying the sheep and keeping them in line, and churches (among others) have figured this out. It's not necessarily a good motivator, but it's an effective one. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RipVanWinkle Posted November 21, 2014 Share Posted November 21, 2014 Xtianity cannot survive in its current form without fear. That is it's stock in trade. Rip Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FarflungWanderer Posted November 21, 2014 Share Posted November 21, 2014 Xtianity cannot survive in its current form without fear. That is it's stock in trade. Rip I have to agree. I wouldn't be surprised if Christianity finally dies within the next century or two. Humanity is growing up, slowly but surely. We understand more and more about natural rights, more about what works and what doesn't, but more importantly, we're learning more about our universe. There can be no doubt. Some day, science will finally slay the dragon of religion. 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Burny Posted November 21, 2014 Share Posted November 21, 2014 I wasn't free of fear until I finally left xtianity. That was completely unexpected since I was told (while I was still a xtian) that the only way to be free was through Jesus. WRONG. The only way to be free is to quit worrying about fairy tale monsters (i.e. Jahweh) and their crazy schemes and demands and live your one and only life in peace. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rach Posted November 21, 2014 Share Posted November 21, 2014 My a-mum is extremely fearful of the outside world. What she refers to as the "world" because it is teeming with "evil" (things that go against the fundamentalist mindset, like men with earrings!). The reason she is afraid is because of all god's threats of punishment and torture for not staying within his system. But then I am constantly getting emotionally attacked by her and her fellow Christians for being fearful. What am I afraid of? All the terrible things that can happen in this world, fires, events like 9/11, serial killers, unexpected accidents, surgeries, and such. The Christians condemn me for being fearful because I should be trusting Christ instead of being afraid. I always get this verse "The Lord is my salvation of whom shalt I be afraid?" thrown at me. OK now that I cannot understand. Because it's easy to see that the Lord does not protect people. On 9/11 it did not matter who was trusting in the Lord and who wasn't. Everybody on floor __ and above was doomed. So I do not understand how they can hold to the view that there is nothing to fear since trusting Christ. Christians are very conflicted when it comes to fear. They have so many fears, the rapture being a big one. Sin, another big one. But they won't let you be afraid of things that will more realistically happen like fires. Jesus Christ himself was telling people not to be afraid of the future because god takes care of the lilies and sparrows. But Jesus died an agonizing death and expressed enormous fear prior to his arrest where he was so stressed out that blood came out of his skin (so says the minister). Message taken from Christianity- unimaginably horrible things will still happen to you in this world but just somehow trick your mind into believing they won't happen to you. You are in a bubble of Christ's protection (but take care to read the fine print: you never know when he might pop that bubble) 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
traveller2 Posted November 22, 2014 Share Posted November 22, 2014 I think the christian world while rhetorically saying it will protect you actually causes people to become anxious in a general way.its not a normal human experience. Think how many people here of which I am one developed serious mental health problems as christian and think how many of us find these symptoms subside considerably a few years on from deconversion.also Christianity limits useful exposure to events and experience that help you develop as a person which includes ability to operate effectively in stressful and difficult conditions. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
traveller2 Posted November 22, 2014 Share Posted November 22, 2014 It's also schizoid as the bible offers protection and counsels against fear in a well....maybe...It depends coz you might get martyred or persecuted as well sort of way.no wonder they r fearful and fucked up. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ellinas Posted November 23, 2014 Share Posted November 23, 2014 I rather suspect that the fear is the mask worn by unadmitted doubt. Otherwise, the Christian mindset can only ignore fear as being something in god's hands, in the context of all things working together for good to them that love god (as many I know are fond of quoting). It's often dressed up amongst my acquaintances as handwringing over the offence that the assumed sin of the world is causing to god. But even that really doesn't wash, as all of them are busily looking forward to things getting so bad that the rapture will take place. So, I can only conclude that they are less certain of their certainties than they certainly want me to think... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FreeThinkerNZ Posted November 23, 2014 Share Posted November 23, 2014 I think all this fear stuff relates more to fundies than liberal xians. As a liberal I just bathed in all the wishy washy god-will-make-everything-ok bullshit. This caused other problems by raising my expectations that god would actually make things ok, leading to disappointment when that didnt happen of course. Man, I was so sucked in. And blind. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Super Moderator TheRedneckProfessor Posted November 23, 2014 Super Moderator Share Posted November 23, 2014 Fear and anger go hand-in-hand. In fact, anger is one of the masks that fear wears. Ever notice how angry christians get over things like abortion, gay rights, and even our own apostasy? It's because deep down inside, they're afraid; they just get angry so they don't have to face it. 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Geezer Posted November 23, 2014 Share Posted November 23, 2014 Looking back on it now I think Christianity is based on a slave/master relationship. Believers develop a slave mentality in that they are always trying to please the master, but they consistently fall short of the master's expectations. The slave is continuously attempting to please the master to avoid punishment much more than to receive a reward. Fear of punishment, IMO. is the primary motivating factor in Christianty and most other religions too. 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
midniterider Posted November 24, 2014 Share Posted November 24, 2014 http://www.jesusdressup.com/bdsm.html Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FarflungWanderer Posted November 25, 2014 Share Posted November 25, 2014 http://www.jesusdressup.com/bdsm.html Wut Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Merlin Posted November 27, 2014 Share Posted November 27, 2014 Hey CeilingCat, I just wanted to let you know that I really enjoyed your post. Most Christians live their entire lives in fear, and I sincerely feel sad for them. Ironically, their Holy book has this to say about fear: For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind. - 2 Timothy 1:7 KJV However, in a contradictory twist, the Bible also has this to say about fear, "The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom: and the knowledge of the holy is understanding." - Proverbs 9:10 So basically, Christians are supposed to live their lives in fear of a God who has not given them a spirit of fear...!!!??? Some guy named Plato (you may have heard of him) had this to say about fear, "We can easily forgive a child who is afraid of the dark; the real tragedy of life is when men are afraid of the light." It seems to me that many Christians are so used to living their lives in fear that to live any other way would be uncomfortable for them. Their fear keeps them from walking into the light of common sense, reason, and rational thinking. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Furball Posted December 16, 2014 Share Posted December 16, 2014 Hey CeilingCat, Their fear keeps them from walking into the light of common sense, reason, and rational thinking. You couldn't have said it any better. Thanks for telling it like it is. -peace Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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