Brother Jeff Posted May 29, 2015 Share Posted May 29, 2015 I posted this to Facebook tonight but thought I would share it here too. Glory! I had reason to be thinking about my past today, and surprisingly to me, I was thinking about the pastor of one of the churches I attended back in the late 1980's. His name was Larry, and the church was Church on the Rock in Brazoria, TX. We affectionately called the man "Brother Watts". I found myself wondering what has become of the guy all these years later. I probably haven't seen the man since 1989. It wouldn't surprise me that much if he's dead now since he was probably well into his fifties back in those days and not in the greatest of health. Any of my Texas friends know him or know if he's still with us or not? If he is, I wonder what he would think of me now if he knew I had lost my faith and become an atheist. Who knows? The man loved me back in the day and I sang many solos at his church, and I was allowed to participate in the worship choir even though I was rather young back then. That church was so much fun back in those days, and that's one part of my religious experience that I don't really regret. Also wondering what has become of the good Christian friends I had back in those days. Mike D. I know is doing well, though we rarely have contact. Steve decided he didn't want to be friends with me anymore after he found out I was no longer a Christian, and I think he might have been uncomfortable with my mental health issues as well. That hurt, but as far as I'm concerned, it's his loss. And what about Bobby & Anna Jo? They were awesome friends back in those days. I bet I haven't seen them in a good 20 years. I do sometimes think of them and wonder how they are doing these days. Anyone know? I wonder how they too would take my current atheist status... And, Bob and Roxanne. I met them when I was a teenager, and they are the first people who talked to me about the Bible and Jesus way back then. They didn't convert me, but they did plant seeds, and they were valued friends for years. Bob worked for Dow Chemical, and he got transferred back to Michigan and moved away while I was out of church for a while. I never got to tell them goodbye. I do wonder about them too. Are they still around and doing well? How would they take my current atheism? Ralph and Pam! Awesome friends! He worked at Dow too, and he too got transferred and moved away while I was away from church. Never got to tell them goodbye. I wonder about them too. Are they still around and doing well? And, how would they receive me now as an atheist if we met again now? Mike G! Awesome friend, though he did have a temper and a lack of tolerance for my financial difficulties at the time. I was broke most of the time and he knew it, but he still gave me hell over $10 I couldn't pay him for a beat up old car I bought from him. I think the car was $500. I came up $10 short and he let me have the car, but the $10 I don't think was ever forgotten. On the plus side though, he was a good friend most of the time, and he genuinely liked me. He even wrote an article for a very short-lived Christian newsletter I did. Don't have that anymore, but I do remember him happily doing it. He and his wife were good to me, the troublesome $10 aside. He too worked for Dow, and he too got transferred and moved away while I was gone from church for a while. Anyone know him? What became of him? I wonder about him too, how he would receive me as an atheist now? I remember plenty of other folks from back in those days too. Many years ago now. I wonder about them too. About all of my old Christian friends. How are they doing now? How many are still living? How would they receive me now as an atheist? Would they accept me as I am and try to understand my current views, or would they judge me and condemn me to Hell and accuse me of never having been a REAL Christian? I may never know, but sometimes I do wonder... Of course, I also wonder how many of my old Christian friends who are still living still remain Christians. My loss of faith is hardly an isolated incident. People are leaving religion behind in droves now, and for all I know at least some of my old Christian friends have had journeys similar to mine. Who knows? What a trip down Memory Lane! It's fun sometimes... Glory! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
♦ Fuego ♦ Posted May 29, 2015 Share Posted May 29, 2015 I've found that old friends often drift away when there is no longer a context for friendship. I had hoped to reconnect with a buddy from high school, but after a few emails I brought up the idea of visiting and there was an icy silence. So sometimes I have found that I have to let go and move on. Most of my old believer friends from church have gone on to different lives. One is still a committed fundy, and though we are Facebook friends, I don't see his posts anymore and he rarely tries to contact me. I don't even know if he knows I left the church. He probably thinks so, but it doesn't really matter. We were both raised in front of the TV, so most of what we had in common besides raging fundamentalism was our shared history with Gomer Pyle, I Dream of Jeannie, Bewitched, Green Acres, Gilligan's Island, and Warner Bros cartoons. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GraphicsGuy Posted May 29, 2015 Share Posted May 29, 2015 I just assume my old Christian friends are still Christians because if/when I do get the whim to look them up on Facebook, I see tons of people I know in their friends list and, unless their account privacy settings are really high, there is usually something "churchy" in their photos or walls. I really don't want anything to do with them and I find it rather telling that I have received very few messages asking what happened to me. Word probably got around real quick when I reamed one of them out for trying to preach to me 7 years ago. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ellinas Posted May 30, 2015 Share Posted May 30, 2015 I've come to appreciate the wisdom of a work colleague. She says "I only have a fast forward button; I don't do rewind". She's right, methinks. Past is past. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brother Jeff Posted May 31, 2015 Author Share Posted May 31, 2015 I've come to appreciate the wisdom of a work colleague. She says "I only have a fast forward button; I don't do rewind". She's right, methinks. Past is past. I do see the wisdom there, however, I have found out through a friend that Brother Watts is still alive and well. She could find out how I could contact him if I wanted to. I have mixed feelings about it. Aside from being the pastor of a very fun church at the time, Brother Watts was a good friend to me back in my younger days. Part of me would love to reconnect with him and reminisce about the good old days when I went to his church. But... the subject of my loss of faith and current atheism would inevitably come up. Would he respect my current views or would he be determined to bring me back into the fold? Could we be friends if I didn't make a new Sky Decision for Kryasst and ask the Holy Spook to magically inhabit my inner spook again? I remember Brother Watts as a very nice guy, but I just don't know... 25 years has changed me a great deal and surely it has him as well... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ellinas Posted May 31, 2015 Share Posted May 31, 2015 Some years ago, I got back in touch with a person from my university days. We would have been out of contact also for around 25 years. We now still keep in very occasional touch - usually an e-mail at Christmas - but, in reality, it is a pretty pointless exercise. Lives move on, other priorities appear and that which may once have been in common is lost. I would need some persuasion to do the same again, simply because it takes me nowhere. Matter for you, of course, but I wonder at the rationale for renewing the acquaintance. What is there to gain? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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