Being weird for Jesus

[Chikirin]

Notice a lot of Christians ask questions like "Is it ok for me to watch tv/listen to secular music/go swimming/eat ice cream" etc.

 

And then sometimes the answer they get is that those things aren't necessarily sinful, but if you refrain from doing them, then people will ask "How come you don't do that?" and then that gives you an opening to talk to them about Jesus.

 

So then Christians end up living uninteresting lives because they think it is a good conversation starter.

[LogicalFallacy]

When I was young my family didn't watch TV. Why not? Because some git when TV's were first created said its was a tube looking straight into hell.

 

So all through my childhood I was mocked by the other kids for "not believing in TV"...

 

Now my family watches TV..... but the internet, facebook, etc is a tube from Satan to your mind... in other words superstitious religious people will believe whatever is new is bad and from the devil.

 

To quote Christopher Hitchens "Religion poisons everything"

 

 

(PS I may have reinforced their view of the internet since it was the primary resource of information during my deconversion  )

[Lilith666]

Christians are like the grown man who has to ask his mom if he's allowed before he goes out with friends or on a date or anything. Stop asking for permission and make your own decisions, it's pathetic.

 

But of course, "they're not afraid to be pathetic for Jesus." Take that phrase and insert anything - judgmental, uptight, a maniacal murderer - and you could probably apply it to Christians. Of which they would be proud.

[skysoar15]

 

Christians are like the grown man who has to ask his mom if he's allowed before he goes out with friends or on a date or anything. Stop asking for permission and make your own decisions, it's pathetic.

 

But of course, "they're not afraid to be pathetic for Jesus." Take that phrase and insert anything - judgmental, uptight, a maniacal murderer - and you could probably apply it to Christians. Of which they would be proud.

Tell me about it. I was hesitant to date anyone because I was afraid that it'd be scrutinized by the whole church. That's not a good way to live. 

I could never just feel comfortable talking to a woman out of fear of being 'judged' or monitored by a pastor. All of the women at church were closely watched by father-like pastors. 

 

I've been in small groups where guys 'confess' to spending too much time alone with a girl. This is out of fear of 'committing adultery' and temptation to sleep with her. 

(Usually in the context of a romance).

 

Pretty stupid stuff. 

[Blamtasticful]

Christian Passive-Aggressive behavior at its finest! "I am not saying you can't do it but if you do we can't fellowship because it disagrees with my spirit." It's petty childishness similar to god told me to date/break-up with you. Who needs a nature documentary when we have plenty of weird phenomena to be dumbfounded by around us.

[MOHO]

Help me out here people: is it in Corinthians that Paul states that "If you THINK eating something is UN-godly, then eating it is wrong"

 

Beyond that there seems to be some utility in denial as it relates to reinforcing  belief and keeping members in the fold.

 

Regarding the xtian belief that anything new is evil: my step-son (adult age - not living with us) gets the nastiest look on his face when presented with ANYTHING he is unfamiliar with and will even ask in a very demeaning manor various question that would cast a shadow on said new experience. 

 

For example I mentioned that I liked a song by Mezzo Forte' (smooth jazz group borrowing the name for he Italian phrase for medium loud). Step son responded with "What is THAT? Some homosexual term?"

[Blamtasticful]

 

Help me out here people: is it in Corinthians that Paul states that "If you THINK eating something is UN-godly, then eating it is wrong"

 

 

It is referenced in Romans and 1 Corinthians. It is funny how Christians spiritualize everything. They ask if secular entertainment is ok when it's just entertainment that they are asking is ok because that is really just what it is lol.

 

https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=1+Corinthians+10%3A23%2CRomans+14%3A15&version=KJV

[MOHO]

Yes. So much mind control.

 

of course pastor A-Hole does not want ANY information, other than what he spews, entering the minds of his flock - so secular "entertainment" is OUT!

 

Wouldn't want to chance any potential for clear thinking or the change of hearing any evidence counter to the doctrine.

[Lilith666]

 

Notice a lot of Christians ask questions like "Is it ok for me to watch tv/listen to secular music/go swimming/eat ice cream" etc.

 

And then sometimes the answer they get is that those things aren't necessarily sinful, but if you refrain from doing them, then people will ask "How come you don't do that?" and then that gives you an opening to talk to them about Jesus.

 

So then Christians end up living uninteresting lives because they think it is a good conversation starter.

They're not so much interested in a conversation as winning you to Christ. Once they find out you aren't saved, you are primarily a lost soul to them, or at least to some Christians. Therefore, having a meaningful conversation about something other than Jesus is unnecessary.

[nutrichuckles93]

 

I've been in small groups where guys 'confess' to spending too much time alone with a girl. This is out of fear of 'committing adultery' and temptation to sleep with her. 

(Usually in the context of a romance).

 

Pretty stupid stuff. 

This, this, this, this, this. Or especially when the single guys were deathly afraid of appearing to favor one particular woman by talking to her slightly more than the others. Having to pray away those thoughts (that they probably didn't have; they were probably just talking) so as to lead a "pure" non-favoritism walk. What a horrible, self-hating way to live when it's sinful somehow to even befriend someone in a platonic way.

[knightcore]

 

Tell me about it. I was hesitant to date anyone because I was afraid that it'd be scrutinized by the whole church. That's not a good way to live. 

I could never just feel comfortable talking to a woman out of fear of being 'judged' or monitored by a pastor. All of the women at church were closely watched by father-like pastors. 

 

I've been in small groups where guys 'confess' to spending too much time alone with a girl. This is out of fear of 'committing adultery' and temptation to sleep with her. 

(Usually in the context of a romance).

 

Pretty stupid stuff. 

 

Auuuuugh this!!!!!! Absolutely this. I'm still terrified to this day to date, it's a major block for me after having it drilled into me that so many people need to approve of them. We had so many rules of how women could interact with guys and vise versa. My parents still enforce some of these even though they make even less context out of the environment we were in at the time. They're so worried about how my siblings' and my relationships affect how the family is perceived even though they won't admit to that.

 

There's so many rules surrounding relationships that it makes them completely artificial and fake. It makes it so hard for me to even have platonic friendships now.

[Lucy]

I knew a lot of people who just talk about Christian things and the Bible all the time. If you talk about other things, they relate it back to a Bible thing that it makes them think of and the whole conversation goes back to god.

 

I remember showing someone my art when I was a child and being criticized for my secular themes. I asked what 'secular' means. She said, "not Christian." It was all sketches of animals with a few portraits. I said I don't see anything immoral about my drawings. She said that everything I draw that isn't about glorifying god is time wasted that I could have spent glorifying god. All art should be Biblical in nature. If it's not Biblical you shouldn't be drawing it at all.

 

I didn't have crazy Christian restrictions, but my friends did. Only Christian TV shows, no Disney, only Christian music, no soda (drugs), no make up, no pants on girls, no toys of animals that don't exist particularly unicorns.

 

 

Notice a lot of Christians ask questions like "Is it ok for me to watch tv/listen to secular music/go swimming/eat ice cream" etc.

 

And then sometimes the answer they get is that those things aren't necessarily sinful, but if you refrain from doing them, then people will ask "How come you don't do that?" and then that gives you an opening to talk to them about Jesus.

 

So then Christians end up living uninteresting lives because they think it is a good conversation starter.

 

Yup. When you're walking around with no make up and a denim skirt, refusing to drink anything but water, and have no idea what any pop culture reference is about because there is no TV or radio in your home, people might ask you why you're like that. And you can tell them about Jesus so they will learn to avoid him before he screws up their life too.

[skysoar15]

I'm still learning what it means to have boundaries with people. 

 

As a Christian, that didnt exist. All that mattered was showing 'the love of Christ.'

 

I'm also learning that going on a simple date doesnt have to potentially lead to marriage. People CAN date just to have a good time. 

 

Back in church, you always needed a serious intent before dating anyone. This stifled me personally and made me neurotic as hell. LOL.