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Goodbye Jesus

Hello, An Introduction


Jun

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Hello to all from the Land Down-under.

 

I am an ExChrisitian born and raised in Sydney Australia. I went to a Catholic primary school (St. Joseph's) and a Catholic high school (Marist Bros.) My mother is (still) Irish Catholic and my father, when he was alive, was Church of England (although he never went to church and claimed it was all rubbish - smart man).

 

I was a member of the church choir for about seven years and very involved in the church. My girlfriend at the time was a Filipina and very insistant on going to church and praising "the Lord." I even travelled to the Phillipines with her family to stay in a convent and sing in the choir there.

 

I had my doubts about what the bible taught and many questions had gone unanswered for a few years.

 

Then, one day I was set upon by ten Maoris, and ended up in hospital in a coma for five months. My family and the church members all visited and said their "prayers" for me and I was visited by all the nuns from the convent. I don't remember anything other than the day I awoke to see the Filipino priest and two nuns standing there praying - what happened next was the beginning of my turning from the Christian cult.

 

The priest exclaimed "Praise the Lord, our prayers are answered," and the nuns joined in and together they told me how they had held special masses for me and said prayers. I was touched and greatful, naturally. But.............

 

As I was told about how I ended up in the hospital and how much time had passed by I was told by the priest and the nuns that, "I had overcome a hardship sent to me by God!" I was shocked to say the least. Sent by "God?" What kind of sick joke was this? Why would "God" want to have me end up in hospital in a coma for five months? Why would "God" send ten Maoris to kick the living daylights out of me? Why hadn't "God" done something to prevent this? Why hadn't "God" helped in apprehending my attackers?

 

I was also told that I had probably upset "God" somehow and that this was a punishment! A punishment! I was at first shocked, then anger swept over me. I had given quite a bit of my time and energy to praisng "the Lord" and passing on "his message" - to be punished!?

 

When I returned to church I learned also that money had been taken up during those masses held for me - but nobody could tell me where the money had gone. Was it given to my family to help with the hospital bills, no. Where it went, I still don't know. This confused me to say the least - it was as if I was simply another reason to have a "special" mass and to collect more money.

 

Having come out of a five-month-long coma made me look at life very differently. I began to question everything the church did, and I speculated that there were some ulterior motives behind all that went on.

 

I left the Christian cult that year. I travelled to Japan to live for a time and it was there that I realised that Christianity is just a fabrication, an elaborate hoax.

 

That's my story in a nutshell. Now why I joined up here and why I have become a little interested in what is going on in America (RE: Atheism, Secularism and ExChristian support).

 

Recently, there has been a growing number of American evangelists pushing their Christian views in Australia and starting new ministries that are against other beliefs, religions etc. Australian Christians are generally quiet and unassuming. They keep to themselves and generally respect the views of other denominations (it is a part of the constitution). But these American evangelists are something altogether different - loud, outspoken and ready to shout you into damnation. These Evangelists are against other denominations using council halls or recreational centres because they "are unbelievers." I have come up against the Christian Outreach organisers who have refused to let me use a council hall because I'm not a "believer."

 

Although freedom of religion (including Atheist views) is a part of the constitution, and local councils support all faiths and beliefs - it is beginning to get a little harder to combat the long accepted Catholic teachings.

 

I hope that through dialog here and through reading through various peoples posts I may be able to better equip myself for dealing with these issues.

 

With compassion

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Greetings, Jun

 

Welcome to ex-christian.net, and best wishes for your journey. What a terrible ordeal you went through! But you know the truth, it was no hardship sent by any god. I'm glad you were able to recover from that vicious assault.

 

As you know, here in the US there are a lot of evangelicals, with an odious agenda. It seems they just can't leave well enough alone, they have to send out their missionaries all over the world, mucking things up wherever they can.

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Hello and welcome to Ex-C, Jun! :wave:

 

I'm sorry to hear the American evangelists are stirring up trouble down-under. Those dingbats! Thanks for letting us know. We in the US tend not to hear much about what's going on in Oz unless we go out on the Web.

 

Slightly off-topic, I do remember being told back 1989 that Henry Kissinger was involved in the scheme to turn the Australian economy into a cashless one and how there was a supposedly subtle and not-so-subtle campaign in the media to persuade people that this was a good idea, with posters showing an open, empty wallet and a cartoon that was supposedly published in the newspapers showing a cashier scanning someone's forehead to pay for purchases. Ooo, it was a precursor of the end times, paving the way for "the mark of the beast", and it was happening in Oz as it was an out of the way place that no one in the US or Europe paid attention to.

 

Back to your topic, I'm not sure what you can do about those evangelists except to stand up to them. I don't know Aussie law and if there's anything in there about "freedom of speech" or "freedom of assembly" that can be thrown in their faces.

 

Hang around, I'm sure other members can offer suggestions.

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Thank you for the warm welcome.

 

Piprus said:

 

As you know, here in the US there are a lot of evangelicals, with an odious agenda. It seems they just can't leave well enough alone, they have to send out their missionaries all over the world, mucking things up wherever they can.

 

Actually, I am involved with a group in Japan attempting to send all the American evangelists home. There are quite a few and the only thing on their minds is converting the Japanese so that they can get a grip on things to suck out some more money to send back to the U.S.

 

I am part of a Buddhist temple in Japan and we have been sending aid to Indonesia. The U.S. has also been sending aid, but not just aid - they are also sending missionaries and in every second package of aid there are a few hundred Christian pamphlets trying to convert the Indonesians. Dirty tricks are not beyond the Christians it seems. Praying on a people in their time of need. It disgusts me.

 

Back in Japan there are Christian groups rounding up the homeless and taking them to church to "Bring them to God for forgiveness." They then brainwash these poor souls into becoming missionaries for them to spread the word to other Japanese. It sickens me.

 

And on my own soil in Oz we have these new groups of Christians from the U.S. putting the pressure on local governments to spread their "word of God."

 

Evelyn said:

 

I'm not sure what you can do about those evangelists except to stand up to them. I don't know Aussie law and if there's anything in there about "freedom of speech" or "freedom of assembly" that can be thrown in their faces.

 

We have freedom of speech and freedom of religion. The problem lies with Chrisitian groups (especially the newer American ones) that wield quite substantial power in politics and have large sums of money to help them out. It makes me wonder if these cults aren't simply buying their way around and paying off some people at the top to get what they want.

 

With compassion

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Hi Jun, and welcome! :wave:

 

Let me say as an American, I would be perfectly happy about you going up to one of these American evangelical dickheads and sucker-punching them right in their stupid faces. :grin: Also, tar/feathers, riding out of town on a rail, etc.

 

Hope you Aussies are successful getting rid of these pests. Let us know how you did it if it works.

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All God's fail said:

 

Let me say as an American, I would be perfectly happy about you going up to one of these American evangelical dickheads and sucker-punching them right in their stupid faces. :grin: Also, tar/feathers, riding out of town on a rail, etc.

 

I'm not about to go lowering myself to their level, nor is resorting to violence the way to deal with anything - although I do appreciate your.........er.......... encouragement!

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Guest Donaldbain

I haven't really noticed any American evangelicals in Adelaide. There's this cult called the Paradise Church though.. and it's scary. It used to be just one church in the suburb of Paradise, heh.. but now its spread all over Adelaide, many churches, they perform christian music concerts, advertise on TV. Guy Sebastian came from this place, now that's scary!

 

And what about that political party, Family First, that said Lesbians are witches and should be burned :\

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I think the vast majority of missionaries are sincere in their efforts. In their eyes, the best thing they can do for someone is to tell them about Jesus, so they'll do whatever it takes to do that. Physical aid for them is always going to be a means to an end, because they believe the needs of the soul are more important than the needs of the body. Of course, they believe they know the needs of the soul better than everyone else, which is why people are annoyed with them. I can see hating the belief system that compels them to do what they do, but I can't feel anything but pity for the people themselves... they're wasting their lives in the service of a non-existant god, thinking they're going to be rewarded for their efforts instead of doing something productive that would truly benefit society. How sad.

 

 

And what about that political party, Family First, that said Lesbians are witches and should be burned :\

 

Where did you see that?

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Donaldbain said:

 

I haven't really noticed any American evangelicals in Adelaide. There's this cult called the Paradise Church though.. and it's scary. It used to be just one church in the suburb of Paradise, heh.. but now its spread all over Adelaide, many churches, they perform christian music concerts, advertise on TV. Guy Sebastian came from this place, now that's scary!

 

And what about that political party, Family First, that said Lesbians are witches and should be burned :\

 

Lucky Adelaide, the church state however has some weirdo Christian fundamentalists - like the Paradise Church as you mentioned.

 

I haven't been able to find anything on your statement about Family First claiming Lesbians are witches and should be burned though. The Family First website is here: http://www.familyfirst.org.au/ They are against homosexual relationships/marriage, but I've not heard anything along the lines of burning anyone or calling them witches. Such statements would easily mean the end of the party wouldn't it?

 

Darkside said:

 

.........they're wasting their lives in the service of a non-existant god, thinking they're going to be rewarded for their efforts instead of doing something productive that would truly benefit society. How sad.

 

I agree.

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All God's fail said:

 

Let me say as an American, I would be perfectly happy about you going up to one of these American evangelical dickheads and sucker-punching them right in their stupid faces. :grin: Also, tar/feathers, riding out of town on a rail, etc.

 

I'm not about to go lowering myself to their level, nor is resorting to violence the way to deal with anything - although I do appreciate your.........er.......... encouragement!

 

 

Well, maybe that was a little harsh. :scratch: But feel free to oppose them at every turn, and maybe insult them, too.

 

Sorry, I'm just in a really anti-fundy mood lately. It doesn't help when I hear my fellow countrymen are running around in another nation, making the US look even worse. Cripes, they're bad enough here in the States.

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