Tyson Posted February 29, 2008 Share Posted February 29, 2008 Pat Condell (of YouTube fame) said something in one of his video clips that got me thinking. He said that the fact that the word blasphemy even exists is because humans took it upon themselves to feel insulted on god's behalf and instead of waiting for good old judgment day to have punishment meted out, prefer to also take it upon themselves to dish out the unishment here and now on god's behalf. When he said this, it appears he had fanatical Islam in mind. Anyway, when you were a "grease can"...um, Christian, do you remember those days when those heathens just exasperated you with their rejection of your message salvation? They came off as smug, sure of themselves and some even ridiculed you and your nonsense. Were there moments when you just wished that god would lower the boom on them right after they laughed in your face or walked away shaking their heads? Did you wish to see literal fire rain down on a gay parade or strip club? Would you have really wanted to see god just prove himself upon some sinners, strike some blasphemer dead right after telling you to to kiss his ass? Ok, so you're not Ahmed plotting to strap yourself with a bomb and walk into a mall to kill infidels in the name of Allah to learn 'em a lesson, but were you brother Bob with a mind wishing to see some old fashioned Old Testament fire and brimstone upon those hard hearted heathens? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Piprus Posted March 1, 2008 Share Posted March 1, 2008 Honestly, at this point in time all those considerations are just fucking irrelevant...they mean nothing in the context of just trying to live a good and honorable life without the endless, mindless, convoluted and confabulated bullshit of religious doctrine. I don't need it, don't want it, and categorically reject any pleas to reconsider it. Period. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
I Broke Free Posted March 1, 2008 Share Posted March 1, 2008 I understand where you are coming from Tyson, and I certainly see this as something that many of our fundy visitors to this website would like, but as for myself, no. I was a terrible fundy. I never really tried to spread the “Word†as I was too weak in my own faith to believe it myself. I was a Christian for only two years (Mormon, age 16-17) and during that time the church members were all over me to convert my family. I never lifted a finger to make that happen. Deep inside I knew I was miserable and I just could not bring myself to share that secret misery with the people I loved so much. IBF Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
XCCC Posted March 1, 2008 Share Posted March 1, 2008 You know, I really thought about this for a few minutes. I shared my faith as a college member of Campus Crusade and for a few years after that as a staff member of that same organization. I don't remember anyone ever being smug or mean when not agreeing with what I had to share. I think that was because I was so not into the "hard-sell". I approached the whole thing as a conversation and tried to listen as much as I talked. I have a theory now as to why I did this. I was so "wimpy" as an evangelist because I knew (deep down) what I was doing was creepy. I hated approaching people to share. But I knew it was my responsibility so I did it anyway. I rationalized that it was god's ability to convert as long as I took the first step to talk to a person. As a result, I don't think I came off as totally cocky or pushy. So my responses from those who didn't agree were usually quite civil. I never wished for heavenly retribution. In fact, I think I was more surprised and amazed when someone wanted to listen and wanted to know more. I may have had more respect for those who knew better than to fall for the crap I was selling! It's so funny (looking at it now) that even in the throes of ministry my intellect or common sense was somehow trying to tell me what I was doing was idiotic. Little wonder that I didn't last very long on staff. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hereticzero Posted March 1, 2008 Share Posted March 1, 2008 when I was a fundy, i wuz god's left hand man. That is what started my deconversion were those who stood in my face and showed me how stupid i really was, even if I did not believe them at the time. it got me thinking. Thanks be to those who helped change my mind in spite of myself! Those who are not trapped in religion are those truly blessed. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Evolution_beyond Posted March 2, 2008 Share Posted March 2, 2008 I never wished any of those things. I just wished that I could somehow get through to them and teach them the truth. I was a compassionate christian. I was never a hell-and-brimstone type. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Coolhermit Posted March 2, 2008 Share Posted March 2, 2008 I used to be a preacher - never prayed the sinners prayer with anyone as it seemed bizarre to me. When I preached in Hyde Park (London) I was approached by a large church with the offer of sponsorship into ministry. The catch? I had to preach hellfire for unbelievers and that people had to go to church. Both were alien to me. I mulled it over a coupla weeks and when I said that I could not comply with those restrictions they immediately withdrew the offer. Ho hum. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Vendredie Posted March 2, 2008 Share Posted March 2, 2008 When I was 12 I wanted to be a minister. Now I want to be a psychologist and a writer. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gradstu09 Posted March 2, 2008 Share Posted March 2, 2008 Honestly, at this point in time all those considerations are just fucking irrelevant...they mean nothing in the context of just trying to live a good and honorable life without the endless, mindless, convoluted and confabulated bullshit of religious doctrine. I don't need it, don't want it, and categorically reject any pleas to reconsider it. Period. Well said. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Legion Posted March 2, 2008 Share Posted March 2, 2008 Shit man, there have been times in my life when I wished I had a God who would strike down those who aroused my ire. But if actually granted such a thing I would likely become a vengeful little child, a pathetic bully. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest spoonface Posted March 2, 2008 Share Posted March 2, 2008 Face to face, when I got talking with my freinds (who mostly were anti-religious..I was the only Christian in my circle of friends really so you can imagine what kind of lonely ass person I was), they usually did not act in a disrespectful way towards me because of my convictions, though some probably went behind my back and talked shit about me without meaning to be overly malicious, but I forgave them for that. Since I was always a shy bloke, I did a more online evangelism sort of thing when appropriate. Most people left me alone more or less since I wasn't one to be a cocky messenger, but there were some people who were probably high or drunk behind their monitors who said some pretty obnoxious stuff. I usually practiced the turn the other cheek thing (which is something I still try to practice because people are more likely to leave me alone in the future if I don't say something to piss them off), but I know in some cases, I secretly wanted some of those bastards to get what was coming to them. I'm still guilty of wishing bad stuff to happen to people who really piss me off, but now that I don't prohibit myself from verbal self-defense (in the intelligent way), I don't experience as many feelings as helpless victimization by the crude ass things people say because they are simply in a bad mood, assholes by nature, or likely intoxiacted. I believe in my own power to get over things. I don't need fate to avenge me and I don't have to go out of my way to avenge myself. I can do what I want and get over it now that I'm not plagued by needing to be perfect to please God. Or maybe that has something to do with actually growing into an adult and not being a confused high school kid anymore but a college student aspiring to pursue her dreams. I used to rationalize that those who went around verbally abusing religious folks were the devil's puppets, but knowing plenty of hardcore religious folks do the same thing under self-righteous guises (like the some of the 'believe my message or perish' contemporary 'prophets'), I can't limit that attitude as being purely heathen. It's just a human thing that humans do for whatever reason. We all have to deal with it and most of us have been guilty of being ass-fucks to our fellow men. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
R. S. Martin Posted March 4, 2008 Share Posted March 4, 2008 My church was not into evangelizing at all, but many churches around us were and it was impossible to ignore the Great Commission in the NT. The one time I did try to "witness" I felt rebuffed and immediately changed the topic, never ever to try again. It was when my neighbour lady was giving me a ride to somewhere. She asked how we celebrated Christmas and I answered that we focus more on the spiritual aspect. I was prepared to get more into what I meant about that but she quickly said, "Oh I think we all do." I had no idea at the time that she was Christian but found out later that she and her husband were Catholic. When I learned that, I felt embarrassed that I had felt obligated to "talk to her." I assumed that anyone who carried the name of a Christian denomination also went to church, and that anyone who went to church also read the Bible. I believed that anyone who read the Bible would eventually get the truth and that it wasn't up to me to tell them. I only learned otherwise on these forums. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Vendredie Posted March 4, 2008 Share Posted March 4, 2008 I was always compelled to evangleize in some way, but because my evangelical days were also my middle school days, I kept quiet because I was shy and bullied, and I felt a little silly preaching to everyone. At my old church several people told me that if I were less shy I'd be a good preacher. Well I'm less shy but I'm also an atheist. And I still stutter, even around my best friend. I'm now more open as an atheist than I ever was as a Christian. That might not be related to religion though, since I was atheist quite a bit before I stopped being shy. I was afraid of rebuttal then. I still don't like anyone disagreeing, especially if I'm in the minority. I always have a tendency to feel like an idiot no matter how convinced I am that I'm right. I suppose that's part of what led to my deconversion. I tended to assume that all Christians would agree with me-- hey, we're supposed to believe the same thing right? (it was actually all fo the denominations that led me away from Christianity-- either they're all right or all wrong!) I pretty much just pushed the thought out of my head that the people I was talking to were "doomed" to "Hell". To me they were Christians I could just reassure, or who could reassure me. Both pretty arrogant and selfish, in my opinion. It was after my fundie days that I felt embarassed for beign so compelled to preach, and went back to wanting to be a writer rather than a preacher-- I'm much better at writing fiction that preaching it. And despite being Wiccan for a short while before officially going atheist, I'd still rather write fiction than preach it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Neon Genesis Posted March 4, 2008 Share Posted March 4, 2008 The only people I ever wished would go to hell when I was a Christian was I would tell bullies who picked on me when I was in school that I hoped they would go to hell for it, and I would wish that my father went to hell, too. Whenever I was scared I was going to hell for my sins, I used to console myself by thinking that at least my father would be in hell too and I would laugh at him for the way he treated my family. But other than that, I didn't really wish for people to go to hell, but more like I was scared that people I cared about would go to hell because I used to think they weren't "real Christians." Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Amethyst Posted March 4, 2008 Share Posted March 4, 2008 My church was not into evangelizing much, but every once in a while we would do drives to evangelize to new people in the area, and I would go with my parents. They were not particularly good at it. I think, in part because my dad is too tolerant of other people to enjoy pushing religion onto them. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Amethyst Posted March 4, 2008 Share Posted March 4, 2008 The only people I ever wished would go to hell when I was a Christian was I would tell bullies who picked on me when I was in school that I hoped they would go to hell for it, and I would wish that my father went to hell, too. Whenever I was scared I was going to hell for my sins, I used to console myself by thinking that at least my father would be in hell too and I would laugh at him for the way he treated my family. But other than that, I didn't really wish for people to go to hell, but more like I was scared that people I cared about would go to hell because I used to think they weren't "real Christians." Yeah, bullies were the only people I wished who would go to hell. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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