Vomit Comet Posted April 22, 2008 Share Posted April 22, 2008 Were you a street preaching zealot who witnessed 24/7 to everyone who crossed your path? Did you eagerly participate in outreach crusades and annoy acquiantances with your testimony. Did you show up to help out, but were just along for the ride? Were you a lukewarm pew warmer? Were you a subversive from an early age until you finally up and left? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GraphicsGuy Posted April 22, 2008 Share Posted April 22, 2008 Street preaching? Not necessarily, but for youth group a few times some friends and I took a video camera down to the beach and interviewed people about what they thought of church and spirituality and then told them about our group and invited them to the music (worship) service that night. Eagerly participate? Annoy acquaintances? Oh yeah to both of those. Hell, I was always part of the crusade planning teams, on the worship band, and working behind the scenes. Show up to help out? Absolutely! I lived and breathed for that alone. Pew warmer? In later years, yes, but before I got married I barely sat down during a service. Always something happening or was onstage or in the prayer room. Subversive? What? Definitely not! I believed and swallowed it all whole. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hereticzero Posted April 22, 2008 Share Posted April 22, 2008 Fanatic, yes. Street preaching, yes and with a certificate of training. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MesaGman Posted April 22, 2008 Share Posted April 22, 2008 fanatical enough to spend 3 hours of a week, listening to some cry baby blubber on about how the church has changed his or her life, on Testimony Sundays, or enough to spend 3 hours a month going to the LDS temple. there and back.... so 6 hours. And dreaming of the day that I do the ordinaces for my bullies, who bullied me in jr high. To laugh at them saying. I'm a nerd now, and can't get a chick, but my wife will become a Goddess, literally. Why oh why did I leave the LDS church.... oh yea it's not real lol. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Crazycatlady Posted April 23, 2008 Share Posted April 23, 2008 I never bothered with trying to convert other people, but I was still pretty "hardcore." Attend mass twice on Sunday, once on Wednesday, pray the rosary daily, attend youth group weekly, sing in the choir, Lector twice per month, try to figure out if I had a calling to become a nun, and mortification. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mwc Posted April 23, 2008 Share Posted April 23, 2008 Unfortunately, I tried to convert some people. I sucked at it big time. Don't think I got a one (which made me feel like a horrible failure at the time but now I'm happy I was so lame since I have no guilt about trapping anyone else in the cult). Instead of just making shit up I answered "I don't know" and referred them to a pastor. I thought they deserved the best answer possible. I wasn't cut out for that whole "conversion" shit. I also managed to cut off a number of friends for not being the right religion and stupid shit like that. I really regret that sometimes. I think some of them would probably be good friends to this day if I hadn't have fucked it all over for no good reason (I had reasonable cause in some cases though, I think). I've thought about trying to contact them again but I've already shown that I'm not so reliable a friend to them. Ironically, my best friend was not a believer (who I should have cut off, and considered doing so early on, but never did...it never was an issue between us even though I made a half-hearted effort to convert him once). Live and learn. mwc Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Thurisaz Posted April 23, 2008 Share Posted April 23, 2008 Were you a lukewarm pew warmer? Compared to what most of you all have experienced, my entire former church (mainstream German lutheran) was a pack of lukewarm pew warmers Compared to most of the people I know, I was actually a bit more zealous than the average Fritz... showing up in church more often than just on Yuletide xmas and when I had to due to marriages, funerals et cetera within my circle of friends and acquaintances. Not much more often, but still... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HuaiDan Posted April 23, 2008 Share Posted April 23, 2008 I remember in second grade I used to run around preaching about not using god's name in vain, how women were created from men, and believing in Santa Claus and the easter bunny was evil. I creeped out several of my classmates and their parents. I mellowed out by 4th grade, I just didn't care about anything for awhile. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MathGeek Posted April 23, 2008 Share Posted April 23, 2008 Did you show up to help out, but were just along for the ride? Were you a lukewarm pew warmer? During most of my teen years and some of my college years, I was an active Catholic boy. I participated in CCD and maintained a pretty strict Sunday attendance schedule, even after I left the church for Lutheranism. I even felt guilty sometimes for missing church, mortal sin and all. I helped out with church breakfasts and attended some Catholic indoctrination sessions (read: youth gatherings). I was even a member of Knights of Columbus for a bit. In my Lutheran stint, I was a camp counselor and a Sunday school teacher and I routinely helped my friends who were assistant youth pastors and in charge of running weekly youth services on Sunday nights, of which I was routine attendee. So, does any of this really count as lukewarm though? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Zenobia Posted April 23, 2008 Share Posted April 23, 2008 Well, supposedly, our Church didn't proseletize... at least not on an individual level. We weren't supposed to try to convert anyone ourselves, since god was supposed to do the "calling" (or is that "culling"?) In fact we were not supposed to associate with people outside the church ("come ye out of the world," blah blah). Ministers and other church members watched us to make sure we didn't! However... the church itself spent millions and millions of dollars sending out free literature and paying for our "apostle"'s TV evengelical show, where he preached and lured people into subscibing to his magazine. At one time I was a writer for the show... so that is pretty hardcore Although, since I am a women, they never gave me much credit for writing - since that would mean a woman was preaching the gospel. *gasp* All those millions of dollars, including my paycheck, came from church tithes. Members tithed up to 30% of their income to the church and gave holy day "offerings" in addition to that. If its any consolation though, they didn't pay me much and I had to tithe too. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ouroboros Posted April 23, 2008 Share Posted April 23, 2008 Were you a street preaching zealot who witnessed 24/7 to everyone who crossed your path? Yes. I carried a pocket Bible. Did you eagerly participate in outreach crusades and annoy acquiantances with your testimony. Yes. I even annoyed my Christian family. And now the roles are reversed... Did you show up to help out, but were just along for the ride? ??? Not sure what you meant here... In the crusades you mean? I was a member of a Church, and it was expected that we all helped in each conference (Summer and New Year), and participated in other Church activities. (Two meetings a week, and Monday prayer group, was minimum.) Were you a lukewarm pew warmer? Not really. At least I tried not to be. But you start losing passion when you realize the world is more complicated that black-n-white dogmatism and rhetorics from the pulpit. Were you a subversive from an early age until you finally up and left? Again, not sure what you mean. Did I try to undermine some authority while I was Christian? No, I don't think so. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ouroboros Posted April 23, 2008 Share Posted April 23, 2008 fanatical enough to spend 3 hours of a week, listening to some cry baby blubber on about how the church has changed his or her life, on Testimony Sundays, or enough to spend 3 hours a month going to the LDS temple. there and back.... How about 2-3 hours meeting on Sunday, 2-3 hours meeting on Thursday, and a 3 hours "Cell group" meeting on Monday evenings. Besides any extra curriculum to help the Church with some new project, on Saturdays and sometimes weekdays... During one year, even went to Down town evangelizing each Saturday. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LtJayson Posted April 23, 2008 Share Posted April 23, 2008 I was indeed the cram it down your throat asshole! That's me! Then, I would train the teenagers at the church how to do the same thing! Basically did the "Way of the Master" Crap that Kirk Cameron and Ray Comfort started...even though I did it before they were doing it. In fact, I was already on the road to deconversion when I heard about their way of doing it! "Have you ever accidently taken a paperclip from work? Yes? Well, Guess what...by your own admission you are a theif...you have broken one of the ten commandments...you are bound for hell unless jesus comes to HEAL you spiritually" Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Antlerman Posted April 23, 2008 Share Posted April 23, 2008 Oh goody... thanks so much for opening this can of worm of my thoughts I'd prefer to forget! Ok, here it goes... Confessions of an Idiot Felt an obligation to Jesus to annoy the shit out of my family sharing his word, showing the clear cut truth right there on these here pages! Went to church 4 times a week, Tuesday, Thursday, and both morning and evening services Played piano occasionally for service Talked in tongues, laid hands on people, prayed up at the altar at the end of each service Never was a street preacher, but always tried to find an "in" to wiggle evangelism into the conversation Probably personally won over to Jesus around a dozen people, and was part of helping educate and shepherd more than that. (To which I am now doing my penance and apology to humanity and myself in instead actually trying to genuinely help people in supporting those who are getting out of that nonsense. My biggest guilt being helping a girl of 14 find Jesus in her life. I'm sure she wised up as she got older, but still.... the guilt to have even helped put that into her head! Then of course converting my wife following my conversion, who consequently after our divorce continued to raise my son as an evangelical Christian - to which to this day I do what I can to now try to bring some balance to his intelligent mind which has been infused with the muddle of evangelical blather). Studied and practiced apologetics in debate with all other Christians who didn't have the doctrines right Gave 10% of my income to idiots Attended and graduated Bible College on the way to becoming a pastor, but had the good sense to stop myself before doing even more harm to the world I think I need to go take a bath or something now.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alpha centauri Posted April 23, 2008 Share Posted April 23, 2008 I was pretty fanatical. I wrote songs, sermons and stories that were hardcore Christian. I spent hours on message boards praying for people. As far as I know, it never did change anything, except for maybe making someone feel better — which I can do without praying to the imaginary sky king/friend. I looked for signs of Christ's return and the impending end of the world as we know it by watching the news and sharing thoughts with others on a fundie message board. I remember walking my dog through the streets and intensely praying for everyone in their cars as they drove by, that they would accept Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior. A few years ago while on vacation in Florida, I read a book about the horrors of hell and remember feeling so sad for all the people who I thought would be going there. I would spend hours pouring through the Bible, and also sang in church choirs. I went from a liberal Christian church to a Southern Baptist one because I thought I was missing something, and had a "spiritual hunger" for more. I had a hunger all right, for the truth and for reason, for an alternative to the lies and superstitions of Christianity. I just didn't know it at the time. I would talk to people at work who were like-minded Christians, and we'd often talk about others who we pitied that weren't "saved." The funny thing is, one of these other co-workers has also drifted from her views as well, although she still hasn't abandoned Christianity entirely like I have. I was planning to attend seminary, and wanted to pursue a career as a pastor or missionary. I stupidly loved shows like "The Way of the Master," thinking they were so clever with their manner of reaching out (the phony money, etc.). And I would criticize my wife for watching the sinful shows on network TV. I bet she doesn't miss that. I look back now and I'm truly ashamed of it all. When I was reading the Bible with such a literal frame of mind, sure I had doubts, but I thought they were flaws of my own, not flaws with the belief system itself. I attended an adult Bible fellowship and even defended some of the more heinous passages of the Old Testament as being God's specific will for those people at the time because of their wickedness, etc. It was his right to judge as he saw fit, I reasoned. And when Jehovah's Witnesses would come to the door preaching, I'd start preaching back at them, telling them why they were wrong and why evangelical Christianity was true, and that I prayed the Holy Spirit would open their eyes to the truth. As they walked away wide-eyed, I'd sometimes follow them down the sidewalk or down the road, still preaching at them! So what happened? The doubts began to multiply. I could no longer march along as just another soldier (zombie) for Jesus. I work in an environment where there are non-Christians, and they are not evil, sinful rabble that need to be saved from themselves, as the church teaches. On the other hand, the people who are often the most messed up (with hypocondria, outbursts of anger, paranoia) in my office — and those who are most annoying — are the Christians. Even when I was swallowing the evangelical drivel hook, line and sinker, this was something that was troubling. I explained it away as being the devil's attacks. Seriously, I was a Bible literalist. I even wrote a song lampooning evolution and evolutionists (which I suppose would be a WICKED parody today). Finally, I began to take off the blinders. The Bible class taught us to take every word (jot and tittle) of the Bible as the gospel truth, good for instruction, and that god never changes. But there were too many things that didn't add up. And as others pointed out, you'd often get brotherly/sisterly love in church, but it was a free-for-all as people pulled out of the parking lot. To decompress, I "backslid" to the liberal Christian church my wife attends, and then even that was too rooted in fairy tales for me to take. I stopped attending church, and freed myself from the mind control that for far too long dominated my life. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest GlitterSno Posted April 25, 2008 Share Posted April 25, 2008 Jesus was the king of kings....I was the dick of dicks.. lol I was a VERY annoying, VERY judgmental, pain in the ASS. Do I believe in miracles? One.....that no one KILLED ME. One time, we went as far as invading someone's bedroom with other members of the church *Pastor included* to get rid of anything that was ungodly. THAT my dear people, is the work of a true asshole. There are many things that I am ashamed of when I look back at my holy roller days....things I can not BELIEVE I did. Another example......me, along with the pastor and 2 Sunday school teachers, went into a STRIP bar to get someone out of there. Can you imagine being a guy, minding your own business, watching a dancer and have THAT come in to yank you out like some teenager???? Again, an asshole at work. It is amazing to me that some people still talk to me!!!! They are thrilled that I am who I am now....gee, wonder WHY? I have apologized to a lot of people, would still love to get to the others that I have hurt....but no way to contact them. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Deva Posted April 25, 2008 Share Posted April 25, 2008 I mostly kept stuff to myself, (thank goodness I'm an introvert), but I had a literalistic view of the Bible, thought it was "holy" the "word of God" all that stuff. I also believed in hell, the devil, the rapture, and all the major teachings of the fundy church I was raised in. Even though long ago I dropped the notion of gays being "sinners," even 10 years ago I thought there was something seriously wrong with them. I wised up and gradually dropped all that conditioning. Its embarrassing to think that I bought it all hook, line and sinker. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Neon Genesis Posted April 25, 2008 Share Posted April 25, 2008 I guess I was a pretty average Christian. I went to church three times a week and back when I was a devout believer in my youth group days, I used to get involved in pretty much most church-related events. I also believed in a "literal" interpretation of the bible, that the Genesis story was actually true, along with all the other miracles of the bible. I believed hell was a place of eternal torment and fire and brimstone and God was going to send all the non-believers to it. Offline, the only time I tried converting anyone was my aunt who belonged to a more "relaxed" COC congregation that actually used musical instruments and those praise teams things. Back then I thought such things were evil and sinful and their entire congregation was going to hell. I tried converting my aunt by showing her the "error" of her ways. We both got pissed at each other for awhile, though my parents were on my side of the debate that my aunt was over-reacting, but of course, they thought she was an evil sinner too, so likely they were biased. Later on we eventually forgave each other and went back to talking to each other again but I didn't discuss religion with any of my relatives after that. The only other times I've tried converting people was when I tried converting some of my online friends, two of them who were agnostic and one of my Catholic friends. Neither of them got pissed this time but I didn't ever convert them, either. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kalidasa Posted April 25, 2008 Share Posted April 25, 2008 I wasn't hardcore at all. My belief was solely by default, for these reasons: 1. I was christened when I was four months old. 2. My parents told me I was a Christian whether I liked it or not. Mum still sees me as a Christian, in fact, and says I'll be one until I die. She wishes. 3. I went to a Christian school for seven years, and to make publicly known your non-religion opened you up to ridicule and hate. And yet people found out anyway. Nosy bastards. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts