Guest Zenobia Posted June 20, 2008 Share Posted June 20, 2008 As many of you know, my husband has serious heart condition. This has been going on for two years and his condition has slowly degraded. Today our heart Transplant Board let him know that he qualifies for the heart transplant list. Anyway, during the course of the two years... I've noticed just how "compassionate" some Christians can be. In fact, I've noticed that the more "Christian" they are - the less compassionate they are. I haven't done a formal study although that would be fascinating... but just going off my own personal experience: The most caring and concerned people have been those who are least religious of all. These are the agnostics, or the pagans, and the kinds of Christians who believe in Jesus, but thats about it. They don't go to church or bother with the bible. These are the people who have helped us in so many ways. Offering encouragement, listening when i needed to talk, helping clean our house, mow our lawn... just about anything. These were the giving, caring people who I will never forget. Second on my list are the Catholic Christians. Although they have their beliefs, mostly they didn't try to force anything on us, aside from saying they would keep us in their prayers. Not quite as willing to part with their time, of course, but still outwardly very caring and concerned. Third on my list are the Mormons. The few Mormons I do know have all been very kind, although it's subltly obvious they do judge us a tad, like maybe they secretly think god is "punishing" us or something, they are still kind enough to ask how we are doing from time to time. Least caring of all are the Fundies. I work with several, and NOT ONE has so much as asked how my husband is doing. All of them know what's going on. But they don't say anything. So, my conclusion from this personal experience is that the more zealous the Christian is, the less compassionate he or she is. The more they study Jesus's teachings, the less they seem to follow them. So maybe they just shouldn't study at all. They'd sure be a lot more mellow and friendly. Just my personal take, thought you all might find it interesting. Granted, this is not a blanket rule, I'm sure there are exceptions everywhere... but in general, this truly has been my experience. Not that it comes as a surprise. LOL... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brother Jeff Posted June 20, 2008 Share Posted June 20, 2008 The most zealous fundies I have ever known have been the least Christlike. One example stands out in my mind. I went to work for a guy a few years ago with the intention of learning the furniture refinishing trade. What the guy really hired me for was to "save" me. He was always listening to something Christian. He read nothing but the bible, and he didn't watch TV. This guy was the most zealous Christian I have ever known - a real religious nut! He continually harangued me with his religious bullshit, and when I complained about it, he got very ugly very fast. He yelled at me that he could make me wear an "I Love Jesus" T-Shirt if he wanted to, and when I told him that "no, he couldn't legally do that", the shit really hit the fan. We finally had it out. The job lasted all of a few days, and I didn't learn a damn thing about the furniture refinishing trade. This guy was a complete and total ASSHOLE, and religion made him that way. If I was Jesus, I would spew this sorry excuse for a Christian out of my mouth. Sometimes I think I understand the Lard. I hope everything goes well for you and your husband. Glory! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Zenobia Posted June 20, 2008 Share Posted June 20, 2008 It's really trdue, BJ... the more immersed they are in christinsanity - the nastier they can be. I can't STAND judgemental, opinionated, blaring FUNDIES. They all come across like a big, hot fart. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Neon Genesis Posted June 20, 2008 Share Posted June 20, 2008 I've noticed this a lot too, that it seems like the more fundie the xtian is, the more hypocritical and judgmental they are but the less devout xtians have always been the nicest ones. Sure, the fundies at my family's church will pretend to be "nice" to you when you're at church, but it's always superficial, and you never hear from them the rest of the week and they never want to do anything with you unless you happen to be part of the popular crowd. They've also been the least sympathetic in my experience. A few years back when my grandfather died, hardly any of them ever said anything about it to me. The preacher was the only one who said anything nice at all. And fundies pretend to be nice and caring and always love bomb any new visitors, but then they turn around and act like judgmental hypocrites to anyone who disagrees with their beliefs, so you know that it's just for show. I also have always felt like I never could trust fundies with anything because of how judgmental and hypocritical they can be, so I try to keep my private life to myself. I don't even like to discuss things like my interests and hobbies with them because I just don't trust them at all and I'm afraid of their judgmental attitudes. On the other hand, the Christians who have been the nicest to me have always been the least devout. Like some of my friends are liberal and backsliding xtians and I have one Catholic friend, but she mostly keeps her faith to herself unless the subject gets brought up by someone else and she's always non-judgmental. I've always counted on them more than the fundies I grew up with and they've always been there for me when I needed it, and I feel like I can talk to them about most anything. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted June 20, 2008 Share Posted June 20, 2008 On a smoke break during a fundie recording session one night a homeless man (who I had befriended before) came up to ask if we had any change, and even offered me a slice of free pizza he had just gotten from the Papa John's across the street! The xtian(who was the one smoking a cigeratte, I was out there for some fresh air and to strech my legs) saw him coming and said "Marty, Marty! We need to go inside NOW!" "For what? Him?" I asked, seeing the homeless man approaching. "He's harmless, I know him." Still, he put his cig out and went inside before this man even said hello to me. He offered me a slice of pizza he had just scored, which I of course politely turned down, he needed it more than me, and asked if I had any change so he could buy a drink to wash his dinner down with. As I was rummaging thru my car to find him some change, the client stuck his head out the door and told me I had a phone call. So I gave homeless man whatever change I could find and went inside. I thought it was really funny, this xtian was actually scared for our safety from this harmless (and black, wonder if that had anything to do with it) man that had no home. As I am washing my hands in the bathroom he told me he felt he had to "save" me from talking to that man and so he made up the phone call to get me back inside. "Ya know, he is not some untouchable person like in Hinduism. He is a human being just trying to survive like all of us. Most homeless in the US are veterans too. There is no reason to fear him. Now let's finish this mix." And in his eyes, I'm the one with no morals who live only for myself... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
godlessgrrl Posted June 21, 2008 Share Posted June 21, 2008 Fundies are the modern Pharisees. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jenna Posted June 21, 2008 Share Posted June 21, 2008 I find this sad, but to be expected. My husband has been in and out of the hospital for the past few years, with hip replacements, biopsies, and pneumonia which nearly killed him. As a result, I could not work, and our money for bills and house payments was extremely low. So I went to a church and asked if there was anyway they could help us. Their response was "we only help our own members". The minister actually came to our house a few days later, and came across like everything that was going on was our fault, since we didn't have enough faith in the Lord. I may be out of line here, but what total bullsh*t. And they call themselves Christians? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Zenobia Posted June 21, 2008 Share Posted June 21, 2008 Neon Genesis A few years back when my grandfather died, hardly any of them ever said anything about it to me. The preacher was the only one who said anything nice at all. And fundies pretend to be nice and caring and always love bomb any new visitors, but then they turn around and act like judgmental hypocrites to anyone who disagrees with their beliefs, so you know that it's just for show. Exactly!! A friend of mine (who is NOT a fundy!) said she thinks fundies have something "dark" inside them that makes them that way - like they're drawn toward negative, critical thinking, like they are damaged. I believe "damaged" people can fix themselves (after all I did it!) but some just don't think they have a problem. Most fundies are ALWAYS RIGHT and everyone else around them is ALWAYS WRONG. Their thinking is superficial, black and white and flawed. I'm sorry you suffered because of them as well. Marty "Ya know, he is not some untouchable person like in Hinduism. He is a human being just trying to survive like all of us. Most homeless in the US are veterans too. There is no reason to fear him. Now let's finish this mix." And in his eyes, I'm the one with no morals who live only for myself... If their own Jesus suddenly appeared right there - he'd have been helping out the poor homeless dude... not hiding from him. It's really true - the more the read their babble, the less they seem to grasp what it says. Gwenmead Fundies are the modern Pharisees. Amen to that!! Madame M I think it is pretty much true that line from Star Wars, "Fear leads to anger, anger leads to hate." Fundies are hateful because they are so angry. They are angry because they have so much fear built up inside them from all the teachings on hell, end times, satan, demons, god's wrath..etc. I think they are also angry because they are so negative in their thinking. It's a self perpetuating cycle. they judge everyone around them constantly, and they think everyone around them is inferior and they are superior... that kind of thinking is not positive or uplifting. It is critical and degrading, and bound to have a negative impact on them. jenna So I went to a church and asked if there was anyway they could help us. Their response was "we only help our own members". The minister actually came to our house a few days later, and came across like everything that was going on was our fault, since we didn't have enough faith in the Lord. I may be out of line here, but what total bullsh*t. And they call themselves Christians? I'm so sorry you went through that... You know... about 20 years ago I belonged to a fundamentalist church. One of the most extreme ones out there. My father was a member but my mother was not (she was still "christian" just not in their church anymore). When my dad died, they had paid her a "widow's pension" - this was a fund which was paid for by baptised church members who tithed every 3rd year after baptism to support widows and orphans. Once the church admin. found out mom had left the church, they stopped paying her the pension. They definately have a "country club" mentality. And no, I don't think it's "christian" - at least, not in the sense that it is "christ-like"... I don't think it is HUMAN either. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jenna Posted June 21, 2008 Share Posted June 21, 2008 What really got me going also was when this exact same church decided to put on their message board "If you love Me, keep My commandments". And then they show up for Sunday services. Hypocritical bastards. Whatever happened to "love one another"? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Zenobia Posted June 21, 2008 Share Posted June 21, 2008 Same thing that happened to "thou shalt not hill" and "thou shalt not commit adultry" and every other commandment. They pick and choose. Whatever is convenient for them at the time. LOL... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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