PaulQ Posted December 28, 2008 Share Posted December 28, 2008 I've found the secret to driving a Christian completely nuts is to become a great success at whatever you do, and enjoy life. I know this because it used to really bug me when I used to believe. How could the non-believers get such good marks in school? How come they seem to have a job they enjoy, and appear to have more money? When I was a kid, I would always wonder, why did the non-believing kid get a cool new moped or minibike, and I had my old clunker hand-me-down pedal bike? In high school, I wondered why the non-believing kids got a new car, and I had to take the bus. I prayed for those better marks that never happened. I prayed for a moped or a dirtbike. I prayed real hard for a new car and a good job. My prayers were not being answered, yet the non-believers seemed to get whatever they wished and were happy about it. They never seemed to have to pay any price for their disbelief. Why, I used to pray; why shouldn't something real good happen to me? As a non-believer, success came a lot easier, because my life truly became my own. Having an extra day to do whatever I wanted helped; but so did the realization that I could answer my own prayers. It is possible to get a glimpse of the future from purely secular, materialistic sources. Suddenly, I could get an A, or even an A+. I could get that job I wanted. I was free to do what I wanted, whenever I wanted. Everything became my choice; even the choice to smoke or not smoke. Or drink or not drink. I was no longer powerless to an invisible higher power; giving up smoking became as simple as putting down that last cigarette. Not drinking alcohol is as simple as it sounds. That said, I have the power also to enjoy the occasional drink or cigar without becoming addicted. It was easier to find that strength from within, once I stopped looking for that strength from some higher power. You can do it as well, being free from the shackles of religion. Your life is yours, your decisions are yours to make. I've had to deal with a lot of resentment from family members who still believe, but I've learned to relish that resentment. It means I must be doing pretty good in life to get that kind of attention, and it's shown me how those people are really like. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Super Moderator florduh Posted December 28, 2008 Super Moderator Share Posted December 28, 2008 It has always been true - "Living well is the best revenge." - George Herbert Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Stine Posted December 28, 2008 Share Posted December 28, 2008 I totally agree with what you (DigitalQuirk) write about life being your own now and choices being yours. It was just the same for me: as a christian, I was always looking for god to give me the strength (that he supposedly provided for his true believers) for whatever I had to do. I prayed and trusted and waited all my christian life. I got serious depressions at the time, by the way. And today I can simply do whatever I want to do! During my deconversion process I started to find out that the power for all I want to do lies within myself, and it’s up to me, whether I do or don’t do it, and not up to some higher power. And interestingly enough: as I found out that I can very well change my life by my very own choices and actions, my depressions disappeared… I think what we are talking about here is responsibility and independence, both qualities that christians (at least fundamentalists) reject, they seem to want to stay immature, not responsible, and ever-dependant, or maybe even something like addicted (interestingly enough, in the German language there is just one word for the meanings “dependant” and “addicted”!). Sad. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rosy_mary Posted December 28, 2008 Share Posted December 28, 2008 I agree heartily with all of this. I didn't anticipate the personal freedom and power that deconversion would bring me. Now I finally realize that I am the one responsible for my life--not God, not the pastor, no one but me. Instead of agonizing over what an invisible friend might want me to be, I create myself through my own choices. As a Christian, my belief was that Christians were supposed to just keep themselves busy on earth until they finally died and started living "for real" in heaven. Now my outlook on life is completely different. I know that this life will probably be the only chance I get, so I want to make the most of it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
par4dcourse Posted December 28, 2008 Share Posted December 28, 2008 A healthy attitude. It also boosts my self esteem to know anything I do for others comes from me, not because of the sky daddy's threats. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kurari Posted December 28, 2008 Share Posted December 28, 2008 This is quite the truth. I have a Christian friend of mine who complains all the time about her job and her life, and admitted to me that she's jealous of me. The difference between her and I, and pretty much everybody I was was ever jealous of in the past, is that we work for what we want. We don't sit around in jobs we hate or sit around wishing for things. We put the effort into getting them because we know it comes from us. Every rat bastard I've ever known got the good things was because they did stuff like studied hard in school so they could have a good career, and then worked hard to be successful. Yeah, some of them got fantastic windfalls from having, say, a great aunt that left them a fortune when she passed. But for most of them, they might be shiteaters as people, but their good fortune didn't come from the sky either. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OpheliaGinger Posted December 29, 2008 Share Posted December 29, 2008 God will get back at them. He'll make them flunk a major test, make them wreck their new car, or have someone steal that new bike. Yep, that all mighty justice of God. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Robbobrob Posted December 29, 2008 Share Posted December 29, 2008 Should not this be Christian proof that the non-beleiver has sold his soul to the devil? And the Devil is giving the person all this great stuff, just chomping on the bit for the traditional 7 years of such contracts to be up so he can get the person into Hell. Or is this even too fantastical for fundie Christians to believe anymore? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mwc Posted December 29, 2008 Share Posted December 29, 2008 If a non-believer gets "things" then it's because they're "worldly" and the devil is "worldly" and so this apparent success is just to ensnare the weak, selfish and greedy. Don't be of the world. This is the path to destruction. If a believer gets "things" then it's because "god" is blessing them. They are a beacon to draw others to the "god" and his glory. These items are of the world but not to the glory of the world. Only those truly strong in the faith can be trusted with such responsibility. If a non-believer suffers a loss it is because they were "deceived" and felt they, like "Lucifer," were better than "god" and needed to be humbled for their idolatry, pride and lack of belief. They should give their earthly possessions to the church and repent. If a believer suffers a loss it is because they were "deceived" and felt they, like "Lucifer," were better than "god" and needed to be humbled for their idolatry, pride and lack of repentance. They should give their earthly possessions to the church and repent. mwc Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
R. S. Martin Posted December 29, 2008 Share Posted December 29, 2008 If a non-believer suffers a loss it is because they were "deceived" and felt they, like "Lucifer," were better than "god" and needed to be humbled for their idolatry, pride and lack of belief. They should give their earthly possessions to the church and repent. If a believer suffers a loss it is because they were "deceived" and felt they, like "Lucifer," were better than "god" and needed to be humbled for their idolatry, pride and lack of repentance. They should give their earthly possessions to the church and repent. mwc Am I seeing double or are those two paragraphs really the same except that one says "non-believer" and the other says "believer"? I think it's the latter. And, if so, I suspect it is "the church"--the obvious recipient of said wealth--that is making the statement. I happen to be somewhat familiar with how churches are run. There tends to be a human rep of "god" at the top and this human rep of god, if successful, knows how to manipulate the masses so as to get his (usually; once in a while it might be her) hands on this wealth. This then allows said human rep to attend "very important meetings" in a private jet here and there across the country like most people attend meetings here and there in the building, city, or county. The rep will do this with a perfectly clear conscience because he deserves it; he's doing god's work, after all, saving souls, etc., making a difference for eternity. There's just no way to fight power like that. And I agree that the best revenge is living a good life. It's so good to see some evidence that this really does drive the christies crazy. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PaulQ Posted December 29, 2008 Author Share Posted December 29, 2008 Should not this be Christian proof that the non-beleiver has sold his soul to the devil? And the Devil is giving the person all this great stuff, just chomping on the bit for the traditional 7 years of such contracts to be up so he can get the person into Hell. Or is this even too fantastical for fundie Christians to believe anymore? That's fine, but try telling that to a kid who's watching all the non-believers grinning, laughing, and having fun with their new toys. It only serves to eat at them more. Then after waiting for 7 years, they see the non-believer finding even greater success in life; say, that 9 year old who got the minibike gets a brand new car at 16, then graduates with honours shortly after their 18th birthday, goes on to College, and lands a sweet job at 21. At that point, the Christian starts wondering if god has something real nasty in store for that non-believer, until they realize that, by the age of 30, the non-believer will have had such a great life, nothing else would matter. God will get back at them. He'll make them flunk a major test, make them wreck their new car, or have someone steal that new bike. Yep, that all mighty justice of God. Yes! That is exactly how I used to think, to cope with the situation. It drove me nuts when things like that didn't happen, and it was a Christian who flunked a major test, wrecked their car, or had their bike stolen. But then I'd just keep on telling myself, something worse will happen to the non-believer. Pretty sad, isn't it? Hoping for misery of another human. Amazing that I was in my early 20's when I began to realize that things weren't adding up. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Princess Bitch Posted December 30, 2008 Share Posted December 30, 2008 Fuck yeah. My life is way better since I finally rid myself of *all* religion, not just christianity. It only took six years. :rolls eyes: Wish I had figured my life out 20 years ago and saved myself a lot of bullshit and heartache. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mwc Posted December 30, 2008 Share Posted December 30, 2008 Am I seeing double or are those two paragraphs really the same except that one says "non-believer" and the other says "believer"? I think it's the latter. Very close. The other difference was the non-believer had a "lack of belief" while the believer had a "lack of repentance." Getting all those worldly goods aren't so identical but when problems happen to both a believer or non-believer the explanations are virtually identical. It's a pathetic situation. The "church" (whether it's one guy speaking for "god" or the mighty pope) does benefit because who else can? They never tell you to give your stuff to some random heathen (unless you're out converting them). Those earthly possessions "puffed you up" and now you must learn humility by losing them. It doesn't matter who you are or what you believe and then you must come to "god." It's usually the same story every time. mwc Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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