pandora Posted August 5, 2005 Share Posted August 5, 2005 Quote from my mother in law, said to my husband and I as we had a heated discussion the other night. HUH? Since when is leaving the faith POPULAR? Although I realize that we are all subject to our own delusions, why do Christians think we are the ones the mob mentality? Ironic I suppose. She asked us some of the reasons we left (she thought we left because of being mildly burned by the church, but we didn't... her reply, "then WHY then?"). We replied with some of the historical information, such as that Jesus style myths were common in those days, and many predate Jesus, Constantine's role in Christianity's popularity and spread, etc, along with the expression that Christianity just doesn't make sense in a modern world. Get this... she says that her pastor told them that we would say that!!!!!!!!!! Apparently, her pastor talks a lot about non Christians and "how they think." Her pastor told her to say, "I am sorry you don't know Jesus like I do. I will pray for you." She couldn't say that to us though because she knows we DID know Jezuz like she did. My father in law then proceeded to yell at us and just gave us a phone lecture for bringing the topic up to his wife. WAHHHH "Don't hurt her, it's no use explaining yourselves..." I say that we should talk about it (reasonably of course) BECAUSE she is my husband's mother, and a good relationship between them from here on out requires some level of understanding. I hate it when people ignore the elephant in the room. It didn't end all badly after all. She eventually stopped crying and started to LOOK like she was actually pondering some of our issues. How long will I have to deal with this bullshit? If I knew that deconverting would cause her so much pain and us so much tension, then I wouldn't have told anyone.... GRRR Rant over. Thanks for listening. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ms. K Posted August 5, 2005 Share Posted August 5, 2005 Quote from my mother in law, said to my husband and I as we had a heated discussion the other night. HUH? Since when is leaving the faith POPULAR? Didn't you get the memo? All the cool kids are doing it...[/color=blue] Although I realize that we are all subject to our own delusions, why do Christians think we are the ones the mob mentality? Ironic I suppose. Because that's the mentality that Xians have....if the Collective thinks it's okay, then it's okay. [/color=blue] She asked us some of the reasons we left (she thought we left because of being mildly burned by the church, but we didn't... her reply, "then WHY then?"). We replied with some of the historical information, such as that Jesus style myths were common in those days, and many predate Jesus, Constantine's role in Christianity's popularity and spread, etc, along with the expression that Christianity just doesn't make sense in a modern world. There's your first mistake, arguing with logic and reason to someone who believes in a man-made construct... [/color=blue] Get this... she says that her pastor told them that we would say that!!!!!!!!!! Apparently, her pastor talks a lot about non Christians and "how they think." Her pastor told her to say, "I am sorry you don't know Jesus like I do. I will pray for you." She couldn't say that to us though because she knows we DID know Jezuz like she did. Ahh yes, the old, "You don't know Jeebus" speech. Her pastor thinks he knows non-Christians? I'm sure I could argue theology and doctrine much better than he can, but apparently all non-Christians think alike. No, the Collective is alive and well in Xian churches. [/color=blue] My father in law then proceeded to yell at us and just gave us a phone lecture for bringing the topic up to his wife. WAHHHH "Don't hurt her, it's no use explaining yourselves..." Yeah, I've heard this one before. It was directed at my husband by my FIL, "You made your mother cry, you shouldn't do that, she's your mother..." Mr. K responded with, "Well then, if she can't play with the big kids, she needs to pack her ball and go home." That's how I feel about that, incidentally. She asked YOU why you left. She brought the discussion on herself. She can't cry foul now, and FIL needs to STFU, honestly. [/color=blue] I say that we should talk about it (reasonably of course) BECAUSE she is my husband's mother, and a good relationship between them from here on out requires some level of understanding. I hate it when people ignore the elephant in the room. It didn't end all badly after all. She eventually stopped crying and started to LOOK like she was actually pondering some of our issues. How long will I have to deal with this bullshit? If I knew that deconverting would cause her so much pain and us so much tension, then I wouldn't have told anyone.... GRRR Rant over. Thanks for listening. <{POST_SNAPBACK}> *sigh* Yeah, this is a pain in the ass. This is why I have not come out of the closet with my in-laws. They will do nothing but berate me, and tell Mr. K that he should be firmer with me to keep me from falling away. Personally, I don't give a rat's ass what she or FIL think about it, but I don't want to hear it. Who needs that kind of aggravation? At this point, you have come out of the closet, the two of you, so to speak. And now she wants things the way they were, when you were part of the fold of sheeple to be pastored by someone who knows better than you. All you can do now is wait. Either she will get over it, or she won't. And if she doesn't, she's going to needle you FOREVER. Trust me on this one. I wish you all the best, but I wouldn't expect much at this point, other than perhaps the tactic of "You're the evil bitch that led my baby boy astray!" My in-laws employ that tactic quite often. It's almost a comedy routine now, because it's not like they treat him as anything but a second-class citizen...unless we are putting out collective foot down and saying no to the faaaamily craptaculars. Then it could NEVER be HIM that says no, it HAS to be MY fault. It's gotten old after nearly seven years. [/color=blue] Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ms. K Posted August 5, 2005 Share Posted August 5, 2005 Dammit...double-posted....carry on with your usual discussion.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pandora Posted August 5, 2005 Author Share Posted August 5, 2005 Dammit...double-posted....carry on with your usual discussion.... <{POST_SNAPBACK}> I truly believe she blames me for his deconversion. LOL I forgot to mentiont that she said that since Christmas and Easter were about God and Jesus, and since we didn't believe anymore, we were no longer invited to the family funtions surrounding the holidays. "You can't come around here looking for presents if you aren't Christian." Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Godless Wonder Posted August 5, 2005 Share Posted August 5, 2005 Heh, Christmas with it's pagan yule log, and Easter, with it's pagan rabbits and eggs, and for fuck's sake they didn't even bother to rename it. Sucks about the strife religion is causing your family. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
trashy Posted August 5, 2005 Share Posted August 5, 2005 Well, I guess I can save myself the trouble of my whole "Should I tell my parents?" thread I was about to start..... Especially since my dad is still pastoring after 45+ years and is now approaching 75.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Valgeir Posted August 5, 2005 Share Posted August 5, 2005 I get that a lot due to my youth... I'm an atheist because it's "popular"... well, no, it isn't, even in high school you can be ridiculed heavily for it. Besides, I was an atheist by the time I was in elementary school and Pokemon was cool. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Red Snyper Posted August 5, 2005 Share Posted August 5, 2005 Wow, that is harsh! You should tell her that because they are Christian, they can no longer participate in the pagan rituals of decorating trees and making easter eggs. LOL! <{POST_SNAPBACK}> That goes to show you how inconsistent Christianity is. At the church I once attended Christmas and Easter were forbidden so we probably would have had a much nicer "fellowship" with the unbelievers than with the Christians of the church that this poster has mentioned. Twisted, backwards and so confusing! Speaking of twisted and backwards Christianity, it reminds me of when I was proselytized into the Oneness Pentecostal church. Those people would have "fellowshipped" with the outright pagans and hellraisers before they would with other *gasp!* TRINITARIAN Christians and their three gods! Heathens! GLORY! RS Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
quicksand Posted August 5, 2005 Share Posted August 5, 2005 Get this... she says that her pastor told them that we would say that!!!!!!!!!! Well there is much new scholarship on the 4th and 5th century and the early development of this so-called monolithic religion and this research is beginning to really saturate the mainstream, so I wouldn't be too surprised that her Pastor has had a bulkward against this awakening to the non-historical assertions that Christianity has made about itself. Simple and rehashed apologetics of course, just poorly framed, ie "Trendy" as if the reasons why people are deconverting are of shallow motivations. Apparently, her pastor talks a lot about non Christians and "how they think." Her pastor told her to say, "I am sorry you don't know Jesus like I do. I will pray for you." She couldn't say that to us though because she knows we DID know Jezuz like she did. Hyperbole. She eventually stopped crying and started to LOOK like she was actually pondering some of our issues. Despite the tears, you never know what you could awaken in her. Yes awaken. She wants you to know Jesus as she knows Jesus, then perhaps she should meet you halfway, and know Jesus as you know Jesus for all the reason you listed above. Educate. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Son of Belial Posted August 5, 2005 Share Posted August 5, 2005 I knew an athiest in school. Another kid one told him "You don't believe in God?! I should throw you out the window!" Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
brick Posted August 6, 2005 Share Posted August 6, 2005 Ha, I got something similar once from my sister, "Oh Brian! You are NOT an atheist! You were baptised!" and implied I was just rebeling. Ya, but I've towelled off my head many times since..... Sorry for your pain, I know exactly how you feel. My whole family excluding my brother (who I hardly hear from anymore) are still Catholics raising Catholics. I've had to zip it at every family function. Groan, its like the blind leading the blind, but with a hidden, malicious agenda. I think I'm going to address it to them all soon though. I'm tired of my silence and they should know all my reasoning. I guess since they're family I owe them that. Wish me luck, and best of luck to you too! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ms. K Posted August 6, 2005 Share Posted August 6, 2005 I truly believe she blames me for his deconversion. LOL I forgot to mentiont that she said that since Christmas and Easter were about God and Jesus, and since we didn't believe anymore, we were no longer invited to the family funtions surrounding the holidays. "You can't come around here looking for presents if you aren't Christian." <{POST_SNAPBACK}> Wow, what a bitch she is! I guess it means you don't have to spend money on ungrateful people like her, then, hmmm? I'd tell her that if she were to follow her religion like a TRUE Christian, she wouldn't decorate trees or dye eggs, since those are PAGAN customs...and watch her sputter to a halt. The things religion does to people....what a shitty attitude for her to have! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fortunehooks Posted August 6, 2005 Share Posted August 6, 2005 call me hooks, but i thought rejecting yeshua was always the way to go. folks in his day rejected his alleged teachings, and supposedly killed him for it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Amethyst Posted August 6, 2005 Share Posted August 6, 2005 HUH? Since when is leaving the faith POPULAR? That's funny, I get the impression that it's extremely unpopular to leave it. But then again, I've never been popular in my life. I forgot to mentiont that she said that since Christmas and Easter were about God and Jesus, and since we didn't believe anymore, we were no longer invited to the family funtions surrounding the holidays. "You can't come around here looking for presents if you aren't Christian." Now that's just plain bigotry. Christmas is more secular than ever these days. I know atheists who exchange gifts. The holidays are really an excuse to spend time with family that you wouldn't otherwise spend. Use it if you want to, don't use it if you don't want to. I think it's terribly sad that they are shutting you out. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Son of Belial Posted August 7, 2005 Share Posted August 7, 2005 That's funny, I get the impression that it's extremely unpopular to leave it. But then again, I've never been popular in my life.Now that's just plain bigotry. Christmas is more secular than ever these days. I know atheists who exchange gifts. The holidays are really an excuse to spend time with family that you wouldn't otherwise spend. Use it if you want to, don't use it if you don't want to. I think it's terribly sad that they are shutting you out. <{POST_SNAPBACK}> Especially since those holidays were never Christian to begin with. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Amethyst Posted August 7, 2005 Share Posted August 7, 2005 Especially since those holidays were never Christian to begin with. True. You might as well just throw a party and call it a "Winter Solstice Party" or something. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brutal Brian Posted August 7, 2005 Share Posted August 7, 2005 Hey Pandora, You're onto something here, and I agree with you 300%. Christians and other fuckers will also use this same point to construe Bush haters and say that hating Bush is trendy, even though I have hated Fundies for almost 10 years since I deconverted from Xtianity, and I have hated Bush's ass since he "bitched" his way to the Oval Office. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pariah Posted August 7, 2005 Share Posted August 7, 2005 I hear alot of shit like this at the Christian high-school I've been forced to attend (it's horrible). Anyone who openly questions or rejects Christianity is deemed a rebel troublemaker or an "Immature Christian" and the staff and the especially devout students see it as their job to help these wayward souls "mature in Christ". This help basically involves endlessly spouting mindless platitudes and cliche apologetics (like Pascal's wager) until the "Immmature Christian" learns to keep their heathen opinions to themselves. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Thurisaz Posted August 7, 2005 Share Posted August 7, 2005 HUH? Since when is leaving the faith POPULAR? Since the accursed day when a babbler... err, preacher... needed a new slogan for use from the pulpit. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Thurisaz Posted August 7, 2005 Share Posted August 7, 2005 I knew an athiest in school. Another kid one told him "You don't believe in God?! I should throw you out the window!" Did or didn't fundie brat forget the mandatory "Heil Jesus!" after that statement? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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