Something that drives me NUTS

[Angel]

Ok, I will try to explain this the best way I can. *clears throat*

 

One thing that really annoys me about the christians I have had the displeasure to know is this.

If you are in church and something really good comes your way (what they consider being blessed) they say it is god that gave it to you. If something bad happens, you are either under "attack" or under a "test".

If you do not attend church and something really good happens, it is satan's way of keeping you in the "world" and away from god. If something bad happens, it is god's way of showing you that you need to be in church.

 

Is it just me or, duh?? I say whatever happens, just HAPPENS! I do not feel that there is someone or something in control of ever little event in our lives.

 

Just like with illness...(as I step up to the soap box) this is a subject that REALLY gets me mad. I was at a church service and the youth pastor/associate pastor was preaching. I remember this VERY well because it ticked me off. He said that when we are not healed from an illness, that it is never god's fault. It is ours. He said that if we are not healed, that means we have lack of faith. It is impossible to please god without faith (lol must be pretty ticked at me right now if this were true). If you have lack of faith, that means you have doubt, if you have doubt that is sin, if you have sin in your life that means you are not saved. SOOOOOO I took this as meaning, if you are not healed from your illness, that you are going to hell...am I wrong????? I pulled him to the side after the "service" and confronted him on this. I told him that my father was a christian and loved god, he died from his illness, so you mean to tell me he is tap dancing on hell's flames? He was like, no, no.... and he want to try to explain his way out of it. He still remained faithful to what he preached, he even noted that he had a cold he had been praying for god to take, he still had it so there is something that god is not happy about in his life. I rolled my eyes at him and stated again, "so you are trying to tell me my dad is in hell". He pretty muched brushed me off.

I left so mad that day....I tell ya, I am surprised I did not pop him.

Just like when my mother was dying of cancer, I turned to the church for support because it was a very hard time of my life. They said if I had enough faith, that the tumor would be gone and she would be healed. Well, she died that same week. I never felt so horrible. They put it in my head that it was on me whether she lived or died. It took me a long time to get over the feeling of guilt (which they LOVE to plant in you) that I had thinking that I played a part in her passing.

 

To think that they really believe that illness is a punishment, and if you are not healed, that means you are faithless. That is just plain air-headed. Did any of you have to deal with this crazy way of thinking????

[Amethyst]

Yes, it is not just you. People have so many self-fulfilling prophecies. And my mother died from cancer as well, and there were morons in the church who thought it was because she wasn't Christian enough.

 

Stupid idiots.

[Godless Dave]

God has a plan. The fact that His plan looks exactly like random chance is part of his plan. Glory!

[Angel]

Yes, it is not just you.  People have so many self-fulfilling prophecies.  And my mother died from cancer as well, and there were morons in the church who thought it was because she wasn't Christian enough. 

 

Stupid idiots. 

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

 

Sorry about your mom. That is terrible for them to think she was not "christian" enough... wtf? That to me is so disrespectful that it turns my stomach to say such things about someone when they pass. I suppose when we all die, it better not be from natural causes or we will burn.

[trashy]

Sounds like we've been to some of the same churches.

 

If you ever have the opportunity, you can always throw Hebrews 11 back in their face:

 

"and others were tortured, not accepting deliverance; that they might obtain a better resurrection:

36And others had trial of cruel mockings and scourgings, yea, moreover of bonds and imprisonment:

37They were stoned, they were sawn asunder, were tempted, were slain with the sword: they wandered about in sheepskins and goatskins; being destitute, afflicted, tormented;

38(Of whom the world was not worthy:) they wandered in deserts, and in mountains, and in dens and caves of the earth.

39And these all, having obtained a good report through faith, received not the promise: "

 

That one has the potential to knock the feet out from under most Word of Faith claims.

[Angel]

Sounds like we've been to some of the same churches. 

 

If you ever have the opportunity, you can always throw Hebrews 11 back in their face:

 

"and others were tortured, not accepting deliverance; that they might obtain a better resurrection:

  36And others had trial of cruel mockings and scourgings, yea, moreover of bonds and imprisonment:

  37They were stoned, they were sawn asunder, were tempted, were slain with the sword: they wandered about in sheepskins and goatskins; being destitute, afflicted, tormented;

  38(Of whom the world was not worthy:) they wandered in deserts, and in mountains, and in dens and caves of the earth.

  39And these all, having obtained a good report through faith, received not the promise: "

 

That one has the potential to knock the feet out from under most Word of Faith claims.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

 

Very good quote. One other part of scripture is the thorn in Paul's side. God refused to take that away.

[Eponymic]

Well hell yeah they want to attribute everything to God. They wouldn't want him to look irresponsible now would they?

[Amethyst]

I suppose when we all die, it better not be from natural causes or we will burn.

 

Since when is cancer not a natural cause? Come to think of it, can anything really be considered an "unnatural" cause of death? I mean, it's natural for people to die under certain circumstances. So I think it's really just superstition to say that a cause of death is natural or it isn't.

[Angel]

I also couldn't stop looking over at the recently paralyzed (quadraplegic) man sitting in his wheelchair- who just the week before had been dragged to the front of the church to be prayed over for healing, which obviously didn't occur.  I felt like the whole sermon was an excuse from the pastor as to why his faith prayers over this guy were ineffective.  What kind of asshole lays that kind of bs at the foot of a man who has just lost use of his entire body?

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

 

Now THAT brought up a bad memory. There was this young man, 21 at the time who had MS (multiple sclerosis) so bad, he could not speak, walk, or do anything for himself. He was totally crippled. His mom was looking for help for her son, and would drag him to church every Sunday and it was like a freak show. They would wheel him to the front of the church, everyone would put their hands on him and jabber their prayers and sob and moan over him. None of it ever worked. My dad was VERY MUCH against this, and he was an extreme christian. He felt that all they were doing was torturing this poor young man and only making matters worse for him, and that it was more of a circus act than anything.

The young man died I believe a year or so ago. I guess he did not have faith??? (according to these twits)

That kind of simple-minded, dumbass thinking needs to cease. I swear people like this get a kick out of hurting people. If they could only see beyond their religion to really take a look at the big picture, that they are only causing more hurt and more harm than anything.

[Panther]

Oh, the old famous "name it and claim it" type of teaching.

 

UGGGG!!!!

 

 

These people are SICK idiots!!! Morons!!! I was VERY peeved when I learned of this type of thinking.

 

First of all, who were these people to measure my faith? How could they possibly know me, my life, what I did and how I thought?

 

It made me livid to listen to them. They are REALLY spewing some damage out there with this crap and I will try to dispel it ANY time I come across it.

 

I know people that have suffered mental damage as a result of being in this type of a cult.

 

What they are doing is cold, callous and just plain vicious.

 

That sums it up.

[Angel]

Oh, the old famous "name it and claim it" type of teaching.

 

UGGGG!!!!

These people are SICK idiots!!! Morons!!! I was VERY peeved when I learned of this type of thinking.

 

First of all, who were these people to measure my faith? How could they possibly know me, my life, what I did and how I thought?

 

It made me livid to listen to them. They are REALLY spewing some damage out there with this crap and I will try to dispel it ANY time I come across it.

 

I know people that have suffered mental damage as a result of being in this type of a cult.

 

What they are doing is cold, callous and just plain vicious.

 

That sums it up.   

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

 

Very well put! That is EXACTLY the way they teach.. name it and claim it. They treat their god like he is a glorified bell-boy. Ring ring!! Oh jesus, we have a problem over here...fix it! You WILL fix it! Now this really puzzles me, because then who is really god? If they can tell their mighty god what to do, then I guess that makes THEM god?

You are right, it is a cult and what they are doing is exactly what you said.

[dr_funkenstein]

Honestly, it was the realisation that Christianity was basically using loaded dice in intepreting events that was the most powerful factor in my decision to deconvert.

 

Christianity basically says "heads I win, tails you lose". If something goes well, God is blessing you. If something goes badly, God is either allowing your faith to be tested, or you've allowed yourself to stray from God and under the influence of Satan.

 

Taking it a step further, if you start to see that manipulation for what it is and question it, there's another layer of manipulation. You start to think that satan is really getting to you and making you question your faith. You look to the book of Job when times are tough and say to yourself "if Job could still worship God through all that then so should I". That's round two of the brainwashing.

 

Ironically, for me it was the realisation of that brainwashing that woke me up and let me walk free.