Facebook

[par4dcourse]

I only recently put a page on Facebook, hoping to connect to some long lost school chums. I also signed up for the ex-c page. That's when the fun began.

Now I'm receiving almost daily messages such as "I'll pray for you" and "God still loves you."

I don't want your damn prayers and I damn sure don't believe the sky-daddy exists or cares about me.

Anybody had similar experiences. Is there some way to stop those messages without hurting feelings? (Some of them are from acquaintences.)

[florduh]

Funny you should mention it.

 

I joined facebook through Ex-C a while ago but never used it and eventually cancelled my account. Recently I got interested in a couple of the games my friends play, so I rejoined facebook, but I anticipated the unwanted prayers and questions and evangelizing I would generate when I got active so I don't have Ex-C on there. I'm barely capable of navigating the site at this point so I'm no expert, but I think the only control you have is what information of yours shows up publicly. If I don't want to continue seeing someone else's repetitive crap postings or be bothered for a chat, I remove them as a friend.

 

(If you want to play Mobsters 2 (I'm Stinky Stugats) my mob needs to grow, and I also need to add to my clan of undead in Vampire Wars (I'm Count Flatula). I also have a competition with some friends with Bejeweled Blitz. I know, I need to get a life. See you on facebook? Be my friend????

[Midnight-mindwanderings]

well if you don't want to see anything they post you can 'hide' them. Its a button that appears when you mouse over to the right of whatever it is they have said. Chances are eventually those messages will stop if you ignore them unless its a mass posted message or an application. If you hide them in your feed, you will just have to go to their homepage to see what's going on with them. Most people I realized that I didn't care about that much I just unfriended.

 

I honestly never got any comments about my ex-c app, but its not the only one like it.

[★ Citsonga ★]

Considering that most of my family and friends are believers, I have not had any desire to get on Facebook, since I know I couldn't be myself without being misunderstood and have people witnessing to me. Of course, I'm also already busy enough with work, family, email, message boards, eBay, music and reading, so I really don't need to try to add yet another thing to my list of things to keep up with, so that's another reason why I have avoided Facebook.

[sarahgrace]

I was actually surprised at how little reaction I have gotten from my old church folks. I've only been blatantly evangelized once in my four years on facebook; otherwise, I've been pretty much left alone. And I am REALLY open about my atheism on there too.

[qadeshet]

I play Mafia Wars, Vampire Wars, and Pirates.

 

http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?ref=profile&id=1821114608

[hereticzero]

I think if you remove the poster from your friends list you won't get anymore postings from that person.

[ClaraOlive]

Don't add people who you don't want to talk to- no one can be put on your friends list without your permission.

 

You can also put all the evangelizers in a group and limit their access to seeing things like your status updates. You can also hide other people's status updates.

 

I feel like I'm constantly being disappointed- I'll reconnect with someone who I remember as being laid back and liberal about religion... and they'll have turned into a huge Bible thumper. I've considered unfriending most of my former Christian school classmates... but that's our only remaining connection and it's hard to let that go. Even if my time at school was mostly bad, it was still part of my life, and I kind of feel like totally cutting myself away from it is like losing a piece of my life.

[khdetw]

I hear all of you!

I just added a bunch of friends to my facebook account, people I know from work or school mostly. It's amazing how many of them can't post anything without framing it in the context of an imaginary being. But you don't dare point that out if you want to have any social life.

 

This one gave me a big laugh.

 

_NAME_REMOVED_ is asking for prayers for a friend in an "unspoken prayer request". Please, my fellow Christain (SIC) brothers and sisters, lift up a friend in prayer. Though, you don't know the details, God does.

 

um ... so, God[TM] already knows and could fix the problem, but He won't unless I tell Him to? Somehow my praying is going to make God[TM] do something He wouldn't do otherwise? hmmm.. doesn't that make Me God? Why not just bypass the middleman? LOL Well at least she specified Which God she was referring to. Non Christians needn't pray. Amazing! Maybe that where the song Amazing Grace originated!

[HRDWarrior]

I am on FB, and have Ex-C on there, but I don't have it posting to my wall anymore (a simple click of the options below one of the blog posts turns it off). Most of my friends on there either aren't that active, or aren't fundy christian types if they are. The one friend who learned through FB that I was no longer a christian was cool about it, and we still chat regularily. There are two old friends from back where I grew up who just got on FB and added me as their friend - we'll see how that goes. It's not like I'm chatting about religion on there, but they're both still in fundy land so I'm sure they'll find out eventually. Although I'm suprised they don't already know since the one gal is my mother's friend, and my mom knows....I find it interesting that she never shared that tidbit with her.

 

Said lady keeps sending me christian "requests" (such as "jesus is love" requests), and I simply click on the "block this application" below them when she sends one - I'm hoping she'll either run out of new ones, or get the hint.

 

Since I'm not keeping it a secret that I'm out of christianity, it doesn't bother me too much. I can always unfriend them if I need to!

 

 

[khdetw]

well if you don't want to see anything they post you can 'hide' them. Its a button that appears when you mouse over to the right of whatever it is they have said.

 

Thanks - I did that, but I can't figure out how to unhide them again (having second thoughts). I got to thinking, if I can't tolerate the religious incantations from people who are considered friends, I'm being just as narrow as they are. That's what I want to get away from! It's who they are after all.

[Japedo]

I'm on FB and a large part of my friends list consists of Christians and republicans. Same as real life I guess. No one's taken me on or offered to pray for me, I'm prepared for it when/if they do. For the most part I love and respect my friends and loved ones more then I hate their dogma. They don't push it on my therefor there's no need for me to push back.

 

As to the FB Games, I'm level 350 on Mafia wars (okay so I have no life ) And my other vice is Farmville, I love that game too. Anyones free to add me.

 

 

My FB link

[sarahgrace]

well if you don't want to see anything they post you can 'hide' them. Its a button that appears when you mouse over to the right of whatever it is they have said.

 

Thanks - I did that, but I can't figure out how to unhide them again (having second thoughts). I got to thinking, if I can't tolerate the religious incantations from people who are considered friends, I'm being just as narrow as they are. That's what I want to get away from! It's who they are after all.

 

If you scroll down to the bottom of your news feed (and make sure it's news feed, NOT live feed), you'll see a button on the bottom right that says "Edit Options." Click it, and it will bring up a list of the applications/contributors that you have blocked from your feed. Beside each is a button you can click to show it again. Hope this helps.

[khdetw]

well if you don't want to see anything they post you can 'hide' them. Its a button that appears when you mouse over to the right of whatever it is they have said.

 

Thanks - I did that, but I can't figure out how to unhide them again (having second thoughts). I got to thinking, if I can't tolerate the religious incantations from people who are considered friends, I'm being just as narrow as they are. That's what I want to get away from! It's who they are after all.

 

If you scroll down to the bottom of your news feed (and make sure it's news feed, NOT live feed), you'll see a button on the bottom right that says "Edit Options." Click it, and it will bring up a list of the applications/contributors that you have blocked from your feed. Beside each is a button you can click to show it again. Hope this helps.

 

Hey, Thanks Sarah. I do computer support for NASA so I should be able to figure this out 'eh? I'm just feeling that FB is essentially a time waster with little redeeming value. This thread has more meaningful content that most of what people post on their FB pages. Which is probably why I'm spending time here, not there. Have a great Sunday!

[Vomit Comet]

A friend of mine got "outed" as a result of Facebook and they've been fucking with him ever since. That's why I won't touch it. I want them to think I'm dead. If I refused to accept their request or whatever then they would automatically know something wasn't right and the intervention (re: fucking with Vomit Comet's serene, contented agnostic life) would commence immediately. Best not to set myself up for it to begin with.

[ShallowByThyGame]

I'll happily defend my atheism if someone brings it up, but I'm pretty mum about it and so are others...but I have mostly young nerdy friends...and I don't make friends at churches.

[ClaraOlive]

It kind of hurts my feelings that I outed myself on Facebook and not a single one of my former friends said anything. They've acted like I've stopped existing.

 

While I wasn't gunning for an attack, I did want to be able to talk about why I had changed... I guess it's just as well that no one said anything, because I'm glad that I never turned into the "reverse-evangelist"... but I wish someone had at least acknowledged it.

[oddbird1963]

I have a lot of old classmates on facebook who are Christians. It's very frustrating to try to read a string of status updates only to have a cut and paste of some verse from Psalms or Proverbs or to have a "friend" praising Jesus for this or thanking God for that. It seems so artificial , formulaic and contrived.

 

 

I'd rather know what's going on in a friends life or in between their ears in their own terms without them dragging a god into it.

[Vigile]

I have a lot of old classmates on facebook who are Christians. It's very frustrating to try to read a string of status updates only to have a cut and paste of some verse from Psalms or Proverbs or to have a "friend" praising Jesus for this or thanking God for that. It seems so artificial , formulaic and contrived.

 

 

I'd rather know what's going on in a friends life or in between their ears in their own terms without them dragging a god into it.

 

One of my old friends wrote this the other day:

 

Wonder and amazement again...just having a killer Monday...great start to my busy week!!!

 

I laughed out loud as I read it. It's just such a contrived pollianish way to go through life. I suspect he doesn't feel this way at all but is pushing through the shit like 'name it, claim it' televangelists and like 'fake it 'till you make it' Amway pyramiders do.

[Tabula Rasa]

Forgive the slight thread hijack, but I'd like to ask an etiquette question regarding facebook. One of my highschool friends convinced me to sign up, and I got a lot of friend requests from old schoolmates. Thing is though, I accepted from a lot of people I wasn't sure where I remember them from. Would it be wrong to just defriend them without sending them a pm explaining why?

[bdp]

Forgive the slight thread hijack, but I'd like to ask an etiquette question regarding facebook. One of my highschool friends convinced me to sign up, and I got a lot of friend requests from old schoolmates. Thing is though, I accepted from a lot of people I wasn't sure where I remember them from. Would it be wrong to just defriend them without sending them a pm explaining why?

 

It's been done to me; it stung at first but I had to face the fact that I thought there was a deeper connection than the other person did. You have a right to manage it any way you wish. If anyone's that hurt they'll say so.

 

I put a status update on my page regarding my financial situation and only one person responded to it at all. I have a very small friends list, people who I know fairly well and who I had reason to think would be responsive; it was very disappointing, and I've deactivated the account, at least temporarily.

[oddbird1963]

Forgive the slight thread hijack, but I'd like to ask an etiquette question regarding facebook. One of my highschool friends convinced me to sign up, and I got a lot of friend requests from old schoolmates. Thing is though, I accepted from a lot of people I wasn't sure where I remember them from. Would it be wrong to just defriend them without sending them a pm explaining why?

 

 

I don't think you owe an explanation to people with whom you've had very little contact in several years. Unless you think there will be some ugly real-time social consequences, just quietly defriend them and get on with your life.

[Midnight-mindwanderings]

they shouldn't notice you defriending them, especially if you don't actually talk to them in real life. I had the very same thing happen. I was creeped out that I knew more about these people now than when I actually knew them. Then there were those that I never really liked anyway and getting messages about their stupid life was annoying. Shouldn't ruffle any feathers to clean up your friends list. I use facebook because I don't have a cell phone .

[thefriendlyghost]

I have one fundy FB friend who is pious on the surface, but uses cuss words in private messages. She watches Fox News all day long, as if it is a requirement of her newfound faith, and has really gotten very conservative in every way but language and exterior- tats, alt rock clothing and hair styles, etc. I think she wants to seem kinda liberal, So's not to scare away potential converts. Hipster xtian. But, she's mellowed out with the creepy anitchrist conspiracy propaganda (Lady Gaga???) and links to ministries that claim to turn gays straight.

[Tabula Rasa]

Forgive the slight thread hijack, but I'd like to ask an etiquette question regarding facebook. One of my highschool friends convinced me to sign up, and I got a lot of friend requests from old schoolmates. Thing is though, I accepted from a lot of people I wasn't sure where I remember them from. Would it be wrong to just defriend them without sending them a pm explaining why?

 

 

I don't think you owe an explanation to people with whom you've had very little contact in several years. Unless you think there will be some ugly real-time social consequences, just quietly defriend them and get on with your life.

 

Thanks Bdp, oddbird and midnight wanderings. The sad part of the matter is I got all these friend requests. I knew practically everyone in my small town high school.(Less than a thousand at the time,) and except for two or three people commenting on something on my wall or pming me, I haven't heard from anyone. Guess it's time to trim my friend list. Thanks for the advice all.