Follow-Up Christian Challenge

[white_raven23]

After you've completed Beccastillseeking's challenge......

 

Ask yourself this.

 

Where did all your questions go?

 

When you were a child, you questioned everything. Why the sky was blue, where did rivers go, and of course your questions relating to the religion your family was bringing you up in.

 

Think back to that time in your life.....all those endless questions you had. How much you just drove everyone crazy with them.

 

If you really think about it, the people in your life who tolerated your questions the longest, and answered you as much as possible were the people who loved you the most.

 

If you love someone, you also have respect for them. Therefore you don't ignore questions from people you love....you do you utmost to answer those questions.

 

Even better, those people in your life, patiently guided you towards the answer until....eureka! You figured it out for yourself! Remember the pride on their faces when YOU did it?

 

If god loves us, then he also must respect us, and wants to see our questions answered. Since he doesn't call out answers from the sky.....obviously we are expected to look around at what we can see, and figure things out for ourselves.

 

But religion doesn't do this.

 

If anything it does the EXACT opposite. People aren't encouraged to pay heed to the world's evidence of age. Or look for the origin of the universe.

 

Have you noticed your questions pertaining to your religion have tapered off? Why? Have you even thought about it?

 

And just how satisfactory are the answers you've gotten from your church leaders about some of those sticky questions (you know the ones....they made the person you asked visibly uncomfortable)?

 

Why did you stop questioning? Is it because you know all the answers? Or because the answers were too hard to get?

 

Try asking some of those questions again. You've got to have some. Pay close attention to not only the answer (if you get one) but how it's answered, and how the person you ask seems to really feel about your difficult questions.

 

Surely you don't think your questions are stupid, or unworthy of answer. The only stupid questions are the ones not asked.

 

Wouldn't a patient and loving god feel the same way too?

[Eponymic]

What was your question again?

 

[Panther]

Ask no questions and I'll tell you no lies....

 

 

wait, wrong place. Yeah, I agree....christians aiblity to question seems to go out of their head right along with their good sense...

[white_raven23]

What was your question again?

 

 

I edited for more clarity......better?

 

The real challenge of course being to T-H-I-N-K.

[white_raven23]

Thing is....these people should be questioning.

 

That whole "childlike faith" thing......I think people fail to think what being a child was really about. Innocence, sure......but questions, questions, questions being a really BIG part of childhood. The amount of time spent LEARNING.

 

Everything from how to tie shoe laces, to fixing a bowl of cereal.....It was all about FIGURING THINGS OUT.

 

If the christians really held that whole childlike faith BS true to their hearts, they would be at the forefront of coming up with new science theories. And asking new questions of the universe as a whole. Figuring things out.

 

But they aren't. Instead their little brains huddle in the cold shadow of the middle ages. As though they are in the 21st century against their will or something.

 

It's just wrong.

[Eponymic]

THERE IS NO QUESTIONING ONLY GOD!!!

 

I CHOOSE IGNORANCE!

 

I CHOOOSE GOD!

 

I GOD IGNORANTLY CHOOOOSED!!!

 

I CHOOSEY IGNORAMOUS GOD!!

[BeccasStillSeeking]

Thing is....these people should be questioning.

 

That whole "childlike faith" thing......I think people fail to think what being a child was really about. Innocence, sure......but questions, questions, questions being a really BIG part of childhood. The amount of time spent LEARNING.

 

Everything from how to tie shoe laces, to fixing a bowl of cereal.....It was all about FIGURING THINGS OUT.

 

If the christians really held that whole childlike faith BS true to their hearts, they would be at the forefront of coming up with new science theories. And asking new questions of the universe as a whole. Figuring things out.

 

But they aren't. Instead their little brains huddle in the cold shadow of the middle ages. As though they are in the 21st century against their will or something.

 

It's just wrong.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

 

I remember being a little kid, and after Sunday school we were all waiting in the chapel while the priest took us in one at a time for our confessions.

 

Well, everyone was running and playing, climbing on the pews, all that sort of thing you'd expect of small, energetic young creatures in a big pretty space with cool stuff to climb on.

 

The priest comes out and admonishes us for playing in the house of God. "Do you think God appreciates your running around having fun in His house?"

 

What immediately came through my mind was: "Wait a second--why does this guy think God's got the same uptight, kid-hating personality as our grumpy neighbor?"

[Reach]

I remember being a little kid, and after Sunday school we were all waiting in the chapel while the priest took us in one at a time for our confessions.

 

Well, everyone was running and playing, climbing on the pews, all that sort of thing you'd expect of small, energetic young creatures in a big pretty space with cool stuff to climb on.

 

The priest comes out and admonishes us for playing in the house of God. "Do you think God appreciates your running around having fun in His house?"

 

What immediately came through my mind was: "Wait a second--why does this guy think God's got the same uptight, kid-hating personality as our grumpy neighbor?"

I didn't grow up in the Catholic church but I lived in an area where about 25% of the population was Catholic. We all played together and found no differences to quibble over.

 

I thank you for your post here, but I have to say this post just sickens me. There is something so repulsive about this statement of yours: I remember being a little kid, and after Sunday school we were all waiting in the chapel while the priest took us in one at a time for our confessions. And I'm not suggesting anything sexual whatsoever but that is just plain wrong!

 

What happened to seeing little children as innocent? I despise Catholicism and what it does to its adherents, snatching them up when they are so young and vulnerable and infecting them with guilt and shame.

 

 

Like White Raven said, "It's just wrong."

[Eponymic]

Like White Raven said, "It's just wrong."

 

here here.

[Checkmate]

The priest comes out and admonishes us for playing in the house of God. "Do you think God appreciates your running around having fun in His house?"

 

What immediately came through my mind was: "Wait a second--why does this guy think God's got the same uptight, kid-hating personality as our grumpy neighbor?"

Did you ever notice that the word "FUN" is NOT in the bible? Not once are we humans encouraged to have "fun".

 

Oh sure, there is the word "joy", but what does that mean? Something to do with being "happy", also known as "blessed in the Lord". Translated: be satisfied with whatever hardship the "lord" puts on your back.

 

I don't have a problem with being satisfied, but damn it, I want to have some fun! The ability to be silly and irreverant. Non-sensical. Carefree. Whimsical. NOT serious.

 

"FUN" is not advocated in the bible. As a matter of fact, any time it looks as if people are having "fun", GOD shows up and strikes folks down! Apparently "fun" is equivalent to "sin".

 

Am I wrong? I don't think so. Most churches frown on "fun". Every church I ever attended was VERY strict about controlling both YOUR behavior as well as your kids.

 

THAT'S why the children are shunted off to "Children's Church". Can't have the kiddies being bored with the adults in the sanctuary. Send them elsewhere with their disruptive "fun" presence.

 

This also explains why kid's DON'T object to church attendance. They're usually having FUN with their friends, not sitting on a hard pew being bored to tears by the pastor.

 

Just an observation. FWIW.

 

"No one with any sense of humor ever founded a religion." -- Robert Ingersoll

 

[white_raven23]

Did you ever notice that the word "FUN" is NOT in the bible?  Not once are we humans encouraged to have "fun".

 

You know what? You are right.

 

I just checked (why? Because it felt like fun).

 

http://www.ibs.org/niv/

 

This would be for the NIV version.

 

The word fun only appears ONCE.

 

Acts 2:13 NIV  Read this Chapter

Some, however, made fun of them and said, "They have had too much wine. [ Or sweet wine] "

 

Once in the whole bible. And not even "fun" the way we all knew you meant fun Mr Grinch. Negative. Mocking.

 

Certainly not enjoyment.

 

I too refuse to not have FUN.

 

There is something DEEPLY wrong with being denied FUN.

[Checkmate]

You know what? You are right.

 

I just checked (why? Because it felt like fun).

 

http://www.ibs.org/niv/

 

This would be for the NIV version.

 

The word fun only appears ONCE.

Once in the whole bible. And not even "fun" the way we all knew you meant fun Mr Grinch. Negative. Mocking.

 

Certainly not enjoyment.

 

I too refuse to not have FUN.

 

There is something DEEPLY wrong with being denied FUN.

 

A-ha! The NIV! No wonder I couldn't find it. That's the ONLY bible I don't refer to. I typically stick to the big bad KJV, since that is the bible of choice for most Xians. Thanks for the reference.

[white_raven23]

People don't get to play either (unless it's a musical instrument, or a judiciary role).

 

Only wild animals get to play.....in Job.

 

Oh! And an infant....right beside a cobra's hole.

 

http://www.ibs.org/niv/wordsearch.php?form...k=1&end_book=73

[Vixentrox]

Those that start questioning become ex-Xtian's if they key it up for long.