Interesting Request At Church

[agjohnson]

So I still go to church mainly because my wife insists on my 3-year old son going to church, but that is another story. The church I go to recently had their worship minister resign/get fired and the people that are left after the fallout are really struggling. Now, I worked on sound and video for the church for 6 months before my deconversion, and being a techy, I loved it. I also was the most reliable member of the team. When I deconverted, I figured there was no way they would want an atheist working on the service, so I told the worship minister why I was leaving and figured the rumor mill would take care of letting everyone else know.

 

To my surprise, the guy in charge of sound pulled me aside after service on Sunday and asked me to come back. He had no idea why I left, and when I told him, he didn't care. I was a little bit shocked because if I were in his shoes, I wouldn't want the demonic presence of an atheist manipulating aspects of the worship service.

 

Maybe I could abuse my privileges and accidentally put something like the cover of The God Delusion up on the screen during service.

[Shyone]

So I still go to church mainly because my wife insists on my 3-year old son going to church, but that is another story. The church I go to recently had their worship minister resign/get fired and the people that are left after the fallout are really struggling. Now, I worked on sound and video for the church for 6 months before my deconversion, and being a techy, I loved it. I also was the most reliable member of the team. When I deconverted, I figured there was no way they would want an atheist working on the service, so I told the worship minister why I was leaving and figured the rumor mill would take care of letting everyone else know.

 

To my surprise, the guy in charge of sound pulled me aside after service on Sunday and asked me to come back. He had no idea why I left, and when I told him, he didn't care. I was a little bit shocked because if I were in his shoes, I wouldn't want the demonic presence of an atheist manipulating aspects of the worship service.

 

Maybe I could abuse my privileges and accidentally put something like the cover of The God Delusion up on the screen during service.

You wouldn't do it. Put up the screen with the God Delusion, that is.

 

The guy that asked was interested in doing a good job - whatever the goal. He asked you, and showed a lack of bigotry towards your lack of belief - which I find remarkable.

 

At the end of the day, it's people helping people, talented people with something to offer and others with needs.

 

Let me put it another way. It's like an employee at a concentration camp asking Jew with a degree in physics to help design an efficient oven. The guy needs an oven, or his goose is cooked. I'm sure he doesn't care whether the help he gets is from a Jew or not, and, ironically, that might be because he isn't really prejudiced against Jews.

 

He's just doing what he is supposed to be doing.

[agjohnson]

Neat perspective. I hadn't thought of it that way before.

[Shyone]

Neat perspective. I hadn't thought of it that way before.

I should probably add that it's not necessarily all bad. It gets you out of the congregation, gives you a chance to do the techy thing, and gains the respect of your colleagues.

 

Might be fun. I sang in the choir for a while after I deconverted. Nice music, good people.

[dichotomy]

I think it is interesting. I totally understand your surprise, I recall our *worship* team having quite strict ideas of who was holy enough to be part of it!

 

I agree with shyone though, he wants a job doing well and he's asked the best person and he's showing a lack of bigotry toward you. And it could be a way to make service going less painful for you, if you've got something you enjoy to do keeping your distracted from the drivel.

[StevoMuso]

I should probably add that it's not necessarily all bad. It gets you out of the congregation, gives you a chance to do the techy thing, and gains the respect of your colleagues. Might be fun.

And it would give you a valid reason for going to church other than your duty as an obedient husband

[Guest Net Eng]

I ran the sound/video at my former church for a number of years so I understand where you are coming from.

 

I would say no. My reason? I cannot stomach the lies and bullshit coming from the pulpit. I saw all the plotting and planing to use music and video to elicit emotional responses and keep the unwashed masses in the pews (and donating). Church services are nothing more than stage shows...

 

If you need to to keep domestic relations quiet then so be it.

 

My two cents.

[florduh]

You have to go to the place against your will so at least charge them for your technical services.

[dB-Paradox]

I agree with florduh. After all, the church is making enough money.

[Dagan]

So I still go to church mainly because my wife insists on my 3-year old son going to church, but that is another story. The church I go to recently had their worship minister resign/get fired and the people that are left after the fallout are really struggling. Now, I worked on sound and video for the church for 6 months before my deconversion, and being a techy, I loved it. I also was the most reliable member of the team. When I deconverted, I figured there was no way they would want an atheist working on the service, so I told the worship minister why I was leaving and figured the rumor mill would take care of letting everyone else know.

 

To my surprise, the guy in charge of sound pulled me aside after service on Sunday and asked me to come back. He had no idea why I left, and when I told him, he didn't care. I was a little bit shocked because if I were in his shoes, I wouldn't want the demonic presence of an atheist manipulating aspects of the worship service.

 

Maybe I could abuse my privileges and accidentally put something like the cover of The God Delusion up on the screen during service.

 

Damn. I thought the "interesting request" was going to be a bit juicier

 

I did the sound and video too. I've never really "come out" to the people at church though. I just sort of faded away. But that didn't stop them from asking me to come back and do the sound stuff. I take a bit more cynical view than others here -- people at church don't really care why you're there. If you're good at something, they'll exploit the hell out of it. Pun intended.

[Vigile]

Maybe I could abuse my privileges and accidentally put something like the cover of The God Delusion up on the screen during service.

 

Perfect. You can do what Brad Pitt's character did in Fight Club, cut in a frame with a big ol' ugly penis.

[Brought None]

Funny thing that happened at my church with the sound system... during a sermon a big rig passed by and the CB bleed into our sound system. Imagine if you will the preacher at the pulpit giving his sermon and out of the static filled blue yonder "SKRRRRRRT... yeah I'm pissed at SKRRT!! fucker an going to kick his pussy ass for denting... SKRRRRT... sona bitch! SKRT!" The whole church went silent, the sound technician's face was white as a ghost and eyes as big as saucers. A few small kids quietly snickered.

[agjohnson]

Maybe I could abuse my privileges and accidentally put something like the cover of The God Delusion up on the screen during service.

Perfect. You can do what Brad Pitt's character did in Fight Club, cut in a frame with a big ol' ugly penis.

 

Not that I would actually do something like that, but I thought about it. I also realized you would probably end up on a sex offender list for something like that nowadays.