Jds22 Posted January 31, 2011 Share Posted January 31, 2011 My son is the organist and music director for a Lutheran church so I occasionally go to hear him and see what the pastor has to say. I definitely hear things differently now that I’m an Ex. The pastor gave an analogy which I thought was interesting. It went something like this. You wake up in the middle of the night to find your house is on fire. You rush to get everybody outside. You are absolutely spent and have no energy left but your child is still in the burning house. Along comes your neighbor who rushes into the burning house to save your child but the neighbor perishes in the fire. The pastor then asks us how much love we would feel for this neighbor that didn’t have to give his life but did in order to save your child. I’m thinking to myself, great story and I see what you’re getting at, but it was the damn neighbor who started the fire in the first place. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Thackerie Posted January 31, 2011 Share Posted January 31, 2011 ... I’m thinking to myself, great story and I see what you’re getting at, but it was the damn neighbor who started the fire in the first place. And not only that. The neighbor who started the fire didn't really die or sacrifice anything. He only pretended to be dead for ±36 hours. Then he arose and now sits at the right hand of the local fire marshall, being awarded for his "heroism" with both praise and monetary gifts on a continual basis by members of the community who don't know or understand the real story. It seems this neighbor has a long history of pulling similar stunts for his own glorification. That, combined with his obsession with controlling people, his self-imposed sexual repression, and his tendency to hear the "voice of god" speaking to him all point to some type of psychological disturbance. Clearly, he is not someone to be trusted or emulated. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ouroboros Posted January 31, 2011 Share Posted January 31, 2011 And if you don't love him and obey every little idea that gets into his head, he'll put you in a fire without the chance of getting out. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
foolish girl Posted January 31, 2011 Share Posted January 31, 2011 Wow. Now that i have read this analogy and everyone's remarks, I really think I should ask jesus back into my heart...to be LORD of my life...hooooah!....AHHHH....ack! GAG Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NaturalMary63 Posted January 31, 2011 Share Posted January 31, 2011 I wish these forums had a "like" button. I'd double-like this thread. ;-) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ogilvy Posted February 1, 2011 Share Posted February 1, 2011 Very good point about the fact that it was the neighbour who started the fire in the first place. That's the piece in the jigsaw puzzle which Christians miss noticing. I missed it myself for many years. I guess they don't want to admit the thought into their minds that God is not such a nice being as they are led to believe, because that might lead to all kinds of uncomfortable consequences, like DOUBT. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dB-Paradox Posted February 1, 2011 Share Posted February 1, 2011 It reminds me of a YouTube video about a . If you're not thinking, you can easily be fooled. The man fell in a hole...but who put the hole there in the first place? Further more, this video pokes at other religions saying that adhering to their doctrines will get you no results. Ummmmmm....so will Christianity yield the same damn results! I've prayed to the man who supposedly lowered himself in that hole, and you know what? I ended up having to find my own way out! Apparently that man who lowered himself into that hole was all in my head. That's what happens when you're stuck in a hole without proper nutrition and good mental health...you make things up! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
oddbird1963 Posted February 1, 2011 Share Posted February 1, 2011 That analogy best analogizes the amazing capacity of humans to forget about their own interests and give their lives to save others. It's a beautiful human capacity that many, though not by any means all, humans possesses. Such self-sacrificing examples of the wonder of the human spirit have been documented and affirmed throughout the years. We have no credible documentation of a self-sacrifice in Palestine some 2000 years ago which resulted in the sacrifice rising from the dead. So, is the real point of the analogy to stir human emotions about actual altruism and then somehow give credibility to mythological narratives about dying and rising gods? I think the pastor exalts the wrong "reality." Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LivingLife Posted February 1, 2011 Share Posted February 1, 2011 But the neighbor that sacrificed himself is still dead - big difference. Oh I forgot, silly me, jeebus is also still dead that is IF he existed in the first place. jeebus sure picked a bad time to "reveal" hisself. Today, we could even test his deity and more specifically his DNA and prove he was a frigging out-of-wedlock "mistake", we could even determine which of his mother friends "did her" w/o a condom. But of course, in today's culture, most anyway, the perp would be held up for rape of a minor. Odd that the most teen pregnancies are amongst beleevurs, Mary sure started a trend. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jds22 Posted February 1, 2011 Author Share Posted February 1, 2011 So, is the real point of the analogy to stir human emotions about actual altruism and then somehow give credibility to mythological narratives about dying and rising gods? Yes. Very effective I might add. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jds22 Posted February 1, 2011 Author Share Posted February 1, 2011 I wish these forums had a "like" button. I'd double-like this thread. ;-) Thanks, glad you like it. Sometimes I come up with a good one, most times not. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
trulyfree Posted February 1, 2011 Share Posted February 1, 2011 So, is the real point of the analogy to stir human emotions about actual altruism and then somehow give credibility to mythological narratives about dying and rising gods? Yes. Very effective I might add. Wow! When I was 20ish I went to a Billy Graham Crusade and he used that analogy. Had me in tears and I 'reaccepted' god into my heart. Now I know that it was pure emotional manipulation but to have it torn apart some more really helps. Thanks for posting this, Jds22! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kyle Posted February 1, 2011 Share Posted February 1, 2011 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Zombeh_Jayzus Posted February 6, 2011 Share Posted February 6, 2011 Well, God and Jesus really do have the "Why you gotta make me hurt you baby?" routine down pat. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jds22 Posted February 7, 2011 Author Share Posted February 7, 2011 Well, God and Jesus really do have the "Why you gotta make me hurt you baby?" routine down pat. That's a disturbing yet pretty accurate way to look at it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
unexpectedex Posted February 8, 2011 Share Posted February 8, 2011 I never never realized the crazy crazy things people were saying back then about good old lord Jesus.One time I went to this big youth conferance for teenagers.We cried all morning about how Jesus was had ''died'' a bloody horrible death. Then later when the service was over they said ''Lets go have a fun afternoon and remember that Jesus is alive and well.'' Umm...Im sorry his weekend was ruined and all but I think I suffered worse when I had a cold for a week!No actually his weekend was even totally ruined..he came back on Sunday.Haha! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Darkside Posted February 8, 2011 Share Posted February 8, 2011 And not only that. The neighbor who started the fire didn't really die or sacrifice anything. He only pretended to be dead for ±36 hours. Then he arose and now sits at the right hand of the local fire marshall, being awarded for his "heroism" with both praise and monetary gifts on a continual basis by members of the community who don't know or understand the real story. It seems this neighbor has a long history of pulling similar stunts for his own glorification. That, combined with his obsession with controlling people, his self-imposed sexual repression, and his tendency to hear the "voice of god" speaking to him all point to some type of psychological disturbance. Clearly, he is not someone to be trusted or emulated. And not only that. After playing dead for ±36 hours, the neighbor sues you for supposed injuries sustained in your residence and your wages end up being garnished by 10% for the rest of your life. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HRDWarrior Posted February 8, 2011 Share Posted February 8, 2011 I love where this thread has gone Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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