Anyone non-religious here? Please be nice!

[SmartyChick]

Quote:

You are very right. I am a Christian, but I don't go around whacking people with Bibles lol. Sometimes being a good friend is the best you can do...

Actions speak louder than words right??

Interesting thread.

Good, cause that could get painful if you did, especially if your bible is hardcover.

 

[deb1]

I am so sorry that happened to you curliet. I have had some bad experiences with tithing also.

 

[MoSo]

Most of the stories non-believers tell about run-ins with believers are frequently brushed aside with the comment "well, they weren't REAL Christians" or "Not all Christians would do that." Generally the link the stories have, though, is sort of the downside of "Faith." That blind, empowering belief that whatever the believer does in the name of god is moral and right and no exterior set of laws, logic or social standards matter.

Like the religious group that my Grandmother joined who convinced her that her insulin wasn't necessary if she had faith. So she stopped taking insulin, went into diabetic coma and spent the next 10 years, until she died, in a nursing home unable to do anything for herself, speak or recognize her family. The religious group members showed up at the nursing home to pray over her until we had them banned from contacting her - they believed that God had set this trial upon her and only through their prayer would it be "lifted."

We've had a couple of news stories from the Portland, OR area lately about trials involving the death of children because the parents believed in faith healing and refused to take sick children to the doctor and the children died of easily treatable illnesses/diseases.

That's why I am frequently troubled when politicians speak of their faith guiding their actions - you take an oath to uphold laws. Doesn't mean you can't try to change laws you believe are wrong, but you have been elected to serve your constituents and I worry that he or she is serving their church instead.

 

[deb1]

I don't like the phrase 'real or true' Christian. It really annoys me. I have heard the phrase used by some to discount those who don't go to their church or hold even slightly different views on issues.(Like dress or hair length) Like you, I have heard some Christians refer to anyone who does something wrong as not being a 'true' Christian.

 

[EweSheep]

I got a REAL problem with tithing!

Curliet, I am so sorry your Grandma had to endure this in the time of her life when she needs her medications the most and to get well without having the church harass her for money.

Some churches want you to give all what you have but some of them are so unreal that they would leave you very little because the "rewards will be much greater" when you go to heaven. Now, there is NO money in heaven and you just give what you can give, not what the church WANTS you to give. If they ask me for more money, I would tell them to go find something like a fundraiser or a millionaire to help them out.

 

[farmerlor]

Quote:
My Mom's church was a nice little church and like most churches these days they had some declining membership so on any given Sunday the church was half to 3/4 full depending on what service you were attending. The church elders decided the answer to drum up more member was to build a MEGA church and they sent out notices to all their members that they needed to raise funds for the new church and they wanted donations starting at 5k. They even offered to carry a loan for you with a modest 12% interest! Talk about the money lenders being in the church!!! Luckily, my mother is more practical than religious and she promptly ended her relationship with that church but I see the new McChurch is busily being built so the other members must have decided to fork over.
My grandparents also sold everything and gave it to the church which may be why Mom is a little leery of tithing.

 

[OrpingtonManor]

I went to church for decades, and gave what I could. There was an annual tithing, although I could never tithe. I had three hungry mouths to feed, and we did the best we could, but were always on the wrong side of the financial bell curve. I never experienced any of the pressure several of you have mentioned. My churches would have been aggrieved to hear of others behaving like this. Still, that is not why I left.

Along the way, I returned to college, and took many classes that exposed me to religions that I had never studied before. I met people from different cultures, and we exchanged ideas as a matter of social interaction, and occasionally by assignment. I couldn't help but embrace things that worked for them, even if it was to say, okay, we do not all have to think the same.

It was also when I started to study Gandhi, Martin Luther King, Jr., and Nelson Mandela, to name a few. Very different philosophies, but a common thread among them was a demand for an end to oppression. I am innately non-violent, so struggled a bit with Nelson Mandela. Yet, I couldn't help but understand that not everyone was me, and crazy amounts of injustice push people to revolt. The most important thing I took away from it was that I could be who I was, and embrace non-violence. I could also understand that there were people striving for justice who would not do it my way. We could be different, and all be okay.

This is also when I got a chance to investigate Buddhism a bit. The idea that greed is the root of all suffering, and that much of our anxiety revolves around impermanence struck a chord with me. If I had to pick a religion to follow at this point in my life, it would probably be Buddhism, but I don't choose to attach myself to anything, because I have to follow the part inside of me that knows right from wrong. I choose to never be told I have to think one way or the other again.

 

[EweSheep]

Oh thats nothing new for my hubby! He said in his hometown of Fairbury, IL.....it was the members of the AC church there that "runs" the businesses and if you are not a member there, you would be guaranteed you will NOT get a job there or any of their businesses and the tith would be 30% of your paycheck!

No wonder that town did so well in lean times. I do not know of the loan interest rates but I can ask around. I can understand why hubby's family and others were being "left out" in the cold. You still can shop in their businesses but no job positions for you.

 

[OrpingtonManor]

Quote:
You've got me thinking. Here are the pagan four seasons:

http://www.mystical-www.co.uk/time/fs.html

Perhaps I should ask this on the pagan forum but the thoughts of the non-religious posters would be welcome. Does paganism have relevance worldwide or only in temperate regions? We have two seasons only here. By and large, it's either hot and dry or hot and wet. I haven't met anyone here who claims to be pagan. However, we have animism and it's very early origins are fascinating:

http://www.themystica.com/mystica/articles/a/animism.htm

Boy, that's old stuff! It makes me think again about the origins of modern religions and why they were needed.

Animism here is mixed up with Buddhism, illogically. We all have spirit houses in our gardens and so do hotels, offices, banks and other businesses except the Chinese owned ones. They are there to appease the spirits that occupy the land on which a building has been erected. They are treated once in a while to prayers, garlands, a drink, some food and a cigarette. Wonderful stuff! And why not? It could all be true.

Interesting links! Many religions get mixed up with one another. Why do you think animism has gotten mixed up with Buddhism there? I see lots of Buddhism, but not really any animism. (Doesn't mean it's not here, just that I'm not watching very closely, I guess.)

 

[tonini3059]

My grandfather's sister went to church religiously. Volunteered all of the time, counting money, setting up fundraisers, donated tons of money, etc.. When she was sick and dying the preacher never even came out to see her he was always too busy; he could not even give her service at the funeral home. Prime example of not practicing what you preach. I know that that is one case and one preacher and other's maybe different and all.