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- Feb 10, 2010
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I want to see this film.
I want to see this film.
Anyone non-religious here? Please be nice!
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I consider myself to be just as much a Christian and as much a "believer" as anyone else, but it infuriates me when some creep wants to force my having a religious discussion of any kind, especially to ascertain if I'm a "true believer" or not or want to "enlighten" me. I just tell them that I consider it PERSONAL. If they push it, I tell them that I'll tell them all about my religious life if they'll tell me all about their sex life and that they have to go first.
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That is a good point Joe. I have known people who feel that it is appropriate to quiz other Christians on their salvation. It used to really bug me when this happened to me because I couldn't figure out what gave one human the ability to play God and decide if I was Christian or not. Wish that I had thought of your response when that used to happen to me.
That is a good point Joe. I have known people who feel that it is appropriate to quiz other Christians on their salvation. It used to really bug me when this happened to me because I couldn't figure out what gave one human the ability to play God and decide if I was Christian or not. Wish that I had thought of your response when that used to happen to me.
Me too Deb!
One of the things that kills me is you'll hear a story about someone who's done something heinous and they confess that they've done it because of their religious beliefs. Everyone jumps right in to assure us that that person is not a REAL Christian or Muslim or Flying Spaghetti Monster Believer. Why? Is it inconceivable that some people who are cracked in the head might also just happen to be religious? Is it completely impossible for a religious person to do something evil? And how can anyone judge the measure of someone else's faith?
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...or if you were a Christian for many years, and then, begin to question, and ultimately become agnostic or atheist, they will say you were not a true Christian in the first place. I definitely believed, and now I definitely don't. Period.
...or if you are kind, but don't shove your belief system down other people's throats, so they don't know what you believe. I've had people see me notice people needs, and do kind things, and say, "Are you a Christian?" They are surprised when I say no. I tell them, there are kind people everywhere, and kind and decent doesn't automatically equal Christian. It rattles them a bit.
both things happen, they don't want to hear about Christians who do heinous things, and they don't want to hear about non-Christians doing decent, kind things. Either thing doesn't fit the paradigm.
...or if you were a Christian for many years, and then, begin to question, and ultimately become agnostic or atheist, they will say you were not a true Christian in the first place. I definitely believed, and now I definitely don't. Period.
...or if you are kind, but don't shove your belief system down other people's throats, so they don't know what you believe. I've had people see me notice people needs, and do kind things, and say, "Are you a Christian?" They are surprised when I say no. I tell them, there are kind people everywhere, and kind and decent doesn't automatically equal Christian. It rattles them a bit.
both things happen, they don't want to hear about Christians who do heinous things, and they don't want to hear about non-Christians doing decent, kind things. Either thing doesn't fit the paradigm.
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...or if you were a Christian for many years, and then, begin to question, and ultimately become agnostic or atheist, they will say you were not a true Christian in the first place. I definitely believed, and now I definitely don't. Period.
...or if you are kind, but don't shove your belief system down other people's throats, so they don't know what you believe. I've had people see me notice people needs, and do kind things, and say, "Are you a Christian?" They are surprised when I say no. I tell them, there are kind people everywhere, and kind and decent doesn't automatically equal Christian. It rattles them a bit.
both things happen, they don't want to hear about Christians who do heinous things, and they don't want to hear about non-Christians doing decent, kind things. Either thing doesn't fit the paradigm.
Yeah, that's like when I was at a doctor office with a few of my kids and a lady asked me about them as they are obviously adopted. So I was telling her about how we adopted through fostering and how all of them had some pretty intense special needs some of which she could observe. Her comment to me as I walked away was "what a Christian thing to do." Really? Only Christians adopt special needs kids? That's odd since there was no one on any waiting list who wanted to adopt ANY of my special needs babies when I was fostering.
...or if you were a Christian for many years, and then, begin to question, and ultimately become agnostic or atheist, they will say you were not a true Christian in the first place. I definitely believed, and now I definitely don't. Period.
...or if you are kind, but don't shove your belief system down other people's throats, so they don't know what you believe. I've had people see me notice people needs, and do kind things, and say, "Are you a Christian?" They are surprised when I say no. I tell them, there are kind people everywhere, and kind and decent doesn't automatically equal Christian. It rattles them a bit.
both things happen, they don't want to hear about Christians who do heinous things, and they don't want to hear about non-Christians doing decent, kind things. Either thing doesn't fit the paradigm.
Yeah, that's like when I was at a doctor office with a few of my kids and a lady asked me about them as they are obviously adopted. So I was telling her about how we adopted through fostering and how all of them had some pretty intense special needs some of which she could observe. Her comment to me as I walked away was "what a Christian thing to do." Really? Only Christians adopt special needs kids? That's odd since there was no one on any waiting list who wanted to adopt ANY of my special needs babies when I was fostering.
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Yeah, that's like when I was at a doctor office with a few of my kids and a lady asked me about them as they are obviously adopted. So I was telling her about how we adopted through fostering and how all of them had some pretty intense special needs some of which she could observe. Her comment to me as I walked away was "what a Christian thing to do." Really? Only Christians adopt special needs kids? That's odd since there was no one on any waiting list who wanted to adopt ANY of my special needs babies when I was fostering.
I completely agree! I have had people react with shock a few times in my life when they realize how honest or charitable we are (we don't advertise this so they would have to see it somehow and wouldn't believe it anyway without seeing it for themselves). The comment I've heard is "But your not even a christian. Why are so honest when most of the people at my church aren't that honest? It irritates me to no end that these folks seem to think that only christians can be honest!
I never show how much this irritates me though, since I realize that the church has been brainwashing them for so long that they really have no concept of reality at this point. I just smile and tell them I need to like who I am and I don't need a minister screaming fire and brimstone at me to make me do the right thing. I do it because that is what I wish to do not, because I have been scared into it. I truly believe that if you do the right thing only because you want to be able to brag about it to the members of your church or because you are afraid you will be cast into hell if you don't that this dilutes the good acts you do. If you care about people, other than yourself, you will do these things because it's the right thing to do period!
This doesn't mean that I believe all christians do these things only for the recognition it brings them or to insure their ticket into heaven. I have known many christians that do great work just because they care. There are many christian groups I have donated to over the years for this very reason, though my dream is to start up a non-profit group made up of non-christians that would collect and distribute donations on an anonymous basis. The folks who make the deliveries would be paid and would have no idea where the items come from. In fact this is the first time I've spoken to anyone outside of my family about this idea. I't nice to have an anonymous group to talk with about this.
The idea would be for people who benefit from our group to not feel indebted to us since they don't know who we are. We would deal with everything from giving the homeless blankets to providing scholarships to low-income families (including older folks who never got a chance to attend trade school or college or who need a second chance in this changing economy). I know it's impossible to hire only secular folks to work in any charitable organization, since this would be discrimination, but as long as secular folks are being told they are incapable of doing good works, because they are not religious, I'll continue to dream of a secular-run charity.
Yeah, that's like when I was at a doctor office with a few of my kids and a lady asked me about them as they are obviously adopted. So I was telling her about how we adopted through fostering and how all of them had some pretty intense special needs some of which she could observe. Her comment to me as I walked away was "what a Christian thing to do." Really? Only Christians adopt special needs kids? That's odd since there was no one on any waiting list who wanted to adopt ANY of my special needs babies when I was fostering.
I completely agree! I have had people react with shock a few times in my life when they realize how honest or charitable we are (we don't advertise this so they would have to see it somehow and wouldn't believe it anyway without seeing it for themselves). The comment I've heard is "But your not even a christian. Why are so honest when most of the people at my church aren't that honest? It irritates me to no end that these folks seem to think that only christians can be honest!
I never show how much this irritates me though, since I realize that the church has been brainwashing them for so long that they really have no concept of reality at this point. I just smile and tell them I need to like who I am and I don't need a minister screaming fire and brimstone at me to make me do the right thing. I do it because that is what I wish to do not, because I have been scared into it. I truly believe that if you do the right thing only because you want to be able to brag about it to the members of your church or because you are afraid you will be cast into hell if you don't that this dilutes the good acts you do. If you care about people, other than yourself, you will do these things because it's the right thing to do period!
This doesn't mean that I believe all christians do these things only for the recognition it brings them or to insure their ticket into heaven. I have known many christians that do great work just because they care. There are many christian groups I have donated to over the years for this very reason, though my dream is to start up a non-profit group made up of non-christians that would collect and distribute donations on an anonymous basis. The folks who make the deliveries would be paid and would have no idea where the items come from. In fact this is the first time I've spoken to anyone outside of my family about this idea. I't nice to have an anonymous group to talk with about this.
The idea would be for people who benefit from our group to not feel indebted to us since they don't know who we are. We would deal with everything from giving the homeless blankets to providing scholarships to low-income families (including older folks who never got a chance to attend trade school or college or who need a second chance in this changing economy). I know it's impossible to hire only secular folks to work in any charitable organization, since this would be discrimination, but as long as secular folks are being told they are incapable of doing good works, because they are not religious, I'll continue to dream of a secular-run charity.
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Two of my favorite non-religious charities are Doctors Without Borders and Heifer International. I know these are not what you are thinking about, but there are a lot of non-religious affiliated charities.
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