Mine too, Jen. I spent two years in the Midwest recently and was wonderfully surprised by how much I heard about God in everyday life. I saw tons of churches on just about every street corner in every town. I heard christians speaking openly in supermarkets about God. My hubby would talk to any person he came across about God and they would talk back, whether they were believers or not. I was gobsmacked by the whole thing, because it's not done here. If you talk that openly about Christ here you are either snubbed, stared at, frowned upon, or outright persecuted. We are too secular and it's such a shame.
One of the biggest taboos here is talking about religion or politics at BBQ's. You call them cookouts. The BBQ is a huge way of life here as a social gathering but you must not speak about such things. It's a hardness of heart towards God that I did not find in the States.
Yes, I'm a Midwestern girl (now living in the desert) and I met him in the Midwest and yes, God is big in the bible belt! Of course, we had our liberals which were mostly the product of the universities.
I can't imagine living in a place where being open about God was basically taboo. I don't know if I ever went to a social gathering with friends or family where God (or politics) was not mentioned.
So, if an American like me showed up at an Australian BBQ and talked to people, no one mentions being thankful to God for this or that....or talks about something that happened to them that they felt was such a blessing from God...or tells a story about a rough situation they're dealing with and asks for prayer?
I didn't talk to the Australian guy about any of that stuff (that I recall) but I was reading a book about angels in front of him.
I can't imagine not living as though God was the center of my life.
So, if an American like me showed up at an Australian BBQ and talked to people, no one mentions being thankful to God for this or that....or talks about something that happened to them that they felt was such a blessing from God...or tells a story about a rough situation they're dealing with and asks for prayer?
No way at all.
Unless it's a group of people who are like that.
But in general, it's not talked about.
There will be alchohol, lot's of cussing, general socializing, BBQ food and that's usually it.
It can search out peopel that may want to talk about it, but on the whole - no.
There will be alchohol, lot's of cussing, general socializing, BBQ food and that's usually it.
It can search out peopel that may want to talk about it, but on the whole - no.
WOW...even in the desert (there a lot of people from the Midwest here), I get the impression that I live among other Christians and the majority of people believe the way I do.
So, living in Australia then, as you've described, you probably don't feel that way about people but rather that the majority of people you live among don't really think about God.
Lot's of cussing? Really? No one threatens to wash your mouth out with soap?...or follows up on that threat? LOL!
You guys are Christians...how do you live among people in a country that apparently keeps it under wraps?
When you get together with Christian friends, do you openly converse about God?
I didn't think keeping it under wraps was unusual until I went to the US. So what I do is just keep an open ear for anyone who 'may' be open to talking about it, then let them know in a way I can't explain that they can talk to me if they want..but it can't be done at the BBQ ... usually you have to invite them for coffee or somewhere private later. It's more a one on one thing here, you just pray and wait for opportunities. Other than that we have learned to live with the secularity I guess.
In the meantime getting together with your christian mates is extra special when you are open and free to talk about Him.
__________________ Christina Wing ~ If love has limits, then it's not love. Love goes where there are no bounds, no space, no limits. There is no line drawn that love won't blow through it. That's His heart, to love all with no limits.
Dan Sheridan ~ God is a Savior, not a probation officer.
Mike Williams ~ Redemption and only redemption redeems the human spirit. The knowledge and only the knowledge of that redemption saves the human soul.
Who or what type of person in Australia would be really insulted/offended by an openly Christian person?
I mean, here, those who are really insulted/offended by Christians are the gay community and some university professors.
We haven't really had Christians attacking and vilifying gays or trying to push creationism into schools as happens in the States, so there isn't the same negative response to Christianity as you'd expect in the States.
__________________
To view links or images in signatures your post count must be 10 or greater. You currently have 0 posts.
We haven't really had Christians attacking and vilifying gays or trying to push creationism into schools as happens in the States, so there isn't the same negative response to Christianity as you'd expect in the States.
Well, the Bible was a normal part of public education from our founding until the 1960's and then it was removed. And homosexuality was very taboo, even criminal, until they started coming out of the woodwork, demanding rights based on the practice, and parading through the streets. I mean, I didn't even know that homosexuality existed until I was in my early teens. Sodomy was considered a crime in most all of the states until 2003.
So..."Christians attacking and vilifying gays/pushing creationism" isn't exactly how things are in America. It's more like Christians in America have conceded to homosexual/evolution agendas because what we believe was first and established for nearly 200 years.
The founding fathers are rolling in their graves because of what America is today! So, your perspective of what is happening in America is a bit skewed.
PS: Why do you have a UN flag as your country icon? The UN is not a country but more or less a building in New York City.
Last edited by HisdaughterJen; 15th September 2009 at 03:54 PM.
... usually you have to invite them for coffee or somewhere private later. It's more a one on one thing here, you just pray and wait for opportunities. Other than that we have learned to live with the secularity I guess. 
Linear Mode
