A Pondering of the Peculiar (2)

[PsychoSarah]

An atheist can attend a church -_-

 

[PsychoSarah]

You can choose to believe what I said of not, but I honestly gave religion all I could. Atheism is really depressing to me.

 

[Davian]

"Pray that you die quickly in Hell"?

That is exactly what those pictures are mocking. God as the brutal enforcer.

Dear Davian, Yes, but I don't agree that the Spirit of Love is to be feared. Respected, yes, but Satan is the god of fear, and not Jesus. Also, the soul is NOT tortured forever since the soul is the living breath from God. When the sinner is righteously convicted of being evil and cast into the Lake of Fire, he is in the Hands of God. Jesus said:

Mat 10:28 And fear not them which kill the body, but are not able to kill the soul: but rather fear Him which is able to destroy both soul and body in hell.

God, being merciful, will withdraw His breath and allow the sinner to die, and be left in the burned out Cosmos we know today. Those who respect Him will pray for Him to cut short their terrible misery, which they deserve, and He will. How long they suffer is their own decision. God Bless you.

In Love,
Aman

Dear Aman,

As we are exchanging opinions, I will give you mine: God, being simply a character in a book, is nothing to be concerned about.

 

[Loudmouth]

This doesn't quite match your original story that you had been studying religion seriously since you were 8 and rejected it based on solid analysis ever since. You are 18 so your church experience is recent. And that isn't abuse btw. That is just you disagreeing with their style or content.

If you can't get past the faith part at the very beginning, what more is there to study? Does it matter how many hairs are on the head of Zeus if you can't accept faith based beliefs to begin with?

 

[GenemZ]

This has happened 4 times, different sects of Christianity each time.

Only 4?

Almost every sect will be living in destructive error... Jesus said that the vast majority will.

Matthew 7:13-14

“Enter through the narrow gate. For wide is the gate
and broad is the road that leads to destruction, and
many enter through it. But small is the gate and narrow
the road that leads to life, and only a few find it.
​

Jesus was saying that as a warning to believers. Not unbelievers. He knew what was coming down the road for them. Most believers who will be in heaven someday are not living the Christian way of life. Only a few are.

2 Timothy 4:3

For the time will come when people will not put up with sound doctrine. Instead, to suit their own desires, they
will gather around them a great number of teachers
to say what their itching ears want to hear.
​

We can see that manifested everywhere today.


There will always be a few independent autonomous churches that have pastors who are educated in the original languages and have developed skills in study that reveal integrity of thought. Most other pastors simply are looking to preach to the choir and will have something to say that will appeal to the natural inclinations of the type of person they attract to their church.

Only 4 was just scratching the surface. Most churches believe Jesus died on the Cross for their sins. Then, after that? Its a free for all. Few find it.

 

[bhsmte]

Only 4?

Almost every sect will be living in destructive error... Jesus said that the vast majority will.

Matthew 7:13-14

“Enter through the narrow gate. For wide is the gate
and broad is the road that leads to destruction, and
many enter through it. But small is the gate and narrow
the road that leads to life, and only a few find it.
​

Jesus was saying that as a warning to believers. Not unbelievers. He knew what was coming down the road for them. Most believers who will be in heaven someday are not living the Christian way of life. Only a few are.

2 Timothy 4:3

For the time will come when people will not put up with sound doctrine. Instead, to suit their own desires, they
will gather around them a great number of teachers
to say what their itching ears want to hear.
​

We can see that manifested everywhere today.


There will always be a few independent autonomous churches that have pastors who are educated in the original languages and have developed skills in study that reveal integrity of thought. Most other pastors simply are looking to preach to the choir and will have something to say that will appeal to the natural inclinations of the type of person they attract to their church.

Only 4 was just scratching the surface. Most churches believe Jesus died on the Cross for their sins. Then, after that? Its a free for all. Few find it.

Few find what exactly?

Would that be teaching christianity in the way you happen to agree with?

 

[GenemZ]

I live in an area with a lot of churches, so again I will mention that I was essentially driven out of 4 of them.

That could not mean 4 Catholic churches... Why would each one drive you out? You must be doing something awful in their eyes to warrant that. Why the other churches? Did not speak in tongues? Refused to observe their sabbath tradition?

 

[GenemZ]

They weren't all the same year, I get a scared period after each incident.

Timeline: age 13 baptist church, went to the church of my late grandmother to cope with the loss of two relatives in the same month (both a great grandmother and my grandmother on my dad's side). I respected both women greatly, and I have many strong female figures in my life. I stayed a member for about 2 months I think before the sexism upset me so greatly I could no longer take it.

If you do not have a certain mind set, the Baptist will make you want to leave in a hurry.

Age 15, you already know that one.

The closest I got to that was playing in a band for CYO dances. They did not kick us out. But, they did kick out one band that was singing dirty words to a song.

Age 16, Methodist, this is the church I stayed in the longest, a bit over half a year. A new extremist member joined the church and began to harass the more moderate people, myself included. I wasn't the only one to leave.

Methodists can be very sweet, as long as you think the answer is doing good works as the means to be a Christian. The originators of the social gospel.

Age 16-17, sought out a new church after leaving the Methodist one, decided on Nondenominational. Can't remember how long I was there, not too long, a creepy guy kept hitting on me and tried to follow me home.

So did you leave any other place when some guy hit on you? At work? School?

If I gave up that soon, I would now be posting as an atheist, too. Many things in mainstream churches are simply for people looking for a place where they can feel at home and unchallenged with their own convictions. Any pastor worth his salt will challenge your natural way of seeing things. The Spirit opposes the flesh. In most churches their human viewpoint wants to pamper the flesh of those so inclined religiously so they can have a nice collection.

Thankfully, my step-dad was picking me up and was able to get that guy to stay away. I never went back. Interestingly, the people there were pretty ok with me being undecided, that creeper just ruined it.

Curious..Are you a very shy person by nature when around people? Obviously, you are not while sitting in front of your monitor.

 

[GenemZ]

You can choose to believe what I said of not, but I honestly gave religion all I could. Atheism is really depressing to me.

Religion is a form of atheism having a picture of Jesus hanging on the wall. Its devoid of having any real relationship with God.

Just like certain birds know to fly south for the winter, God changes the regenerate person in ways that she can tell something is definitely at work within that she knows is not her own doing... You begin to know what you know you should not be able to know...

 

[PsychoSarah]

If you do not have a certain mind set, the Baptist will make you want to leave in a hurry.

The closest I got to that was playing in a band for CYO dances. They did not kick us out. But, they did kick out one band that was singing dirty words to a song.

Methodists can be very sweet, as long as you think the answer is doing good works as the means to be a Christian. The originators of the social gospel.

So did you leave any other place when some guy hit on you? At work? School?

If I gave up that soon, I would now be posting as an atheist, too. Many things in mainstream churches are simply for people looking for a place where they can feel at home and unchallenged with their own convictions. Any pastor worth his salt will challenge your natural way of seeing things. The Spirit opposes the flesh. In most churches their human viewpoint wants to pamper the flesh of those so inclined religiously so they can have a nice collection.



Curious..Are you a very shy person by nature when around people? Obviously, you are not while sitting in front of your monitor.

I have a social disorder, being able to communicate with people indirectly helps a lot.

Yes, I have had stalkers in other contexts, I no longer even use my real picture in forums because of stalking. I guess I am attractive

 

[PsychoSarah]

I leave places that involve stalked situations if I can't drive the stalker off, I have learned to be aggressive about the problem since they like to prey on people they perceive as weak.

Having a 200+ pound muscular step-dad helps ward off the rest.

 

[Sayre]

I have a social disorder, being able to communicate with people indirectly helps a lot.

Yes, I have had stalkers in other contexts, I no longer even use my real picture in forums because of stalking. I guess I am attractive

Are you sure it wasn't your social disorder contributing to your experience?

 

[GenemZ]

Are you sure it wasn't your social disorder contributing to your experience?

She has been honest with us. I think you should drop it now..

 

[PsychoSarah]

Are you sure it wasn't your social disorder contributing to your experience?

I would rarely speak unless directly addressed, and it isn't as if I can ignore people when they ask me direct questions, nor do I feel it is right to lie.

Perhaps my social disorder didn't help, but I always tried to be respectful. To be honest I don't know if that was the root of the issue or not.

 

[Sayre]

She has been honest with us. I think you should drop it now..

You've read more into my post than what was there.

 

[Sayre]

I would rarely speak unless directly addressed, and it isn't as if I can ignore people when they ask me direct questions, nor do I feel it is right to lie.

Perhaps my social disorder didn't help, but I always tried to be respectful. To be honest I don't know if that was the root of the issue or not.

It might have contributed. I have a mental illness, and it makes church life hell.

 

[PsychoSarah]

It might have contributed. I have a mental illness, and it makes church life hell.

That statement is a bit ironic, if you think about it.

 

[GenemZ]

You've read more into my post than what was there.

I now see what you were getting at.

Just being sure to clear up any ambiguity that at the time I felt needed addressing. No harm intended.

 

[PsychoSarah]

It might have contributed. I have a mental illness, and it makes church life hell.

Disorders and mental illness make life harder all around. Mental health problems run in my family.

 

[GenemZ]

Then how is it a conversation?

I asked, can you get an answer that might demonstrate that it is not simply a product of your imagination? No?

The man without the spirit does not accept the things that come
from the Spirit of God, for they arefoolishness to him, and he
cannot understand them,because they are spiritually discerned.(1 Cor 2:14)

​