People in general are rather appalling to each other, self-absorbed, inconsiderate, competitive, often seeking to prey on the weak and vulnerable. Relentlessly driven to be dominant and not in a good way either. Many people want all the power and none of the responsibility and they don’t really care who they mow over in the process.
Growing up within atheism I soon learned that most non belief stems from some slight, some perceived offense, real or imagined, by Christians. Some people incorporate disappointment with God in there, too. Some Christians betrayed me, God allegedly betrayed me, so I now reject Christianity entirely and don’t believe in God anymore.
I suppose I am rather fortunate to have grown up within atheism and to now be residing within the 9th circuit of hell, because I know very clearly that those are human characteristics, the unpleasant nature of human beings, rather than behavior caused by Christianity or faith. If one were to completely rid the world of faith, the ugliness of human beings would still remain, in fact often it gets much worse.
I could write you a laundry list of horrors, of outright betrayals and backstabbing, of false allegations and harassment and outright abuse at the hands of non-Christians and even a handful of Christians, too. I used to think I had a sign on my back that said kick me. I soon learned however, that haters are going hate, people are going to people, and there’s not much I can do about it. I’m still trying to decide which is worse, those who mow over you deliberately or those too stupid to even realize what they’re doing.
I once listened to a pastor bragging about how many souls he had “won” and I was hit with the thought, and how many did you drive away in Christ’s name? His concept of faith was one of ostracizing and bullying, alienating “those kind of people,” the people he perceived as unworthy to be believers. As if we are not ALL unworthy, as if that is not the whole point.
I had nightmares about him placing all his “won” souls on one side of a scale and all of those he had driven away on the other. It never came out in his favor. It was actually a concept that really scared me. I can think of no greater horror then taking up Christ’s name and misrepresenting Him, causing people to believe in a vengeful, bullying God full of human ego.
To this day that scares me. It is the one thing I never wish to do, to be responsible for driving somebody away from faith. However, in my life I have over compensated there. I’ll just pray in my closet, keep a low profile, and never speak of faith, least I am somehow responsible for leading someone away from God rather than towards Him. Growing up hearing a million stories about how awful and oppressive Christians are made me keenly aware of how every aspect of your behavior as a Christian is often weighed and measured by others, looking for an excuse to not believe.
Over time however, God drug me out of the closet kicking and screaming and forced me to confront those fears. I began to understand that nobody is perfect and that having a relationship with Christ is about following Christ, not following people. Yes, we should all strive to represent Him properly, to the best of our ability, but none of us is ever going to be capable of controlling the response of others. People who are looking to you seeking evidence of a flawed Christian are going to find a flawed Christian. I am one. I’ve met many others who were flawed too. In fact, those are the best kind of all.
So when I encountered that pastor who was “winning” souls and alienating the “riff raff, ” I simply walked away. That is just an imperfect man trying to find his way in the world. I let it go and let God drive, let Him immerse me in all the lessons to be found there, to search my heart and to heal what had pushed my buttons, to show me why I found that behavior so appalling.
It was a very slight offense, nothing more than a small moment of annoyance really, but I did go to God with a humble heart and ask Him to fix it within me and He did, beautifully and gently. I could just as easily have said, as so many non believers do, “See, that man is why I am not a Christian, that man is why I reject Christianity and deny the existence of God entirely.”
I don’t want to sound harsh here, but that is just human pride, perceived offense, a desire for the approval of people rather than a desire for God’s favor. Pride nearly always walls off shame, shame that often doesn’t even belong to us. I have found that you really do have to choose over and over again, especially if you tend to be people pleaser. God first, people second, always. No one is ever allowed to come between me and that relationship.
I mention this because of how much I have changed, how much God has fixed the broken bits that used to make my soul ache. I hardly even noticed it, but today I have five ping backs to assorted atheist blogs, that point to my gentle words as if to say, “see, this woman is why I am not a Christian, this woman is proof that Christians are all horrible, delusional people… that hate sex.”
That last one made me laugh. Is there no bit of human dignity I shall be allowed to cling to, no depth of humiliation I won’t be plunged into? Apparently not. Thanks people. That’s me, hatin’ on sex.
Such a thing would have crushed me only a decade ago. I would have torn myself up into tangled knots if someone had tried to use me as an example of “why I am not a believer.” Bad Christian, no wafer for you. That would have pushed my buttons and sent me into a tailspin. I would have doubted my worthiness to even speak of my faith, I would have hidden in my closet in shame.
Today shame has no power over me and neither do people. I have been blessed with victory there, not my own victory, but the victory to be found in the healing grace of God.
Those who walk away from faith because of the poor behavior of others seldom find peace, because when you walk away, you must take your own self with you.
******REPOST FROM 2015
Michelle Styles said:
The only thing I dislike is the self righteous people who honestly believe their way is the only way. I have a faith, a god and a belief system. It’s not Christian and yet so many Christians feel I need “saving” and berate and belittle me. I am far from atheist I’m just not Christian. So I know the feeling but I’ve received far more persecution and backstabbing from Christians than atheists. So we’ve had the reveres. I had faith young, lost my faith after my rape, and have rediscovered it again in recent years.
So people are people live and let live. Remember every faith be it Jesus, Yahweh, Allah, or whatever believes themselves to be 100% right where as some faiths like mine simply say hey if they are living this way they are already saved. The commandments I have match yours very closely. Does that mean I am right and you are wrong? Nope. But it also doesn’t mean you are right and I am wrong.
It drives me crazy to see comments about how right and righteous a Christian is just because they are Christian. The same goes for any faith. But people are people and they always feel the need to be right. Good post.
Still sorry about the herpes crack I was trying to make a joke that went off poorly. I hoped to lighten the mood a little. Momentary lapse of judgement.
Me
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insanitybytes22 said:
LOL, there are some Christians who believe I need saving, so I’ll empathize with you there.
I try not to think of it in terms of right or wrong too much, but rather everybody has to walk their own walk. I do believe some things are true and some are not, but everybody has to get there in their own way.
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Michelle Styles said:
I have MANY Christian friends I often like to count you among those believe it or not. You are an online friend but we agree on more than we disagree.
Keep writing I love reading your perspective.
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auroraroschen said:
“I know very clearly that those are human characteristics… rather than behavior caused by Christianity or faith. If one were to completely rid the world of faith, the ugliness of human beings would still remain.” – Well said.
“Bad Christian, no wafer for you.” – Made me laugh. 🙂
“To someone who doesn’t understand growth, it would look like complete destruction.” – Balm to my soul…
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Wally Fry said:
Nice IB. I hope each and every day that my actions never push somebody away from Jesus. On the other hand we still have to tell the truth. Sure hard to balance that
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insanitybytes22 said:
It is hard to balance, isn’t it? I think you can’t go wrong with the Truth spoken in love. Might cause offense in some, but so many others really need to hear those words.
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Wally Fry said:
Well you can’t go wrong but you can upset people. But that’s not for us to worry about I guess. You know all about that since apparently you are so mean to the atheists lol
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Michelle Styles said:
But truth (as it pertains to god) is subjective. Because you personally believe it to be truth doesn’t mean it is. Nor is the converse true for me. Because I believe doesn’t mean it’s truth for you. Best thing to do I think is live like Jesus, judgment free and in a way that makes people ask you. So what’s the secret, how do I find the happiness and joy you have. Teach me. I’ve said it and my wife’s pastor has said it teach with your action and don’t preach with your words. He’s a wise pastor and unlike many Christian churches here this one is expanding and quickly. While the preachy churches and people dwindle, so many there is something of value in the words teach by action and live like Jesus in love.
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Wally Fry said:
Hey Michelle
Well, not to anger you but I just don’t believe the truth as it relates to God is subjective. I mean, think on this. If we use Jesus as our example, then we are compelled to look at his words. He said He is the way, the truth, and the life, and that no person comes to God but through Him. Just something to ponder.
By, the way, I find your comments here quite enjoyable and interesting to read. You always make interesting conversation.
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Michelle Styles said:
See it’s not that I feel you are wrong. No I’m very happy you have Jesus. But your believe doesn’t make it an absolute trust to anyone but you. I know Christians believe no one comes to god but through Jesus. My wife believes that too but she has learned god exists in many places and many ways.
I believe even looking at your Christian god that if he is truly so loving to send his son to die for the sins of the world then he is loving enough to see the ten commandments extend beyond the bible and he wouldn’t allow a child who loved him and his commandments to die simply because they didn’t believe in Jesus.
See just because I have my faith and believe it absolute truth, it doesn’t make it absolute truth to you. Nor does yours to me. 🙂
Truth is subjective when faith is the key in the equation. it’s why I’d never ask a Christian to “prove” god. Because faith is believe without the need of proof.
peace and love, I also enjoy talking with you because we can be civil and still disagree. We can talk rationally and logically and see each others belief and respect it enough to not try and tear one another down. I know I’ll see you in heaven, I believe this.
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Wally Fry said:
Hey you can tell me I am wrong and it won’t hurt my feelings a bit lol. Even though I still don’t agree that this particular truth is subjective its all good. Come visit me sometime perhaps you would enjoy the reading
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Michelle Styles said:
I have several Christian pastors and sights I read. Most simply for an up lifting message. Most people have no idea about my life nor how much I just need positive messages. 🙂
i’ll check you out and I’ll try and remember to be respectful even when we disagree.
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Wally Fry said:
Me too Michelle. And I appreciate your kindness
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Quixie said:
I’d say that if you are a operating out of love then you needn’t worry. 🙂
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Wally Fry said:
Good point Quixie. I guess even when we speak with love sometimes it hurts
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Quixie said:
Actions speak louder than words. If the actions aren’t loving, the words don’t matter. Just my two cents…
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Wally Fry said:
True that
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Tricia said:
Very good words here IB and I so appreciate you writing them. I am also one of those people pleasers and didn’t realize until just a couple of years ago how much it was blocking God. He’s guiding me though to finding only approval through Him and reading your story and how you live victoriously now on the other side of it really helps.
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insanitybytes22 said:
Thank you for your kind words. “Blocking God,” that’s precisely what it was like for me. I kept wanting to follow people, rather than God and that desire for people approval kept leading me to block God. Even the very best people are going to let us down or move away or pass away or leave us behind in some way or another. God is steadfast and unwavering.
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ColorStorm said:
Hi insanitybytes; hope this doesn’t take ya too far off course, but your last sentence was what I was thinking all the way through.
I have heard on countless occasions how the ‘behavior of others’ was seminal why people left the faith………….sorry, this may be a good excuse, but it is not true. ‘I deconverted…………….because of the hypocrites.’ Ah no.
People ‘deconvert’ because they want to; no excuse is needed. People may ‘flee’ from a religion, a weak faith, an improper perspective on God, or the shortcomings of others, but there is NO defect in God or his word.
Some actually sit in judgment of God, as if HE has come up short, and find others to kindle their flame of unbelief with, but WHY would a person in his right mind flee from He who holds all things together, and who comforts the uncomfortable, and who gives faith to the faithless…..there may be a running and hiding from ‘religion,’ but there is no hiding from Christ as if He is unworthy.
It is I who have moved, not Him, at the same time His love never diminishes…
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insanitybytes22 said:
Amen to that, Colorstorm. “It is I who have moved, not Him” indeed. I like to say, I wander off the path sometimes, but God always seems to know right where He is 😉
Christ is our example of the nature of God in human form that we can more easily understand. There is nothing there to criticize, not His love, not His feeding the poor, healing the sick, not His sacrifice. Christ is the evidence of God’s love for us. To reject Him is to reject perfect love.
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Quixie said:
True. I have heard your argument before and have said the same thing, actually. Except perhaps these people who run away can’t believe it’s true anymore because if it really were true then there would evidence in the people who do believe? For me, the scale has tipped too far…
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violetwisp said:
Your conclusion is a bit skewed. People maybe get sick of the church because of other Christians but that’s not the reason they lose faith. I agree people have the same irritating characteristics regardless of their faith, but if a god existed wouldn’t you expect better behaviour from the people under its influence? It’s just another clue to the nonsense.
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insanitybytes22 said:
I do expect better behavior from people under God’s influence and often that is exactly what I find. Those are Christians staffing my food bank, running the soup kitchens, helping people to find jobs, welcoming people into the church with open arms. Even atheists in the Western world have been raised with Christian values, so to care for the least among us is a learned behavior. All over the world you will find Christians caring for the sick, feeding the hungry, ministering to the broken, often at great personal cost.
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Quixie said:
I believe you and think I may need to move to another country (or at least away from the “South”) where everyone is “Christian.” Unfortunately even when Christians do the good deeds you mentioned their bad behavior behind the scenes definitely negates all the good. It is very sad.
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Wally Fry said:
Hey hey hey I’m a southerner lol yall be nice
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Quixie said:
I do try. I really do. I have a lot of trouble with people being so familiar, though. I’m not your honey or sweetheart or darling. LOL
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Wally Fry said:
Yeah I actually get that lol.
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violetwisp said:
Oh and I don’t appreciate the dire warning of not finding peace. That makes you as much a spiritual bully as those you criticise. If you want to help someone, give them space and non judgemental support. I wouldn’t claim someone will find peace if they walk away, even though I think it’s sensible, because we never know what others need.
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insanitybytes22 said:
The very fact that you do not appreciate my “dire warning,” which was not “dire” at all, indicates a lack of peace. The fact that you would even perceive me as a “spiritual bully,” indicates a lack of peace.
Also, all in good humor here Violet, but haven’t you ever met a real bully?? Ai yi yi, there are some people in the world who have a cruelty about them that will take your breath away! In comparison, I am a cream puff, a soft eclair dribbled in chocolate, a bit fierce sometimes perhaps, but hardly worthy of bully status 😉
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Michelle Styles said:
This is a bully and his posse: https://aghostdancer.wordpress.com/2014/01/12/inside-me-deeply-part-5-inside-my-rape/
I didn’t find this offensive or bullying. I mean everyone has their belief and if their belief doesn’t harm me then what do I care? So I don’t share the “dire warning” but I can appreciate her view point. /shrug
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Michelle Styles said:
Sorry that was meant in reply to Violet. Just saying…
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violetwisp said:
Not on my part, but I have a fair idea what inspired this post, and your conclusion is unkind.
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insanitybytes22 said:
Violet, you have no idea what inspired this post. Actually it’s one I’ve been working on for some time and I can’t even remember what inspired it.
You really should take a look at some of Michelle’s writings however, she’s been through the mill and she has some poignant words of wisdom there that you might appreciate. I appreciate her words and the rough road she’s had to walk. Check her out, she’s provided a link.
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violetwisp said:
Yes I’m following Michelle as well. As to the post, whatever you say…
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Planting Potatoes said:
oh how I can relate to your experiences – especially when thinking of my Mormon period – but despite how many have pushed and led me away – God has been faithful to me – but that is the wondrous glory of just how much he loves us – but I do feel the need to point out that there is only one belief system that God accepts – I don’t think we have the luxury of creating our own. I do hope my words never push anyone away – but I shudder at the thought of not being a true witness for God – rather than just trying to make people feel good. Good read! God bless!
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insanitybytes22 said:
Amen! Thank you for your kind words, too. You are quite right, often being a true witness for God does not involve making people feel good. In fact, it can sometimes make them downright uncomfortable. I am sorry for people’s discomfort, but that is the very nature of truth, it is sometimes uncomfortable to look at.
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Planting Potatoes said:
you did not bring me discomfort – your words remind me of how Jesus never tickled the ears of his disciples – I imagine some of them were offended by what he said…it was a very good and insightful post! 🙂
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insanitybytes22 said:
Oh, I didn’t mean I would bring you discomfort. I was speaking of others. Once you truly know the love of Christ, how can you find anything but comfort there? Well, with the exception of a few moments of correction and conviction perhaps, but basically it is all about love and comfort. 😉
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Planting Potatoes said:
you are so spot on! 🙂 Can you imagine how uncomfortable most church goers would be if Jesus walked into any number of churches today? 🙂 Keep writing and I will keep reading! Blessings!
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Michelle Styles said:
I have wondered what Jesus would have done to this church.
“Everywhere I turned people just thought telling me platitudes would fix me. Quoting the bible would fix my broken faith. At the time I needed to hear god didn’t do this I was told “it’s all part of his plan”. I lost my faith entirely soon after my son was born. Yup after being raped, beaten and left for dead I was pregnant. Surprise it can get worse!
I choose to have the baby, against doctors orders and against all the advice I’d received. Now with my faith destroyed I faced more problems. I was now a teenage mom and we all know it had to be because I was a whore, a slut, a tramp. How do I know it must be that? Because they called me that. Other parents wouldn’t let their kids play with “that kind of girl”
I slipped further and further into darkness and despair. By this point depression was more than simple and my PTSD was left fully untreated and incorrectly treated. It was getting worse by the day. Certainly I should have been a hero for carrying that baby but alas even at church I was “that girl”, you know the dirty whore who had a child. At least it felt that way with all the stares, whispers and rude comments.
Sure I was deaf since birth but I could read lips just fine. Even from across the room. I heard them, I heard the things they said. It hurt, it hurt worse that the rocks I would use to try and die the first time, the knife I used to try and die the second time and yes even my rape. The one place (my moms church) that I should have been safe, I should have been the brave hero who choose life. No not even there.
The nails were deeply in the coffin now. At just fifteen years old I tried to kill myself. ”
I wonder would he have raised it to the ground, would he have told them what? That was my first experience with Christians. What would Jesus have told these Christians?
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insanitybytes22 said:
It does hurt Michelle, the wounding that can happen to people within a church or even a family, any intimate setting where one expects to find love but instead finds condemnation, is extremely painful, sometimes even more painful then the violence to be found at the hands of strangers.
Somebody once wryly said, “I’ll take the kindness of strangers over the love of family any day.”
As to what would Jesus do, he once turned over tables and chased people out with a whip. He also rent the temple veil upon His last breath. “And the veil of the temple was torn in two from top to bottom.” That religious spirit, that pharisitical attitude, is well understood by Christ and most likely something He disapproves of greatly. To those who harm children he clearly says, it would be better for them to be hung with a milestone and tossed in the sea.
On the other side of all the gunk however, there can be great peace and healing. There is wisdom to be found there, beauty returned for ashes. There is a kind of pottery where the pieces are smashed into bits and refused with gold until you wind up with something even more beautiful and strong then the original. That’s what the healing Grace of
God is really like.
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Michelle Styles said:
I am pretty sure Jesus that I’ve read about would have treated me in kindness. I did what I should have I didn’t murder the baby. Even though my mom’s pastor said god wouldn’t blame me for making the choice of abortion. Doctors said abortion, I said no. If God wants this baby to not be born then he can claim that life. It’s the only decision in my life since my rape that I am proud of. Hopefully it’s enough to get me mercy for an afterlife. God knows I have not been so good a person.
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Planting Potatoes said:
I’m not so interested in what Jesus would have told those christians as much as I am what he would have told you! And God’s word (not mans word) is more important – the lepers of Jesus’s time might have felt like you do about the pharasees – But Jesus healed the lepers regardless of what the pharisees said – and made it clear that our faith should be in Jesus – not the people of your church! I tried to kill myself too by the way – send me email: markwp09@gmail.com and I will talk with you more about it!!! 🙂
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Quixie said:
This really breaks my heart. I hope this woman found the support she was looking for.
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Michelle Styles said:
I didn’t find it for many many years. 15 years of cutting more than a decade faithless and 2 suicide attempts.
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Quixie said:
Oh 😔 ((hug)) Where did you find the support you needed?
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Michelle Styles said:
Hard question to answer maybe I can try sometime. It came from my son, my family and my best friend since birth, 5he woman I now call my wife. That’s the short answer I guess.
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Michelle Styles said:
Ok IB sorry for the link. I believe the question here deserves a proper answer. One that a few lines just couldn’t answer fully. Thank you for indulging me on this.
Where did I find the support?
https://aghostdancer.wordpress.com/2015/05/14/a-kind-question-deserving-proper-answer/
Thank you for making me think, your question was kind and thoughtful. I hope my answer was found to be the same.
And IB I linked back to here in that post. 🙂
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insanitybytes22 said:
Don’t be sorry, I love links 😉
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Michelle Styles said:
I just thought his question was so nice and from such a kind and actually caring place that a few line answer was a horrible disservice. 🙂
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Quixie said:
Michelle, thanks for sharing your story and answering my question. 😊
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Eric said:
The conundrum here is that Christianity is made up of imperfect people, but at the same time has to display a level of so-called ‘intolerance’. There has to be a level of exclusiveness or the Church ceases to represent Christianity. Accepting ‘diversity’ by promoting ministers who deny Christ as the Son of God; sanctioning fag-unions as legitimate marriages; promoting Feminism and Churchian Game—these are by definition things that negate Christian Doctrine.
On the other hand, it is not Christian either to turn away those who sincerely want to change, like the minister in the story did. Churches who do this border on the level of a cult. This is why I think that churches need a professional and educated clergy to keep from swinging to these two extremes.
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insanitybytes22 said:
Really good points, Eric. Bit of a paradox there, but that ostracizing pastor also leaned heavily into feminism and so called tolerance, while teaching anything but Christian values. So there is a big difference between standing up for biblical truth and being a jerk.
LOL, it is not unlike the conundrum of how being a real man is the equivalent of being a jerk. No! Standing in up for yourself with some confidence is not being a jerk at all 😉
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Quixie said:
Of course, we are all responsible for our own selves. We don’t get to use the victim card. HOWEVER, for me it boils down to humility. Christians are people who make mistakes just like everyone else. I’m willing to admit when I’m wrong, why can’t others?
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insanitybytes22 said:
Interesting, Quixie. I have a post scheduled for tomorrow where I was lamenting something similar, unfairness, injustice,double standards.
It has nothing to do with your comment at all, I wrote it the other day. Part of it was inspired by an internet encounter I had with some people calling themselves Christians. It’s much easier to see on the internet I suppose, but within seconds the wheats and tares, the goats and sheep, were divided with such precision it was kind of spooky, just as if they had been sliced right down the middle with a sword or something. I could spot the actual Christians immediately and the others got so hostile and violent it took my breath away. It was all rather unpleasant but I learned something valuable there. What people do behind the scenes does define them, it does reveal what lurks in their hearts. Humility is an excellent point, I haven’t got an apology from any of those people and I doubt I ever will, but that’s okay, I got to witness something profoundly fascinating. There really is a sharp division between those who genuinely walk with Christ and those who don’t. Those who don’t, they can call themselves anything they like, but they aren’t walking with Christ, not really.
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Quixie said:
I look forward to reading your post! It sounds really good. Yeah, I really don’t mind if someone challenges or disagrees with me. But I definitely can’t “hear” the mean-spirited anymore. Does. not. compute!
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entropy said:
I couldn’t complete reading the posts, for it raised so many thoughts and questions in my head, that it overwhelmed me.
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wgr56 said:
Interesting post, as are the comments. Here’s my problem with what you said:
“It is the one thing I never wish to do, to be responsible for driving somebody away from faith. However, in my life I have over compensated there. I’ll just pray in my closet, keep a low profile, and never speak of faith, least I am somehow responsible for leading someone away from God rather than towards Him.”
You see, I have no wish to lead anyone anywhere, whether it be toward or away from any deity. On my own blog, I write what I write, and if some people view it as spiritual, then that is their right. If they view it as non-spiritual, that, too, is their right. I take no comfort from people doing what I do, or believing what I believe. Spiritual practice is best left to the individual. I’ve never understood the herd mentality.
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toomajj said:
I think if we are truly objective we must discern between faith and bad faith, something that most non-believers fail to grasp. If a person of faith is arrogant, too proud, jerk, etc. it is due to his/her bad faith and not a natural consequence of faith as such. They put too much faith in themselves rather than in God.
My personal understanding of Christian faith is if we truly stick to this one principle “love your neighbor as yourself,” then we’re always in good faith. Christ doesn’t mention neighbor as physical one but as anything other than oneself; if we extend the notion of neighbor to include the whole world, then we can no more speak in terms of winning and losing others, etc. The central problem of people with bad faith seems to me to be that they love themselves more than “the other” which is their existential neighbor to which Christ refers to.
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bluebird of bitterness said:
In many ways my childhood was the polar opposite of yours. I was raised within a very strict, very dogmatic, very legalistic brand of evangelical protestantism.There was a Christian newspaper (which shall remain nameless) that arrived at our house in the mail every week, and I used to read it just for laughs. The outfit that published it supported a number of evangelists who roamed about the country knocking on doors and holding meetings and trying to win souls for the Lord, and every week there was a little scorecard in this newspaper that listed each evangelist’s name, and next to it, the number of people who came forward at his meetings, the number who received the Lord for the first time, the number who rededicated their lives to the Lord, etc. It always cracked me up — it was like reading sports statistics or something. Anyway, that’s what I think of whenever someone mentions “soul winning.” 😉
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Pingback: A kind question deserving proper answer | aghostdancer
Amanda said:
Love love love this post.
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insanitybytes22 said:
Thank you and thank you for reading.
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Amanda said:
I’m actually going to feature it today on my Community Blog site Blogging Meetup as my favorite post for the week!
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insanitybytes22 said:
Thank you, much appreciated 🙂
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atimetoshare.me said:
Great post IB. It bothers me too when I hear “Christians” say they saved someone. They had nothing to do with it. Only Jesus saves. To think that a pastor would make such a claim is beyond words.
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Vincent S Artale Jr said:
Reblogged this on Talmidimblogging.
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insanitybytes22 said:
Thank you for the reblog, much appreciated.
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Vincent S Artale Jr said:
You’re very welcome!
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rhondarhoda said:
Thank you for sharing your thoughts and feelings It is appericated. You have encouraged me to continue to A.S.K.(Ask, Seek, Knock). I am aware I have a gift of communication. My assignment is to share and inspire the goodness of God to all who visit my blog. I thank you again for the confirmation of knowing creating my blog was a good idea. God bless
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insanitybytes22 said:
God bless you, too! Thanks for your kind words and for reading.
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