Stop pushing your religion on me

reply to post by PreTribGuy


Thank you. Apparently this is a passage that they are either unaware of, or choose to overlook.

I will have to remember this, and next time, I will ask them to flip to this verse. The looks on their faces should make up for my anger at them knocking in the first place.

reply to post by PreTribGuy


Well, brother, have fun with it. I refuse to dignify the deceiver. That's my choice, and I hate to see others dignify him as well.

Quite a few patriarchs of the Christian faith refused to dignify him as well.

PreTribGuy, yours are of the few posts in this forum that I've actually enjoyed reading! THANK YOU! I really appreciate your position. And thank you for answering my questions in such detail.

Originally posted by PreTribGuy
I have 4 kids under the age of 10. My wife and I have never once lied to them about Santa Claus or the Tooth Fairy or EASTER BUNNIES (or death) or that some people are REALLY EVIL.

That is excellent! I honor you for your commitment and for respecting yourselves and your children enough not to lie to them! I don't have children, myself, but I would do as you do. Never lie and have a great deal of fun. I believe lying to our children (even about fun things) teaches them not to trust us.

I was just asking out of curiosity. Thanks for your response.

Sometimes, Benevolent Heretic, I and my wife are thought to be CRUEL by not 'allowing' our children to believe this lie about 'Santa Claus'.

Well, know that at least one other person thinks you are absolutely doing the right thing by being honest with your kids!

reply to post by PreTribGuy

I know you didn't ask this question of me, but I want to quote something from the Bible:
Luke 10:7 And in the same house remain, eating and drinking such things as they give: for the labourer is worthy of his hire. Go not from house to house.

Well, I sure did a lot of this for most of my life (door to door)! I cringe when I think of it.

It was the biggest thing I definitely did not miss when I left religion. It was very hard bugging people like that. I too would stand on street corners or in airports, handing out pamphlets, magazines, etc. But at least I tried to be nice about it.

:bash:

Originally posted by outrider
I am 18 years old, finishing high school, and today, i was waiting for my bus outside of my school, and this guy was standing there with a couple signs, trying to push Christianity on the high school students, my school is a bus stop for two other schools, that is 1200 students per school, looking at this guy trying to push HIS beliefs on other people, the thing is, he cant be arrested, because he "technically" isn't on school property, he is on the sidewalk, this guy then gets some other people to start preaching to us, and handing out a brainwashing CD called, The Uniqueness Of Christianity. And on the back it says that the CD is "Blessed by god, and therefor cant be wrong". how many people out there agree with me when i say, where are you getting your drugs, and can you get me some.

 

I understand where you are coming from. I was once one of those people who was fervently into the Christian faith but I never preached. I let my low key and unobtrusive manner do my speaking for me. I acknowledged my faith and people came to me asking what I thought about certain things they were doing. Well, at that time I felt if a person was to ask me I would be honest about what I felt. I always made it clear that I was not the one to judge them and that they would have to search their hearts for themselves to know what they should do or how they should live their lives.

I no longer am a religious person but I do believe in a higher power and a person having a greater purpose outside themselves that they can only know by being open to their inner voice or conscience. I believe that we are our own greatest strength or weakness depending on how we react to any given situation. All are tempted but not all are strong enough to refrain from that temptation. Each person has a conscience and if they ignore it that is on them and not some imaginary fallen angel pulling their strings.

People put too much credence on some religion or leader. They never see that the only way to be empowered is to follow ones own understanding. We are our own saviors if we allow ourselves to follow our higher self. Doing that takes practice and work. Still if I murder or kill or steal or do any other bad thing I can not blame society if I at any time learned what was good and what was bad for me to do. Many people are abused but they don't become inmates in our worst prisons. Why? Because they did not spend life as victims but lived life as survivors.

I was sexually molested by an older neighbor kid when I was 10 years old and I was very confused for a long time. I thought I was somehow guilty of leading this kid on. I know now that was wrong. I did not turn to drugs and booze and I realized that I was a victim but did not have live life as one. I am today a proud survivor and am doing well.

Give yourself credit for those things YOU accomplish. God is what you want him/her/it to be. Still, life is not what some higher power makes it. Life is ultimately what YOU make it out to be.

Religion will not save you, faith can guide you but ultimately your life is your own. It is what you choose it to be.

Mod Edit: All Caps – Please Review This Link.

Thank you for your compliance and understanding.

[edit on 10/7/2008 by kinglizard]

Originally posted by PreTribGuy
From a Biblical perspective, I have to reject the (implied) premise. The Bible teaches only two types of people: Saved or UNsaved.

You sound like an unhinged cultist who is a danger to society.

I realise not all christians are like you or share your deluded views but you certainly not doing that specific beleif system any favours by venting your bigoted nonsense.

Well it doesn't help to do the whole name-calling and finger-poiting thing...on either side...

All I can really add, as I've been out of this discussion for a while now is people should never push either side on any person

-Kyo

reply to post by MatrixProphet

I too would stand on street corners or in airports, handing out pamphlets, magazines, etc.

I know that you meant handing out pamphlets, but I need to note that I don't find anything undesirable about standing on a public street corner and preaching. People are free to walk past and ignore the street preacher.

But "door-to-door" or handing out (pushing the pamphlets in people's faces) seems (to me, at least), seems to be like putting an unrighteous burden on people's time (lives).

Shoving a pamphlet into someone's hands or stopping someone on the street to HAND them a pamphlet isn't the same as preaching to me. Preaching can be ignored with no "wasting of people's time".

Example:

Anyone reading this post has volunteered to read it. I didn't force them. They are free to walk away (figuratively).

IF, on the other hand, I sent a U2U to everyone that participated on this thread so far to let them know I said something new...this would not be a righteous thing to do.

It doesn't matter if they just DELETE my U2U...I wasted (stole from them) a little bit of their time to MAKE THEM delete it!

Accosting someone on the street (taking time away) or handing a stranger a pamphlet (that the stranger NOW must take to time to throw away)...just doesn't seem morally right to me.

How many of you like spam email? Is it "no bother at all"? Or is it REALLY a theft of your time?

"Preaching" on a street corner wastes no-ones time and I can't see a (Biblical) moral wrong with doing so.

One last thing:
Being subscribed to a "thread" is not the same as "U2U". The subscription was voluntary on the subscriber's part. An "univited U2U" is something completely different.

If a person subscribes to an email "mailing list", they did that voluntarily, it is not the same thing as spam email.

reply to post by karl 12

You sound like an unhinged cultist who is a danger to society.

I realise not all christians are like you or share your deluded views but you certainly not doing that specific beleif system any favours by venting your bigoted nonsense.

I made my statement from a Biblical standpoint. I didn't make the rules up, Jesus did:

John 3:36 He that believeth on the Son hath everlasting life: and he that believeth not the Son shall not see life; but the wrath of God abideth on him.

The Bible acknowledges two (and ONLY TWO) types of people. Your argument really isn't with me, but with what Jesus said in the Bible.

reply to post by PreTribGuy

I know that you meant handing out pamphlets, but I need to note that I don't find anything undesirable about standing on a public street corner and preaching. People are free to walk past and ignore the street preacher.

Well, I thank goodness never wore a placard or anything. That was before my time. But I certainly spent a great deal of time in the preaching work!

I do not miss it.

reply to post by KyoZero

All I can really add, as I've been out of this discussion for a while now is people should never push either side on any person

-Kyo

Kyo, I AGREE with you!

I am (however) 'guilty' of dropping hints every now and then to people around me (off of the Internet). I consider these hints as being "bait"*. They are free to ignore the bait and go on with their lives without even a blink.

Example:

My next door neighbor sees me and asks, "How are you doing PreTribGuy?"
I respond, "I am truly blessed by the Lord!".

He "ignores" my bait and we discuss (together) how miserable this winter (snow) has been this year.

/Example

I don't think that I wasted my next-door neighbor's time at all with my response...he just didn't care...and we go onto things he DOES care about.

If I had ORIGINALLY responded to his initial question with, "Hey, don't you think that the Denver Broncos are doing well?" He would be justified and RIGHT by answering, "I don't follow football".

and...

...I would need to drop my (the idea of any further CURRENT) discussion about football...RIGHT...NOW!

------------------

*
By "bait", I mean that I'm looking for other Christian Brethren...someone who believes like I do...I'm looking for another Brother in the Lord. I don't want to lay out some bait that "EVERYONE TAKES"! (Such as "God Bless!")

Someone SNEEZES and people yell out, "GOD BLESS YOU!"

(As though God is suddenly charged to honor the utterers' (of this) COMMAND to give a BLESSING to the person that...sneezed?????)

---------------

One last thought:

On ATS/BTS I suppose I can say that I appreciate the opportunity to say things plainly.
I Thank you, Moderators and Administrators.

Oh please Trib...tell me who amongs us, Christian and not hasn't done somehting in that manner a few times? Peace is all I look for...that's baiting...hell I think we are all guilty of it

You don't think I've stressed the word goddess a few times?

but I suppose there is a bit of a point to it...if you have enough joy in it, you'd spread it right?

just gotta keep it to a leash on any side I think

-Kyo

Originally posted by outrider
I am 18 years old, finishing high school, and today, i was waiting for my bus outside of my school, and this guy was standing there with a couple signs, trying to push Christianity on the high school students, my school is a bus stop for two other schools, that is 1200 students per school, looking at this guy trying to push HIS beliefs on other people, the thing is, he cant be arrested, because he "technically" isn't on school property, he is on the sidewalk, this guy then gets some other people to start preaching to us, and handing out a brainwashing CD called, The Uniqueness Of Christianity. And on the back it says that the CD is "Blessed by god, and therefor cant be wrong". how many people out there agree with me when i say, where are you getting your drugs, and can you get me some.

 

Mod Edit: All Caps – Please Review This Link.

Thank you for your compliance and understanding.

[edit on 10/7/2008 by kinglizard]

The truly sad thing here is that my ex-church used to do similar things like selling donuts and giving out bibles. I don't care for that much because its like your throwing your religion down someone's throat. Same thing with people going door to door.

I say if you want to show off your religion do it by living it. Being kind to others and respect them. Help others as Christ would (if your Christian, that is). Let your life be a reflection of what you believe. That is how you should showcase your beliefs, NOT by shoving it down people's throats.

reply to post by KyoZero


Thank you for the kind answer, KyoZero. I was happy to read it!

2 Tim 1:16

to quote Ringo Starr...Peace and Love, peace and love!!

No more autographs!!! :-p

silly beatle...

Anyway...Trib if you had to throw a passage at me for inspiration in hard times what would it be?

Curious

-Kyo

reply to post by KyoZero

Anyway...Trib if you had to throw a passage at me for inspiration in hard times what would it be?

That would be John 3:36:
He that believeth on the Son hath everlasting life: and he that believeth not the Son shall not see life; but the wrath of God abideth on him.