Can't get away from religious crap

Thought I'd take a nice Saturday morning walk to the store. While on this walk I'm thinking about playing the lottery, about my daughter, about my sore legs... I happened to pass by the Salvation Army (a Christian association) and was appalled by the sign in the front: Jesus didn't fight sin by avoiding sinners.

The message couldn't be clearer. Christians are supposed to follow Jesus by imposing their values on everyone they meet. To fight sin you must purge others of their sins. You are required to shove your beliefs down everyone's throat.

Instead of living life and learning from our own mistakes we're just supposed to accept the lunatic ramblings of religious bible thumpers. I didn't need to see such crap this morning, but we can't get away from it.

You can't get away from religious crap.

And religious people can't get away from evil sinful crap.

It all balances out.

The best sort of religious person I know of are ones that you would never know are religious.

The sort of people you think "They're genuinely a nice guy." and only if questioned about it specifically, do they mention it.

And not the sort that keep it secret until they feel they can pounce on you either, or the sort of people who ram god down your throat, or spread the word because sinners are too slow to fix themselves and god needs an army to do it for him, they are the sort who irk me endlessly.

Thought you were going to have a go at the content on ATS for a moment too.. I almost did the other night with yet more of the "I love jesus heres why!" threads, but then I thought it hurts no one here. And it wasn't one of those rampant confusing threads that tells us we're all evil and sinners and are nothing without god, but namaste and rainbows !!

Salvos must be different over there than here, the only times I've had dealings with them is with community support, and there was no god involved, just plenty of loaves of bread on a tuesday morning

reply to post by jiggerj


i know!!!! and some they are so freaking insistent that they talk to you....i have the damn 'have you heard the good word's chasing ya down in the summer to talk your ear off or knock on the door at the absoulte worst THE WORST of times......

but it always made me wonder is it as hard for them to resist sin as it is for non religious folk to avoid them?

reply to post by jiggerj


True christians are not suppose to "shove their beliefs down your throat" to anybody.
We are suppose to tell others how to be saved and to lead by example.If people don't
want to listen to you while telling them about the Lord.You are suppose to shake the
dust from your feet and move along.
The old saying,you can lead a horse to water,but you can't make him drink.This same
principle should be used by christians when spreading the good news of the gospel..

reply to post by jiggerj


For someone who bemoans that they "can't get away from religious crap", I sure see you around these two forums frequently. So I suppose you're a masochist?

And that's not at all what the message of that sign was. It was that Jesus didn't avoid the drunkards, prostitutes, and thrives. He went to them, served them, and shared with them. He didn't avoid them. Way to troll it up today.

reply to post by jiggerj


We have a church I drive by all the time and there's always some pithy saying on the little marquee there. And I always read them! Mostly because I think they're funny. One day, I saw a REALLY good one that has stuck with me since then. It wasn't about religion, Jesus or God, or about what a sinner I am, but about giving and compassion.

I hope one day you see a "good one", too. Or that you can train yourself simply not to look at the sign.

But you're right. You can't get away from it. And I wouldn't want to live in a country that refused people their religion and religious expression, as long as it doesn't impose on my freedom. They think having a sign out there does some religious good. It's their choice. That's what we get for living in a free country.

reply to post by mamabeth

True christians are not suppose to

Mornin' Mama. This is the same sentiment we're hearing from Muslims. They're all saying that those people aren't true Muslims. That Muslims don't do those bad things. I'm sure those bad Muslims are saying the same thing about the Muslims that don't align themselves with violence and the killing of infidels.

So, I'd like to ask you to define what a true Christian is, but it would be your opinion and millions of other Christians would disagree with you, so a true Christian really can't be defined.

Originally posted by NOTurTypical
reply to post by jiggerj

 

For someone who bemoans that they "can't get away from religious crap", I sure see you around these two forums frequently. So I suppose you're a masochist?

And that's not at all what the message of that sign was. It was that Jesus didn't avoid the drunkards, prostitutes, and thrives. He went to them, served them, and shared with them. He didn't avoid them. Way to troll it up today.

edit on 13-7-2013 by NOTurTypical because: (no reason given)

The religious folk on ATS seem to get uppity at two things I've noted.

1: when they post a religious fanatic thread and people who are not fanatics post in response.
2: when people post a thread detailing how annoying religious fanatics are.

Well, we're here too. Us sinners. Don't want nor need your saving grace. Are we not allowed to use the forums in the same manner as you do? Or are only the sinners trolls?

May a hearty beef stew and a pint of stout save you from the cold lonely wafers and red wine...

We are suppose to tell others how to be saved and to lead by example.

reply to post by mamabeth


Just the 'telling' alone is intrusive and terribly annoying to those that don't want to hear it anymore. For example, even in this day of sexually transmitted diseases I don't want to be verbally accosted by people promoting condoms and preventative sex alternatives every time I step out my door. Hell, I get downright angry every time a TV show airs the same commercial on every break. So, I stopped watching television over three years ago because of that very fact. Well, more because they show those same commercials every 8 minutes.

reply to post by jiggerj


To define what a true christian is,you have to read the Bible to find
the answer.I am a newer christian and I seem to read the Bible
differently from other christians.The baptist church I went to for 5
years is a great example.This Bible passage we studied in class
I took the scripture at face value.My sunday school teacher said,
thats' what it is saying but thats' not what it means.
I need another cup of coffee.Shame on you for comparing me to a
muslim.I am so anti-islam and I am insulted!

reply to post by jiggerj


Well Jigger, at least there wasn't some person standing there thumping you on the head as you went by.
My solution? A cup of coffee!

*slide*---------------c(_)

The Salvation Army is actually one of the few really good organizations out there, but I hear what you are saying.
I must just have blinders on cause I don't pay attention to those signs unless it has humor in it. Almost every day I go past a church here thta has a big lit up electric sign on it, and lately all it has been saying is "Hi! --God--"

Now that is one I like, non threatening, non pushy and really not at all intrusive.
I always say hi back

reply to post by mamabeth

The old saying,you can lead a horse to water,but you can't make him drink.This same principle should be used by christians when spreading the good news of the gospel..

The difference is that we aren't dumb horses. What can a religious perspective offer that social norms don't already cover? Stealing is bad. Murder is bad. Lying is bad. Sleeping with a married person is bad. Respect your parents...

We don't need religious threats to understand that giving of ourselves makes us feel good. That forgiveness helps us to release our own anger. That without tolerance we would be nothing but a bunch of murderous zombies.

The ONLY exclusive idea within religious teachings is that there is a god, angels, demons, heaven, and hell. Everything else concerning this life, we've already got covered under common sense.

Christianity, in my opinion, is a religion of war and vengeance.

Jesus, their God, was murdered, and the prophecy of his return is steeped in world conflict. According to the Bible, he cannot return until the world is at war. So, how can a Christian truly want peace if their god will only return to them when the world is at war? Even if a lasting world peace is achieved, the Bible warns against it, calling it a lie.

It's really kind of scary, and I know exactly how you feel.

reply to post by jiggerj


The thing is that most social norms have Biblical principles behind them!

Originally posted by NOTurTypical
reply to post by jiggerj

 

For someone who bemoans that they "can't get away from religious crap", I sure see you around these two forums frequently. So I suppose you're a masochist?

And that's not at all what the message of that sign was. It was that Jesus didn't avoid the drunkards, prostitutes, and thrives. He went to them, served them, and shared with them. He didn't avoid them. Way to troll it up today.

edit on 13-7-2013 by NOTurTypical because: (no reason given)

Did you miss the word 'fight' in that statement?

Also, you misunderstood my role in this. It's not that "I" am assaulted by religious beliefs, but that all of society (all of the world) is assaulted and insulted by it. We, the rational, want it to stop, and the only way to do this is to actively participate in the nonsensical religious discussions. The agreement should be that if the religious just shuts the hell up, then we will shut the hell up. If you keep spreading this poison, then we, the rational won't sit idly by and let you.

Originally posted by jiggerj
Thought I'd take a nice Saturday morning walk to the store. While on this walk I'm thinking about playing the lottery, about my daughter, about my sore legs... I happened to pass by the Salvation Army (a Christian association) and was appalled by the sign in the front: Jesus didn't fight sin by avoiding sinners.

The message couldn't be clearer. Christians are supposed to follow Jesus by imposing their values on everyone they meet. To fight sin you must purge others of their sins. You are required to shove your beliefs down everyone's throat.

Instead of living life and learning from our own mistakes we're just supposed to accept the lunatic ramblings of religious bible thumpers. I didn't need to see such crap this morning, but we can't get away from it.

edit on 7/13/2013 by jiggerj because: (no reason given)

Sure you can... You can close your eyes and walk away. I'm guessing that sign hit you over the head or something. If you see a puddle of water, are you going to walk through it or walk around it? When should you complain? When you stepped in it unknowingly or does it matter? Do you complain just to complain?

If it's not beating you in the head, tripping you, or getting you wet... Dont worry about it.

Look at it this way... I'm tired of seeing people complain about something that in reality, doesn't effect them in any way, shape or form, other than tickling their "bitch about it for no reason" nerve.

So... I guess I'm in the same boat, wouldn't you think? I'm sick and tired of hearing about this. Live and let live. You cant have one and not the other. That would just be hipocritical and unequal.

Imagine that... things a person reads can upset them.

Originally posted by MichaelPMaccabee
Christianity, in my opinion, is a religion of war and vengeance.

Jesus, their God, was murdered, and the prophecy of his return is steeped in world conflict. According to the Bible, he cannot return until the world is at war. So, how can a Christian truly want peace if their god will only return to them when the world is at war? Even if a lasting world peace is achieved, the Bible warns against it, calling it a lie.

It's really kind of scary, and I know exactly how you feel.

where in the new testament does it say that you should kill, war or anything of the sort? If I'm not mistaken... And I'm not... Jesus said to turn the other cheak.

Ignorance of the topic? Me thinks so...

Originally posted by mamabeth
reply to post by jiggerj

 

The thing is that most social norms have Biblical principles behind them!

Most social norms were the norm before the Bible was compiled, so.. do the norms come from the Bible, or does the Bible come from the norms?