Pickin' on Fort Smith

[yankeegirl313]

Originally Posted by nmnita

it does make an impression and I, personally take your comments as an insult.

Nita

How do you think God feels, when you insult him, by being offended, embarrassed, or ashamed that someone happened to mention his name in public? I`m sure that we have the same bible. Read verse Mathew5 #15.

[nmnita]

Originally Posted by yankeegirl313

Hello Nita.... I don`t care what religion you are...if you believe in the same God as I do, then what I don`t understand, is why a girls comment about "When God is present, everything is good, don`t you agree" would upset you, or offend you, in anyway? You explain to me, why this comment makes you feel ashame?

could you show me one place where I said it made me feel ashamed? I still find your previous comments about people who only go to church on Sundays and don't preach religion not Christian an insult. Never did i say I was uncomfortable or ahamed, I said the comment stuck me as being out of place and certainly not what I am accustom to. I have visited and lived in the south, have relatives in Ark, Ok, Florida and Texas but never had I heard such a statement. I mentioned the food was very good and someone tells me it is because God is present... You don't think that is strange? I have probably lived many years longer than you, have lived in all parts of the country, have traveled throughout the world, have friends in all walks of life and never has anything like this happened before. Now you are saying this should be an everyday occurrance, give me a break for heaven's sake.

Nita

[yankeegirl313]

" Out of place, and what your not accustomed too." Well, to me, out of place could very well mean,'I`m uncomfortable with her statement. I`m going to get on a public forum, and tell the World how inappropiate I think this girls statement was, from my point of view."
My advice to you would be then, find a defense force, because I`m not accustomed to a stranger visiting my town, and then getting on the net, and cutting it down, because of a religious statement.
Oh...I was taking care of a lady in the nursing home. Her daughter happened to ask the CNA,"What do you know?" The CNA responded," Nothing much...I know that God is good." :-)

[bchris02]

Originally Posted by nmnita

could you show me one place where I said it made me feel ashamed? I still find your previous comments about people who only go to church on Sundays and don't preach religion not Christian an insult. Never did i say I was uncomfortable or ahamed, I said the comment stuck me as being out of place and certainly not what I am accustom to. I have visited and lived in the south, have relatives in Ark, Ok, Florida and Texas but never had I heard such a statement. I mentioned the food was very good and someone tells me it is because God is present... You don't think that is strange? I have probably lived many years longer than you, have lived in all parts of the country, have traveled throughout the world, have friends in all walks of life and never has anything like this happened before. Now you are saying this should be an everyday occurrance, give me a break for heaven's sake.

Nita

I knew an older woman when I lived in Ft. Smith who was from Amarillo, TX. The Texas panhandle is another very religiously conservative locale. This woman was a genuine Christian woman, showed and practiced the love of Christ, and even was a biblical literalist. Her doctrinal views co-incided with many conservative evangelicals. She said the problem with Ft. Smith is not that its a religious town, but that the people there use religion in an in-your-face holier-than-thou manner. She said Ft. Smith was the most closed minded town she had ever seen, and thats saying something coming from a person that most would consider a religious conservative, and I would have to agree there.

I don't see what the big problem is with nmnita's experience unless that "Its good when God is in it" statement was said in a condescending way. Evangelizing is good when done appropriately and of Christ. I, however, had some experiences when in Ft. Smith restaurants and from customers while working at Office Depot that went way over the line. To top it all off, most churches I tried in the area were very cliquish and didn't make me feel very welcome and then the sermons were nothing but hellfire and damnation and pro-Bush rhetoric. It turned me off to Christianity for a long time.

[sandgirl]

^I can relate to what you are saying about churches. Sadly, my husband and I do not belong to a church, because of all the politics. We have been disappointed time and again. My God is not the church building. I'm not liberal, political correct or push my views onto others. However, I'm not afraid to speak out and voice my opinion either. I have family who live in AR so I do get to spend time visiting. I have always found the people to be nice and friendly.

[nmnita]

Originally Posted by bchris02

I knew an older woman when I lived in Ft. Smith who was from Amarillo, TX. The Texas panhandle is another very religiously conservative locale. This woman was a genuine Christian woman, showed and practiced the love of Christ, and even was a biblical literalist. Her doctrinal views co-incided with many conservative evangelicals. She said the problem with Ft. Smith is not that its a religious town, but that the people there use religion in an in-your-face holier-than-thou manner. She said Ft. Smith was the most closed minded town she had ever seen, and thats saying something coming from a person that most would consider a religious conservative, and I would have to agree there.

I don't see what the big problem is with nmnita's experience unless that "Its good when God is in it" statement was said in a condescending way. Evangelizing is good when done appropriately and of Christ. I, however, had some experiences when in Ft. Smith restaurants and from customers while working at Office Depot that went way over the line. To top it all off, most churches I tried in the area were very cliquish and didn't make me feel very welcome and then the sermons were nothing but hellfire and damnation and pro-Bush rhetoric. It turned me off to Christianity for a long time.

"in you face" is the best way to put it. We have many friends who are very much Christian conservatives, "Bible Belt" cross waving people. I belong to a particular organization most of you would know if I mentioned it. Our entire ritural is based on the Bible, none of members are in your face with religion. We are all aware of who is Baptist, Methodist, etc. Many in passing will talk about their church and their faith, but not in a condesending way. There is a difference.

I think my simple comment that has brought on all this is an example of what I am trying to say: never insulted by the lady, never embarrassed, I just felt it showed the mind set of those in Ft Smith (actually I think we were in Van B) This wasn't what we were looking for in a re-location home.

Now, as much as this certainly has brought out various views, probably all that can be said on the subject has been.

[Sam I Am]

MODERATOR: Absolutely all that can be said has been, especially under the guise of Ft. Smith info. Thread closed, let's start a new one in Religion on Christianity or Ft. Smith here - but it ain't the place to mix the two other than just in general terms. Sorry, way off topic on this one, folks...