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Why are so many people so obsessed and or scared of religion? i am always confused when i come on this website and everyone is all of a sudden so bothered by it.... like who cares? lol... majority of people in the world are religious, get over it.
Here's my problem, when it comes to Bible thumpers.... case in hand, my 88yr old Landlord. I spent $20,000 purchasing my Mobile Home. But I do have to pay monthly Lot Rent. When I 1st moved down here.... she apparently had this bizzare idea I was a Christian? She obviously ASSUMED THAT! Because I clearly never gave her any reason to BELIEVE it!
Every month, week, or whatever... I would see her... and low and behold she did the Christian lingo.... "Thank the Lord I was able to walk, with my bad hip today". "Thank the Lord the tornadoes didn't hit us today". "Thank the Lord I was able to pay my bills this month."
The 1st of every month, I go to her house, and give her my monthly Lot Rent. And there's her TV..... on the 700 Club channel, or whatever the heck that channel is? CLEARLY... IT'S religious!
Finally one day, I couldn't take the lingo anymore. I ADMITTED that I'm Atheist. The look on her face, was..... <blank>
Then... without missing a beat... she says... "I'm not religious either. Don't know why you would think that?" ***ummmm? that 700 Club on your TV might be clue???*****
You want to declare your love and devotion to Jesus? THEN LIVE BY IT, AND DON'T DENY IT! I'm tired of the 2 faced Christians.
I called BS on this OP in the very first paragraph.
OH sure just out of the blue, apropos of nothing she declares "I LOVE JESUS".
Next I assuming she started speaking in tongues, whipping out snakes and doing dances in the middle of the office?
In my entire life, working with THOUSANDS of people, and many religious ...never ONCE did ANYBODY ever declare they "loved Jesus" like that. Even when half my office at the phone company was listening to gospel music ...we just enjoyed the music and acted goofy - acting out the songs, lip syncing and what not in between calls.
I'd say you're laying it on pretty thick. Nice touch with the "defensively" though. Since this is the psychology forum I might ask are you projecting?
In Judaism, a person who is not born into the faith is required to seek out a Rabbi and make a devoted effort to convert to Judaism. I was raised in a Methodist household, but I did not connect to God through Christianity. As an adult, I undertook the path to conversion and I have only become stronger in my faith and relationship to God. I have many Christian friends of all different denominations and I know that they pray for my soul because I do not accept Jesus Christ as the Messiah, but that only makes me feel loved by them. They care about my soul...how awesome is that! They respect my faith and I respect theirs, but if I meet someone new and they want to prostheletize (sp?) I understand that it comes from a place of love and sharing and not one of arrogance and judgment. Of course there are arrogant and judgmental people of all and no faiths, but if you approach people with the belief that their intentions are good, you have an opportunity to learn and share instead of demeaning another person and working yourself up into a self-righteous tizzy!
Sorry...I just don't get the vitriol towards religion in our country today.
I am not flattered or feel loved when people feel they must "pray for my soul" because it is disrespectful that they think my soul (if it exists) is any of their business, and that their God will somehow be more inclined to pursuade me to see things the way they do if they pray to him about it.
It does come from a place of arrogance and judgement to not consider the views of the person they supposedly care about as having any merit, and to believe a horrible fate is in store for that person if they don't agree with the clearly superior worldview. At most, if I care about the person, I show them respect by putting up with their disrespect because I know they convinced themselves that they are somehow doing me good.
As Thoreau says, "If I knew for a certainty that a man was coming to my house with the conscious design of doing me good, I should run for my life."
I called BS on this OP in the very first paragraph.
OH sure just out of the blue, apropos of nothing she declares "I LOVE JESUS".
In my entire life, working with THOUSANDS of people, and many religious ...never ONCE did ANYBODY ever declare they "loved Jesus" like that. Even when half my office at the phone company was listening to gospel music ...we just enjoyed the music and acted goofy - acting out the songs, lip syncing and what not in between calls.
I'd say you're laying it on pretty thick. Nice touch with the "defensively" though. Since this is the psychology forum I might ask are you projecting?
Where the heck do you live???? You've never seriously met anybody that declares their love for Jesus???? WOW!!! Holy Crap, I got a step-sister and 3 cousins that do this!!!
I'm an atheist and I used to watch the 700 Club. Granted, that's when I had one channel. I would get ready for work in the morning and watch good old Pat waving an envelope around next to his head like Karmac the Great. Entertainment at its best!
Quote:
Originally Posted by iNviNciBL3
Why are so many people so obsessed and or scared of religion? i am always confused when i come on this website and everyone is all of a sudden so bothered by it.... like who cares? lol... majority of people in the world are religious, get over it.
Nobody is really obsessed with religion, but given how it's used to beat people over the head by passing laws dictating how others should behave, anybody today would be a fool not to keep a close eye on what religious people, especially fundamentalists, are up to. I don't really want some religious person deciding how my life should be run. I mean, look at the idiot who wanted everyone to be required to go to church on Sunday. But yes, it bothers me when someone ELSE'S religion tries to run MY life. I am an adult and I can decide for myself how to act and I'm fully prepared to take responsibility for my own actions. I don't need a child of God trying to save me from myself.
Where the heck do you live???? You've never seriously met anybody that declares their love for Jesus???? WOW!!! Holy Crap, I got a step-sister and 3 cousins that do this!!!
Agreed. I can't count how many people have just come up and asked me if I was saved or if I had found Jesus. My favorite response to that now is, "Is he lost again? Someone needs to put a bell on that guy!"
What I have a problem with is people who use religion as a go to to do whatever they feel like as long as they "love Jesus", or go to church religiously... You know - I went to church Sunday and I read the bible today so I can get drunk and abuse people... Or I can verbally abuse people, or emotionally abuse them, etc, etc....
You cannot be religious and then do something "wrong"... And you certainly cannot "buy" your way into heaven.....
I am not religious (and not because I do not understand - I have read various bibles quite a few times), but I treat people with kindness, decency and respect.. Which is actually all Jesus wanted if I understand right....
I think the difference makes you feel uncomfortable. If she had said she was into yoga or goes to Al-anon meetings would you feel differently?
I think what's inside of us would prefer us to be a little more tolerant towards others who accept the "created in God's image" theory. But we fight it.
If you want to understand people who latch onto a belief system of any kind, you need to read The True Believer by Eric Hoffer. It was first published in 1951, and is still spot on.
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