BlogHer - religion - Comments

Unbelievable!

mc1977 — Mon, 02 Nov 2009 19:08:08 -0600

The NIV is translated for people to understand the bible better (less ''thou shalt'' ye'' and ''thee's''), it's not an alteration AT ALL! Technically they could have just went ahead and burned the KJV! Same difference. Everyone has their beliefs but that is a little extreme! As far as the music goes, I don't listen to some of those genres but not all rock, jazz or country and ect. is bad. It might sound noisy but the lyrics are sometimes meaningful (and a lot of talent involved). The ONLY religion I have is if you add things, word and/or beliefs or take away from the bible, it's wrong. People come up with their own ideas and throw it out of biblical context for numerous selfish and prideful reasons. And fried chicken ...ect...??? Is that their idea of a celebration or something? This isn't the most insane religous proposal I've heard but close!

Scary Stuff

kazari — Sun, 01 Nov 2009 06:17:30 -0600

"Where they have burned books, they will end in burning human beings."

Heinrich Heine, Almansor (1821)

There is something particularly ominous about book burnings I think, as the sharp edge of intolerance. I'm not trying to imply that this pastor is at all homicidal, but to have such a deep abhorrence of ideas that don't agree with your own...

Thanks for the article, Gena

http://myrope.wordpress.com

yep

Mata H — Wed, 28 Oct 2009 00:04:17 -0500

There are waaaay too many wingnuts in the spotlight these days.

~~ Contributing Editor, Mata H. also blogs right along at Time's Fool

I Think That Was What Ticked Me Off About the Burning

Gena Haskett — Tue, 27 Oct 2009 22:08:12 -0500

This person has a 14 person church. He was able to get national and international press. If one of the professors had tried to get news attention about bible translation issues I doubt that even the religious news press would have shown up.

It is the news media job to report news. I wonder if there the names of the rejected had not been included would it have warranted this kind of attention? I think it fed into the celebrity machine more than a slow news hour.

Gena - Out On The Stoop

Extremists are everywhere

Mata H — Tue, 27 Oct 2009 21:50:25 -0500

Well done, Gena - thanks for not painting all Christians with the same brush, so to speak. Religion has been used as an excuse for bigotry -- a quick look at the letters "KKK" should demonstrate that for sure. But it has also been used as a foundation for good - think of names like Martin Luther King, the Dalai Lama, Ghandi, Desmond Tutu...bottom line:faith does not require closed mindedness. But it is equally true that there is a growing population of people worldwide on the extreme right/lunatic fringe of various religions. And that is scary. They also get the most airtime. It is much more likely to appear in the press that some (fill in the blank) is burning Bibles, than to say "religious group continues to feed the hungry and shelter the poor."

It is a mixed bag.

~~ Contributing Editor, Mata H. also blogs right along at Time's Fool

Nope

maryrwise — Tue, 08 Sep 2009 14:40:56 -0500

Not a single one!

The Blog: Red Nose The Book: Girl Clown

Hi Mary

Mata H — Tue, 08 Sep 2009 14:32:48 -0500

I'm curious, did anyone ever take your Mom up on the offer?

~~ Contributing Editor, Mata H. also blogs right along at Time's Fool

Mom's solution

maryrwise — Tue, 08 Sep 2009 09:27:36 -0500

When I was a kid, the JWs and Mormons used to come to our door. My Catholic mother would always invite them in and say that she would be pleased to listen, but first they would all kneel and recite the rosary.

When my husband and I first moved into a new house, the local fundamentalist Baptist preacher knocked on our door at a very inconvenient time. I said we were not churchgoers, but thanked him for stopping by. He said, "Well, you should really come to church if you want to go to heaven." Because I believe in reincarnation, I replied, "That's okay; I'm coming back."

He never came back, though. ;-)

The Blog: Red Nose The Book: Girl Clown

It's a fine line

Mata H — Mon, 07 Sep 2009 09:13:06 -0500

It is a process with me. The first thingI remind myself of is that these people are doing something that they believe will sincerely help me, and will help them walk their faith walk. And it is not easy discussing faith on a "cold call" in today's world. I am a person of faith, so I can sympathize with them on a few levels. That is where I start. The rest depends on them as well.

Some groups hold beliefs which I find offensive and damaging. I will tell those folks gently that we disagree so profoundly that the visit should stop. I don't ramp up what I say or how I say it unless the other person gets pushy or insulting....which has happened. I have never had to get angry at the door, but I have had to be very firm. I don't like it when it gets to that point, and take no pleasure in skewering anyone at the point of my wit. I just want them to go away and to stop trying to inflict belief on me that I may find offensive.

Later, however, if the visit has been challenging I will fantasize multiple wit-skewers, though -- I confess.

I actually did have one very pleasant visit since moving to this small town. A local church (American Baptist) came to invite me to attend a church dinner they were holding for people who didn't yet belong to their church. They started by saying "We hope we haven't interrupted you -- but might you have about a minute of your time?" They said they were not going to try to convert me, but they just wanted a chance to meet me and tell me about their church <i>if I was interested</i>, that the rest was up to me. They asked if I had a Bible, and if not, would I like one? Though I had a Bible and declined their invitation, I thankd them for their courtesy and wished them well.

When I lived in a small town in NJ, a local church was at the main stoplight on a hot summer day handing out half-size bottles of bottled water -- ice cold -- to any stopped cars -- "We just want to give you something you need and can use -- have a great day" Then they left . Attached to the bottle was a card on a string that said if was a Christian, or interested in exploring Christianity, I was invited to join them for worship the next day, and that even if I didn't come, they wanted to be remembered as a respectful group that did something nice for me.

~~ Contributing Editor, Mata H. also blogs right along at Time's Fool

I've had lots of fun...

kazari — Sun, 06 Sep 2009 23:02:37 -0500

One of my friends was fixing his car in the driveway. After being polite, he told them he didn't want to talk about jesus, he didn't want to pray, the house didn't need to be blessed, but could they bless the car? It needed some help. They knelt in the driveway and blessed the car with him.

It was awesome.

Another friend lived in a share house with a bunch of international students (all male). In summer, in the heat, many of them would wear sarongs and little else. The missionaries never stayed long after being offered tea by two big hairy shirtless men, wanting to discuss family values.

In my current house, we don't seem to get so many uninvited callers. But I always find it more fun (and spiritually uplifting) to be polite and outrageous rather than dismissive and firm. I figure it gives them a chance to walk the walk.

HI Nordette

Mata H — Sun, 06 Sep 2009 21:22:32 -0500

Yep, you and I agree -- even if we can argue with a door-stopper point by point, when the object isn't <i>dialogue or discussion</i> but Biblical one-ups[sic]manship then it really is a waste of our time and God probably heaves a deep sigh.

I am open to praying for understanding, or talking about faith and the whys, hows and wherfores that I understand or that make me think, or that challenge me -- but trading verse numbers in an attempt to prove superiority is pretty much a spiritual chump game. It's a lot of heat but little light. And as you say -- who has time for that?

~~ Contributing Editor, Mata H. answers her door also at Time's Fool

The Parakete Paraclete

Nordette — Sun, 06 Sep 2009 11:30:31 -0500

That bird story cracked me up, Mata.

Another friend lies to one group saying he has been "dis-fellowshipped", meaning he has done something so heinous that the group is not allowed to even talk with him ever again. He got off all that group's lists.

This cracked me up too. I can't bring myself to out and out lie, but I've occasionally dissembled just to mess with people.

On the real, I used to do a lot of religious reading and knew the Bible quite well. A JW came to my door and after talking to me said he wanted to come back with his supervisor. I said that would be fine. So he and the supervisor came by a few days later. I knew that a big part of their conversion talking points had to do with "Did you know that Christianity practices paganism?" The reaction they hope to get is shock and disbelief. But I said, "Hmm. Yes, I do." And then recited theories about Jesus's birth, origins of symbols in Christmas, explained how Constantine converted his empire, by decree, why we use bunnies for Easter, and so on.

O.K. So they moved on to something else with "Did you know X in the Bible means Y?' And I answered with something like, "Well actually that word in the Greek means thus and so and back when that passage was written people believed ABC."

O.K. So they gave up. But I've repented of messing with people's heads that come to my door pushing a particular religious brand. Who has the time for that?

Nordette Adams is a BlogHer CE & you can find her other stuff through Her 411.

Instead of a lovely sign on the door?

KLinnea — Sun, 06 Sep 2009 04:26:53 -0500

Being caught up in med school, I'd let them come in, if I get to practise taking their blood pressure and using a syringe on them in return :-D Maybe a lovely sign on the door is better?

Thank you for your interesting articles!

http://linneadiary.blogspot.com/

That's because

Nordette — Sun, 06 Sep 2009 00:10:40 -0500

You nip it in the bud. You don't disagree or challenge what they say to you. You take the tract and smile or close the door. If you answer your door and say I'm busy, I can't talk right now or take the tract and say thank you and move on, most of them don't get pushy. That and you probably have no guilt or shame, which would mean you appear either centered or confident. Guilt, fear of confrontation, dislike for the particular group, or a strong belief in something other than what the person is telling you is usually the root of discomfort. If you don't feel threatened, then you seem receptive.

But there are instances where a target can be very nonconfrontation and politely try to get away or close the door and the proselytizer becomes more aggressive.

The well trained proselytizers also have certain groups of people they're advised not to engage. They may be cautioned to be careful that they don't get into a debate with someone from another debate system who is actually converting them not the other way around. For instance if a Jehovah's Witness comes to the door and the person answering informs them that they are Evangelical or Fundamentalist Christian, the JW may choose not to say anything else because they know that people with those beliefs are just as passionate as they are and usually have some talking points of their own.

Now, Denise, you get stopped by religious people. When I'm in relaxed state, I get stopped by people who appear to be schizophrenic or have some kind of mental disorder. They will walk up to me through a crowd of people and say, "Will you pray with me?" I don't argue. I just do it. And afterward, the go sit somewhere and be quiet. This has happened to me enough times for me to notice a pattern. LOL. If like attracts like then I'm in trouble.

Nordette Adams is a BlogHer CE & you can find her other stuff through Her 411.

THE NAKED GUY

Nadirah_Angail — Sat, 05 Sep 2009 21:54:28 -0500

HAHA, I can't believe he did that. Hilarious

Nadirah

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