Michael A. Terrell wrote:

"Stephen M.H. Lawrence" wrote:

Wow. Nice people. Honest musing he I wonder how many of them
have crappy lives, and blame God for everything? I admire anyone,
Christian or not, who has wrestled and wrangled with questions of being,
faith, the world, and the meaning of life (for lack of a less-hackneyed
phrase),
but can't bear the in-your-face stridency that I see from those who blame
Christians for everything -- Just about as much as it sickens me to see
the weak sister pseudoChristians in the world. (I'll bet money you know
a few of 'em - I certainly do).

Yes, there are a number of atheists who are angry at God for whatever
reason (strange, since God doesn't exist) and bash everybody of faith
relentlessly. This particular atheist believes that there are good
people of every faith, and that faith per se is not bad. But when
believers want to point a gun at my head and tell me what to believe, or
want to overthrow the US Constitution and replace it with a Christian
version of Iran, I'm gonna get mad. I'm a tolerant guy, but don't touch
my rights under the First Amendment or attempt to overthrow the
Constitution.

It was the actions of a number of so called Christians that kept me
out of church for 35 years. What they did and said, and the way they
treated people made me sick. I had faith, but I couldn't share it with
them because their thoughts were on money, new cars, fancy clothes and
who had the biggest church in the county. Another church contacted me
about a new sound system, then told me I could have the job if I joined
their church. The "Pastor" claimed it was a joke but I only took the
job because I needed the money. I was in dozens of churches around my
home town doing repairs and I didn't feel anything but pushy people
making outrageous demands.

I grew up in Mormonism. Mormons are VERY obsessed with the idea that
Jesus blesses the rich, when in fact Jesus said that a rich man shall
never get into heaven. I am high functioning autistic (Asperger
Syndrome) and my social faux pas'es were ruthlessly mocked by the other
kids and even by some adults. All they wanted was oneupmanship on each
other. I quit at the age of 12 and went in search of a church, then a
religion, that lived up to its ideals. I came up empty-just endless
preaching of intolerance and dumbed down sheep robotically repeating the
hate that spewed forth from the leaders. Then I became an atheist, and
suddenly I became a prime target for every half wit conversion attempt
in existence. I've heard it all, from instant faith healing of my
problems to the ignorant blather of missionaries trying to sound loving
while thinking "raw meat" in the backs of their minds. At least the
Mormons send their missionaries out at age 19 so they don't have a
chance to get jaded-those freshly scrubbed potato brains from Idaho
really DO believe, they really ARE sincere, and they try their
damnedest. Each missionary converts, on average, one person every six
months out of a total two year assignment.


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