Let's Talk About the Religious Right UPDATE 11/7/2020 - VINDICATION!!!

[Professor Emeritus]

If you suspected your Israelite lady was cheating on you, it was probably with a man of a higher social standing. Like the priest.
So you take her to the priest, he thinks "Okay, I think I remember creeping with this bytch. Better give her the red potion."
Now nobody's the daddy because the woman miscarries, nobody has to get divorced, we can blame the woman, society remains intact.
Unless you believe ancient people didn't fukk around on each other.

So this hypothetical priest you're talking about doesn't even believe in the test, doesn't think God is the judge of the test, but just fixes it himself.

Dude who doesn't even believe in God is out there wrecking families with his sexual promiscuity, defrauding husbands, and then using abortion to cover up his sexual indiscretions.

Sounds like you have a low opinion of atheists.



(Again though, since you haven't produced any evidence that the test is about abortion or that the woman is even pregnant, the point doesn't work. Look at the quote above - how could the test be delayed for one, two, or three years if it refers to pregnancy?)

 

[jj23]

Ya'all slip from arguing one extreme to the other with the smoothness, not even realizing that nothing could even potentially satisfy the mutually opposing demands you place on religion.

I place no demands on religion at all.

I have no care for it. As far as I am concerned it’s a farce. If god exists, he is not the embodiment of anything we read in the major religious texts.

Religion places demands on people. Daily and constantly. Irrational demands of living. You try to separate it to suit your arguments, but Jesus was born into a major religion (Judaism) and the tenets of that influenced Christianity. You take offence to people slagging off religion. That’s your right, but you can’t separate it from the human construct. The concept was never perfect to begin with. Or it had been interpreted by the people entrusted with it’s truth incorrectly. Either way it’s a mess.

 

[Berniewood Hogan]

So this hypothetical priest you're talking about doesn't even believe in the test, doesn't think God is the judge of the test, but just fixes it himself.

Correct, he's a normal, fallible, human being who makes mistakes and tries to escape the consequences of his actions.

Dude who doesn't even believe in God is out there wrecking families with his sexual promiscuity, defrauding husbands, and then using abortion to cover up his sexual indiscretions.

Dudes who believe in God will do that too. You know that.

Sounds like you have a low opinion of atheists.

Picard was an atheist.

(Again though, since you haven't produced any evidence that the test is about abortion or that the woman is even pregnant, the point doesn't work. Look at the quote above - how could the test be delayed for one, two, or three years if it refers to pregnancy?)

Have you ever gotten a woman pregnant?

 

[jj23]

Delete

 

[Black Panther]

Police Brutality Drove a Wedge Between Me and My Church

Spoiler: The Author

Is myself. :bpshaq:

 

[Dorian Breh]

Great article breh. Still digesting to some extent.

It has long been my opinion that many church goers use faith as a sort of circular reference: if he was a good person, God would protect him, thus since he is gone he wasnt good. This seems to be what the sermon was about: I got pulled over and nothing happened.

The other very dangerous thing is that I believe many Christians are still on that indulgence wave. Driving in the South I feel like cacs will let you threw a stop sign ahead of you (out of order) to show they are charitable. When theyve accrued enough good Christian points by driving passively they go full retard and ignore the rules of the road, blowing the stop sign out of turn and creating a dangerous situation, because they have "spiritually" earned it.

The lack of personal agency purported in some churches is very scary to me. "Through God all things are possible" is not intended as an invitation to sit back and "let Jesus take the wheel", it is a call to action that very rarely seems to be interpreted as such.

 

[Rout3r2035]

I appreciate that you've evolved in your views and better understand what is and isn't negotiable for you. To be frank, because I really like you as a poster, I hope your views on abortion and homosexuality evolve too. Nonetheless, thank you for sharing.

And no offense, but your dikkhead pastor needs to catch these hands after that callous response to your letter.

 

[Mr Uncle Leroy]

This is a subject very close to me. I used to belong to a church that increasingly espoused right-wing views over the years, and I ended up stepping down as a minister and leaving the church this past May due to their apathy on recent police shootings and open support for Donald Trump.

Spoiler

I'm actually in talks with Cracked.com about writing an article about my experience.

The worst thing about belonging to a church that inserts political views into it's message is that there's no distinction being made between doctrine and opinion. I had belonged to that church for 11.5 years, and I thought that being united together in Christ would make political, racial, and cultural differences irrelevant.


I was wrong. I'll take the L. :mjcryhubie:

I always knew my pastor and many other members had some pretty conservative views (my former pastor is Lebanese, and identifies as white), but I believed that their political and cultural views were secondary to the Gospel (as they should be).

Then Ferguson happened.

Ferguson is my hood. Obviously there was a conflict in how we viewed the situation, being that I'm from North County (of which Ferguson is a municipality) and he's from the affluent part of South County.

I wrote a letter that was largely ignored by the church, and once the church started openly endorsing Donald Trump for President (which is technically illegal BTW), I was like

So I left. Then I found the Coli.

Y'all have mostly been a means of catharsis. I post a lot here because I'm trying to confirm that I'm not crazy. :kanyebp:

I'm still a Christian, and I still hold some pretty conservative social views (abortion is murder and should be rare, homosexuality is wrong), but I cannot endure right-wing evangelical thinking anymore.

I know some fools are going to come in and try to clown (@I_Got_Da_Burna :bpufedup: ) but I appreciate the opportunity to be open and honest about my feelings.

So did you start your own church or find a diverse church to be a part of?

A church were you are not discriminated, mistreated, bullied, sullied, mishandled, misjudged, agitated, provoked and tolerated by undercover racist white boys and girls whom a programmed by racist and self serving media that cannot emphasize or require that police chief hold cops responsible and jurors hold murderers responsible for the crimes they commit. That type of church. You found another one? How did you put up with their racist overtones for so long?

 

[Black Panther]

With John Bolton's recent firing/resignation (depending on whether you ask Trump or Bolton, respectively), I was reminded of something my former pastor said concerning Hillary's potential presidency in 2016.

He stressed that Hillary would be a national security "nightmare". Ostensibly, because of Benghazi (I think) and because she wanted "open borders" (which is false).

Obviously, I can't think of a bigger national security "nightmare" than going through 3 (THREE!!! THREE!!!) National Security Advisers in your first term. Or being on your 2nd Secretary of Defense, 2nd Director of Homeland Security, or 3rd Director of National Intelligence.

Additionally, your first NSA, Mike Flynn, being fired within 30 days. Flynn being fired confirmed that I was being fed complete horsesh*t. That's why I go so hard against Flynn; he's a reminder of the lies I was fed during my time at my former church. (And he's a genuine scumbag. :sadflynn: )

It's one thing to express your political views on your own time; it's another thing entirely to proclaim your political views behind a pulpit, alongside Biblical teaching. Equating truth with opinions.

I'll never forget the epiphany I had one Sunday, where my former pastor relayed something God supposedly spoke to him about Trump's election. "God" told him that He was involved in getting him elected.

Then, a light came on in my head: "You know...God sounds an awful lot like Pastor Mark."

Pretty much shattered the illusion right there.

 

[acri1]

With John Bolton's recent firing/resignation (depending on whether you ask Trump or Bolton, respectively), I was reminded of something my former pastor said concerning Hillary's potential presidency in 2016.

He stressed that Hillary would be a national security "nightmare". Ostensibly, because of Benghazi (I think) and because she wanted "open borders" (which is false).

Obviously, I can't think of a bigger national security "nightmare" than going through 3 (THREE!!! THREE!!!) National Security Advisers in your first term.

Not to mention your first one, Mike Flynn, being fired within 30 days. Flynn being fired confirmed that I was being fed complete horsesh*t. That's why I go so hard against Flynn; he's a reminder of the lies I was fed during my time at my former church. (And he's a genuine scumbag. :sadflynn: )

It's one thing to express your political views on your own time; it's another thing entirely to proclaim your political views behind a pulpit, alongside Biblical teaching. Equating truth with opinions.

I'll never forget the epiphany I had one Sunday, where my former pastor relayed something God supposedly spoke to him about Trump's election. "God" told him that He was involved in getting him elected.

Then, a light came on in my head: "You know...God sounds an awful lot like Pastor Mark."

Pretty much shattered the illusion right there.

This is why I threw religion in the bushes a long time ago.

I wish I would wake up early on a Sunday to listen to that bullshyt

 

[Black Panther]

This is why I threw religion in the bushes a long time ago.

I wish I would wake up early on a Sunday to listen to that bullshyt

A good church is quite literally a godsend.

The problem is that it's tough to vet churches thoroughly without getting involved with them.

I still believe in God and consider myself nominally Christian, but I now view evangelicalism as cancerous.

It's also hard not to slip into nihilism at times.

 

[acri1]

A good church is quite literally a godsend.

The problem is that it's tough to vet churches thoroughly without getting involved with them.

I still believe in God and consider myself nominally Christian, but I now view evangelicalism as cancerous. :tchallascust:

It's also hard not to slip into nihilism at times.

Embrace the nihilism and accept that the world ain't shyt

 

[Black Panther]

Update:

Vindication feels so good.

Back when I was in my former church, my former pastor talked about him believing the JCPOA (Iran nuclear deal) was the event that began a 7-year countdown to Jesus' return (it involves Daniel 12 in the Bible; suffice it to say that it's rubbish.) He also believed that Trump was "God's choice", and was in place to stave off the worst effects of the last days.

He believed that Trump would be in office until Jesus' return. Those beliefs have been soundly disproven today.

Never mind the fact that God apparently told him when Jesus was coming back, but didn't breathe a word about a worldwide pandemic in 2020.

Never mind the fact that Daniel 12 [apparently] says that the Anti-Christ will make an agreement with many at the beginning of this seven year period, and break it halfway in. In reality, the one who broke it (nearly halfway in, mind you) was Trump.

I'm pretty sure I'm rambling at this point, so I'll just say that I feel my decision to leave that church (and belief system) was validated today.

 

[Payday23]

Update:

Vindication feels so good.

Back when I was in my former church, my former pastor talked about him believing the JCPOA (Iran nuclear deal) was the event that began a 7-year countdown to Jesus' return (it involves Daniel 12 in the Bible; suffice it to say that it's rubbish.) He also believed that Trump was "God's choice", and was in place to stave off the worst effects of the last days.

He believed that Trump would be in office until Jesus' return. Those beliefs have been soundly disproven today.

Never mind the fact that God apparently told him when Jesus was coming back, but didn't breathe a word about a worldwide pandemic in 2020.

Never mind the fact that Daniel 12 [apparently] says that the Anti-Christ will make an agreement with many at the beginning of this seven year period, and break it halfway in. In reality, the one who broke it (nearly halfway in, mind you) was Trump.

I'm pretty sure I'm rambling at this point, so I'll just say that I feel my decision to leave that church (and belief system) was validated today.

Using the bible for the idolatry of Trump

 

[Biscayne]

This is a subject very close to me. I used to belong to a church that increasingly espoused right-wing views over the years, and I ended up stepping down as a minister and leaving the church this past May due to their apathy on recent police shootings and open support for Donald Trump.

Spoiler

I'm actually in talks with Cracked.com about writing an article about my experience.

The worst thing about belonging to a church that inserts political views into it's message is that there's no distinction being made between doctrine and opinion. I had belonged to that church for 11.5 years, and I thought that being united together in Christ would make political, racial, and cultural differences irrelevant.


I was wrong. I'll take the L.

I always knew my pastor and many other members had some pretty conservative views (my former pastor is Lebanese, and identifies as white), but I believed that their political and cultural views were secondary to the Gospel (as they should be).

Then Ferguson happened.

Ferguson is my hood. Obviously there was a conflict in how we viewed the situation, being that I'm from North County (of which Ferguson is a municipality) and he's from the affluent part of South County.

I wrote a letter that was largely ignored by the church, and once the church started openly endorsing Donald Trump for President (which is technically illegal BTW), I was like

So I left. Then I found the Coli.

Y'all have mostly been a means of catharsis. I post a lot here because I'm trying to confirm that I'm not crazy.

I'm still a Christian, and I still hold some pretty conservative social views (abortion is murder and should be rare, homosexuality is wrong), but I cannot endure right-wing evangelical thinking anymore.

I know some fools are going to come in and try to clown (@I_Got_Da_Burna

) but I appreciate the opportunity to be open and honest about my feelings.

I’m same as you. I’m also a Christian who holds rather conservative views for the time we’re living in. And those conservative views are based on biblical teachings and law. But I gotta agree. I have a lot of reform Baptist pastors I listen to on YouTube, because their theology and apologetics is so sound and I love it. But you can see a cultural shift to the right in a lot of these pastors and their messages. It’s no longer about going contra to the left for the sake of biblical morality, but now it’s about “cultural” Christianity and right wing for the sake of American nationalism. I could understand if they were preaching against the left if Christian religious freedom in America was truly on the line. But some of it is fear mongering. I wasn’t planing on voting. But after some prying from my family, I decided to go vote. And I nearly voted Trump, but after some pen tapping and thinking I scribble in the Biden-Harris ticket. I just think American Evangelicalism is at somewhat of a crossroads. Having gone to a conservative white church as a kid, ppl were very nice. And you can tell Christ love flows through a lot of them and they are very sincere kind ppl. But when it comes to politics, you could see a switch flip in them. And me and my parents have witnessed this. And this was loooong before the coming of Trump. This was in the Bush era. I can only imagine how these churches have been the last 4yrs.