Over Zealous

[Mark]

I appreciate that people have a deepened feeling of enlightenment when they settle on a religious belief system. My convictions are personal and I find that they strengthen my entire life. Overall it seems to be a great thing to make peace with whatever god you believe in, in my opinion.
Where I have issue is when these new recruits and even the settled-in believers feel that it is necessary to interject their beliefs into every conversation.

Me: 'Boy this sure is a nice day!'
Them: 'This is the day that the Lord hath made!'

Me: 'I just started working out again.'
Them: 'that's good, but what's more important is your soul.'

Them: 'come visit our church sometime' or 'you should stop by if you're ever in the area' or 'do you want to come to a revival at our church?'
Me: 'For the last time, NO!'

I don't mean to sound like an awful person. My beliefs are important to me too, but I don't feel the need to laminate a copy of my creed and pin it to everyone's forehead. I say believe what you believe and teach it to your children or those who ask. Don't burden everyone around you with your doctrine unless you want to wind being the person who gets avoided.

[srijantje]

everybody his own,it's a private thing

that typical anglo saxon thing,we are right,the rest is wrong,for your own good,convert heathen
and it's even meant good,disgusting

religion is opium for the people,Mao said that

[Aish]

My mother-in-law is guilty of this - she injects her beliefs into every post on FB, every conversation, email, etc. She has always been religious, but the past year and half has become so completely indoctrinated anything that doesn't fit into her own religious paradigm is of the devil - which of course translates 100% TO ME. I told my spouse recently if I got one more email with a link to a sermon "proving" that as Jew I and my husband and children by association are going to Hell I was going to tell her the fuck off - I'm not sure what he said to her, but she stopped (so far).
What irks me more though is MY mother, who has not only decided to become 'faithful' in her old age, but regardless of what is going on, she has to say something akin to " God is in control" - that all good, but what of personal choice/free will? SO if my child is kidnapped and tortured/killed, it's all ok because God is in control? No - I have tremendous issues with this sort of cop out.

[Mark]

My mother-in-law is guilty of this - she injects her beliefs into every post on FB, every conversation, email, etc. She has always been religious, but the past year and half has become so completely indoctrinated anything that doesn't fit into her own religious paradigm is of the devil - which of course translates 100% TO ME. I told my spouse recently if I got one more email with a link to a sermon "proving" that as Jew I and my husband and children by association are going to Hell I was going to tell her the fuck off - I'm not sure what he said to her, but she stopped (so far).
What irks me more though is MY mother, who has not only decided to become 'faithful' in her old age, but regardless of what is going on, she has to say something akin to " God is in control" - that all good, but what of personal choice/free will? SO if my child is kidnapped and tortured/killed, it's all ok because God is in control? No - I have tremendous issues with this sort of cop out.

That's exactly what I am talking about. People need a crutch to lean on and if their intellect isn't up to the task they lean on something else. I think religion should be about a logical choice based on what you have learned and not a follow-the-crowd, lump-us-all-together thing. Of course my family disagrees with me on that.

[srijantje]

it's the easiest cop out there is,that's why so many people use it

[Mark]

Most people are big babies and have never had an original thought in their entire life.

[Aish]

Agreed

[Bunny]

I think religion should be about a logical choice based on what you have learned and not a follow-the-crowd, lump-us-all-together thing. Of course my family disagrees with me on that.

my family is the same way. i was raised in a ministers home and whatever they believed you pretty much lived by that or you were hell bound.

with that being said though i have found my own way and my family has either learned to deal with it or just loves me enough to leave me be. although i still get an opinion from time to time and thats fine bc i give mine too.

but i do believe there is a right and wrong way in life. and i dont believe all of us are just gonna end up in some paradise when we die. but i can agree with the fact that every time i see certain ppl I DONT NEED A FREAKING SERMON!! my mother in law is that way. bless her heart... she thinks she always has every answer. and literally EEEVVVEEERRRYYY time I say hi how are you on the phone she responds with "im blessed to be alive. god is on my side." yes that is wonderful but a simple "Im good, how are you?" would work for me too.

[System Folder]

I actually became an ordained minister on a dare just to prove that religion is a crock, but it's all good; at least now I can officially make holy water and perform marriage ceremonies.

(This post was last modified: 04-04-2013, 08:17 PM by System Folder.)

[velvetfog]

History does not record anywhere at any time a religion that has any rational basis. Religion is a crutch for people not strong enough to stand up to the unknown without help. But, like dandruff, most people do have a religion and spend time and money on it and seem to derive considerable pleasure from fiddling with it.
[Robert Heinlein, Notebooks of Lazarus Long]