Crazycatlady Posted December 12, 2008 Share Posted December 12, 2008 I just thought of another thing. I never struggled with the whole masturbation/lustful thoughts/premarital sex thing because I'm asexual. But I was convinced that meant that God was calling me to become a nun! I'm so glad I got that idea out of my system. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AbsurdFreedom Posted December 12, 2008 Share Posted December 12, 2008 Then he takes his shot against "gay-theologists" (gays-christian)... Well,I must admit,that he has a hit here. Both NT and OT clearly state it's position on the topic. Actually, I'd have to disagree there - the issue is rather more complex than what the Bible seems to say at face value. When considered in their proper historical context and interpreted in the light of more modern and informed translations, the 'clobber pasages' hold little weight towards condemning same-sex attraction. I realise that it really doesn't matter anymore to anyone here, and I don't mean to go off topic, but I just wanted to interject that because I feel somehow obligated to defending the idea, given that it began the process of my de-conversion (a year ago this month, as it were). Sorry for the :offtopic: post. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Raul Posted December 12, 2008 Share Posted December 12, 2008 Yeah,right,we just need "to considered it in their proper historical context and interpret it in the light of more modern and informed translations..." I don't know about tranlsations but my pastor actually read both OT and NT in their original language,so I don't think,that this is the problem... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Neon Genesis Posted December 12, 2008 Share Posted December 12, 2008 It went like this: First he compared homosexualists to murderers,rapists and thiefs. (because murder is a sin and so is homosexuality...) Then he takes his shot against "gay-theologists" (gays-christian)... Well,I must admit,that he has a hit here. Both NT and OT clearly state it's position on the topic. The bible also clearly commands that eating shellfish is an abomnation but that doesn't stop xtians from eating shrimp cocktail. It's an Obamanation, even http://www.funnyordie.com/videos/c0cf508ff...d-rashida-jones Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Raul Posted December 12, 2008 Share Posted December 12, 2008 It went like this: First he compared homosexualists to murderers,rapists and thiefs. (because murder is a sin and so is homosexuality...) Then he takes his shot against "gay-theologists" (gays-christian)... Well,I must admit,that he has a hit here. Both NT and OT clearly state it's position on the topic. The bible also clearly commands that eating shellfish is an abomnation but that doesn't stop xtians from eating shrimp cocktail. As a kashrut-obeying christian he doesn't it shellfish too. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Neon Genesis Posted December 12, 2008 Share Posted December 12, 2008 Did he sell his daughter into slavery, too? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Raul Posted December 12, 2008 Share Posted December 12, 2008 Did he sell his daughter into slavery, too? Did he have to? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AbsurdFreedom Posted December 12, 2008 Share Posted December 12, 2008 Yeah,right,we just need "to considered it in their proper historical context and interpret it in the light of more modern and informed translations..." rolleyes.gif I don't know about tranlsations but my pastor actually read both OT and NT in their original language,so I don't think,that this is the problem... As I said, it really doens't matter anymore. All I know is that a year ago I began to extensively read up on the issue and found that there really was no basis for a Biblical condemnation of homosexuality. As for pastors reading the original Greek or Hebrew, most learned to do so from biased sources found at Bible colleges or in Xian dictionaries and lexicons that already contained mistranslations*. * (A brief example, if your willing to entertain it: the Greek word malakoi means something approaching 'effeminate', and until the 1950s that's how verses such as 1 Corinthians 6:9 were translated, but as effeminacy became associated with homosexuality, Bible translators started to disingenuously translate the passage using the word 'homosexual' instead. And then, once you understand that, there comes the problem of finding out what 'effeminate' meant back in Ancient Greece - long story short: 1 Corinthians 6:9 more likely condemns vainity or excess jewelry than same-sex attraction. More information can be found here, at one if the first and most comprehensive sites I used: http://www.gaychristian101.com/) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
upstarter Posted December 12, 2008 Share Posted December 12, 2008 Actually, there's one more option that should be there, (I think), which was probably my biggest problem. I thought and worried about this quite often: that I hadn't done enough or right to God, had done the unforgivable sin, or any other way made sure that I wouldn't go to Heaven. In other words, I was afraid I wasn't saved properly. I didn't feel a confirmation in me that I was safe. There wasn't anyone around me pushing me to feel this, it was all own me. Criticizing my own actions and wondering if I now finally had pissed of God so much, that I was condemned to Hell. Wow Hans, I could not have said this better myself. This is exactly the thing I struggled with every day of my xtianity. Heather Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ShackledNoMore Posted December 13, 2008 Share Posted December 13, 2008 I cannot choose one option and participate in this poll. There are several MAJOR ones listed. Instead, I'll post: Believing that people around me were going to burn in hell. I definitely shed tears over this one. It caused some serious agony believing that some of my loved ones would burn in hell forever because they were not "born again." Feeling guilty about masturbating and having dirty thoughts. and The "no premarital sex" thing. That really sucked! These were both subsets of the whole "if so much as FLEETING THOUGHT of anything sexual crosses your mind, you have gravely sinned against god." I spent years in mental detox over that one. The painful mental gymnastics required to keep my faith This one speaks for itself. Not being able to drink, party, do drugs, have fun, etc. Not this per se, but something more general and along those lines: a series of little restrictions. Self censorship of anything not compatible with faith. Avoiding certain movies, certain books. Averting my eyes from certain sections of any newspaper. All that bat-shit freak-out spiritual warfare shit about demons and shit. Another heavy-handed control mechanism of my cult. There was a demon behind every tree. This is kind of related to the item above, actually. I also very much identify with other items on this list, too, but these are the most serious, the ones I can't choose between. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Vomit Comet Posted December 13, 2008 Author Share Posted December 13, 2008 SilentLoner: I meant to put the political thing on there along with several other things but I ran out of room. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
godlessgrrl Posted December 13, 2008 Share Posted December 13, 2008 I voted for "the roller coaster ride of always falling short." But if I had to break that out into component parts it'd include: 1. The unrelenting guilt Yeah, sure everybody was washed in the blood, sins forgiven, cleansed, and all that... and sure I'd said the right magic words. But we were still sinners, still did wrong, we were just forgiven. Except we might say or think that one, undefinable, unforgivable sin, and grace would be lost... I got saved and re-saved probably dozens of times, because I was never really sure whether or not it was for real. And every time I got saved again, there was this weird thing about how I didn't have to be perfect, and yet I did. Made for one helluva mindfuck. 2. The sexual shame As if I didn't get enough of this already, growing up female in a very socially conservative family in a male-dominated culture, xianity just made it all worse. No sex, no pleasure, it wasn't allowed, it was dangerous and sinful and endangered one's salvation, unless it was with the person god wanted you to marry. Then it was okay, except there were more important things, like praying. 3. The misogyny Yeah. A male god, a mythology written by men, for men, with men as the main players, men in charge (them pampered Levites sure got a sweet deal), men making the laws... the bible is one gigantic jackfest, frankly. With few exceptions, the women in it seem to be based on male fantasies, male expectations, or male needs. The OT laws are barbaric in their treatment of women, and it's a good thing Paul was single because I doubt any woman would've put up with his bullshit. I had a hard time trying to stick with a religion that had no place for me unless I became either a whore or a doormat. Fuck that shit, grammaw. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Trike Posted December 13, 2008 Share Posted December 13, 2008 I picked "having to be a happy, shiny person all the time". People in my church would quickly change the subject if you spoke about how your life sucked at the moment or if you couldn't be all "Praise Jesus!" when it came to the struggles in your life. Believing people around me were going to hell kept me up many a night too. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GraphicsGuy Posted December 13, 2008 Share Posted December 13, 2008 "The roller coaster ride of constantly falling short" There is a slight problem with the question though...being a Xian didn't suck when I was a Xian. To my fundy brain, the "suckiness" of life was just due to our cursed/fallen nature. I thought I was fairly "normal" and that everyone felt like I did...or I hoped/suspected that they did; there was really no way to tell for certain. I thought feeling like dogshit and not measuring up to perfection was just part of "being humble" and knowing that I wasn't worthy of God's "precious gift of salvation". Geez...what a waste of life to feel like that all the time... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Roan7995 Posted December 14, 2008 Share Posted December 14, 2008 The first thing that popped in my head was the constant, never-ending stream of gay-bashing bullshit. But the fact that God NEVER, EVER replies to prayers ... well that takes the cake. I've heard dogs and cats that could talk better than God does. No joke. Look it up on youtube. They say things like "Momma!" and "Milk!" Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lanakila Posted December 14, 2008 Share Posted December 14, 2008 I voted this: Seeing that everyone around me was too lazy to care about all those people going to hell. I was involved in ministry and evangelism and stressed about people going to hell. It did bother me that not many other Christians did so. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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