Blue elephant Posted May 19, 2012 Share Posted May 19, 2012 Hey Pudd Have you tried entering this persons name in to Google to see what you can find? You might need to put the name in quotes and add "australia" after the name, but if he is doing anything much in life you will will prob find his name on a webstie. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jblueep Posted May 19, 2012 Share Posted May 19, 2012 I'm looking forward to seeing his response Pudd. Thanks for including us in your journey Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
blackpudd1n Posted May 19, 2012 Author Share Posted May 19, 2012 I'm looking forward to seeing his response Pudd. Thanks for including us in your journey Yeah, me too. It's 10pm now- he said he wanted to write a thoughtful reply to my email. There's a high chance he's researching the stuff I wrote about... Do you think it's possible that I may have started something? This is a man who is well-versed in apologetics. I wonder if I said something he's getting stuck on? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jblueep Posted May 19, 2012 Share Posted May 19, 2012 Yeah, me too. It's 10pm now- he said he wanted to write a thoughtful reply to my email. There's a high chance he's researching the stuff I wrote about... Do you think it's possible that I may have started something? This is a man who is well-versed in apologetics. I wonder if I said something he's getting stuck on? I hope so, but don't get your hopes too high. Sorry to have to say that Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moderator Margee Posted May 19, 2012 Moderator Share Posted May 19, 2012 I haven't had time to read all the new posts lately, so I'm comin' late to this one. Just read the whole thing this morning......Now, I can't wait!! Hang in pudd!! Hug girl!! 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
blackpudd1n Posted May 19, 2012 Author Share Posted May 19, 2012 Yeah, me too. It's 10pm now- he said he wanted to write a thoughtful reply to my email. There's a high chance he's researching the stuff I wrote about... Do you think it's possible that I may have started something? This is a man who is well-versed in apologetics. I wonder if I said something he's getting stuck on? I hope so, but don't get your hopes too high. Sorry to have to say that Nah, it's cool. I think he's just chewing over something. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Serendipity Rose Posted May 20, 2012 Share Posted May 20, 2012 Still nothing? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
blackpudd1n Posted May 20, 2012 Author Share Posted May 20, 2012 Still nothing? No... This is worse than knowing your boyfriend has the ring, but hasn't popped the question yet! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RedStar Posted May 20, 2012 Share Posted May 20, 2012 Now you have me in suspense! His reply is bound to be interesting whether he still has faith or not. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
blackpudd1n Posted May 20, 2012 Author Share Posted May 20, 2012 Now you have me in suspense! His reply is bound to be interesting whether he still has faith or not. Yes, I agree- when it finally gets here lol P.S.- just to side-track a moment... oh, nevermind, you're not old enough to be in the Ulysses lol 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jdog Posted May 20, 2012 Share Posted May 20, 2012 Well I read this whole thread and I am waiting on tenderhooks! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mcdaddy Posted May 20, 2012 Share Posted May 20, 2012 There's only 2 real responses we could possibly hope for. 1- long list of apologetics 101 BS 2- "some questions don't have answers/I don't have the answers you're looking for". If y'all think it'll be anything different, I'm sorry, you're deluding yourself. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
blackpudd1n Posted May 21, 2012 Author Share Posted May 21, 2012 There's only 2 real responses we could possibly hope for. 1- long list of apologetics 101 BS 2- "some questions don't have answers/I don't have the answers you're looking for". If y'all think it'll be anything different, I'm sorry, you're deluding yourself. I wouldn't be too sure of that, McD. This guy isn't your average fundy pastor. He used to work as a psych nurse, for starters, so even though he is a pentecostal, he never bought into the whole demons-causing-mental-illness thing. To him, mental illness is a chemical imbalance that requires medication, and has nothing to do with spirituality. For years now, he has been working as a social worker, in a secular organisation. He pastored part-time, and hasn't actually been in a leadership role for years. I'm not entirely sure why he stepped down, but at my old church there was an old pastor who was very word-of-faith, a middle-aged man who was very fundy, and him. The old pastor eventually decided to retire, and middle-aged fundy dude moved away. So a new husband and wife team were hired, who were very fundy and word-of-faith, and proved themslves rather greedy, from what I understand, early on, and he actually left the church and went to another one down the road, where he had no leadership standing and the pastor was actually younger than him. I don't believe he made a huge announcement about it, but half the church followed him when they found out, and the little church down the road doubled overnight and had to build an extension, fast. While he does provide support to the new preacher, he still defers to him, and he's not trying to undermine the young pastor, either. His leaving the church was based on his own principles. For a christian, he is also very rational- one time a lady in the church called him up, saying that she'd been trying to read her bible and have her devotional that morning, but she kept feeling this heavy feeling coming over her and feared that there was something wrong with her relationship with god. She was looking for prayer and guidance, but instead, he asked her if she had pain spreading down her left arm. Surprised, she answered that she did, and asked him how he possibly knew that. He told her to hang up the phone and call an ambulance, that there was nothing wrong with her relationship with god, that she was having a heart attack. And he was right, too. She did have a heart attack. Because of his nursing background, he went nurse first, pastor second. He may just give me a long list of apologetics, that's true. But there's also a very high chance he will research the points I made himself. Because he knows how I used to research and question as a christian. For me to defect, that's a big deal. I was never just a blind follower, attending church on a Sunday and not thinking about it during the week. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mcdaddy Posted May 21, 2012 Share Posted May 21, 2012 I just find it hard to believe that he, as a pastor, hasn't encountered whatever it was you've presented him before. maybe I'm wrong but I kinda doubt it's all new info to him. He's probably just made up excuses for it. Hopefully I'm wrong though. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Serendipity Rose Posted May 28, 2012 Share Posted May 28, 2012 Six days since the last post. Still nothing? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
blackpudd1n Posted May 28, 2012 Author Share Posted May 28, 2012 Six days since the last post. Still nothing? Not yet. But during the week doesn't surprise me so much- he works full-time. I reckon Saturday would be his only chance to write a reply. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CDFree Posted May 29, 2012 Share Posted May 29, 2012 I hate to shatter your illusions, but I really don't think you've shattered his faith or caused him to do any deep research! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
blackpudd1n Posted May 29, 2012 Author Share Posted May 29, 2012 I hate to shatter your illusions, but I really don't think you've shattered his faith or caused him to do any deep research! I don't have illusions- I've taken my medication today I didn't get a form letter in apologetics back straight away, either. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CDFree Posted May 30, 2012 Share Posted May 30, 2012 Why are you so desperate to get a reply from him? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
blackpudd1n Posted May 30, 2012 Author Share Posted May 30, 2012 Why are you so desperate to get a reply from him? Because he's my friend, and someone that I still hold a great deal of respect for. Not only that, but my main concern is that I have questions about whether he still honestly believes, and that was what I asked him- whether he still believed. Because if he doesn't, I'd like him to know that he's not alone. And the fall-out for him losing his faith would be fucking massive. This man is not your average fundy minister- he thinks. I didn't just tell him I no longer believed and gave him some reasons why, I asked him if he still believed. And I told him that I had trouble believing that he still believed. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
openpalm45 Posted May 30, 2012 Share Posted May 30, 2012 Ive been reading and waiting too! So curious to know his response! 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CDFree Posted May 30, 2012 Share Posted May 30, 2012 What makes you think he no longer believes? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FeelHappy Posted May 30, 2012 Share Posted May 30, 2012 This long of a wait really makes me think he's working on some apologetics and counter arguments for the information you've provided for him. I'd be shocked if he doesn't still believe with this long of a wait. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
blackpudd1n Posted May 30, 2012 Author Share Posted May 30, 2012 What makes you think he no longer believes? I didn't say that I don't think he believes anymore, I said that I find it hard to believe that he still believes. I've already gone over some of the reasons earlier in the thread if you care to look back. But basically, I've got nothing more than a hunch, based on body language, knowing the guy, and some memories. I could be entirely wrong. But this is a question that has bothered me for the last six months, so I had to ask it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
blackpudd1n Posted May 30, 2012 Author Share Posted May 30, 2012 This long of a wait really makes me think he's working on some apologetics and counter arguments for the information you've provided for him. I'd be shocked if he doesn't still believe with this long of a wait. It could go either way with this long of a wait. Normally, I would agree with you, but this dude knows his apologetics too well for it to take him so long to write up a response in apologetic-speak. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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