More random link-hopping

[conuly]

And as soon as this is done I'll leave religion alone for a fortnight. This site, by two (?) ex-Christians put up a site to explain their distaste for certain branches of Christianity (specifically, hardcore Baptist, which they used to be). I wandered into the letters section to find mail to mock, but either they have a highly intelligent crop of naysaying readers or they carefully censor out the hate mail. Still, there's some strong-dislike mail going on, basically on the side of "Jesus loves you! Believe that or go to hell!!!!!!!!" and "You were never really Christians, read the Bible, God bless!" and my favorite:

It is very unfortunate that there are individuals in this world that discourage faith and mock the very center of a Christian belief, which is the Holy Bible. I will pray for your souls that you may once again come to believe in God and his works. Also, that you will see the darkness in which you live for what it is.

The Devil working within you! God Bless.


And the guy who thinks they never heard of Pascal's Wager (and if God really wants me to believe just to get out of Hell, I wouldn't. I have my integrity to think of)

But I have a question. What's with all the somewhat insulting/condescending letters involving "I'll pray for you" and "God Bless"? I mean... If you really mean it because you care, there's no reason for anybody to get upset, but in this context, I don't know. It sounds too much like something much... ah... more explicitly rude. Am I reading too much into this, or can those phrases actually be used in place of "Go to Hell!"?

And that's it. Not touching religion for a while, it gets tedious. And unfair to my many friends who are religious and not sillies. You're stunningly underrepresented in the secular impression of religion.

Comments

[mhari.livejournal.com]

The Devil working within you! God Bless.

In other words, "IIIIIII'M better than YOOOO-OU!"

Sounds like the same people who bleat about "God loves us all" while spouting hate.

To quote afrai, "The purpose of your religion is not to make you into a POTATO." Particularly not a rotten potato.

--raised by sane Christians, wishes the asshats would stop making them look bad by association

[squittycat.livejournal.com]

I liked this one:

What religion to you practice? And how do you sleep at night thinking there is no heavenly place? About 40 - 50 years ago the world ran alongside the Christian ideas, and the 10 Commandments. And yes, I will agree that alot of churches forming from other existing churches base themselves on only part of the Bible, (or what they want to believe of the Bible), but I was taught that Christianity was following the ways of Christ as best as you knew how and as best as you could, and still live in this sinful world we are put on. People these days are too laxed on their worshiping and beliefs. Because it is better to sit on the fence in the "Comfort Zone" and be excepted by everyone, then to jump down on the side you believe in and fight for it. Where would "Freedom" and "Independence" be today ifÊpeople sat on the "Comfort Zone" fence of America, like they do with Christianity. Granted, I have only skimmed the surface of your site, and I will read it all, but I am very uncomfortable with your beliefs. Wonder how your going to answer to The Lord when your judgement day comes around.?

[conuly]

*grins* Ever been to mock_the_stupid? Somebody posted there awhile ago that, upon finding out that she wasn't Christian, one girl said "But... who do you think died on the cross for your sins?"

[kuriku.livejournal.com]

[conuly]

Actually, with some people it's more like fuck off, but there's a curse that never made sense to me: go have sex! Yeah, you! Right now!

And I'm supposed to be upset at this?

[meteorie.livejournal.com]

Because it's sinning to send hate mail without a "positive" message in it somewhere, that's why they add "God bless" in.. I don't know, seems a bit weird. It's like all the Wiccans who flame other people online and then end their message with "Blessed be!"

[maladaptive.livejournal.com]

"God Bless" after a letter like that is basically a big "fuck you", said with a big fat smile. You know the kind of fuck-you I'm talking about.

I get a lot of that when people make the "Cuban = Catholic... but you're not Catholic!" connection.

[sophiaserpentia.livejournal.com]

It is a way of feeling doubly superior. "I'm saved and you're not (evil sinner you) but I'm going to be Jesus enough to *pray* for you."

[rainbow-goddess.livejournal.com]

There are some people who can make "I'll pray for you" sound like a threat.

When people who are trying to show me the error of my ways (ie, that I'm non-heterosexual and think that it's perfectly okay to be that way) they always say "I'll pray for you," or sometimes "I'll pray for you to see the light." I respond with, "How about you pray for God's will to be done? How about you pray for me to be happy and healthy?" They can't really argue with that, so it shuts them up without being nasty.

[mhari.livejournal.com]

The Devil working within you! God Bless.

In other words, "IIIIIII'M better than YOOOO-OU!"

Sounds like the same people who bleat about "God loves us all" while spouting hate.

To quote afrai, "The purpose of your religion is not to make you into a POTATO." Particularly not a rotten potato.

--raised by sane Christians, wishes the asshats would stop making them look bad by association

[squittycat.livejournal.com]

I liked this one:

What religion to you practice? And how do you sleep at night thinking there is no heavenly place? About 40 - 50 years ago the world ran alongside the Christian ideas, and the 10 Commandments. And yes, I will agree that alot of churches forming from other existing churches base themselves on only part of the Bible, (or what they want to believe of the Bible), but I was taught that Christianity was following the ways of Christ as best as you knew how and as best as you could, and still live in this sinful world we are put on. People these days are too laxed on their worshiping and beliefs. Because it is better to sit on the fence in the "Comfort Zone" and be excepted by everyone, then to jump down on the side you believe in and fight for it. Where would "Freedom" and "Independence" be today ifÊpeople sat on the "Comfort Zone" fence of America, like they do with Christianity. Granted, I have only skimmed the surface of your site, and I will read it all, but I am very uncomfortable with your beliefs. Wonder how your going to answer to The Lord when your judgement day comes around.?

[conuly]

*grins* Ever been to mock_the_stupid? Somebody posted there awhile ago that, upon finding out that she wasn't Christian, one girl said "But... who do you think died on the cross for your sins?"

[kuriku.livejournal.com]

[conuly]

Actually, with some people it's more like fuck off, but there's a curse that never made sense to me: go have sex! Yeah, you! Right now!

And I'm supposed to be upset at this?

[meteorie.livejournal.com]

Because it's sinning to send hate mail without a "positive" message in it somewhere, that's why they add "God bless" in.. I don't know, seems a bit weird. It's like all the Wiccans who flame other people online and then end their message with "Blessed be!"

[maladaptive.livejournal.com]

"God Bless" after a letter like that is basically a big "fuck you", said with a big fat smile. You know the kind of fuck-you I'm talking about.

I get a lot of that when people make the "Cuban = Catholic... but you're not Catholic!" connection.

[sophiaserpentia.livejournal.com]

It is a way of feeling doubly superior. "I'm saved and you're not (evil sinner you) but I'm going to be Jesus enough to *pray* for you."

[rainbow-goddess.livejournal.com]

There are some people who can make "I'll pray for you" sound like a threat.

When people who are trying to show me the error of my ways (ie, that I'm non-heterosexual and think that it's perfectly okay to be that way) they always say "I'll pray for you," or sometimes "I'll pray for you to see the light." I respond with, "How about you pray for God's will to be done? How about you pray for me to be happy and healthy?" They can't really argue with that, so it shuts them up without being nasty.