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Post by Deleted on Feb 25, 2018 10:38:57 GMT -5
I'll ignore that gratuitous insult, Toby, and simply observe that churches don't have a monopoly over nutjobs.
Agreed. While all religious people are nutjobs, not all nutjobs are religious. Take me for instance. I'm a nutjob. But I am not in the least bit religious.
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Post by nkat on Feb 25, 2018 12:02:58 GMT -5
I am at a loss for words on this one!
NKat
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Post by tnthomas on Feb 25, 2018 12:54:18 GMT -5
I am at a loss for words on this one! NKat I agree with all you had to say wholeheartedly.
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Post by tnthomas on Feb 25, 2018 13:02:27 GMT -5
I'd be hard pressed to find any group of followers of any church or religion that I wouldn't classify as a "band of nutjobs". I know a lot of people are disillusioned with religion for a variety of reasons. There are a greater number of people who are disillusioned with the institution of marriage...especially after a particularly bitter divorce. I wouldn't (as they say) "toss the baby out with the bathwater" over bad experiences with either religion or marriage.
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Post by Deleted on Feb 25, 2018 14:55:06 GMT -5
I'd be hard pressed to find any group of followers of any church or religion that I wouldn't classify as a "band of nutjobs". I know a lot of people are disillusioned with religion for a variety of reasons. There are a greater number of people who are disillusioned with the institution of marriage...especially after a particularly bitter divorce. I wouldn't (as they say) "toss the baby out with the bathwater" over bad experiences with either religion or marriage. I've lived my whole life in the Bible Belt. Thy are all nutjobs down here. I've been to many different churches too. Some of them are nicer than others but they are all still nutjobs. The service I liked the best was the Quaker meeting. All you had to do was sit quietly. It was great for day dreaming. If the "spirit moved you" you could stand up and say whatever was on your mind. But at the meeting I went to only one Dude did that and thank God he kept it short. But I can see where if you got a couple of long winded people it could have gotten pretty boring.
Then there were the Unitarians. Basically a hippie church. I hit them on the weekend of Darwins birthday. So they were celebrating that. They sang hims about Darwin and I think there was one about a Sea Turtle too. Seemed like basically nice people. But nutjobs nonetheless.
The worst ones for me were the black churches. OMG! They keep you there for hours and hours and they are noisy as Hell with all that Hallelujah Amem! and Praise Jesus! stuff. It's more like a rock concert than a church service.
I've never been to one where they handle snakes though. And I'm not going to either. Ya gotta draw the line somewhere.
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Post by robusta on Feb 25, 2018 15:27:12 GMT -5
We occaisionally have cause to go to my sons father in laws church,an "Independent Baptist Bible Believing Ministry" Those folks got the spirit all right. The man is up front a hollerin and sweatin like a pig. The parishioners are Amening. God Blessin and Halleluahing to beat the band, those paper stick fans are just a whipping. Towards the end he asks if any one wants to come forward, never fails coupla these fools fall on their faces and crawl on their bellies up to the pulpit, where they cry and carry on in a way that would make you pull their pistol permits.
Seem to be a fairly simple minded group of people. I worked with the pastor 40 or so years ago making TV Tubes. He quit and started his church. Don't know what the attraction is but he is up to a couple of hundred in the congregation. I never saw any thing particularly unique about him.
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Post by tnthomas on Feb 25, 2018 15:40:58 GMT -5
Yea, actually attending a church is a crap-shoot, you're stuck with who-ever decides to go there...attending church is not my cup of tea.
I am glad that I had exposure to religion growing up, it gave me a beacon to follow and a standard by which to gauge right and wrong.
I've never attended an all black church, but the stereotypical ones I've seen glimpses of in the media look like they create alot of positive energy.
Snake handlers? They are just all about creepy, sort of a white voodoo thing....
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Post by Deleted on Feb 25, 2018 16:54:36 GMT -5
Towards the end he asks if any one wants to come forward, never fails coupla these fools fall on their faces and crawl on their bellies up to the pulpit, where they cry and carry on in a way that would make you pull their pistol permits.
Oh Gawd yes! I've been to some of those "Assembly of God" and Southern Baptist ones too. They really try to guilt trip you if you don't come forward at the end too. I've been to ones where if no one comes forward the preacher will keep playing that song I forget the name of it over and over and over until someone does. There have been times when I was afraid I was going to have to go forward and lie about wanting to dedicate my life to Jesus just to keep the preacher from keeping us there all night.
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Post by birdgal on Feb 25, 2018 16:55:38 GMT -5
Snake handlers? They are just all about creepy, sort of a white voodoo thing But, they are a religion and that is what they believe. I had friends when I was young that weren't Catholic. They were grossed out over the, "take, eat, this is my body and this is my blood" thing. There is a religion out there that sacrifices live animals to appease their god. I won't even mention it's name. Cruel and insane behavior, imho. So you slaughtered a calf. That makes your god happy and pleased with you? I've seen how they slaughter them. Not humane, not quick, sloppy, cruel, and painful. The poor animal dies a terrible and terrifying death. This makes a god happy? Makes me even more proud to be an Atheist! Mankind created religion for power, control, and wealth. Religion has been, and still is, a tool that can be used to divide, control, and destroy people. This discussion makes me think of that age old question. Can your God make a hammer so strong that even He can't pick it up?
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Post by Deleted on Feb 25, 2018 18:12:19 GMT -5
I had friends when I was young that weren't Catholic. Mackeral Snappers! Now there's another buncha nut jobs. I've got some really good stories about Mackeral snappers. I've known lots of mackeral snappers. One of my best buddies in Junior high was a mackeral snapper. So was my old man. When it suited him. He was kind of Mackeral Snapper-A-La-Carte. But I'll save those stories for later, maybe in the diary area.
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Post by tnthomas on Feb 25, 2018 18:44:55 GMT -5
I had friends when I was young that weren't Catholic. They were grossed out over the, "take, eat, this is my body and this is my blood" thing. I was raised in the Lutheran Church, where it was advised that worshipers attend Confirmation classes, so as to confirm that the individual understood what the sacraments were symbolizing. Some evangelical churches push visitors to get baptized on the spot, and take communion. I personally dislike this form of heavy handed recruitment.
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Post by birdgal on Feb 25, 2018 19:00:00 GMT -5
The Catholic church had Confirmation classes back then too. I have no idea what they do now.
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Post by Kady on Feb 25, 2018 19:09:09 GMT -5
What really turns me off is a minister that tries to save souls at a funeral with the guilt trip thing.
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Post by TheSource on Feb 25, 2018 20:53:24 GMT -5
Don't know what the attraction is but he is up to a couple of hundred in the congregation. The "Gift of Gab" has a powerful intoxicating affect on the weak minded.
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Post by Warrigal on Feb 25, 2018 21:47:14 GMT -5
I'll ignore that gratuitous insult, Toby, and simply observe that churches don't have a monopoly over nutjobs.
Agreed. While all religious people are nutjobs, not all nutjobs are religious. Take me for instance. I'm a nutjob. But I am not in the least bit religious. Well, thanks again for doubling down on the insult to my sanity. In place of an apology I will accept your self assessment as accurate.
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