so I was listening to my mom telling me todays sermon

[Gothic_J]

and all that was going through my head was how archaic the whole concept was.

the topic was homosexuality, and the views were the same as mine 2 yrs ago - its wrong, but everyone sins, and god will do his thing. no worries. adam and eve was mentioned, you know, happy intergender quality, god wants us to do this and this, and he doesnt like sex before marriage - the usual speil.

and I have a nice little chat about it, invoking the genetic issue of homosexuality and the like. not a particularly hostile argument, but she tells me that people arent supposed to have sex before marriage, and god wants monogamous relationships. as a theological discussion, its interesting, much like arguing about apollo or hermes, but then I realize

she believes every word.

its a kind of disconcerting realization. it *isnt* just a mind game to her, she thinks a sky fairy is around making rules. eden was a real place, and stds are signs of sin. its the same thinking as any ancient religion, and having moved well beyond, its a surprise when she takes it seriously.

I say god help us all the time, mostly as irony as an atheist. she means it.

[Ovazor]

I remember that when I was a kid I thought the "jesus-tales" are tales just as, for example, Winnie the Pooh -tales, i.e. just stories. My parents never claimed that Santa Claus is a real thing, so I always thought that it is a some kind of game to act as santa actually existed while nobody in reality believed it. I thought the very same about god. Then the realisation that seemingly intelligent adults weren't playing a let's pretend at all! It was a very great shock.

[Buddrow_Wilson]

Originally posted by Ovazor
I remember that when I was a kid I thought the "jesus-tales" are tales just as, for example, Winnie the Pooh -tales, i.e. just stories. My parents never claimed that Santa Claus is a real thing, so I always thought that it is a some kind of game to act as santa actually existed while nobody in reality believed it. I thought the very same about god. Then the realisation that seemingly intelligent adults weren't playing a let's pretend at all! It was a very great shock.

Accepting that people honestly believe the doctrines was very difficult for me. I always felt that they had to have ulterior motives for pushing their religion, which is somewhat understandable; you convince people you are the Messiah, that's alot of power. But the followers/sheep are what really confuse me. I still don't get it. I was never a believer, so the whole thing is alien.

[ohwilleke]

I know what you mean. The funny part is that theists often think the same thing about us. Even my wife, who has gone from Presbyterian to Unitarian at least, sometimes thinks that deep down I'm a theist and just want to be an alternative lifestyle poser for a while.

[Arkus 02]

yea that bugs the hell outa me.

[Buddrow_Wilson]

Originally posted by ohwilleke
I know what you mean. The funny part is that theists often think the same thing about us. Even my wife, who has gone from Presbyterian to Unitarian at least, sometimes thinks that deep down I'm a theist and just want to be an alternative lifestyle poser for a while.

Yeah, we're just rebels :banghead:

[Shake]

Talking to my mom recently on the phone, she said that I should perhaps try coming back to church a few times with my wife and son (my wife started taking him to the 2-yo class last year). Why, might you ask, did she say I should come back? She says, "Oh, you'll probably get more out of Pastors' sermons now as an adult. There are other 'kids' who've come back and said that they now get his sermons."

I just kind of blew it off at the time, only half-paying attention, but later it made me kind of mad! Does she mean to imply that I simply didn't understand him 15+ years ago? I was a bright kid, I understood what he was saying. I just wasn't fully brain-washed by the ideas, especially as a teen.

Oh yeah, I'll get more out of them now! More xian lies and twisted logic and the expectation of blind followership! Well, I won't do it. Mom means well, though, so I won't be too hard on her. One of these days I'll just have to explain that it wasn't a lack of understanding that's led me away, it's understanding too well, perhaps! Oh, I can process it and understand it better now, that is true, but I just don't buy into the whole thing.

[Proxima Centauri]

Originally posted by Gothic_J
and all that was going through my head was how archaic the whole concept was.

the topic was homosexuality, and the views were the same as mine 2 yrs ago - its wrong, but everyone sins, and god will do his thing. no worries. adam and eve was mentioned, you know, happy intergender quality, god wants us to do this and this, and he doesnt like sex before marriage - the usual speil.

and I have a nice little chat about it, invoking the genetic issue of homosexuality and the like. not a particularly hostile argument, but she tells me that people arent supposed to have sex before marriage, and god wants monogamous relationships. as a theological discussion, its interesting, much like arguing about apollo or hermes, but then I realize

she believes every word.

its a kind of disconcerting realization. it *isnt* just a mind game to her, she thinks a sky fairy is around making rules. eden was a real place, and stds are signs of sin. its the same thinking as any ancient religion, and having moved well beyond, its a surprise when she takes it seriously.

I say god help us all the time, mostly as irony as an atheist. she means it.
Is there any reason why you have to live at home? If you move out you only have to hear those sermons when you visit, not every day.

[Shake]

Originally posted by B.Shack
Is there any reason why you have to live at home? If you move out you only have to hear those sermons when you visit, not every day. Gothic_J's profile indicates he's only 17 and may still be in school. In that case, I'd say study hard and get into a good college that's out-of-town. Then you can do what you like on the weekends.

Good luck, J!

[Gothic_J]

that shows I need to update the profile. heh. Im 18, and Ill be out for 13 weeks sometime in the future. my grades werent good enough for the overnight college I preferred, but Ill transfer there soon..

-bows-