I'd just like to mention that I hate evangelical Christians, or "Jesus freaks" as they are lovingly referred to by me. Let me relate a tale:
Last Friday, I was asked to go to coffee with my old co-workers, and I hastily agreed. At the coffee break, the conversation was moving along nicely. Then, the friend who invited me started talking to us about her trip to the Dominican Republic on a church building mission. "Neat!" I thought to myself. I'm not a fan of Christianity, but I recognize the importance of churches as religious and cultural centres in many societies, and I've never been to the Dominican! I'd like to hear about it!
Well, her story started out benignly enough, but soon veered into Jesus freak territory. Apparently, she met a woman who was filled with the power of Jesus Christ becuase she had let him into her life. "It's easy to tell the people who accept Jesus Christ as their saviour, becuase they're so happy!" she exclaimed. At this point, my teeth were grinding. She went on to tell us how a fever she contracted had been healed by her group laying hands on her, led by a certain member who "had been given the healing power by Jesus Christ". I coughed. Half of the table was Muslim. Were they hearing this?!? Her last anecdote involved a mad dash through the airport and a missing camera, which she "prayed to Christ" to return as it had been lost. I'm sure Jesus spends time as customer suppot for Canon whenever he gets a chance.
To sum it up, I was embarrassed and torn. On the one hand, I'm glad my friend had a great trip and was inspired to do some good charity work. On the other hand, she had been fed and will continue to feed others a steady stream of lies and dogma regarding "the one true faith". I don't think I'll ever be able to look at her the same way again.
So Jesus, if you exist and you're the son of God and you're listening, I don't hate you, I hate your fans.
Goooooood-night.
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Originally posted by PBE6Well, all I can say is that he still loves you even if you hate him.
I'd just like to mention that I hate evangelical Christians, or "Jesus freaks" as they are lovingly referred to by me. Let me relate a tale:
Last Friday, I was asked to go to coffee with my old co-workers, and I hastily agreed. At the coffee break, the conversation was moving along nicely. Then, the friend who invited me started talking to us about her ...[text shortened]... e the son of God and you're listening, I don't hate you, I hate your fans.
Goooooood-night.
Originally posted by PBE6This was well written.
I'd just like to mention that I hate evangelical Christians, or "Jesus freaks" as they are lovingly referred to by me. Let me relate a tale:
Last Friday, I was asked to go to coffee with my old co-workers, and I hastily agreed. At the coffee break, the conversation was moving along nicely. Then, the friend who invited me started talking to us about her ...[text shortened]... e the son of God and you're listening, I don't hate you, I hate your fans.
Goooooood-night.
Many people undergo spiritual experiences, "peak" experiences. These are common to all religions, although each tends to believe their's unique.
"Accepting Jesus" can be an experience that is part of a spiritual process natural to emotionally based, devotional types. It needn't be a problem but it becomes problematic (in the ways you well described) because the experience is usually seized on by the person's ego and identifed with -- meaning, they now have grafted the values of the ego -- "me", "mine", "ours", "this is the only way", etc. -- onto the peak experience. The ego then sets about locking the experience into a memory, which causes the immediacy of the experience to fade over time. The "holding onto an experience" becomes the basis of "this is the only way" thinking, and the condemning of different forms of spirituality.
There is a more insidious conditioning that goes on here as well, where the person claiming to have "accepted Jesus" (or Krishna or Allah, etc.) has in fact had no such experience but has been swept up in the charisma of a group or of an individual who claims to have had such an experience. This vicarious form of salvation may even form the basis of spiritual experience for the majority of religious followers or those who pay lip service to doctrine and ritual once a week.
"Accepting Jesus" is fine in itself, especially if it brings happiness and wisdom and social responsibility. The only problem is when the ego seizes hold of the experience and begins to see it through egocentric filters, thus making it a possession and a tool to wield against others.
This is also common in Eastern faiths, by the way, where a person will have a legitimate enlightenment experience, but then over time the ego slowly resumes control and appropriates the experience, using it as a means to validate separation from others.
Originally posted by PBE6I don't think Christ works in quite that kind of Lost and Found department .
I'd just like to mention that I hate evangelical Christians, or "Jesus freaks" as they are lovingly referred to by me. Let me relate a tale:
Last Friday, I was asked to go to coffee with my old co-workers, and I hastily agreed. At the coffee break, the conversation was moving along nicely. Then, the friend who invited me started talking to us about her ...[text shortened]... e the son of God and you're listening, I don't hate you, I hate your fans.
Goooooood-night.
Sheep on the other hand ......
Also He aint exactly the Light of the Moon either.