"But he wasn't a REAL Christian!" (page 3)

Satanus

Thanks. I got the cats etes playing marbles, as a kid.

S

LtCmd.Lore

I remember a moment of clarity, when a large fat woman began to vigorously jump up and down, red faced, and screaming "JESUS DELIVER ME FROM THE DEMON OF CHOCOLATE!" It was a very important moment for me.

It's suprising that a lot more people don't have those moments of clarity...

It makes you wonder: "What the heck took me so long? How did I sit there while they were telling me that dinosaurs were created to terraform the earth.. and agree?! How did I ever accept Noahs Ark to begin with?!

I BELIEVED IN TALKING DONKEYS FOR CRIPES SAKE, WHAT WAS WRONG WITH ME???"

Kind of scary when you look back on it, isn't it?

Lore

smellsgood

"What a convenient psychological device to keep ones fantasy image of ones religion intact!"

I can kind of see what your saying, but having never been a JW, it seems to me you may be looking at "Christianity" with a slight bent as a result.

The trouble is, is that although there are the biggies in Christianity, we all know them, they sweat at the pulpit, usually wear rings and a Rolex (much like Jesus) always seem to be in desparate need of donations, and sometimes sell snake oil (like the guy with the miracle water!). However, you seem to be looking at it a little like one might expect, given that the WT tends to homogenize and structurize Christianity in a way similar to its own. That way, if there is something going on with one leader of one group of Christianity, it reflects on the disingenuous hypocrites that are the entire lot.

It is not a group structure, though. I don't think that the ordinary lay "Christian" depends heavily enough on the purity in the pulpit, that if a preacher happened for example, to snort meth off a tranny hookers ass on the weekends, that there is even a remote intertwining of their "belief" or "religion" and their idea of who that preacher was.

Basically, a Christian, unlike a Jehovah's Witness, does not have monthly periodicals pushed in their faith directing them to put their faith in Jesus' REPRESENTATIVE (the GB anointed), but rather Jesus himself. So, no, I don't think it's a fantasy to keep ones "religion" intact whatsoever. It's more that that particular INDIVIDUAL was not BEHAVING as they understand a Christian ought to.

Kind of like if a professed Republican were to sit in the White House and create hundreds of new Government programs and beauraucracies (er, sp?), which is fundamentally against the Republican "principles", you'd have a whole bunch of Republicans grumbling about the fact that that particular individual was clearly not a "true Republican." I don't think it has to do with the actual philosophy of the party though.

" Again, this is to distance Christianity--and hence Jesus--from bad PR. Can you say WATCHTOWER?"

Again, I disagree. It would be a bad reflection on Jesus if that person proclaimed that Jesus had picked him at so and so a time to speak directly on his behalf. Christianity while it was all entangled with the State for example, and individual Christians have always done things that could give "Christianity" bad publicity. Be it the system or the believer. BUT, as Ghandi once said "I like their Christ, not their Christians." It should not have a negative effect on Jesus. If it happens to, then that is the ignorance of someone who can't seem to separate out the individual and the body of believers. What you're saying kind of reminds me of how the family operated in times past, where if say Lucy were to have a child out of wedlock, it would "dishonor" the family name. So it was kept hidden. Luckily, I think we've moved past that for the most part.

In my mind, after having made myself extremely familiar with the Watchtower over the past 5 years, but never having been a JW myself, it is so extremely different than what I've observed a typical Christian group to be its not even funny. No organized top down structure for the group. Entirely a heterogenous bunch.

smellsgood

I would add the David Moses guy. Now, he claimed to have the "truth" was a cult leader, etc. He also began one of the most intensely and excruciatingly "non-Christian" doctrine, that to LOVE a child was to have sex with a child.

In his case, I would say

"He never really was a Christian"

There are some outward manifestations that can be helpful in identifying the "truth" about someones "claims." :)

smellsgood

"JESUS DELIVER ME FROM THE DEMON OF CHOCOLATE!" It was a very important moment for me. ("She's daft Maritn and you're daft for being here with these daft people.")

LOL! That's f-in funny.

Shall I be a nerd and expound upon all the lovely beneficial properties of Chocolate??

smellsgood eats Chocolate everyday, "Jesus, deliver me a lifetime supply of chocolate!"

FireNBandits

Hi Smellsgood. I was a Dub for four years. I was an evangelical Christian---and Baptist minister---for nearly sixteen years. I'm not getting Dubs and Fundagelicals mixed up. I haven't been a Dub for thirty-four years, and I haven't been a fundagelical for eighteen years or so. You're much overcomplicating a very simple statement. Through the decades as famous Christians have been caught in various scandals involving sex and money, the grassroots sheep claim these people aren't real Christians because of the very public sins. I merely pointed this habit on their part out, and gave my ideas as to its motivation, as well as where this reasoning leads if followed consistently.

FireNBandits

Smellsgood, after my involvement with the Dubs came a short stint with the COG. "Flirty fishing" did not involve sex with minors. That's an evangelical slur and myth. Flirty fishing involved sex between consenting adults of at least eighteen years of age. There probably were people in the COG who were pedophiles just as there are in the Dubs. Pedophilia is not public policy in either. I was recruited into the COG via Flirty Fishing. I was a freshly born again Spirit baptized Holy Ghosting Hallelujah hand-puppet for Jesus.

Also, I have never understood the attraction of chocolate. I didn't much care for it as a kid, and I can take it or leave it (usually leave it) as an adult. I didn't like ice cream either and to this day only like Jamocha or Coffee flavored ice cream. In small doses several times a year. Give me fresh fruit over any of that gunk any day.

Love and Light,
Martin the Mysterious

FireNBandits

Hello Lt.Cmdr.Lore

You wrote: "I BELIEVED IN TALKING DONKEYS FOR CRIPES SAKE, WHAT WAS WRONG WITH ME???"

LMAO cuz I almost posted a rant to that effect. It was going to be titled "WHAT THE HELL WERE WE THINKING?' or "WHATS' THE MATTER WITH US?"

My involvement with the Children of God (COG) at least makes SOME sense given that I was a twenty year old single horny male.

Saint Martin the Wiser

smellsgood

Smellsgood, after my involvement with the Dubs came a short stint with the COG. "Flirty fishing" did not involve sex with minors. That's an evangelical slur and myth. Flirty fishing involved sex between consenting adults of at least eighteen years of age. There probably were people in the COG who were pedophiles just as there are in the Dubs. Pedophilia is not public policy in either.

Hey, Fire N'Bandits,

How old ARE you then, if that is you in the pic you look way too young to have had that much religious experience!

Ahh, but my dear young looking man, the Church of God has nothing to do with David Moses, you are confusing it with "The Family." Pretty sure they had a pedophelia policy in place, the source I heard first about that particular horror was Dateline, have never heard anything from an evangelical. You can look up Datelines story on David Moses, and the young man who was going to kill his mother, but ended up killing another woman and himself after being identified as a "special" kid by David himself. He was part of a book they put out graphically illustrating adults and himself and other children in sexual poses.

It was pretty damn disgusting. Pretty hard to say it never happened when they printed a whole book about it.

Anyways, I think sometimes I see too many comparisons of WTism and mainline Christianity. It's like comparing Taco Bell burrito before and after it's eaten. (Ok, maybe they're a little more different than that)

smellsgood

er, can't edit my damn post, so I'll just need to admit to being a nincompoop

Sorry, I'm terrible with anograms (GMC=Gorgeous manly cosmetics?) so, when I see COG I automatically go 'Church of God' as I refer to the "Children of God" as 'The Family.' Ok, I swear I'm smart. Really! I know the names of all 5 continents!! I can convert Farenheit into it's liquid form! I read Fran Dreschers autobiography,,,in under a MONTH!

soooo, forgive that teensy weensy ickle bitty slip of the keyboard. I'm so busy furiously working out complex quantum physics calculations in my head that I don't pay close enough attention sometimes.

Annnnd *exits, voooom*

"But he wasn't a REAL Christian!"

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