I went into a Christian book store today!

by Hope4Others 29 Replies latest jw experiences

  • BurnTheShips
    BurnTheShips

    I used to go into them unabashedly even as a JW. Where else to get other translations of the Bible?

    Burn

  • minimus
    minimus

    For YEARS, I went into "christian" bookstores, on the QT. It's a first step in getting out of the cult, you know.

  • Hope4Others
    Hope4Others
    Where else to get other translations of the Bible

    Burn,

    I always thought it was important to have extra bibles with no Wt printed in the inside. People would actually want to see who the translation was by. Were they ever on to

    something.

    hope4others

  • One true Jesus Freak
    One true Jesus Freak

    I personally love going to christian book stores. They always have great deals on books. A $25 dollar book for $5? Always a plus. The music is great too.

    However, a part of me sometimes gets an uneasy feeling when I am in there. I look around like someone is going to "catch" me. I have no reason not to be in there. I look around and sometimes buy things. Maybe I am worried that my friends or family who are in and are shopping next door will see me coming out and try to convince me with (their) reasons of why I shouldn't be in a Christian book store.

  • Hope4Others
    Hope4Others

    Minimus,

    on the QT

    I'm not sure what that stands for, there still are some abrev's I haven't figured out yet.

    It's a first step

    That is if your brave enough to walk in,if you live in a smaller city you tend to look over your shoulder a lot.

    hope4others

  • Hope4Others
    Hope4Others

    One true Jesus Freak,

    a part of me sometimes gets an uneasy feeling when I am in there. I look around like someone is going to "catch" me

    Isn't it pathetic the way they have made us feel, looking around every corner.

    hope4others

  • One true Jesus Freak
    One true Jesus Freak

    It is! And I have never been one of them. I just worry that I will be treated like one (and be shuned) just for being in a Christian bookstore?

    They may think of me as devils work or something.

  • minimus
    minimus

    QT, an expression, on the quiet time, where you do something quietly, without others being aware. When I went to these stores, I usually went in areas no one knew me.

  • Terry
    Terry

    In my entire life (until I started working in a book store) I never went into a Christian section of a bookstore.

    Well, now that I'm in charge of the Religion section---I've seen what it is I was missing!

    1.Christian Fiction:

    A.Mostly very poorly written amateurish novels. Many have a quaint, historical aura. People learn obvious lessons from hard knocks which makes being Christian seem like the best of all possible worlds.

    B.Series with a core family or set of characters in soap opera dynamics over a long span of time. The best writers in this are Jan Karon, Gilbert Morris, Janet Oke.

    C. Good writers. These are the exception and not the rule. Francine Rivers, Ted Dekker, Perettit.

    2.Christian Living:

    A. Memoirs of "celebrity" type people who went astray and then found God. Chuck Colson, Sheila Walsh, Franklin Graham, etc.

    B. Ridiculous rants against popular culture which decry Harry Potter, Da Vinci Code, movies, music--you name it.

    C. Common sense homilies, poems and feel good advice obviously aimed at people with low I.Q.'s

    D. Watchtower-style interpretive books about End Times with a vast array of questionable assumptions. Hal Lindsey, Tim LaHaye, etc. These books are so intellectually dishonest the authors update them as the errors become evidenced by the passage of time.

    3.Theology/Bible help

    A.Actual scholars giving either honest details about historical and textual matters or cognitively dissonant writers patching up holes in Christian Dogma.

    B.Simple-Minded books that "explain" various aspects of the Bible and make the nasty errors appear inconsequential.

    C.Apologia: My favorite! Books that argue a point from A---to---Z in every detail. The arguments, at least, are based on a purpose and a scholar-driven point-of-view. The good ones let the chips fall where they may. (Bart Ehrman) and the awful ones (Lee Strobel Josh McDowell) are so full of deceit, lies, circular arguments and such they turn your stomach.

    D.Historical books about specificities of the Land, People, Doctrines, Dogma of particular times and places. Early Church writings are particularly eye-opening.

    The majority of shoppers want feel good books like THE POWER OF THE PRAYING WIFE, THE POWER OF THE PRAYING HUSBAND, THE POWER OF THE PRAYING (you name it.) or 90 MINUTES IN HEAVEN by Piper.

    Fluff, puff and utter tripe.

  • Hope4Others
    Hope4Others

    Terry,

    I totally see where you are coming from now, you are quite a thinking and intellectual person which I have seen in your posts. Being surrounded by

    resources you are able to have a great insight as to what people think and feel in their writing. And being able to review everything

    that comes in to the store is quite an advantage.

    hope4others

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