the bizarre things religious people say and believe

Hortensia

I sat in the community garden tonight and talked with one of my neighbors, an old lady in an electric wheelchair. She was telling me she won't be able to garden next year, it's getting to hard for her since her stroke. So we talked about her stroke. I asked how she was managing and she started on Jesus being with her. After a bit I told her I'm completely irreligious. So she started preaching about taking Jesus into my heart, yada yada. To distract her I asked her what religion she is. Baptist. So I said my father had been Baptist but my mother was a JW. She said, "no wonder you don't believe. That's a CULT." Then she was off on how awful JWs are for a while.

But eventually she came back to preaching. How did she get her faith in Jesus? She was very depressed once when her welfare payment got screwed up, no money for rent, no food stamps, her kid was starving. Someone noticed how sad she was and said, "go to church with me." At church someone gave her $100 anonymously. The holy spirit suddenly infused her being! Then the 700 club showed up at her house and brought her food, clothing, furniture, everything she needed and some cash. Thank you Jesus. THEN, she went to the welfare office and got her welfare payment straightened out and got the money she should have received before.

So, some preaching about how Jesus is our savior and see how he helped her. Yada yada. What amazes me is how selfish it all is. Her needs were answered and she attributed it to Jesus. But she hasn't looked out beyond her own needs to see that millions of people suffer dire poverty and Jesus isn't helping them. Why did he help her and not all those others? Because she's somehow special and they aren't?

She said some funny things too -- such as that the Baptists, Catholics and Episcopalians have the truth and no one else does. Rather ecumenical of her. I asked about the Presbyterians. She said, "yes, them too, they have the truth."

Then I mentioned Mormons and she was off again for a while about cults. Funny thing is, and I've noticed this several times before in similar conversations, once she knew my mother was a JW she gave me up as a lost cause. No wonder I'm a non-believer! So funny.

Anyway, it's amazing how egocentric religion can be, and it was a very amusing conversation. Then I went to dig in the community compost pile for a while. Someday I have to tell you about the Great Compost War of 2013. Living in a community like this is certainly very entertaining.

Why didn't I confront her and challenge her religion? Because I don't really care what she believes. I don't really give a damn what anyone believes. As long as they don't push me too hard, that is. And it's certainly interesting to let them talk and reveal what their focus really is.

Phizzy

Logic does not seem to come in to it does it ? I remember an Uber Dub "sister" that I knew, she and her family were at every Meeting, Pioneered as often as they could, always in FS etc etc and then Hubby got seriously ill, her first comment "Why is this happening to us, how can Jehovah allow it ?"

She too forgot about all the struggling, starving JW's who do as much as she and her family did, more probably, at least in the effort it took, and yet "Jehovah" allowed those Third World JW's to suffer.

The problem with believers is that they have to suspend logic, critical thinking, and reality to sustain their belief. So they are not best placed to see life as it really is.

Julia Orwell

Well the poor old dear did have a stroke. She's probably got a few kangaroos loose in the top paddock.

Julia Orwell

That comment about the JWs in third world countries makes me think about this sister I used to know who would pray to get a good parking spot at the shops. Even as a JW I thought that downright egocentric: Jehovah gives HER parking spots but lets African JWs be forced out of the their homes and killed?

punkofnice

Believers have created god in their own image.

There is not one god but an individual god for each believer. Their individual god surprisingly reacts just how they individually think is the ideal way for god to react. Whether it's supplying a winning goal for a football team or killing people they don't like.

How many needless wars and deaths have there been because someone claims that their side's delusion is better han the other side's delusion?

God is all things to all men and all that jazz.

Iown Mylife

This morning I was thinking about stuff like people thanking God or Jehovah for saving them in a disaster that took the lives of others. Why did He save them and not the others? "God was with me, I just thank God for saving my life," etc. Those other poor schmucks just didn't measure up, somehow.

How about believing the JW in the KH during that tsunami were untouched because they went to the meeting, that Sunday morning? Is that or is that not SUPERSTITION?

Or people who believe they won't be in a traffic accident if they're out in fs? Seems like superstition to me.

Hortensia

It's amazing to me, too, that they'll thank Jesus, but not the person who actually did the good deed. "well, no need to thank you, you only helped me because jesus made you help me because he likes me best."

BackseatDevil

You know how you have to wait for people at baggage claim when picking them up from the airport? And sometimes you forget and get wrapped up in reading a magazine or book... and suddenly the person is standing right in front of you, surprising the sh*t out of you?

There are many ways to react to this. The less respectful way is "Oh thank Jesus you made it." Statistically speaking, their arrival is a now brainer... both in air travel safety and flight times, airport layouts (if your friend is prone to getting lost), and functioning elevators, escalators, and automatic sliding doors... using math their arrival is a pretty high probability. So why give Jesus the credit for something when the odds are already in your favor? It perpetuates a belief in "truth" when there is no actual truth involved... just an obvious series of events.

Overly religious people tend to be disrespectful to their surroundings for the exact same reasons, and for such there is a lack of proper acknowledgement and respect given to the events at play. And to stop to understand all the steps involved between point A and point B actually boggs them down - it's weighty information they can't seem to digest. They just want the quick, simple answer: Jesus was watching over you and (in my example) your travel.

There.

Done.

No thinking involved.

And it totally invalidates the thousands of desigers, engineers, factory workers, mechanics, pilots, etc. etc. etc. and you are right, it's completely egocentric.

And, as if you couldn't tell, it's one of my biggest pet peeves. LOL.

punkofnice

...........and my fave piccy on the subject...............

Xanthippe

Hortensia that is what irritates me the most that they thank God or Jesus but not the person who did the kind action. Most people do good things but if religious people only see god in everything they are dismissing all of humanity as useless. This is so bad for you psychologically I think. We need to give credit where credit is due. Some laws politicians pass are good, charities do fantastic work for the poor internationally. Individuals in the main are good to their own families and look after their neighbours and friends.

the bizarre things religious people say and believe

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