Pick the low-hanging fruit

by stillin 13 Replies latest watchtower beliefs

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  stillin

  I happened to be standing nearby when an outside contractor, out of the goodness of his heart, approached a fellow worker and invited him to his church. The fellow worker is a known problem-drinker and actually, probably could use some discipline in his life.

  Anyhow, after a gushing account about how vibrant his church is and what a great guy the preacher is, he said that the Lord moved him to speak with the problem-drinker. Well, I'm feeling left out, neglected, dejected and finally chimed in. "Hey, doesn't the lord care about me?" He says, " you're always smiling and happy. I figure you're alright."

  I'm thinking, yeh, I'm smiling and happy BECAUSE I made my escape from all of that self-deception. But, I don't want to rain on anybody's parade and I manage to keep my mouth shut.

  I actually suggested to the drinker that it might be a good thing. Are you guys going to crucify me for that?
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  Simon

  Religion can be a good thing for some people - they need the direction and whatever puts them on a better path and works for them shouldn't be dismissed.

  You don't have to be a believer to believe that it can work.
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  slimboyfat

  I actually suggested to the drinker that it might be a good thing. Are you guys going to crucify me for that?

  The comment seems to suggest most here oppose all religion. I think there are many believers and church goers on this forum, they’ve just generally learned to keep it to themselves to avoid the hassle of having to justify themselves to a vocal minority of hardline atheists.
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  fulano

  In fact there are more topics about whiskey, suits, Rolexes than about our current believes.
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  stillin

  I guess the hard-core atheists tend to dominate. Maybe it's the good manners that the believers have. Nice replies, all.
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  peacefulpete

  Religion a lot like patriotism is an enabler and a facilitator. Its power is in the ability to unite people under a cause, be that helpful or harmful.

  For most people its comforting stories and familiar traditions that provide background music during disaster and times of loss.
  
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  smiddy3

  I actually suggested to the drinker that it might be a good thing. Are you guys going to crucify me for that?

  I consider myself to be an atheist ,and I would be the last person to crucify you for what you did /said .

  Simply because I do acknowledge religion helped me to overcome / smoking that I gave up when joining the religion and getting control over my drinking habits that I had as a teenager into my early twenties.

  In my teens at weekends when I drank with my friends I would have no recollection the next day where I had been or what I had done the night before .In the earlier part of the day sure , but not after a certain amount of alcohol was consumed I would have no idea.

  And the religion that helped me in this regard was the certainty that I had back then that they were the "truth" , Jehovah`s Witnesses ,when I was twenty years old.

  Had I joined another religion with the same conviction the results could very well have been the same .

  I remember the book "The Cross And The SwitchBlade" of a gang member who changed his life around after finding Jesus / Christianity .

  Thanks for this post stillin ,it has its place.

  c
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  Onager

  I'm atheist and anti-theist and I wouldn't crucify you (I'm assuming you mean verbally!). Although I'm opposed to all religions in principle, if it can actually help an individual then I agree with it. In fact I have a pub friend who I have given a lift to church a few times. My wife and I even went to his confirmation ceremony, because it was beneficial to his well being, which trumps my ideology and abstract principles.
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  stillin

  It's great to find this balance here. Smiddy, the religion helped me to fight my demons too, in my younger years.

  I once met a man who told me that he woke up in the middle of the night and there was a blue man standing at the foot of his bed. The blue man was the Lord and he told the man to stop his drinking. He hadn't had a drink since then. Who am I to set him straight, right?
• 

  Vanderhoven7

  "You don't have to be a believer to believe that it can work."

  True Simon, but you do have to be a believer if you think it will work for you.