Sensitivity to Dogmatics

[Willow]

I ate lunch with some old friends yesterday. No one I ever went to church with. However, they are getting deeply involved in a church and it shows in their communication styles. I was really uncomfortable. We even had to stop by the local bible book store to pick up a gift. I was really creeped out!

It seems that when I am around christians, I am growing increasingly sensitive and aggravated rather than more accepting and tolerant. I figured I'd be in a different spot by now. Instead, my beliefs are less and less christian and it bugs me more and more when I'm around christians who use their speakeze on me.

There is a thing that bothers me worse than the speakeze though. It's more of an attitude. A blindness. A super-reality that I can't relate to anymore. I firmly believe that there is a reality beyond us and a God we can't see with our eyes. However.... this goes beyond that into a type of blindness. I wish I could explain without this thing getting long. I guess I just think a lot of the stuff is about people positioning themselves to look special to God or powerful. It smells like a hoax to me... or dishonesty. I know God does move this way, but one of the stories they were applauding was of a woman telling a girl (that she didn't even know) a very private thing as a prophecy, in a public place. It was something like, "You are holding a lot of anger, aren't you?" First words out of her mouth to the girl. Maybe that's what the girl needed, but it rubbed me wrong.... along with almost everything else we talked about. *sigh*

Thanks for listening
HUGS
Willow

[Beautiful_Dreamer]

*hugs* I get this too...especially when they use terms and talk in phrases that no one outside their group or no one without an advanced degree would know, and then make it seem like *you* are the one who is less of a Christian because you don't know what they are talking about.

[Voyager]

There is a thing that bothers me worse than the speakeze though. It's more of an attitude. A blindness. A super-reality that I can't relate to anymore. I firmly believe that there is a reality beyond us and a God we can't see with our eyes. However.... this goes beyond that into a type of blindness. I wish I could explain without this thing getting long. I guess I just think a lot of the stuff is about people positioning themselves to look special to God or powerful. It smells like a hoax to me... or dishonesty.
I think you described it fairly accurately Willow. I see it as a cocky, arrogant, haughty, holier-than-thou attitude that has nothing to do with God. I can't stand being around it either.

I used to work in a hospital, and many of the doctors there had a similar attitude. Maybe it has something to do with thinking they are God's gift to make everyone better or something. It can be even worse with church people because they look at everyone but "their kind" as being bound for hell. Therefore, in their minds people are disposable. They think that if people don't agree with their doctrine, God is going to throw them away and burn them as rubbish. So, everyone but their fellow church members becomes worthless in their eyes.

:(

[Willow]

Thanks BD and Voyager. You're support is great. Just being understood is wonderful! It seemed that my friends used to just talk to me. Now they can't just talk... they have to testify... and drag me to the bible store with them while they get a small gift. Really creepy feeling... *shudder*

[ex-shep]

[QUOTE=Willow]I ate lunch with some old friends yesterday. No one I ever went to church with. However, they are getting deeply involved in a church and it shows in their communication styles. I was really uncomfortable. We even had to stop by the local bible book store to pick up a gift. I was really creeped out!

It seems that when I am around christians, I am growing increasingly sensitive and aggravated rather than more accepting and tolerant. I figured I'd be in a different spot by now. Instead, my beliefs are less and less christian and it bugs me more and more when I'm around christians who use their speakeze on me.



Why did I feel like making a gaping silouhette in the bookstore wall? Yep, been there, done that, seen it, got the T-shirt. Sigh!!

[Willow]

Hahahaha.... yes!!! exactly!