Surely I'm the only one? HELP.

How do you deal with people who continually put you down because of your religion??
Everything is fine until the second they find out that I was Christian. Then it's all skepticism and funny looks, if they talk or stand near me at all.
What makes us so scary? o__o
Usually I have a reaction to everything. But in that situation, I'm completely clueless as to what to do or say.

Yea actually i find its definately true

Even at work .. its kinda like because most ppl know im a Christian .. they usually dont say some things around me .. like .. suss things ...

And when it goes onto the whole God topic .. usually ppl avoid it around me

Its weird :S

I'm pretty sure that being yourself as a Christian will surely quash any misconceptions they have toward Christianity, it will eventually rub onto them, assuming they aren't mentally disadvantaged. E.g. CruiseTom.

Well, most of the time I'm at school, and since I go to a Catholic school it's not that bad.
But it's weird how if you say to someone who invites you somewhere on Sunday, "I can't, I have church..."
The one word they pick out is "CHURCH".
Even at a Catholic school! =\

Will, I have friends like that as well.
There's one half who doesn't mind when I discuss the GODTALK topic
And then there's the other half who avoid it completely 'cause they're scared that you'll try and shove God down their throat or something.

And Chris, I agree. TC is a Scientology participant after all.
(It's not that I don't like other religions, but explain the religion ASPECT of Scientology. I don't get it)

- What makes us scary is that we have a life.. with .. hope.. (most of us anyway) (that's a possible answer =P haha)

Haha I used to go to a catholic school.. now I go to a public school.. =/
I had this cynical atheist english teacher putting me down cos I said I went to hillsong..
sigh (atleast that was only for year 11) I share your pain annie!!

I find Skepticism not at all that bad though; it helps us to justify & reaffirm our authenticity.
If we don't question what we believe and find the
right answer for ourselves, are we to blindly follow an ideology?
It constructs a parallel element of choosing and following..

- To deal with it? there isn't one direct answer,
and frankly the whole issue is a bit ambigious to me as well.
But I think Chris's answer hits it pretty well hehe

(sorry for the scattalogical reponse)
(ps. I need to pee =/)

I don't know how athiests can live like that
(I HATE INTERNET EXPLORER. DAMN IT CAN'T DOWNLOAD FF ON SCHOOL COMPUTERRRRRRRRRR RAGE)
I mean, I admire their love of life and whatnot, but how can you believe that your life came into being by some random chance? That would depress me =\

The more I think about the world, the more I believe in God.
After all, "What is the Big Bang, but a clap from God?" (Whoopie Goldberg)
I mean come on. Just look at something that's completely natural. Say.. Our immune system.
That system is pretty damn PERFECT if we fuel it right.
How can something so brilliant just be a random creation by random chance??
Besides, what are the chances of that happening anyway??

And then there are the people who like to discuss the end of the world and whatnot.
I think that if God intended it to be, he could do whatever he wants with us.
Matt 19: 26 , everyone. God can do what he wants!

*RAGE*

Hm .. in my exp ppl r usually skeptical beacause they are afraid to change

Its kinda like if u had problems with ur teeth .. the last person u want 2 see is a dentist .. even if its on a social setting .. they "might" put u on the floor and rip ur teeth out!!!

So in the same way a Christian can b just as threating to someone who believes there is no God .. beacause simply they dont want 2 change ..

So yea .. dont b shocked or discouraged by it ... it should b an encouragement .. it means u r "influencing"

And Grace is rite .. persucution breads growth .. i think that personally ive grown the most when ive been under pressure or persucutiong etc etc

Keep firing !!

Humans in general are scared of the unknown.
Anything that we don't understand or know of, we are scared of.
Like for example, humans were afriad of outter space, because we didn't know what was out there. You know, aliens and all that.
Now, people are more afraid of death than anything else.
(Except Christians, of cause. We have Heaven and stuff.. But that's not that point)
You see all the ads about prolonging your life and everything. Live longer, better and bigger...
Which is kind of pointless 'cause humans are always dissatisfied with what they have.
So why not trust in a God that's so much better then you could ever imagine? Why NOT love a God, who is nothing BUT Love Himself??
*sigh*
Me and friends discuss this on a regular basis. That is, the friends who aren't scared of the topic.

I understand your every point, Will :D

I feel like raging.

Some people are socially constructed to believe that certain things happen that way,
Some people are changed by experiences they've gained (negatively or positively),
Some can look at something beautiful, but simply don't care,
and the fact that they don't care stems down to not caring whether there was
something behind that or not.. (doubtful for skeptics though, they'll probably make up another
reason for it.. although we've already seen that =P)
[ hahah i'm off onto differing tangents again ><] anyways
Depends what type of atheists though ... they're not all the same
Some just don't care, some just never had the chance of knowing about God,

[omg, too much society and culture!! ] :'(:'(

I think that society is pretty much based around a "If we say it's right, then it is" kind of structure.
Say, if the majority of a culture think something is right or wrong, then the rest of that culture will generally follow along.
And people within a culture can change and bend the rules to whatever they think is best.

A while back I saw a thread that was discussing "If Paris Hilton told the world that breathing wasn't cool, half the teenage girl population would be dead. The other half would be laughing."
It is kind of true when you think about it. There's all those fad diets, for example. If something is complete b.s. people can still believe it if they think that it works or if it's been proven.

It's something that completely annoys me, all the time.
I like to do whatever unpopular, just to see the looks on peoples faces :D

Hehe I guess segments of marxism is still evident in contemporary society,
As is conflicting notions of an individuals penchant for indepedence! haha

As for those bullcraping advertisements.. It sort of reminds me of false hope...
I hate false hope.. It's pointless, why dangle a string in front of someone when you
know it's just to tease them? It doesn't do anything productive.. So why not just
be succint and tell the truth? sighh...
Well besides being too rash, there's always an middleground for saying things, right?

False hope is completely useless. What wasn't there before can't be imagined to have been so.
Hope is hope. You can't forge hope.. Although it really depends on who you're trying to fool.
If you try to show someone who hasn't experianced (STUPID IE) hope before, then I suppose you can get away with it. Otherwise it's kind of a waste of time :D
But sometimes the truth hurts. I'm not saying that you should tell anything other than the truth, but sometimes hiding the truth can be easier to do.. Say someone who has recently lost everything and everyone is just about the die. Would you like to be the one to inform them? I wouldn't ;__;

Agree. There is always a middleground for everything.

i know the feeling, GG at college, ppl found out i was christian, and oh the stares, thay scared of me nows xD

For me i know it was coming, cos i wasnt always a christian, i know that wen non-spiritual ppl find out they are thinking something along the lines of ":S OH crap, going to start bible bashing me or preaching, dont ask dont ask dont ask...etc"
well thats wat i used to think
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I live with people like that.
They don't like it when people are preaching out in the streets (which I personally think requires a lot of courage and GG to them, if that's what kicks their fancy) and they always tell me to not open the door when people come to preach O_O

I know lots of people like that ;__;
"NOES THEY IS GOING TO SPEECH ABOUT GOD TALKS MUST NOT ASK MUST NOT ASK.." etc.
It's not like we're going to make them eat the Bible with tomato sauce or something =__=||

I have dealt with some people like this in high school.
They kinda did see me weirdly... but I didn't care.. I still have friends =]

What i did was leave something profound to this guy... I simply said "I'd rather live believing in God and dying and finding out there's no God... than living believing there's no God and dying to find out there is a God.."

I'm not sure if it has affected him much but at least i have left that message in his head (or heart if he has one).

1 Peter 4:11 talks about this very topic.

Quote :

Suffering for Being a Christian
12Dear friends, do not be surprised at the painful trial you are suffering, as though something strange were happening to you. 13But rejoice that you participate in the sufferings of Christ, so that you may be overjoyed when his glory is revealed. 14If you are insulted because of the name of Christ, you are blessed, for the Spirit of glory and of God rests on you. 15If you suffer, it should not be as a murderer or thief or any other kind of criminal, or even as a meddler. 16However, if you suffer as a Christian, do not be ashamed, but praise God that you bear that name. 17For it is time for judgment to begin with the family of God; and if it begins with us, what will the outcome be for those who do not obey the gospel of God? 18And,
"If it is hard for the righteous to be saved,
what will become of the ungodly and the sinner?"[a]

19So then, those who suffer according to God's will should commit themselves to their faithful Creator and continue to do good.

I'm saving that for the next time that someone tries to argue with me, Nighto :D

Nothing will be changed if one person doesn't step out of line.
If someone dares, so will others.
I think that people work in a chain reaction. We like power in numbers, so systems like voting works.

Side Note: Once again I'm off. I have to tutor this kid.. MONEYS

:O munnys?!

i wants

gw with biblical reference nico +1

i couldnt find it ><!!

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LOL should be 1 Peter 4:12 right? Unless I'm wrong =\

:O didnt look up? lol

its 8am im cbb

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I shall look it up :D
BIBLEGATEWAY! xD

(NKJV, because NKJV is the best <3)
"12 Beloved, do not think it strange concerning the fiery trial which is to try you, as though some strange thing happened to you; 13 but rejoice to the extent that you partake of Christ’s sufferings, that when His glory is revealed, you may also be glad with exceeding joy. 14 If you are reproached for the name of Christ, blessed are you, for the Spirit of glory and of God rests upon you.[a] On their part He is blasphemed, but on your part He is glorified. 15 But let none of you suffer as a murderer, a thief, an evildoer, or as a busybody in other people’s matters. 16 Yet if anyone suffers as a Christian, let him not be ashamed, but let him glorify God in this matter.[b]
17 For the time has come for judgment to begin at the house of God; and if it begins with us first, what will be the end of those who do not obey the gospel of God? 18 Now


“ If the righteous one is scarcely saved,
Where will the ungodly and the sinner appear?”[c]

19 Therefore let those who suffer according to the will of God commit their souls to Him in doing good, as to a faithful Creator."

That's 1 Peter 4: 12-19.


Yus Brendan, munnies :D