Well, I have experienced the pettiness of church-goers, especially this past summer... However, those going to church are just people, like everyone else. So obviously "fuck this religion" is not really sensible.

I think you get your extremists just like any other group..those who pick and choose what part of the bible they want to follow..and the rest.

That doesn't sound like what he described at all though.

I agree with you Dan, blacks are crap.

Always trust the story, never trust the story teller.

We are limited by our perceptions of an event, as are those we encounter, and the interactions that result very rarely make sense unless an effort to be sensible is made.

Why is it that the clergy of a church would concern himself with a teenage afair gone awry? Refer to above response.

Perhaps it was more than just that from her point of view, and perhaps the preacher is just a little too curious, and the poster much too sensitive.

Did everybody else follow him from church to church? It seems that way based on his story.

These days, our reputations extend beyond the borders of the towns in which we live. The fact that you are reading these words proves this.

Given, the poster's apparant struggles with church, why invite a buddy to share in his pain?

If we could solve that problem, there'd be many less depressed people out there. It always feels good to have back up.

Why would a Pastor who barely knows someone, know their celular phone number. Most of my friends do not know mine.

He said he's a newcomer to two churches, which could mean almost anything-though the fact that he's so outraged and hurt by all this would seem to imply the preacher is someone who was important to him...but that's wasted speculation-I haven't read the thread in question.

Almost every pastor I have ever come in contact with. Which is almost atronomical in amount, deals with everything man to man and in person. Not on the phone.

Unless an obviously troubled youth refuses to meet him in person, and he feels there's something that needs to be done.

Unless this problem was interfering in worship, the pastor would not get involved.

See above.

Obviously the poster was way out of line, but someone who's hurt isn't always prepared to deal with their emotions reasonably. To dismiss them as lying because of a highly biased account dosen't solve the problem-it only makes it worse.

Besides, if he were out and out trying to make the church look bad, why attack the people involved with an emotional argument anyone would dismiss, when the threat of sexual predators in disguise is a much more handy weapon to employ?

It dosen't seem at all calculated to me. Too sloppy, too random. Just like life.[/quote]

You have brought up some very interesting points, Loop (twice j/k).

I agree, maybe this was just an emotional explosion, and his response was not very thought out. Hopefully, he will think before he acts the next time.

I am not totally solid on the idea that his story was a fabrication, but it seemed to be a bit one-sided. Then again, we all tell one sided stories, so I guess I can't ridicule him for that.

I just get on the defensive automatically when people attack any religion based on an isolated incident.

Hell, from my relationship with church, I should have said "Fuck Christianity" years ago. But, I do not allow a few assholes to get in the way of my faith, which is very giving, and not critical.

The basic problem with alot of people when it comes to Christianity, is they expect Christians to be Christ. If we were all Christ, then we would already be dead. The world could not handle someone so powerful yet so passive as Christ. The struggle to be like Christ is part of the belief. Emphasize that it is a struggle, however. It's strange how non-Christians want to point out that Christians judge, all the while they judge Christians.

The bottom line, "Judgment is mine, sayeth the Lord." So Christians should not be judging. But, for basic humanitarian purposes neither shoudl non-Christians.


But, that's just one man's opinion.

You have brought up some very interesting points, Loop (twice j/k).

I agree, maybe this was just an emotional explosion, and his response was not very thought out. Hopefully, he will think before he acts the next time.

I am not totally solid on the idea that his story was a fabrication, but it seemed to be a bit one-sided. Then again, we all tell one sided stories, so I guess I can't ridicule him for that.

I just get on the defensive automatically when people attack any religion based on an isolated incident.

Hell, from my relationship with church, I should have said "Fuck Christianity" years ago. But, I do not allow a few assholes to get in the way of my faith, which is very giving, and not critical.

The basic problem with alot of people when it comes to Christianity, is they expect Christians to be Christ. If we were all Christ, then we would already be dead. The world could not handle someone so powerful yet so passive as Christ. The struggle to be like Christ is part of the belief. Emphasize that it is a struggle, however. It's strange how non-Christians want to point out that Christians judge, all the while they judge Christians.

The bottom line, "Judgment is mine, sayeth the Lord." So Christians should not be judging. But, for basic humanitarian purposes neither shoudl non-Christians.


But, that's just one man's opinion.