I just have to share....

SOO apparently I am going to hell. At least thats what I was just told. So here is the story.

I'm sitting at work and a young married couple comes in, couldn't be any older than 21(if that). Both dressed very very conservativly. The kid was looking to activate his prepaid cell phone, for all of you that don't know I'm a sales agent for Verizon Wireless. I sold him time for his phone and thanked him and then I got this speech,

"I just want to let you know we've broken god's law. I've done it, you've done it. Any time we've stolen or lied or cheated, we've gone against god. And the punishment for that is death and an eternity of pain, burning in hell. But we can save this by following Jesus and his word." He then said some other random bullsh!t which I drowned out cause I was trying to think of something smart assed to say to him. I so badly wanted to tell him I am a buddhist (half true) or that I was already going to burn in hell for being gay. (Not true but I wanted to see the look on his little christian face when I told him this and to see if he burned his phone because I had touched it. In the end I didn't say anything because even though I know my boss would stand behind me I didn't want to be accused of treating customers poorly. He left and told me "Cause hey man, everyone needs Jesus"

People like this burn my a$$. I've been pretty pissed ever since. I mean where do they get off? Something tells me, if Jesus exsisted(which I think he did) these people are tottally twisting his message and his words. I dunno. Whatever, I'm still a little shaken by all of this.

Thoughts? Similar experiances? Please share.

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I hate when people feel the need to preach their religious beliefs to me. I don't mind an amiable discussion, but if I want to go to church, I'll go.

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I am a Christian and I believe that you should "share the message" etc...But there is a time and a place for it. Some guy came up to me and my friends and starting telling us that our friend was going to hell and that we probably were too because we were college students and we are obviously immoral people. This whole rant was brought on because my friend was reading the Koran. I told him that he was being highly judgemental for a Christian and being so should follow Jesus' teaching, "He without sin cast the first stone", etc... He said that he wasn't being judgemental at all. He saw a lost sinner and he came to help(refering to my friend who was reading the Koran). I started laughing and I asked him what he thought was going to happen to my friend's soul and he said that it would burn in eternal damnation. I then looked at him and said well since you are so sure, why don't you ask her what her religion is. He looked puzzled and finally asked her. She told him the truth. She was a catholic and she was reading the Koran for class. The guy didn't know what to say so he just walked away as if nothing had happened. I commend people who profess their faith in a way which will attract people to God and Jesus, if that is what they want. Witnessing is not about telling people that they are damned to hell, well at least not right off the bat lol, but it is about teaching what Jesus taught- Love, acceptance, and peace towards all people. It makes me very sad when I see how some people are claiming to be preaching His teachings, when they have it all wrong. God hates sin, not the sinner. If that were the case, He would hate us all, which, IMHO, He does not. Being a Christian isn't about spreading hate, its about love.
(All of this is my opinion and my beliefs so please don't blast me for trying to impose my belief system on any of you!)
*steps off soapbox*

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which begs the questions, what website were you on? Broadwayworld.com!?!

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"I am a Christian and I believe that you should "share the message" etc...But there is a time and a place for it."

*nods head* I agree

trust me people -- not all Christians are bad. Some of us know when we should hold our tongue.

Sorry for your bad experience -- you should have said something and maybe you would've taught them a little something as well

kelrel,
in all seriousness and because i cannot make sense of it with my catholic upbringing...if god hates the sin and not the sinner what would he think of me as a homosexual man? he hates the sin of the act of whom i share my bed with and love but that is me, so how can i separate that from me, "the sinner?"

how can i make peace with a religion that makes me feel guilty for living my life just as anyother "straight" congregation member would?

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But, RobbO, that's what frustrates me--not ALL churches agree that the Bible condemns homosexuals. This is especially true if you aren't usual modern translations which presume that the Bible IS admonishing gays and lesbians.

I say go to a church that isn't anti-gay. It's just THAT SIMPLE.

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RobbO I used to be really confused by this, I grew up in a church that felt the need to damn anything that didn't give money to the church and live the way that the church elders saw fit. It was not the best upbringing. Since then I have thought hard about that and I have come to this conclusion. Love is love. I love my best friend who is female, I love my husband, I love so many people both male and female and I don't think that there is anything wrong with love. Love is expressed both physically and emotionally, but when it all boils down to it- its just love. Jesus taught us to love our neighbors as we love ourselves. He taught that Love is good, in 1 Corinthians 13:13 (NRSV) it says "And Now faith, hope, and love abide, these three; and the greatest of these is love. "
I personally do not see how love is a sin. That is just my personal belief. I think that screwing around (gay or straight) is wrong, but if a relationship is founded in love then all expressions of love are fine. IMHO.
(I hope this makes sense I am really tired and probably babbling.)
Basically I don't think that you are a sinner for loving someone else.

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Most catholic churces condem homosexuality to hide the closeted gays in their flock.

I remember having a babysitter as a child who was very obviously gay. That sounds awful I know. But I had mostly gay babysitters growing up, male and female. And all of them agreed that he was closeted. The problem was he was so devoutly Italian and Catholic, as was his family. And because of this he stayed in the closet. Last I knew he was living at home with his parents and was into his late 40's.

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I guess my major problem is with a belief in Christ or following his teachings. I think the orginization of these into a church becomes the problem. I don't feel we'll ever know the true intentions of Jesus or God or whoever you believe in. Because the imperfections/interests/prejudice of man taints these teachings. Be it money or land or common good in mind, these things distort the original message. "be good, love everyone" BOOM thats it. When it gets twisted it gets lost. I dunno, just ranting.

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exactly, Carl. Jesus was a liberal hippie--NOT a Republican.

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Well stated RobbO


JRb man I agree. First of all he was most likely black or arab, I bet that image burns some people's asses. He drank ALOT of wine and most likely smoked certain things and was JEWISH! Liberal hippie, not a conservative bigot.

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Blind Faith and Blind Patriotism are two of the scarriest things happening in the world right now.

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