For a while now I've been faking being a Christian. I don't actually say anything about it, but I go to church and talk like I know about it and stuff. Which I do. I used to be a Christian, so I know how it works. And I do pray sincerely, I just think that it works by the influence of the person who is praying rather than some diety answering them. Psychic stuff, you know? Like Paula from Earthbound.

This literally makes me a hypocrite. But I don't want to make the people at my church distressed about it since they care about me a lot. And I also don't like people to be bugging me about it. My grandparents are religious and I get the feeling they think I'm trying to be rebellious or something. But I've been going to church and to the youth group, so they think I'm a Christian again. Yeah...

This doesn't really have a point. I just wanted to get it out of my head.

As outdated as it is, Earthbound is fucking awesome. When I was in middle school that game was the shit.

A lot of people fake Christianity. Church has become an integrated part of your life and a fun social event, and you don't want to lose that.

I've lost it though, and I couldn't be happier.

quote:Originally posted by Pinball Mgruff:

A lot of people fake Christianity.

It seems like you're praying to your own spiritual god rather than the Christian God.

If you've got no real qualms with it, no problems. As long as going to church doesn't bother you or anything, it's a good place to prey and socialize.

Are you a decent, moral, positive-minded, loving and empathetic individual already?

Great! Peel that label off yourself. You don't have to be a Christian in order to have a healthy attitude that is kind towards others.

Try not to feel too guilty about "faking it". You're just trying to protect the people who are closest to you who do not understand. Eventually try to come clean, though. Living a lie can have more far-reaching negative implications in your life than even the Bible warns against.

quote:Originally posted by AngryFemme:

Are you a decent, moral, positive-minded, loving and empathetic individual already?

Great! Peel that label off yourself. You don't have to be a Christian in order to have a healthy attitude that is kind towards others.

Try not to feel too guilty about "faking it". You're just trying to protect the people who are closest to you who do not understand. Eventually try to come clean, though. Living a lie can have more far-reaching negative implications in your life than even the Bible warns against.

You talk like there's some inherent value in being an outspoken, humanistic atheist. But it really depends on your situation. I live in the Bible belt, and it is not a good idea over here. I find it better to simply influence the Christians by intelligently interpreting their own scripture to make them more tolerant of others. You see, it is not religion itself that is intolerant. It is certain forms of idealism which religion often gives birth to. Patriotism and strong beliefs about anything can be idealism. That is what caused Stalin's massacres, not atheism.

I don't feel guilty about lying about not being a Christian as much I feel guilty about disappointing them. So I'll continue this as long as I am around those people.

There is an inherent value in being an outspoken atheist. You arn't lying to other people and yourself. Doesn't mean you have to bellow it. I'm an atheist and my parents have kind of picked up hints.. like last week my mom looked a little down and asked me how my richard dawkins book was. I told her it was a great read with good science in it. She just nodded and went back to eating her dinner.

quote:Originally posted by Clarphimous:

You talk like there's some inherent value in being an outspoken, humanistic atheist.

I find much inherent value in it. What works for me might not work for you, and I respect that - but I felt compelled to throw it out there nonetheless. Since this isn't a private conversation, perhaps someone else will read it and feel inspired. Or not.

quote:

But it really depends on your situation. I live in the Bible belt, and it is not a good idea over here.

I can relate to that more than you know, which is reason #2 I felt compelled to address your post. I grew up in the Bible belt and currently reside in the Bible belt. It's tough to run anything by those people that is not aligned with their way of thinking. I just feel it's a good idea to do it anyway, else this kind of thing just might not EVER change.

quote:

I find it better to simply influence the Christians by intelligently interpreting their own scripture to make them more tolerant of others.

Rock on. That's actually a very good strategy.

quote:

You see, it is not religion itself that is intolerant. It is certain forms of idealism which religion often gives birth to.

So instead of wasting your time waiting to see what kind of ugly offspring religion gives birth to, why not go straight for the Mother Source? At least make a broad attempt at rooting out it's main source of negative idealism, such as the patronizing, stifling and often overly critical culture that is the American Bible Belt (for starters). I am just of the opinion that it's the best place to begin, if minimizing intolerance is the ultimate goal.

quote:

Patriotism and strong beliefs about anything can be idealism. That is what caused Stalin's massacres, not atheism.

Okay. http://www.totse.com/bbs/confused.gif (http://www.totse.com/bbs/confused.gif)

quote:

I don't feel guilty about lying about not being a Christian as much I feel guilty about disappointing them. So I'll continue this as long as I am around those people.

Which speaks volumes for how much you seek their approval, which is NOT AT ALL unusual for people to feel towards the people they are close to. I've done it myself a thousand times over.

Now that we've established that one of the worst side-effects of religion is Guilt ...

I hope you can stop faking it sooner rather than later, and I hope you find a way to do it without having many hardships, or if you don't find/don't want a way to free yourself of the guilt ever - then I at least hope that the people around you somehow find it in them to make more of an effort at understanding you as a whole person, and not just a religious person.

I took interest in your thread because that little purple frowny face just kind of hit home with me. Excuse the long-windedness.



[This message has been edited by AngryFemme (edited 03-31-2007).]

quote:Originally posted by Clarphimous:

Patriotism and strong beliefs about anything can be idealism. That is what caused Stalin's massacres, not atheism.

quote:Originally posted by AngryFemme:

Okay. http://www.totse.com/bbs/confused.gif (http://www.totse.com/bbs/confused.gif)

The corrupted communist idealism that Stalin embraced. I don't know a whole lot about it, but I suspect that it's what caused him to do those things.

As for the other things, I'm very dependent on these people. I suppose I could become cold to their feelings towards me, but I'm not very good at that sort of thing. Mood disorder, you know?

I mainly put the frowny face there because I post in half baked a lot, and they use lots of smileys in post topics. But yeah, it does bother me.

I would never advocate becoming a cold person towards people.

Didn't we have an IM discussion about The Bridgeway a couple of years ago? I might be mistaken, but I keep remembering that we lived in the same close proximity.

quote:Originally posted by AngryFemme:

I would never advocate becoming a cold person towards people.

Didn't we have an IM discussion about The Bridgeway a couple of years ago? I might be mistaken, but I keep remembering that we lived in the same close proximity.

Yeah, I remembered a discussion with you but I didn't remember what it was about until you mentioned it. I got the e-mail addresses of a couple people from there. One of them seems to be doing better... I think. The other is still having problems with his bipolar disorder. And one of the others which I didn't have the e-mail address at the time seems to have disappeared off the face of the earth.

I get distracted easily, don't I?

Ironically, I just recently moved VERY close to there. Literally a stone's throw.

There's this whole weird *full circle* effect trying to amaze me, but I keep dismissing it as a triviality.

http://www.totse.com/bbs/biggrin.gif (http://www.totse.com/bbs/biggrin.gif)

I recommend you explore other religeons or none dogmatic beliefs.

I did that for three years. Christian school and all. I don't bother to hide my atheism any more, since I don't go there any more.

A lot of people fake Christianity.

I think most do, but they don't realize it, kinda of like lieing to yourself.

Note to Elephantitis Man, how did you make a post of just quoting someone, aka avoiding the 5 character rule?

I think most do, but they don't realize it, kinda of like lieing to yourself.

Note to Elephantitis Man, how did you make a post of just quoting someone, aka avoiding the 5 character rule?

It was before the conversion to vBulletin. But it's still possible. Use 5 of & # 8 2 0 6 ; without the spaces.

I think a lot of people are on the edge of belief and non-belief in God, but they don't think about it much.