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So...I just got in to a discussion with my super creationist aunt and uncle, who dedicate their lives to having a relationship with Jesus. I was explaining to them that I was thinking about going to a place where they hold meditation gatherings. My aunt and uncle were extremely concerned, saying that there isn't any substance to meditation alone, that you need to have some sort of foundation (IE believing in Christ or something) to have any sort of benefit, because it is too dangerous to let your mind be open to the universe... of course, I was going to refute this, but they are providing a house for me to live in for the time being, so I wasn't about to go in to the things that I believe and upset them even more. They very much seem to want me to be christian and accept the soul and body of Jesus in to my life to fill a void that can only be filled by Christ. Frankly, my beliefs aren't set that way, and I am more of a cosmic thinker, I like to have my mind be open to new ideas and various beliefs. They believe that humans can't control their behaviors and that having a relationship with Jesus is the only way to save yourself... I just can't do it, and they seem to be very upset that I just won't find a higher power to fully believe in. (I'm agnostic) < That didn't settle to well with them (go figure). I am at such a loss right now, I am trying to be a pleasant guest for them and listen to what they have to say, but they seem to almost be passive-aggressively trying to get me to convert to believing that there is an objective truth to reality. What can I do? I don't want to explain all the reasons as to why I don't think I can/will follow Christ, for fear of having them feel betrayed by me and ultimately kicking me out of their household, they just seem to not be able to accept me for who I am (unlike my parents, whom I've gained an enormous amount of respect and appreciation for, due to their understanding and willingness to accept my "beliefs".)
I don't know, I feel pressured to believe in something in order to remain housed and fed. I really am trying to keep them happy with me and to subtly reveal who I am as a person, but it doesn't seem to be working in my favor tbh. "sigh"
-------------------- Good bye to everyone, my time here was well spent, and I think I have gained a lot from coming here. The internet has become to much of a priority for me, and I think I am ready to let it go for a while. < Who am I kidding...I'm hooked for life.
Quote: trip forever said: Accept Jesus and you'll be saved.
Clearly :/ I don't want to be so narrow minded. They are good people, just very strict in what they believe. I just don't want that.
-------------------- Good bye to everyone, my time here was well spent, and I think I have gained a lot from coming here. The internet has become to much of a priority for me, and I think I am ready to let it go for a while. < Who am I kidding...I'm hooked for life.
Quote: Mattm said: So...I just got in to a discussion with my super creationist aunt and uncle, who dedicate their lives to having a relationship with Jesus. I was explaining to them that I was thinking about going to a place where they hold meditation gatherings. My aunt and uncle were extremely concerned, saying that there isn't any substance to meditation alone, that you need to have some sort of foundation (IE believing in Christ or something) to have any sort of benefit, because it is too dangerous to let your mind be open to the universe... of course, I was going to refute this, but they are providing a house for me to live in for the time being, so I wasn't about to go in to the things that I believe and upset them even more. They very much seem to want me to be christian and accept the soul and body of Jesus in to my life to fill a void that can only be filled by Christ. Frankly, my beliefs aren't set that way, and I am more of a cosmic thinker, I like to have my mind be open to new ideas and various beliefs. They believe that humans can't control their behaviors and that having a relationship with Jesus is the only way to save yourself... I just can't do it, and they seem to be very upset that I just won't find a higher power to fully believe in. (I'm agnostic) < That didn't settle to well with them (go figure). I am at such a loss right now, I am trying to be a pleasant guest for them and listen to what they have to say, but they seem to almost be passive-aggressively trying to get me to convert to believing that there is an objective truth to reality. What can I do? I don't want to explain all the reasons as to why I don't think I can/will follow Christ, for fear of having them feel betrayed by me and ultimately kicking me out of their household, they just seem to not be able to accept me for who I am (unlike my parents, whom I've gained an enormous amount of respect and appreciation for, due to their understanding and willingness to accept my "beliefs".)
I don't know, I feel pressured to believe in something in order to remain housed and fed. I really am trying to keep them happy with me and to subtly reveal who I am as a person, but it doesn't seem to be working in my favor tbh. "sigh"
That is christians for ya. They will treat you like shit if you don't believe what they do. I had a similar problem a while back, was living with my aunt and uncle, who own a mega church and act super religious and say the key to life is jesus christ and if you believe in him and dedicate your life and money to him, all your problems will go just go away because he will give you strength blah blah blah, I have heard this shit my whole life, but I couldn't argue with them because they housed me. So I just went along with it my whole time there, went to church twice a week, which really isn't that bad. I am a brick wall when it comes to people pushing religion down my throat, but I met a cool girl there, and honestly, church girls are awesome. They aren't all fiendish sluts, they have moral and dedication. That aspect was pretty cool. I even played guitar for their worship group, which was fun because I got to be the star. They all take it so seriously that they just play the music exactly how it is written, like if they don't they will go to hell. I got to make up solos and spice their music up and kinda taught them to have a little fun. You should just show them what they want to see. You don't have to believe what they say, but it's not hard to pretend that you do, so you can continue to live with them and eat their food. Plus you might meet a cool girl at church, and here's a little tip... if you act like christianity is super cool and like your all about it, all those girls will dig you. It's a pretty easy game to play, honestly. I guess I am the type of person that can make any situation fun, even church.
--------------------
Post Extras:
Mattm
Hellbent
Registered: 11/18/09 Posts: 814 Loc: Gone Last seen: 11 months, 14 days
Re: Jesus christ (Literally) [Re: ganjfather] #16022154 - 03/31/12 01:57 AM (1 year, 2 months ago)
Quote: Mattm said: So...I just got in to a discussion with my super creationist aunt and uncle, who dedicate their lives to having a relationship with Jesus. I was explaining to them that I was thinking about going to a place where they hold meditation gatherings. My aunt and uncle were extremely concerned, saying that there isn't any substance to meditation alone, that you need to have some sort of foundation (IE believing in Christ or something) to have any sort of benefit, because it is too dangerous to let your mind be open to the universe... of course, I was going to refute this, but they are providing a house for me to live in for the time being, so I wasn't about to go in to the things that I believe and upset them even more. They very much seem to want me to be christian and accept the soul and body of Jesus in to my life to fill a void that can only be filled by Christ. Frankly, my beliefs aren't set that way, and I am more of a cosmic thinker, I like to have my mind be open to new ideas and various beliefs. They believe that humans can't control their behaviors and that having a relationship with Jesus is the only way to save yourself... I just can't do it, and they seem to be very upset that I just won't find a higher power to fully believe in. (I'm agnostic) < That didn't settle to well with them (go figure). I am at such a loss right now, I am trying to be a pleasant guest for them and listen to what they have to say, but they seem to almost be passive-aggressively trying to get me to convert to believing that there is an objective truth to reality. What can I do? I don't want to explain all the reasons as to why I don't think I can/will follow Christ, for fear of having them feel betrayed by me and ultimately kicking me out of their household, they just seem to not be able to accept me for who I am (unlike my parents, whom I've gained an enormous amount of respect and appreciation for, due to their understanding and willingness to accept my "beliefs".)
I don't know, I feel pressured to believe in something in order to remain housed and fed. I really am trying to keep them happy with me and to subtly reveal who I am as a person, but it doesn't seem to be working in my favor tbh. "sigh"
Amuse them.
Go on haha, I think I get what you are trying to say, but amuse them in what way? Cause I really am trying to be cool with them.
Quote: ganjfather said: That is christians for ya. They will treat you like shit if you don't believe what they do. I had a similar problem a while back, was living with my aunt and uncle, who own a mega church and act super religious and say the key to life is jesus christ and if you believe in him and dedicate your life and money to him, all your problems will go just go away because he will give you strength blah blah blah, I have heard this shit my whole life, but I couldn't argue with them because they housed me. So I just went along with it my whole time there, went to church twice a week, which really isn't that bad. I am a brick wall when it comes to people pushing religion down my throat, but I met a cool girl there, and honestly, church girls are awesome. They aren't all fiendish sluts, they have moral and dedication. That aspect was pretty cool. I even played guitar for their worship group, which was fun because I got to be the star. They all take it so seriously that they just play the music exactly how it is written, like if they don't they will go to hell. I got to make up solos and spice their music up and kinda taught them to have a little fun. You should just show them what they want to see. You don't have to believe what they say, but it's not hard to pretend that you do, so you can continue to live with them and eat their food. Plus you might meet a cool girl at church, and here's a little tip... if you act like christianity is super cool and like your all about it, all those girls will dig you. It's a pretty easy game to play, honestly. I guess I am the type of person that can make any situation fun, even church.
Ya know, that doesn't sound like a half-baked idea, I may try, but man...I'm just so sick of hearing that Christ will solve every single one of my problems, my aunt and uncle fully believe that the human mind is not capable of anything except for loving Jesus.
-------------------- Good bye to everyone, my time here was well spent, and I think I have gained a lot from coming here. The internet has become to much of a priority for me, and I think I am ready to let it go for a while. < Who am I kidding...I'm hooked for life.
Well, as you can see these type of people are really just sad and scared, you have the chance to help them, teach them to loosen up and not take life so seriously, but you can't do that by any way other than pretending like you believe what they are saying. They will accept you, and then all you gotta do is lead. They will think that you are a christian, but you can also have fun and enjoy life. I broke my mom in this way. She used to be super religious. And ever since I was like 6, I hated church and let her know it. But I changed when I was around 15. I started to act like I support her beliefs, and that made her accept me. Then we would hang out and talk about stuff, and eventually she would take my advise on things, and now, she doesn't go to church because she can't stand the people that do because she can see the points that I made when I was a lot younger, simply because since I believe in jesus, my points can now be heard. Thats how people work. And if you make them think they converted you from your agnostic way, they totally buy you stuff like new clothes.
Quote: ganjfather said: Well, as you can see these type of people are really just sad and scared, you have the chance to help them, teach them to loosen up and not take life so seriously, but you can't do that by any way other than pretending like you believe what they are saying. They will accept you, and then all you gotta do is lead. They will think that you are a christian, but you can also have fun and enjoy life. I broke my mom in this way. She used to be super religious. And ever since I was like 6, I hated church and let her know it. But I changed when I was around 15. I started to act like I support her beliefs, and that made her accept me. Then we would hang out and talk about stuff, and eventually she would take my advise on things, and now, she doesn't go to church because she can't stand the people that do because she can see the points that I made when I was a lot younger, simply because since I believe in jesus, my points can now be heard. Thats how people work. And if you make them think they converted you from your agnostic way, they totally buy you stuff like new clothes.
I suppose that I can act like I'm starting to believe, but they do go to a very laid back church, and for the most part they themselves are laid back, doesn't seem like I can do a whole lot to loosen them up, even if I do start going to church with them. They are wholly dedicated to Jesus, there isn't a damn thing I can do to persuade them that I want something different. I listen to them when they talk, and give them a chance to explain what they believe, but whenever I talk about my beliefs...it's automatically wrong and must be rebutted.
Like I said, they aren't bad people, there is just no chance in hell that other beliefs are the right way (according to them)
-------------------- Good bye to everyone, my time here was well spent, and I think I have gained a lot from coming here. The internet has become to much of a priority for me, and I think I am ready to let it go for a while. < Who am I kidding...I'm hooked for life.
Quote: ganjfather said: You'd be surprised what might happen if you just show them what they want to see.
Dammit! You're probably right, but damn...Fucking christians
-------------------- Good bye to everyone, my time here was well spent, and I think I have gained a lot from coming here. The internet has become to much of a priority for me, and I think I am ready to let it go for a while. < Who am I kidding...I'm hooked for life.
Your family has grounds to be concerned due to their worldview being one that involves Christ and the Bible. Whether you agree with them or not, what you need to understand is from a Christian perspective (well, SOME Christians anyway). Taking part in spiritual practices outside of a Christ based perspective is not only foolish, but dangerous. You dont need to read much of the old testament to find out how god deals with those who go against the lord. Hell even the 1st of the 10 commandments involved "No other gods before me"......not raping children, not murdering people, No other gods that alone speaks measures on how important from a biblical perspective it is to have god as your foundation.
That said, I dont view meditation as evil, or anti religious. Many Christians adhear to a Buddhist type philosophy as well. Hell even things that are downright pagan in every way shape and form have found some way to wiggle themselves into one of the thousands of different Christian sects. Ultimately its up to you to decide if Christianity is for you, or if you are gonna say fuck that shit, and do your own thing. Every decision we make has consequences and yours might be the notion of eternal fire for not following Christ OR It might mean you find a way of life and belief system that brings you happiness, while your aunt and uncle live repressed miserable lives
Its up to you. Even TAOism argues once you pick a path to stick with that path till the end.
-------------------- In other words, thinking outside the box might be facilitated by having a somewhat less intact box. -Random Doctor
Women who seek to be equal with men lack ambition -Timothy Leary
Everyone has their own unique brand of toxic psychosis -Alexander Shulgin
living forever would be a terrible curse if there were not also quality of life to match it. -Unknown
There may be flies on you and me, but there are no flies on Jesus -Hunter Thompson
Post Extras:
Mattm
Hellbent
Registered: 11/18/09 Posts: 814 Loc: Gone Last seen: 11 months, 14 days
Re: Jesus christ (Literally) [Re: Almond Flour] #16022303 - 03/31/12 02:48 AM (1 year, 2 months ago)
Quote: Real CA Milk said: Your family has grounds to be concerned due to their worldview being one that involves Christ and the Bible. Whether you agree with them or not, what you need to understand is from a Christian perspective (well, SOME Christians anyway). Taking part in spiritual practices outside of a Christ based perspective is not only foolish, but dangerous. You dont need to read much of the old testament to find out how god deals with those who go against the lord. Hell even the 1st of the 10 commandments involved "No other gods before me"......not raping children, not murdering people, No other gods that alone speaks measures on how important from a biblical perspective it is to have god as your foundation.
That said, I dont view meditation as evil, or anti religious. Many Christians adhear to a Buddhist type philosophy as well. Hell even things that are downright pagan in every way shape and form have found some way to wiggle themselves into one of the thousands of different Christian sects. Ultimately its up to you to decide if Christianity is for you, or if you are gonna say fuck that shit, and do your own thing. Every decision we make has consequences and yours might be the notion of eternal fire for not following Christ OR It might mean you find a way of life and belief system that brings you happiness, while your aunt and uncle live repressed miserable lives
Its up to you. Even TAOism argues once you pick a path to stick with that path till the end.
So, what should I do? I agree with what you say, but I need some advice on how I should handle them.
-------------------- Good bye to everyone, my time here was well spent, and I think I have gained a lot from coming here. The internet has become to much of a priority for me, and I think I am ready to let it go for a while. < Who am I kidding...I'm hooked for life.
Quote: Real CA Milk said: Your family has grounds to be concerned due to their worldview being one that involves Christ and the Bible. Whether you agree with them or not, what you need to understand is from a Christian perspective (well, SOME Christians anyway). Taking part in spiritual practices outside of a Christ based perspective is not only foolish, but dangerous. You dont need to read much of the old testament to find out how god deals with those who go against the lord. Hell even the 1st of the 10 commandments involved "No other gods before me"......not raping children, not murdering people, No other gods that alone speaks measures on how important from a biblical perspective it is to have god as your foundation.
That said, I dont view meditation as evil, or anti religious. Many Christians adhear to a Buddhist type philosophy as well. Hell even things that are downright pagan in every way shape and form have found some way to wiggle themselves into one of the thousands of different Christian sects. Ultimately its up to you to decide if Christianity is for you, or if you are gonna say fuck that shit, and do your own thing. Every decision we make has consequences and yours might be the notion of eternal fire for not following Christ OR It might mean you find a way of life and belief system that brings you happiness, while your aunt and uncle live repressed miserable lives
Its up to you. Even TAOism argues once you pick a path to stick with that path till the end.
So, what should I do? I agree with what you say, but I need some advice on how I should handle them.
Well, seeing how you need to be 18+ to register on the shroomery your an adult. Do what any adult should do.....think for yourself and make your decision.
Why not look at what Jesus would do He stood by his believes even though it meant him getting nailed to a fucking cross. Worse case senario your aunt and uncle call you a sinner, and refuse some financial/living support causing you to leave their house
BE A MAN! If you dont like Jesus, what he stands for, or the Church then stand by that outlook no matter what the cost. I think it was Christ who said
"What is it if you gain the world but loose your soul" =P
Meditate on that
OR keep your spiritual practice private like most adults, and simply dont bring up the idea of a foreign spiritual system to conservative Christians
-------------------- In other words, thinking outside the box might be facilitated by having a somewhat less intact box. -Random Doctor
Women who seek to be equal with men lack ambition -Timothy Leary
Everyone has their own unique brand of toxic psychosis -Alexander Shulgin
living forever would be a terrible curse if there were not also quality of life to match it. -Unknown
There may be flies on you and me, but there are no flies on Jesus -Hunter Thompson
Edited by Almond Flour (03/31/12 03:06 AM)
Post Extras:
Mattm
Hellbent
Registered: 11/18/09 Posts: 814 Loc: Gone Last seen: 11 months, 14 days
Re: Jesus christ (Literally) [Re: Almond Flour] #16022351 - 03/31/12 03:13 AM (1 year, 2 months ago)
Quote: Real CA Milk said: Your family has grounds to be concerned due to their worldview being one that involves Christ and the Bible. Whether you agree with them or not, what you need to understand is from a Christian perspective (well, SOME Christians anyway). Taking part in spiritual practices outside of a Christ based perspective is not only foolish, but dangerous. You dont need to read much of the old testament to find out how god deals with those who go against the lord. Hell even the 1st of the 10 commandments involved "No other gods before me"......not raping children, not murdering people, No other gods that alone speaks measures on how important from a biblical perspective it is to have god as your foundation.
That said, I dont view meditation as evil, or anti religious. Many Christians adhear to a Buddhist type philosophy as well. Hell even things that are downright pagan in every way shape and form have found some way to wiggle themselves into one of the thousands of different Christian sects. Ultimately its up to you to decide if Christianity is for you, or if you are gonna say fuck that shit, and do your own thing. Every decision we make has consequences and yours might be the notion of eternal fire for not following Christ OR It might mean you find a way of life and belief system that brings you happiness, while your aunt and uncle live repressed miserable lives
Its up to you. Even TAOism argues once you pick a path to stick with that path till the end.
So, what should I do? I agree with what you say, but I need some advice on how I should handle them.
Well, seeing how you need to be 18+ to register on the shroomery your an adult. Do what any adult should do.....think for yourself and make your decision.
Why not look at what Jesus would do He stood by his believes even though it meant him getting nailed to a fucking cross. Worse case senario your aunt and uncle call you a sinner, and refuse some financial/living support causing you to leave their house
BE A MAN! If you dont like Jesus, what he stands for, or the Church then stand by that outlook no matter what the cost. I think it was Christ who said
"What is it if you gain the world but loose your soul" =P
Meditate on that
Well it is tough to make an informed decision if it means losing a place to live lol. It's not that I don't like "Jesus" per se, I just can't force myself to believe that he is the end all be all.
I don't need to gain the world, I am actually a content person and don't need everything on a silver platter and to be able to shit in a golden toilet. I have more of a Buddhist set of beliefs, does this mean I'm without a soul since I am not following the word of Christ? It's hard to figure out what I should do, I guess the best thing to do is to move out, but I don't want to leave on bad terms.
Edit: Also, the spiritual practice thing is something that is brought up by them most of the time, they want me to find a foundation...which essentially means that I need to stick with Christ or get the feeeckk out
-------------------- Good bye to everyone, my time here was well spent, and I think I have gained a lot from coming here. The internet has become to much of a priority for me, and I think I am ready to let it go for a while. < Who am I kidding...I'm hooked for life.
Become a communist and start using the teachings of Jesus for what they were meant: A weapon against hypocrites like Christians. Wear a cross around your dick.
Quote: Real CA Milk said: Your family has grounds to be concerned due to their worldview being one that involves Christ and the Bible. Whether you agree with them or not, what you need to understand is from a Christian perspective (well, SOME Christians anyway). Taking part in spiritual practices outside of a Christ based perspective is not only foolish, but dangerous. You dont need to read much of the old testament to find out how god deals with those who go against the lord. Hell even the 1st of the 10 commandments involved "No other gods before me"......not raping children, not murdering people, No other gods that alone speaks measures on how important from a biblical perspective it is to have god as your foundation.
That said, I dont view meditation as evil, or anti religious. Many Christians adhear to a Buddhist type philosophy as well. Hell even things that are downright pagan in every way shape and form have found some way to wiggle themselves into one of the thousands of different Christian sects. Ultimately its up to you to decide if Christianity is for you, or if you are gonna say fuck that shit, and do your own thing. Every decision we make has consequences and yours might be the notion of eternal fire for not following Christ OR It might mean you find a way of life and belief system that brings you happiness, while your aunt and uncle live repressed miserable lives
Its up to you. Even TAOism argues once you pick a path to stick with that path till the end.
So, what should I do? I agree with what you say, but I need some advice on how I should handle them.
Well, seeing how you need to be 18+ to register on the shroomery your an adult. Do what any adult should do.....think for yourself and make your decision.
Why not look at what Jesus would do He stood by his believes even though it meant him getting nailed to a fucking cross. Worse case senario your aunt and uncle call you a sinner, and refuse some financial/living support causing you to leave their house
BE A MAN! If you dont like Jesus, what he stands for, or the Church then stand by that outlook no matter what the cost. I think it was Christ who said
"What is it if you gain the world but loose your soul" =P
Meditate on that
Well it is tough to make an informed decision if it means losing a place to live lol. It's not that I don't like "Jesus" per se, I just can't force myself to believe that he is the end all be all.
I don't need to gain the world, I am actually a content person and don't need everything on a silver platter and to be able to shit in a golden toilet. I have more of a Buddhist set of beliefs, does this mean I'm without a soul since I am not following the word of Christ? It's hard to figure out what I should do, I guess the best thing to do is to move out, but I don't want to leave on bad terms.
Edit: Also, the spiritual practice thing is something that is brought up by them most of the time, they want me to find a foundation...which essentially means that I need to stick with Christ or get the feeeckk out
Then do just that. You know how many hippies up here in Humboldt live with nothing but a backpack, marijuana, and the open road Hell Buddha lived in a fucking forest (which was believed to house demons and all kinds of evil shit) when he left the palace.
Imagine yourself a young Siddhartha! END YOUR SUFFERING AND OPPRESSION CHILD! Flee into the darkness of night! Never look back and dont stop until your a tarot card reading, fortune telling, enlightened shaman who found a way to doge Christianity!
Good luck
-------------------- In other words, thinking outside the box might be facilitated by having a somewhat less intact box. -Random Doctor
Women who seek to be equal with men lack ambition -Timothy Leary
Everyone has their own unique brand of toxic psychosis -Alexander Shulgin
living forever would be a terrible curse if there were not also quality of life to match it. -Unknown
There may be flies on you and me, but there are no flies on Jesus -Hunter Thompson
Post Extras:
Mattm
Hellbent
Registered: 11/18/09 Posts: 814 Loc: Gone Last seen: 11 months, 14 days
Re: Jesus christ (Literally) [Re: Almond Flour] #16022391 - 03/31/12 03:31 AM (1 year, 2 months ago)
Quote: moonrockmushy said: Become a communist and start using the teachings of Jesus for what they were meant: A weapon against hypocrites like Christians. Wear a cross around your dick.
I seriously just had a good laugh at this ^ Thank you xD
And CA Milk:
Word brotha hahaha. I'm just trying to find my way, and it's a tough thing to do when you got people preaching all day long. I love my aunt and uncle, but I'm not just going to convert for the sake of pleasing them. If I find Christ some day, so be it,
-------------------- Good bye to everyone, my time here was well spent, and I think I have gained a lot from coming here. The internet has become to much of a priority for me, and I think I am ready to let it go for a while. < Who am I kidding...I'm hooked for life.
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that alone speaks measures on how important from a biblical perspective it is to have god as your foundation.
OR It might mean you find a way of life and belief system that brings you happiness, while your aunt and uncle live repressed miserable lives 
-Unknown
your an adult. Do what any adult should do.....think for yourself and make your decision.
He stood by his believes even though it meant him getting nailed to a fucking cross. Worse case senario your aunt and uncle call you a sinner, and refuse some financial/living support causing you to leave their house 
