Saturday, June 23, 2007

Society...Church

Who named "society" the keeper of all that is right and moral?

Who made them the final judge of what is deemed right, wrong or immoral?

I don't care much for society, and all that it represents.

These are people like you and I who feel like they have a right to judge another man.

I don't care much for Christians either...and the saddest part is...I am one. There are many times I am embarrassed to call myself a christian, and for the fact that I too have done things that were wrong, but I didn't want to spout the Bible in someones face when I am not on the right path myself....there are just too many that have given God a bad rap.

Don't come calling me out, picking the splinter out of my eye, until you remove the forest growing out of your own.

I used to work with a man, who called himself a devout christian and was a deacon of the church and worked with the youth, and did sound for the services...on and on and on.

He was the first one to bash gay men...openly thought lesbians were hot and told me that he had a nasty dream about me, and would say out loud "look at the ass on that hottie, what I could do to that!"

I am sorry, but I don't think gay basing and talking nasty aligns with being a devout deacon of the church...Or am I just not hip with the way churches think now days?

Would someone care to enlighten me?

32 comments:

David said...

Fresno...how I miss the Central Valley. About your question, it is so frustrating for me to have to defend Christ to the prisoners I work with because they think that all Christians are like the sex offender who walks around damning them to hell in the name of Christ, flipping tables and hordes 26 Bibles in his room. No, he can't do that. No, he has no authority; nope we aren't all like that.... *sigh*

p.s. I scrolled down your blog, and is that a Bengal?

Bardouble29 said...

Hi there David...sorry about the rant...Normally I am a happy cheery writer, tonight is just getting out frustration...

Thanks for popping by.

singleton said...

You are enlightened, baby, those that judge haven't worn the other shoes.....
yet......

peace, girl, and may the circle be unbroken...

Chris Morris said...

Society is the reason I am going to title my first book "I Gave Up Hope And It Worked Just Fine."

After reading this, I now realize that it's not organized religion that one needs, it's just basic faith.

whimsical brainpan said...

I've said it before and I'll say it again, those who shout that they are Christians the loudest are the ones who act least like it. Read Luke 18:9-14, you are supposed to be humble.

"I don't care much for society, and all that it represents."

Me neither! Let's run away and start our own.

eric1313 said...

Barb, that's why I haven't set in a church in years. The people who run churches really want to run people and their lives. And the attitude toward women is fostered in environments where men are able to take control. They act exactly how they choose to. It has been a rare member of the clergy who I have found to be anywhere near holy in their true heart.

It's good to write stuff like this, if not to inform others of your feelings, then for the fact that it is good to say your perception of the truth, whenever that's possible.

Talk to you soon, friend.
Thanks

Anonymous said...

If it weren't for a handful of decent Christians like yourself, I would have to conclude that ALL Christians are sh*t.

Unknown said...

Ask Enemy about my "anti-social" behavior :) Society is another way to keep ppl from thinking.

Enemy of the Republic said...

I'm with Beefcake and you know I 've written on this topic extensively. I have more to say, but I am grading my tail off and it is rendering me stupid.

Oceanshaman said...

Christ was a great dude, who walked a walk and talked a talk worthy of emulation . . .

Don't let the rank and ossified crust of twisted institutions and fear-driven assholes that cling to his golden memory like stuck ticks deter you from skipping happily upon your chosen path . . .

You're just not hip with the way churches are nowadays. What a blessing!

Enemy of the Republic said...
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The Lone Beader® said...

What an awful experience... I do not believe in organized religion... but my entire family does... *sigh*

Unknown said...

Jesus says somewhere in the Bible that many will say, "Didn't I do good works for you, didn't I speak in tongues, cast out devils, and do this shit and that shit for you?" And he will say, "I knew you not.."

Beware the false profit.

There's a lot of bad apples in the Christian barrel. Let's just hope the good ones don't turn.

Kati said...

No, it seems to me that the devout Christians (or Muslims, or pagans of any stripe, or any other fundamentalist-minded of any other religion or spirituality) are the most hypocritical when it comes to what they preach versus what they practice. And in our country, Christianity (at least for now) has the most "followers" so it also pretty well encompasses the most hypocrites (sheer matter of numbers). This is also part of why I no longer care to be aligned with Christianity.

And no, again, I'm not just picking on Christians. There are wackos in ANY spiritual line of thinking or religion. There are pagan wackos who are willing to tell folks that sex with children is part of "our" belief system, thereby ruining the reputation of folks who claim to be pagan. There are muslims who adamantly believe in bombing the shit out of anybody who doesn't believe exactly as they do, thereby ruining the reputations of those muslims who want to their religion to be thought of as peaceful and affirming. *shrug* As I said, fundamentalists of ANY stripe have the tendency towards serious hypocracy.

eric1313 said...

Wow, Barb.

You struck quite a nerve with everyone with this post. Hope your night is rockin' all the way around. I've been writing well today. And thank you for your compliments about my poetry. Not everyone in my life is supportive of me writing. They will never know what joy there is in even the simplest creations. As my prof has often said to me, I have to be my own biggest fan, if nobody else will be. Thank you for lessening the burden, if only a bit. It all helps.

Jay said...

The fundamentalists have totally destroyed everything it USED to mean to be a Christain. The Church is, much like our current government, more interested in controling your life than saving your soul.

I've had enough of society myself.

Unknown said...

Yeah, I know how you feel. I'm a Christian and they drive me nuts, too. And they don't know how bad they look sometimes. They really don't ...

Unknown said...

Come to think of it, though, there are plenty of very well meaning Christians out there ... some idiots just tend to stand out.

SpongyBones said...

In the great words of Arnulf Overland - "What is there to be said about a Church which certainly promises its believers eternal salvation, but at the same time condemns the non-believers, all those who think differently, to an eternal torment in hell? - If that Church absolutely must talk about love, then it should do so very quietly."

I'd rather hang out with all the sinners of this world anyday and feel their love. To hell with the church ways of love!

captain corky said...

The thing that amazes me most about Christians is how they think God would pick them over everyone else on this planet. Well, there's a lot that amazes me about Christians actually, but another time perhaps.

Anonymous said...

A' hee' hee hee' to the comment of beefcake there!!..Oh' Barbs'...would it be fun to just hang around with you talking about this..On eof my earliest bloggy posts was about the same...a even to that deacon..I had a similar experience..real turn off...

N'ways....I really don't care much for religion anymore...doesn't mean I don't believe in God...just that I don't believe in people who mask themselves as His advertisers and events management coordinators..

I do believe in the spirit of Christianity..that is something to be felt on an individual...not heard...

love to you Barbz'...have a great day...

Luxie' doo'

Art said...

I have the same reaction to my fellow "christians' sometimes... What I do is try to concentrate on what I think Jesus would do... I know that sounds lame - WWJD and all that... but it works for me. Jesus would not 'bash' gays nor objectify women.

Greg C said...

Damn, I am sorry I missed this earlier. I work with a similar SOB. He is always pushing his church mens groups and bragging about all the good christian things he does but let him get alone with the guys and he talks about now nice the breasts are on the secretary here at work. I am no saint either but at least I don't hide behind the cross.

dawn said...

I agree with everything you said and Annes comment. It's a sad world where the so called good christian think they are superior to everyone else. People who live in glass houses shouldn't throw stones.

Shrink Wrapped Scream said...

Like every big organisation, there are always a few rotten apples, just feel safe in the knowledge that most other rational folk can spot them at a 100 metre radious. The man has a personality disorder, it's his problem far more than yours!

Em said...

I think there are very good people of all faiths. But there are also some total jerks in all faiths. "Being" Christian (or any other religion) doesn't make a person good. They actually have to choose to be a good person. "Being" and "doing" are very different.

Anonymous said...
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Anonymous said...

hey hun sorry for taking so long to come visit you. I have decided to get rid of my personal site for now and kepted my dream blog.

As for the question you have. It's terrible when people say that they are a devoted christian and then behave otherwise. it make people think twice on becoming a christian.

as for me i just live my life as honest as i can and try to help others along the way.

Anonymous said...

Thank goodness my ideal is the life of Jesus, not the lives of all of the humans who call themselves Christ followers. We follow Him, not the church.
Thank goodness that He doesn't require perfection in order to follow Him. He just accepts us as we are, loves us. But He hates the parts in each of us that turn away from Him. I love this "real" Jesus, not the one that confused and ignorant people have created. We can only accept His love and respond to it. I'm just so thankful that He accepts me as I am and continues to pursue me- this is the thing that brings about life change, not a striving based on rules, that's called religion.

Craig D said...

I can't enlighten you, but THIS posting at theonion.com made me think of your blog entry, here.

skinnylittleblonde said...

eke...just trying to catch up here.
My opinion is that folks use religion as weaponry...a sheild to protect themselves when they know somewhere deep inside that they are wrong and as a battle axe when they think someone else is wrong.

Judy said...

Seems to me that you have a very clear eye, quite devoid of splinters... ; )

It's amazing how much shit goes down in the name of Jesus/Mohammed/InsertDietyNameHere. Beyond saying that, I'd better stop writing or I might get into a real raging rant...