A
male
age
30-35,
anonymous
writes:Before last sunday I had never been to church.My friend finally convinced me into going, but I am not big into religion and I don't like it when my friend pushes it on me. So anyway, we get to the church (it is methodist) and I overhear a group of teenagers talking about jesus and such...I wasn't really listening, but the bits of their conversation I did hear got my mind racing.I wanted to test these people and their religion, so once the service was over I headed up to the altar to speak with the priest (or whatever his title was).Before everyone headed out the door I started speaking louder than I Should have been, just to get the attention of the people leaving.I said something along the lines of, "Excuse me sir, God has spoken to me and he has informed me that I am the lord Jesus Christ. He has given me a specific set of instructions and I have been told to carry this message on in preparation for-"Before I could even finish speaking he started talking over me in a very condecending way...He then asked two people standing by to escort me out of the church!So instead of getting lead out of the church I turned and walked out myself. My friend tells me they wont welcome me back...and I was shocked by hteir responce.Of course this was only a test, I am not Jesus Christ, and I am sorry I even schemed up this little test...But still, the results I got were astounding...And my question is,If the practitioners of their own religion shun someone that may be their messiah....what does that speak of the religion? I would like to know.And for those of you wondering why this isn't a question regarding broken condems and teen pregnancy...It is a relationship question. I'm trying to figure out my relationship with god and jesus.And I'm sorry if my test was offensive to anyone, because it apparently was for the people at the church. I am sorry I did it, but I guess I have unorthodox ways at trying to get my spiritual answers answered.
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female
reader, anonymous, writes (13 July 2009): You were TOTALLY out of line to do that! What on earth were you thinking?
Would you go to someone's home and start yelling and acting up?
They probably thought you were not only disrespectful, but may well have been justified in thinking you were crazy.
A
female
reader, bobbles32  +, writes (12 July 2009):
 People who go to church usually take their religion quite seriously. I understand your test.. and I understand their disapproval. Most religions are close-minded on stuff like that (Have you ever seen Penn and Teller? their show "Bullshit"? They did an espisode about the bible, it can explain WHY people are so closed minded about their religion.) Though I think what you did was hilarious, it probably insulted a lot of people, to them it probably looked like you were making fun. What do your friends think?
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A
male
reader, anonymous, writes (12 July 2009): Not to be disrespectful, but I am very open minded and that seems to be the problem here.
Of course it was a disrespectful thing to do, and I know that. But can you not see where I am getting with this? The over all message recieved from your post is basically what happened at the church.
Let me guess, Jesus Christ is already in a mental institution?
I'm not saying I'm jesus or that I believe I am jesus, but because the CHURCH was so quick to dismiss the notion (and the possibility), there must be flaws in the way they handle things.
(and for the record, my friend did not "invite" me to the church, he bothered me about going until I finally caved, and here is the end result)
I can see that this question will no longer yield me answers that are insightfull, but more condecending answers that I really haven't got the time to bother with.
Thank you to those of you that gave your two cents, but I now see that this answer can not be found through other people, but only through myself.
Good Day.
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A
female
reader, QuirkLady +, writes (12 July 2009):
 That was very disrespectful of you.
Your friends invited you to come to a place that was very important to them and you made fun of it. If you had a problem with religion you shouldn't have went and made a fool out of yourself. Plus, plenty of people claim to be Jesus Christ resurrected - you think you were the first the minister encountered? Hardly. Keep doing that and you might end up involuntarily committed to a mental institution.
If you'd like to learn more about religion I suggest that you do some Googling or read a few books on world religions. Talk to people and actually listen to what they have to say. You will not learn anything with a closed mind.
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A
male
reader, rcn +, writes (11 July 2009):
 Figuring out your relationship to God and Jesus is separate from religion. If you choose a church to attend, choose one that works for you, not someone else. I grew up Catholic, I now attend a non-denominational church. There is something about reading a vs out of the bible, then having it explained in words I can understand that I appreciate, minus the political side of many church denominations. Down to earth, understandable and to the point is the way I learn best.
I listened to a religious speaker this past week. She conducted a survey and found 17 main denominations of religion with 270 sub-denominations. History only took place one way, so which version of history is correct? Or do all hold partial truths, but not the whole picture of the past?
You'll find where you fit, just if one place didn't work for you, don't look at your spiritual relationship as not working. Your relationship is personal, no one can take it away from you, so don't let the ignorance in some religious affiliations cause you to move further away from what you're trying to accomplish.
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A
female
reader, Emilysanswers  +, writes (11 July 2009):
So you are blaming them for not believing some snotty teenager who was BLATANTLY taking the piss out of them? Did you honestly think they would fall at your feet and start crying?
You were being a dick and they all knew it.
One of the major themes in Christianity is respect.
Learn some of that, go back to the priest's house, and apologise. Then you might find he is a bit more open to discussing ideas with you.
Good Luck!! xx
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A
male
reader, LazyGuy  +, writes (11 July 2009):
 Religion is more then just the teachings of some guy who might or might have not have lived thousands of years ago and whose teachings where then written down hundreds of years later and those writing then edited and selected to form a book.
Not that this isn't enough bagage already, it is then laden with hundreds of years of institutional religion and politics.
Being part of a religion is a social contract to ignore the contradictions. To not just accept miracles but to ignore the questioning of even the most mundane elements.
Yes, the "test" why they don't accept a random person as the new messiah is valid, but also rather silly to those who have accepted the social contract of christianity which is that the mesiah is real, not regonizable by such a thing as a halo or wings but that nobody in the modern age who claims to be the messiah is to be believed.
It is not just religion. We do not ask ourselves why the fortune teller is messing aroung with dollar scams when they could clean up millions in the lottery or stock market. We do not ask why our iPod made in china for peanuts cost an arm and a leg. Especially when more capable mp3 players cost a fraction. The development costs? Open up an iPod. Everything is made by other companies, stock components. The design is worth a 50-150% markup?
That to is "faith". Your friends have a faith. Faith by defintion is not logical. I do not need faith in gravity. It is real, it is logical, it is.
You broke the 4th wall. For those who don't know, that is the wall replaced with the camera on a tv-set. On tv you NEVER address the camera directly yet everyone sits on the same side of the table so we can see their faces. For a series to work, we got to think that what we see is real and we don't want that illusion shattered EVEN if that illusion doesn't really matter to the story.
Would "Shindlers List" be less dramatic if all the camp victims had worn nikes? Same story, but the illusion is shattered.
And part of illusion of christianity is that you had a messiah (which is already a problem for Jews because the messiah comes at the end of times for them) who was a regular Joe but that no one else could be one. Or that it is okay to spend a fortune on churches while people are starving. Jezus would never have done that. Give Jezus a golden cross and he would have hogged it to feed the lepars.
Ultimatly you must judge your friends by how they really are. Not for the ritual of their religion but the daily practice of it. To be fair, you should also need to do that yourself.
You are seeking spiritual answers. That is fine but how are you testing yourself? Are you fit to be called a christian or any other faith or philosophical stance?
What is your weakness? A believe in capatalism (but you do have insurance)? That all people are basically good (but got a lock on your door)?
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A
male
reader, Harry Castle +, writes (11 July 2009):
 Closed minds, too insecure in their beliefs and scared of any challenge - so you see why you had to go?
Harry.
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