Oxidizing Material

While most Christians can be, and I openly admit it, douche bags, sometimes there's a really good one in there. You just have to look.

Uh, for instance, there's this girl I went to school with for 2 years without ever really speaking to her. She was a character in a school play I had to video, and afterward, when everyone was leaving, I started to initiate conversation.

Me: "You know, you and the moon are a lot alike."

Her: "Oh? How's that?

Me: "You both plot my untimely demise."

Her: "I don't plot your demise."

Me: "You're one of them. You're all against me."

Her: "Well, I don't have anything against you. Why do you think everyone's against you?"

(Insert 45 minute long discussion on existensialism on a quantum and theocratic level)

(I also learn here she's a devout Christian, but one of the nice kinds)

***Next Day***

I was talking to her the next day about the night before, (we talked about life, why we're here, what my problems are, what hers are, how to work around them, almost everything under the sun, really), and she said one sentence I'll remember for the rest of my life:

"You know, I prayed for you last night".

The first thing that popped into my head was "Nothing fails like prayer", but you know what? That little filter that seperates the brain from the mouth, I've never had one, suddenly came into play there. I didn't say it. Instead, I saw the good side of it.

One person actually gave enough of a damn about me to devote if nothing but 30 seconds of their life to care about me and my problems and my existance.

She didn't have to do this. She could have contiuned bowing and scraping and I'd never be the wiser, but instead, she cared enough about what I had to say (And I only talked to her for 45 minutes prior to this, altogether) and did what she felt she could do to help. And you know what? If those were the last words I was to hear, I'd die happy.

Any examples of good Christian love from fellow Infidels here at the II? Spouses and family don't count


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[ April 22, 2002: Message edited by: Oxidizing Material ]</p>

Brian63

This is a good topic O.M.

It has been my experience that most Christians that I encounter are more pleasant than most atheists than I encounter. Considering that my brain is currently fried from working all day, I can't think of a particular moment when a Christian was especially nice to me, but I know that there have been many.

Brian

LianaLi

There's this woman at church, who has bothered to learn my name and say hi every time we come. (I /have/ to go to church every sunday. Parents) I realize she doesn't have to bother, but she's a very nice lady. Because of that, I respect beliefs and don't attack or be antagonistic.

OTOH, my parents are real hypocrittical bastards and among the most devout xians I know. Takes all kinds, I suppose.

-Liana

Queen of Swords

HelenSL has always been nice to me, even when I was at my crankiest.

Go Helen!

Panta Pei

Amos is a wingnut

But, I look for him whenever I can. His words convey such a whimsical, euphoric quality of enigmatic longing that I somehow find solace in knowing that he is there.

Of course, as a cop, I am not allowed to smoke da ganja so his posts eerily satisfy the hunger from that part of my brain I activated those many years ago.

He's like the Rumi of Christianity for me

MortalWombat

Could this be that most atheists who are vocal about their atheism tend to be the type of people who don't give a damn about what people think about them? And that in this (American) society, people are praised for being "people of faith" out in the open, while atheists are publicly denigrated? It's much easier to be pleasant when you have the President, most of Congress, and most of the media on your side.

HelenM

Thanks, QofS!

There are lots of Christians who've done kind things for me. Non-Christians too. I try to appreciate people individually for what they do and for simply caring - and I try to forgive them when they don't understand what really helps and what doesn't .

love
Helen

HelenM

I think they are brave people who don't shrink back from saying things just because they might get criticized for it.

But I think they probably do care about what others think - in general. In part because they want other people to know that they can be decent people too .

love
Helen

brighid

Nice experience with Christians:

1. I worked at this company and in my group was this very Christian woman. She had crosses up at her desk, always shushed people who used profanity and was always preaching, etc. When I became pregnant out of wedlock, all sorts of rumors went around my work. Of course, no one had the courage to ask me to my face (at the time I hadn’t told any one but my boss because I was unsure if I would continue the pregnancy or put the baby up for adoption, or keep him.) So, one day out of the clear blue she came up to me and asked me very directly (but kindly) if I was pregnant. I told her that I was. She told me that although she was disappointed I became pregnant out of wedlock she respected me very much for accepting such a responsibility and doing so with such courage. She was the only person who was really kind to me and didn’t gossip behind my back. We became good friends and she would leave me little care packages like a box of chamomile tea, crackers and Kleenex because I was throwing up so much. She was very kind to me and even though we have since moved far from each other and lost contact I am forever grateful for her kindness when all others, including Christian and non-Christians were not very kind or accepting of me.

2. Very close friends of ours are “Christian” but they aren’t evangelical and they are VERY aware of my ideas about religion and they still love me and want me around their children. They were responsible for the music at our wedding and my friends wife allowed me to borrow her veil and tiara.

3. I met a young man in a religious bookstore housed at a monastery when I was searching for a card for someone whose brother had just passed (prior to my complete deconversion from theism). He was a volunteer who worked at there while deciding if he was going to enter the seminary. I beguiled him I think and he took a fancy to me and did all sorts of nice things for my son and me. Although I think his ultimate goal was to save my backsliding soul and possibly marry me. I am afraid I spiritually corrupted that boy but refrained from completely corrupting him for the fear of breaking the poor thing. It’s still a joke amongst my friends that I am the only one of them capable of picking up a man in a monastery

And for the moment that is all I can think of …


B

Mad Kally

Where do you live that has so many atheists that you can make such a statement?

I have a few Catholic friends who are very nice because they never bring up their beliefs or try to force them on me! Amos is way cool..