Here's another Facebook note, this time, from my RA! I read one sentence and then puked everywhere and fell asleep, both due to extreme boredom (and possibly a case of butt-cancer). Is that what it's like for other people when they read my rantings on atheism? Almost definitely.
Now I understand why, as a Christian, people naturally assume that I will be an intolerant, holier-than-thou, self-righteous, illogical, insufferably stupid ignoramus.
Tonight I traveled to Concord with the purpose of contra dancing. One good friend of mine was expecting to dance her heart out and see many people she had missed for the last few months. As usual, we were both rather late. What we weren't expecting, however, was a closed dance hall. Did either of us check to see if there was actually a contra? Nope. So there we were, 8:45 pm, in Concord together without a place to dance. What did we do? Why, we're Americans, so naturally we went for some coffee.
To the nearest Starbucks!
On arriving at Starbucks, we deliberated; she got a decaf toffee coffee, and I a regular hot chocolate. The two men working there seemed friendly towards two smiling, rather silly looking, dressed up girls. We were expecting to be on a dance floor, so we wore big boots under our longish skirts. It just looks silly. ANYWAY, one of them remarked on how he liked the cross I was wearing. They ended up trying to guess the stone in the center, but I ruined it and told them that I thought it was just glass.
When my hot chocolate was ready, one of the men asked us, "Are you Christian?"
Looking from my friend to the man, I replied, "Yes. I'm Christian." We had a conversation about the bible and other non-biblical Christian authors, and also about conservative versus liberal Christianity. He told us how he leaned toward fundamental Christianity. Of course, my friend stayed pretty silent throughout this entire conversation.
He then asked her, "Are you Christian?"
She replied, "Well, no. I'm one of those raging, liberal atheists, actually."
In all seriousness he said, "How can you live with yourself?"
Rather taken aback and glancing at me first, she said, "Well, how can you live with *yourself*?" I don't remember if he said anything after that, but he left the scene shortly afterward.
Christians are called "Christians" because they follow the example of Christ Jesus [Note from Dmur: Jesus was actually Japanese, which is why my RA chose the family-before-self last-name-first style]. We are His followers. We live for Him. What did Jesus do? He loved the world [like Pee-Wee Herman]. He grew up the perceived illegitimate son of a carpenter, was ridiculed by His hometown, and spurned almost everywhere he went [OOOOOH! Forgot to capitalize "he!" Gotcha!]. He was almost stoned, driven out of cities, tempted by the devil himself, spat on by the masses, beaten by Roman soldiers, and left on a cross to die, the ultimate form of shame for a Jew. Through all of this, did he bite back [Strike two!]? Did he slap my cheek for every time I slapped His? [And you are out. On a slightly unrelated note, I saw a shirt once that said "A-Rod slaps balls!" and I don't know what that's supposed to mean. Is that insulting? I've never even thought of ball-slapping as something anyone ever did; to what end would one "slap balls?"]
No.
Jesus saved the life of a prostitute caught in the act [Wait, what? Since when was this guy getting it on with hookers? Sounds like much more of a party guy than I thought. Do I sense another Oliver Stone W-style biopic?]. He ate at the house of Zacchaeus, the hated tax collector, a known swindler. Jesus healed a Roman soldier's daughter, made the lame man walk, and the blind man see. He even healed a woman who had been bleeding for years [menopause]. Jesus traveled to a demon possessed man and drove the mass of demons out of him and into a herd of pigs. We are called "Christians" because we believe Jesus is the Jewish Messiah and we follow His example.
Asking someone how they can live with themselves is not following Jesus' example. What would Jesus do?
Well, I had a word with him.
It seems as though he is under the impression that "being equally yoked" means not even having friends that are not Christian. Jesus had friends that weren't Christian. He saved the life of a prostitute, who then took her finest perfume and washed His feet. 2 Corinthians 6:14 says, "Do not be yoked together with unbelievers. For what do righteousness and wickedness have in common?" The verse has little context, but is generally understood as a rule for marriage. This man took it as a rule for friendship as well. I don't agree. How could Paul, who was a Jew to the Jews, a Greek to the Greek, and a Roman to the Romans, tell us not to associate with non-Christians? It's unfathomable. We are to be in the world, not of it; that is understood. However, how can we show the love of Christ while removing ourselves from all others? It just makes no sense.
[Sorry, I fell asleep again.]
In response to tonight's little tete a tete [pronounced "titty-titty"], I will probably write him a nice little letter and deliver it to said Starbucks. He's obviously a little misguided and that just does not sit well with me, nor should it.
3 comments:
A few things, first, your RA sounds gay, to be politically correct.
Second- how great was it that he/she gave us the horrid comment at the beginning and brought it back later? Just awesome.
I'm assuming your RA is female, not because I just now remember you telling me, but because "Are you Christian" is a common used pickup line, and I think the guy at Starbucks was just trying to get his freak on.
The middle section was almost as boring of a read as the Bible itself. Congrats Dmur's RA.
I think Olive Stone made a W-like biopic about Jesus already. I haven't seen it, but wasn't that Forrest Gump?
I only still consider myself as a Jew because I like somewhat being associated with the murder of Jesus.
Now I wish I was Jewish.
i read one sentence and then decided not to read it.
just like how i feel about the bible.
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