I have a lot of Christian friends, all right? I live in the south, and that seems to just kind of...come with it.

And you know, I LIKE talking about religion. I think it's really interesting to see the different ways people think, and what or whom they follow. The diversity in this world is...unusual, in a way.

But there's a line you don't cross.

It's cool if you quote the Bible, and tell me what your religion says will happen to me after I die, and you can even tell me it makes you sad that I have to go through that, as your friend.

But do NOT use that to start subtly pushing it, again. Not everyone does it; some respect the fact that I've established that line with them and that's great. I really appreciate it, because again, these people are my friends, and I don't want to be angry with them.

It's just that a few still do (and I'm not talking about you, Stevie. You should have remembered by now that we mostly avoid that topic). I'd really like to have close friendships with these people, too, but that just isn't easy. It shouldn't be like this.

This is all starting back up in my mind because of Seth. He's what I'd consider a radical conservative, and he's a Christian as well. This obviously clashes quite a bit with my nearly-radical left-wing views and my blatant agnosticism. (Actually, I would lean towards Christianity and try it if a few rude people under the denomination hadn't treated me as they did. I simply can't sit beside people like that in church, I'm sorry. As I said, there's a line.)

So obviously, we get into a lot of debates. Teaching evolution in school. Abortion. Gay marriage (actually, we came to a peaceful consensus on this one; I allowed that it is interpreted from the Bible that only man and woman should be together, not couples of the same sex. And so I asked if he'd be all right as long as gay couples didn't marry under the Christian church and he said yes, that would be better).

He's very good at arguing and has me at some points, though he hasn't been exposed to the same upbringing as I have, so we reach a lot of points where there is no agreement simply because the argument turns to opinion instead of using facts.


I just can't STAND it when he brings up Hell. Because what am I supposed to say, "You're wrong and here's why?"

I don't know! I know nothing about what's really going on above all of this, so I can't say anything! Nobody else actually KNOWS, either, some of us just have extremely strong faith in our religions.

And like I said, that's cool. It's...intriguing, I suppose you could call it, to watch people talk about it.

It just isn't anyone else's place to tell me what I should believe to save myself from pain or anything else. I'm not afraid. I know that might sound ignorant to some of strong faith who have read, and believe what's going to happen is so worse than what I can imagine, but...

I'm not afraid. I'm not going to live my life in fear just because some of my pushy friends say I should be. I'm not going to convert and worship because I fear what God can do to me.

That just seems WRONG. If that's the only pitch you've got for me, heh, I'll pass. Scaring me doesn't work at school when they try to knock drinking out of kids (though I don't drink (ew, happiness doesn't come in a bottle, guys. I can understand if you just like the taste, but seriously...), I hear people at my school talking about it all the time. Scaring us never works), it won't work when trying to convert me to your religion.

And I guess that's kinda why I have respect for Stevie... Instead of talking about me burning in Hell (I think he did once, though), he talks about his Youth Group trips.

Even if he actually is plotting an evil scheme to convert me, he sure is doing it respectfully.

:D

Love, you guys! Hate and fear will waste your life away.

Yeah, I absolutely hate the pushy people. ZOMG YOU ARE AWFUL AND GOING TO HELL UNLESS BLAHBLAHBLAHBLAH I AM ONLY YOUR FRIEND TO WITNESSSS.

It gets old, quickly. If you want to convert me, do it by showing me how good of a person you are, and your friends that are like you, and how accepting everyone is... and so on.
» ikimashokie on 2008-04-15 07:23:02

Yeah... Usually I'm somehow the "offensive" one... go figure. You probably will offend someone, who will start up with the "we don't like it because god doesn't like it" and so forth. :/

If you use an adult sized hula hoop, it's a lot easeir.
» ikimashokie on 2008-04-15 07:28:33

Ikim is right!
I try! Even though we both know I'm a super dick. :o

Thanks.
» middaymoon on 2008-04-15 07:30:09

Yeah, I generally try to take both sides into account, but it ends up that I still think the other side is being ridiculous. Oh well.
» ikimashokie on 2008-04-15 07:35:29

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