Please Don't Push Your God on Me.

from JoeUser Forums
I was sent the following email this morning from an old schoolfriend. My first thought was of disbelief. Not for the sentiment, but for the sender of the email.

Thought for the Day:

If God had a refrigerator, your picture would be on it.
If He had a wallet, your photo would be in it.
He sends you flowers every spring.
He sends you a sunrise every morning.

Face it, friend - He is crazy about you!

I know that she has been more interested in religion since she got married, but I never knew that the result of her interest would be mass emailings of professions of faith like this. I'm not mad, but kind of disappointed, really. I've told her about my dealings with Jehovah's Witnesses and my feelings about their own type of religious promotion, and she is well aware of my own spiritual beliefs and dislike of people who push their faith on me.

People who send stuff like this would simply feel they were just spreading the love, and providing motivation, not really understanding where any negative feelings could arise from this. From someone who doesn't know where I stand on this issue, I'm not going to get too upset about it. I'll thank them for their kind thoughts, but state that I have my own belief system, thanks though. However, in this situation, that she already knows my feelings on the subject matter, it does make me upset.

This isn't an issue with religion, more an issue about people who have it, and feel that they have to share their beliefs with everyone, regardless about whether it is wanted or not.
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5,251 views 16 replies
Reply #1 from JoeUser Forums Top
I think this small example sums up a large portion of what is wrong with religion today: the superior feeling that comes from thinking that your belief is better.
Reply #2 from JoeUser Forums Top
Post deleted out of respect for my brother.
CursorFX - Customize your Windows cursor
Reply #3 from JoeUser Forums Top
photos of Jesus playing with puppies


Ohh that would be cute

I don;t mind those emails so much, just set you spam blocker to search on keywords
Jesus
God
Love
Savlation
harmony
Reply #4 from JoeUser Forums Top
Anytime anyone tries to ram anything down my throat, I get um kinda resistant. just a little, and have never been as polite as you are.
Reply #5 from JoeUser Forums Top
I dunno. I don't go to church, and I pay little heed to invitations, but frankly I would find it odd if someone cared about me, believed I was going to burn in hell, and didn't bother to say anything.

I mean, we expect people to prevent us from committing suicide, for instance. If someone sat and watched me wash down a handfull of pills with vodka, smiled and said "see you tomorrow" it would seem a bit callous. According to Christian belief, your life here is NOTHING compared the the eternity you are going to spend afterward.

So, as much as such "witnessing" bothers me, it would probably bother me more if someone professed to be a Christian and then waved off my eternal soul as if my annoyance with their concern was more important.
Reply #6 from JoeUser Forums Top
Psst...  Hey Buddy....Want to buy a Used God.....Cheap?
Reply #7 from JoeUser Forums Top
Be careful buying Used Gods from Dr Guy. I heard their counterfeit... and made in sweatshops in Malaysia by young children. Top it all off, they break down after the first 20 prayers. Just long enough that he can escape before you find out.

Dammit, I want a refund!
Reply #8 from JoeUser Forums Top
don;t mind those emails so much, just set you spam blocker to search on keywords
Jesus
God
Love
Savlation
harmony


It's not really that I object discussing the issue. But between the two of us, we have had great conversations about religion, and about profession of faith. She understands (or so I thought I made myself clear about) my position, and how I definitely feel about people who do this type of thing. Like I said, I have no real problem about people who are unaware of my feelings about this. In fact, I think it IS nice that they have their own God to turn to. But this person is well aware that I have my own belief system going on, and it just seems that she's disrespecting me by pushing her own religion on me, even in some minor way as through a mass email.
Reply #9 from JoeUser Forums Top
I dunno. I don't go to church, and I pay little heed to invitations, but frankly I would find it odd if someone cared about me, believed I was going to burn in hell, and didn't bother to say anything.

Kind of my sentiments... expressed succinctly. Thanks, BS.
But this person is well aware that I have my own belief system going on, and it just seems that she's disrespecting me by pushing her own religion on me, even in some minor way as through a mass email.

Is it possible that she has you on a general mailing list for forwards (which I HATE, btw... regardless of their content) and forgot to take you off the list of recipients? It might not be an intentional attempt to cram her religion down your throat, but rather an oversight. Granted, she should respect your desire not to receive stuff like this. Maybe she just wasn't thinking. It's a possibility.
Reply #10 from JoeUser Forums Top
It might not be an intentional attempt to cram her religion down your throat, but rather an oversight. Granted, she should respect your desire not to receive stuff like this. Maybe she just wasn't thinking. It's a possibility


Completely valid point. Its the reason why I'm venting about it, rather than confront her on it. Next time I see her, I'll casually mention it, but it is certainly not something that I'm going to attack her for. I think, the end result is, at least it was a positive message, and not something that promised eternal damnation. Kind of touching, but really, not my thing, either.
Reply #11 from JoeUser Forums Top

Be careful buying Used Gods from Dr Guy. I heard their counterfeit... and made in sweatshops in Malaysia by young children. Top it all off, they break down after the first 20 prayers. Just long enough that he can escape before you find out.

Damn, Now I have to move on!

Reply #12 from JoeUser Forums Top
I hate those chain letter deals like IF YOU LOVE (fill in the blank: God, little children, America, etc...) PASS THIS ON IF NOT THEN DELETE. I hate that! Blackmail I call it and delete away...
Reply #13 from JoeUser Forums Top
I'm with shovel on this one. I delete almost everything that says forward. Well, depending on the source. I am still waitinf for my $100. from Bill Gates, My Applebees gift certificate and winning that pot of gold at the end of the rainbow. If only I had forwarded it on to 10 people. Hell, I could have even gotten my secret crush.

I'm sorry I was just teasing. I think this would upset me also, especially if it was coming from people who supposedly really knew me and still tried to push it on me. It's disrespectful.

Good to see ya.
Reply #14 from JoeUser Forums Top
The LORD be magnified! "As the serpent was lifted up in the wilderness so that anyone bitten by the deadly thing could gaze upon it and not die...(you with me, Nicky?)so the Son of man must be lifted up also." Say, you wouldn't be Little Nicky from hell, would you? I have it in me to write with a happy keyboard wonderful things that God has done for me..(don't worry, I won't)and I don't even know you from Adam, or Eve. That's how Love is. Your friend is in love with her Creator, her Saviour, her Redeemer. That's because He's irresistable. Really. You should look into it and help her get back to you and your friends miserable reality, for God's sake. Jesus loves you. (send this comment to 37 friends in the next 37 seconds or something might bite your toe tonite. Actually, I'm the one that started that little ol' e-mail to your friend and I remember telling her not to forward it to the...never mind. I'm sorry. Your friend is a jerk. I hate her. No, that's not true. She's so cool!
Reply #15 from JoeUser Forums Top
Nicky,

While I tend to agree with the sentiments you post (I really don't like banging people over the head with my faith, frankly), I think that true friendship is understanding the quirks of friends and family, even when you disagree.

It is with the best of intents that they send these communications, not with the hope of hurting or ostracizing. It doesn't help that many churches are full of "Amway evangelists" who teach people that they MUST use these tactics to proselytize as many friends as possible if they have any hope of getting to heaven, but it doesn't change the fact that your friend is operating with what truly must be the best of intentions.

Instead of being offended, why not have an open communication with this friend about how you feel about these emails. Friendships aren't worth throwing away over philosophical differences.

(just my two cents).
Reply #16 from JoeUser Forums Top
I've told her about my dealings with Jehovah's Witnesses and my feelings about their own type of religious promotion, and she is well aware of my own spiritual beliefs and dislike of people who push their faith on me.

Sorry, didn't read this part well enough. Seems you already did what I advised.

It's sad that some people can't get the message, eh?