tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37421406.post2809684337625945796..comments2023-09-30T08:20:57.971-04:00Comments on Bradley Wright's Blog: A deconversion storyBrad Wrighthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07800309833079635465noreply@blogger.comBlogger7125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37421406.post-3244181163217178722008-01-08T19:27:00.000-05:002008-01-08T19:27:00.000-05:00Jay, I think that you're right that people react s...Jay, I think that you're right that people react strongly to other's doubt out of their own insecurity about their own doubts (you didn't actually say this, but it may be close).<BR/><BR/>Not sure that I would hold up scientists, physical or social, as a group that is open to doubt or ambivalence... There's a lot of bad blood in academics over disagreements that involve doubting each others assumptions.Brad Wrighthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07800309833079635465noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37421406.post-76962259043997914762008-01-08T19:22:00.000-05:002008-01-08T19:22:00.000-05:00I think it's right that the pastor illustrates the...I think it's right that the pastor illustrates the problem with response. <BR/><BR/>Sometimes listening is the most important thing (not that I'm any good at it...). In a situation like this, it would go a long ways.<BR/><BR/>Good questions, Edward. I'll defer to the more theologically-advanced to answer them.Brad Wrighthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07800309833079635465noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37421406.post-6999419071025151702008-01-08T19:07:00.000-05:002008-01-08T19:07:00.000-05:00Speaking of how they treated him, how about how Go...Speaking of how they treated him, how about how God allegedly treats Christians, chastizing those whom he loves? I recall reading a verse in 1 Cor. about how "many" had fallen ill or even had "fallen asleep" [died] because they dishonored the Lord's supper. Paul apparently believed that God supernaturally intervened and caused "many" to "fall ill among you or fall asleep" as judgment for not worshipping in a serious enough or charitable enough fashion. In Acts a couple are struck dead after lying about having given "everything" to the church. And there's verses about sending people out of the church, declaring them to be "anathema" so that their flesh may be destroyed and trusting God that such folks will come cringing back again. <BR/><BR/>How does one react to such verses, assuming one believes that what Paul said was true, and the story in Acts as well, or the promise that people's flesh would suffer, forcing them to return to the church? <BR/><BR/>Sounds kinda like superstitious and fear-based authoritarianism. So it's no wonder to me as to how he was treated by his church if they knew of such holy verses and examples of "church discipline."Edwardtbabinskihttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13036816926421936940noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37421406.post-66007178618103132652008-01-08T10:18:00.000-05:002008-01-08T10:18:00.000-05:00Heresy is threatening because religion is based on...Heresy is threatening because religion is based on faith not facts. If someone said that gravity was a wrong idea, it's unlikely that physicists would be very upset. It's only ideas that are on shaky factual ground that have to be defended by attacking infidels, issuing fatwas, etc. <BR/><BR/>Apostasy is especially threatening because it reveals that doubts exist even among the believers, who repress these doubts to the point of thinking they don't exist. <BR/><BR/>Whenever some group rushes to attack some idea and those who propose it, the stronger the attack, the more I suspect that the attackers themselves have doubts which they cannot allow into consciousness. The veneer of orthodox certainty is ultimately very brittle.<BR/><BR/>Me, I prefer a religion or group that allows for ambivalence, doubt, and ambiguity.Jay Livingstonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06652075579940313964noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37421406.post-28787748771189018132008-01-08T08:55:00.000-05:002008-01-08T08:55:00.000-05:00Why is it we cannot simply listen to the person an...Why is it we cannot simply listen to the person and let them tell their story without trying to fix them immediately? Why is it we cannot let them have doubts and questions? Why can't we explore those issues and have a conversation? Lord have mercy, Christ have mercy.kenthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04592719875316621429noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37421406.post-43257695123836072722008-01-08T02:21:00.000-05:002008-01-08T02:21:00.000-05:00I think what he's rejecting is the very thing that...I think what he's rejecting is the very thing that's illustrated in the pastor's response--judgmentalism, belittlement, legalism, etc., etc. I think a person can absolutely reject Jesus, but I don't think it's usually because of Jesus. It's because of the people who have represented Jesus in that person's life.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37421406.post-22103956789974969272008-01-07T21:00:00.000-05:002008-01-07T21:00:00.000-05:00I have never heard of anyone actually rejecting Je...I have never heard of anyone actually rejecting Jesus. If you dig down into their story what's really being rejected is some human invented religious doctrine that was passed off as God's word.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com