You hate God! You have been hurt! Why are you so bitter? Why are you so angry? And so it goes, day in and day out. Evangelical readers remind me of the pet store parrot. Sitting in their cages, they squawk the same simplistic, worn-out clichés, judgments, and mindless drivel. They do so, not because they care about me as a person or the state of my e-t-e-r–n-a-l soul, but because they feel as if they should say something — anything — to the preacher-turned-atheist. Little do they know (or care) that hundreds of squawking parrots have come before them.
Today’s squawker is a woman named Angie. She read all of one post before leaving the following comment and sending me an email. Enjoy!
I used to think this message was hopeful: I was angry at God but he still loved me. However, unwanted love pushed upon you is usually called stalking.
Yeah, like beating a child because you love that child sooooo much! Most people who have been abused like this as children do not even have the wherewithal to really remember how terrible it was as a child to be beaten by the people you love the most. It is unconscionable and particularly sick when done to affirm the love of gentle Jesus.
Bruce, you are hurt and that’s okay. Now mommy Angie will take the whip to you because Jesus loves you!
(kinda kinky)
The comment has no meaning on any level.
If you don’t want to ‘know’ God, in the sense of not believing in him, they why does he stay with you? Why not just provide evidence of his existence?
People get ill and aren’t healed at a massive daily rate, regardless of putting their faith in God, so that one doesn’t wash.
And lastly, the biblical evidence suggests that God kills off people who don’t believe in him. The idea that he loves people isn’t one that is borne out in any way, shape, or form that I’ve ever seen.
Geoff, you are hurt and that’s okay. God will heal those who want to healed through him etc.
Shucks, makes me feel sooo much better!
How many thousands of times have we heard variations of the “God loves you!” line every time we verbalize a bit about something amiss in our lives- pain, hurts, money troubles, etc? If god “loves me”, why doesn’t he DO something?! Their answer: “He died on the cross for you!” Really? Big WHUP! Has no bearing on my life right now! I truly believe this gives an example that Christians follow if doing absolutely nothing even if they do not know it– example- We share a problem and what’s the good mindless Christian say?- “Oh, that’s a shame- we’ll PRAY about it for you!” I did it myself for decades! What were we told in church that we could do for someone that was more important than anything else? -PRAY! In reality it means “doing nothing!” Likewise, “God lOVES you!” means “God is doing nothing and neither am I!”
I Saw The Light of Reality, you are hurt and that’s okay. God will heal those who want to healed through him etc.
I shall write to my mother immediately and tell her to cease and desist! 😉 I thought she was sending these to me exclusively all these years! And I will ask her why she feels the need to change her name when sending to you. A apology is owed and I offer it on behalf of mom. I would say that she knows not what she does but that is a lie and since leaving Christianity, I don’t enjoy lying half as much…
The letter to you, if it was more open, more self-aware, might more truly read:
Dear Bruce, YOU FUCK RIGHT OFF! I have successfully buried most of my human feelings in Jesus so that everything that happens to me becomes abreaction and total love. But you upset that with your FUCKING STUPID DEVIL WORSHIP you overgrown hateful bastard. How dare you make me question what brings me such total joy. If you were my child I would whip you to within an inch of your life! Thank-you Jesus for your great example and message. YOU will PAY, Bruce… JUST YOU FUCKING WAIT! Amen.
Hey Brian, you aren’t by any chance Donald Trump’s speechwriter?
Listen here, Jerkaround Geoff! Folks, Jerkaround Geoff wants you to think that God is dead but I say, God makes Walls! You want a wall to stop Mexican rapists? God wants a wall and I want a wall. Jerkaround Geoff wants NO PROTECTION for Americans! We have to rebuild America! Make it great again! Jerkaround Geoff is not a believer, folks. There are reports that he isn’t even a REAL American! Now, I love everybody, everybody. don’t get me wrong. I love all the people, the immigrants too. They are my favorite people. Nobody loves the people like I do! You listen to Jerkaround Geoff and it’s the same old thing! etc.
‘God’ is the source of her his hurt! He wasted 50 years of his life on a God who will never even say a quick hello.
Of course Bruce is bitter. I don’t blame him.
The group of people I was with never said anything like that to me. Nope, as someone who walked away from Christianity, I was cast aside.
Calvinists/Sovereign Grace people know that God has selected a few, and the others don’t count. So, no need to say God loves me, because my actions and words proved I wasn’t one of the elect. Some people, on the other hand, say they love me and pray for me; but, nothing about love from God.
There have been other Christians I have known who did say God loves me, but they are more progressive.
“God will heal those who want to be healed through him”
So what about those who want to be healed, but not “through him”? Do they get healed, too? Or do they get to suffer more?
And what about those who prayed for hours and days for God to show his face or give a sign, and they turned away because God was silent?
If God really wanted to show how kind, merciful and gracious he supposedly is, he’d heal a hell of a lot more hurting people.
Don’t you have access to FOX News?
Angie, why do you harbor so much hatred toward Superman? Harry Potter will be there for you, no matter how much you deny he exists. Angie, Gandalf will heal you if you’ll just ask him to. Elsa from Frozen is always with you, no matter how much you “let it go.” Optimus Prime loves you, no matter what.