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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

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Original poster

To think Christians shouldn't exploit misfortune to evangelise

39 replies

ShootPeppaPig · 26/04/2015 15:48

Hacked off.

Having a pretty shit time.

"Well you know where you can turn if you need a miracle ..."

Actually no, I don't. I don't believe therefore turning to some god I don't believe in is not going to solve all my problems. But thank you friend for suggesting that I would not be in such an unfortunate situation if I merely did ask your "God" to work a miracle... Is he not the same one who allowed this in the first place in your eyes? To humble me or something like that?

OP posts:

TwoOddSocks · 27/04/2015 21:14

Shoot now that I think about it I did meet people like that at uni but haven't since so I could easily believe others have never encountered them (beyond ransomers knocking on your door -everyone gets them right?).

Summerisle1 · 27/04/2015 23:07

Evangelism transcends both common sense and manners when it comes to twisting a subject to become a opportunity to tell you what your life is missing. It is truly the Forever Living of religions...

How true! And how perfectly expressed!

My lovely MIL was a devout Catholic and two close friends are quietly Christian, one being Catholic and the other C of E. Of evangelism I heard/hear nothing from them and I respect their faith despite not sharing it. I do not respect anyone who presumes to tell me that my life is incomplete without either the ruddy Alpha course or Jesus. Let alone offer up poxy Godbothersome platitudes.

FunkyZebraHat · 27/04/2015 23:32

I would truly love to have the level of support and community that one of my friends gets from her church. But I''m a staunch atheist because too many people have used my disability as a reason to thrust religion in my face and in the process make me feel shit about myself.
I don't consider my disability to be unfortunate but it's all to obvious that a lot of them do and think their god is the answer. So I need to find another way to find that community
Examples:
I owed someone money recently they attempted to refuse to take it because they felt bad taking money from "someone like you" and then immediately told me that money was tight for them but "god would provide"

A few years ago another disabled person I knew died. Comments from mutual friends included "she won't need her wheelchair now she's in Heaven" and "she's the person her parents remember again now God's healed her" (not life long disabled but from a very young age - more than half her life.)

anothernumberone · 27/04/2015 23:47

My sister has found God in the last 20 years and tbh I find it all pretty bizarre. Mainly because she is part of a church she is technically excommunicated from because of an abortion she had many moons ago. Even more bizarrely it is in large part that she and women in her situation and the fact that many other women are treated so badly for other reasons that has caused me to completely turn my back on all forms of organised religion. Anyone suggesting I should turn to faith for something would get in return.

However I am completely happy for anyone to say as many prayers as they want for me on my behalf. I consider it hedging my bets. Not really, I just get that others derive such strength and peace from faith. I tell people I am thinking of them where my mother would say she will say a prayer for them.

DoraGora · 28/04/2015 07:46

If the OP was brought up in the same cult church, and it's a friend from the same church who did this, then she has a point (albeit a very specific one.) But, it's more of a complaint about how that cult church operates that it is about Christians in general. (I didn't realises that when posting my original reply.)

Applecross · 28/04/2015 07:52

Some Christians believe you should only pray for help in changing your heart, not asking God to improve your circs, so you could counter ber with that! She's not speaking for this Christian either. Did anyone see Jimmy Carter renouncing the Southern baptists? I'm a catholic but I hesitate to tell people because there is so much of the theology of the body stuff I disagree with....

Idontseeanydragons · 28/04/2015 08:01

We have an evangelical church near us (think it's an offshoot of an American church) and they are very into doing this, it's one reason a friend of mine left. As far as I can gather they were told to listen to others and find an opening to encourage them to come to church for support. It made her feel uncomfortable as she feels that her faith is a personal private thing that she shouldn't have to press onto anyone else. (She did make me laugh though when after a very bad night with a newborn colicky baby she told me she had prayed for DD to go to sleep for me - every little helps I suppose )
YANBU

Aermingers · 28/04/2015 08:24

Did somebody actually say that to you? They don't know their bible very well then, it's sinful to ask for miracles.

Original poster

ShootPeppaPig · 28/04/2015 16:56

Would love to know scripture and verse to counter asking for miracles as being sinful

I was hurt as this is a close friend who used this on me and I suppose I expected to be treated different (not sure why)

But I have this sort of thing regularly used on me by others if they catch me though I usually avoid them nowadays but there's always a text here and there which goes unanswered that Id quite like a smart response to (childish I know )

OP posts:

Seriouslyffs · 28/04/2015 18:29

Aermingers I'd love to know a good riposte too- I'm very much 'let go and let God' and think asking for miracles is wrong.

jeee · 28/04/2015 18:42

My dsis got an enormous amount of support over the years from hospital chaplains. They were there for her (and actually for the rest of her family) through many very black days. But she never asked for a miracle - and would have been pretty upset if someone had started talking about miracle'. She wasn't keen on being told about a 'wonderful alternative therapy' either.

Mind you, the care and support of the NHS, and the generosity of those who donated their loved ones organs probably constituted some kind of miracle.

araiba · 28/04/2015 19:31

religions prey on the weak and the vulnerable.

I'm sure they will be turning up in Nepal soon with bibles but no food, medical supplies etc

i'm all ears for any single, demonstrable, proven case of a miracle being caused by whatever fairytale they believe in but there aren't any

Seriouslyffs · 28/04/2015 20:56

I'm sure they will be turning up in Nepal soon with bibles but no food, medical supplies etc

Do come back Araiba when you find reports of that.

FrancesNiadova · 28/04/2015 21:51

Been there DoraGora, keep on keeping on -x-

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