God-bothering at work

[WhereToSheNow]

New MD hired his buddy/neighbour 6 months ago for a few hours a week to act as a Management Consultant.

The Management Consultant, who we call "Pokey" (because he keeps jabbing us in the arm) has some sort of official capacity within the Baptist Church, and his website is all about the application of his faith within business.

I didn't have a problem with that, as he hadn't mentioned religion.... until last week.

He attended a "World Leadership Course" and emailed us his notes, with several quotes about God and Jesus, telling us to read them and "feel free to ask any questions". In a meeting the following day, he asked us what we thought of his email.

I told him that I don't want to be included in emails that reference any religion/god, at which point he became very defensive.

Later that day I received another email where he said that he was sorry if the contents of his previous email had offended me, but that he hoped I would gain some insight that would assist me in my professional or personal life.

AIBU to think that my work should a) be a secular space and b) my personal life is none of his business!

Please tell me, Lewij, what you mean by 'to follow is not the same as serving'. I'm astonished at this claim. It is anti-Christian in its very essence

I'm not worried... but then clearly I'm not in the same branch of Christianity as you are.
And God sent his son to serve us and save us... we are supposed to love God above all else. That's it. But, crucially, he also loves us very much.

I'm not worried about my opinions on god. More about private matters relating to my private life that are of no concern to those who know me professionally only.
I have had enough discussions in RL with intolerant Christians and with atheists too.

Also... answering your own questions?

LovedAndHated - what/where is this secular world of which you speak?

rofl at thrown to the lions, can I remind you of your earlier accusation to the OP : "She doesn't sound like a victim to me, but she is proud to paint herself as one for her salivating MN atheist audience."

secular world? that'll be why my children are discriminated against and prevented from going to one of the 6/7 local schools which judge them for having non religious parents then.

anyway OP, how's it going this week at work? any more poking or unwanted information?

No, but I've not seen him for over a week

LoveandHate Come again, my childhood anger issues?!!!

Where do you get off being so outrageously patronising, rude and judgemental?

I have no anger issues from my childhood. I have huge issues with the brand cult of christianity you are portraying which quite frankly does nothing but bring pain, devision and suffering to the earth. As you are demonstrating so efficiently!

LoveAndHate, so as a Jewish woman, or a Muslim woman, Hindu, Buddhist, Pagan, Atheist, Agnostic or any of the other multitude of faiths out there...

Would you still try to bully me and harass me into believing in a God that I don't believe in?

I bet you believe in the Operation Christmas Child when they are forced to go to church if they want a present too...

Lewij, yes Christ came to save and to serve. Now that you are saved (if that is what you claim to be; I don't want to put words in your mouth) what do you believe to be your one fundamental purpose in life in terms of your relationship with Christ?

Hmm..bullying or testifying to Christ's redemptive power?

It matters not what religion, race or creed...I'll talk to anyone, me

Well, I for one, have nothing but profound admiration for you, Loveandhate.

You'll note - as I have - your fellow Christians taking offence at your "brand of Christianity". Perhaps if they knew as much about Christianity as you and I do, they'd know that the God/Jesus they think speaks to them through the Bible is entirely on your team, not theirs.

He doesn't just want to be loved. He demands servitude. He expects not only evangelising but the wholesale rejection of anyone who doesn't immediately drop everything and everyone in preparation for the kingdom to come. And no, that's not the OT talking, that's Jesus himself.

Read your Bibles, Christians. The creator of the universe wrote you (or inspired for you) a book, and few of you bother paying any attention to it other than to nod along with the nice bits the vicar reads on Sundays.

Read it, cover to cover. Then come back and tell Loveandhate that God doesn't want what she says he does.

Or wake up and become an atheist, which is usually where a proper reading of the Bible will lead a thinking person.

Oh, and give over with the "bullying and harrassing" crap. She's not. This is an internet thread that absolutely no one is compelled to be part of.

Or wake up and become an atheist, which is usually where a proper reading of the Bible will lead a thinking person.*

Or you can consider if there's any other possible interpretation of the scriptures, which is where I went with it. I find gnosticism and esoteric christianity quite interesting these days.

Belief is fickle but I can't stop myself believing in a higher conciousness, because I simply do whether I want to or not, but I know I don't believe in LoveandHates 'God', or any other mainstream religions concept of it for that matter. I'm happy to be in the camp of open minded. Not that I mean an atheist is not open minded but they have nothing to need to be open minded about if they simply don't believe it exists. It would be like insisting I was open minded about being the queen (which I'm not, I'm very certain so no need to remain open minded iyswim)

Hairbrush

Well, "believing in a higher consciousness" can mean precisely anything.

If you nail your colours (collective you, not personal) to the Christian mast then why ignore 99% of what the Christian holy book says?

That's like me saying that I'm a Marxist but agree with virtually nothing of what Karl Marx actually wrote. Or....he didn't mean what he actually wrote, it was mostly metaphor so I am free to invent my own interpretations.

This cherry- picking really is quite dishonest, and very revealing. That sensible Christians have to abandon most of the teachings in order to live lives compatible with modern day morality does say an awful lot about the inherent ridiculousness of the religion itself.

Loveandhate is, I'm afraid, the only true Christian on this thread.

I am Christian and part of my beliefs include a belief that God resides with me and in me, He is part of me and I am part of Him, through Christ. There is an essential part of us that is the same, according to my beliefs.

This means that it is very difficult not to evangelise, as a Christian believer, though the form of evangelistic expression may differ from believer to believer.

For example, the advice, that I give, cannot be separated from my beliefs, since my beliefs affect the way I think, solve problems, overcome difficulties and the hope I possess regarding what is possible.

My motivations and actions are also affected by my beliefs. If I sincerely believe dysfunctional thinking is leading a person into trouble, I will do my best to correct them because this thinking needs to be replaced by functional thinking at some point. Otherwise that person remains vulnerable. How I view what is functional and dysfunctional is affected by my beliefs.

Although, as I have said, I think my style may differ from some of the more traditionally 'evangelistic', as evangelism is commonly perceived. I am not in general habit of handing out tracts or emailing whole groups of people. It is more, that if you get to know me well, I will most probably end up sharing my beliefs (and their source with you). If we are friends, what you like (at least in part) is Christ, since He is an intrinsic and extrinsic part of me.

Apricot, I know I'll be labelled a sycophant for saying this, but you have been a real answer to prayer. I know I have not conducted myself entirely beatifically on here, but I find it so so hard when I am in the midst of people who claim to be Christians but then deny Him.

I really didn't come here to proselytize, but to defend the chap in the OP.

Thank you again, my friend

What does the bible say about the internet?
Or cars?
Or Electricity?
Or refigeration?
Or spectacles and contact lenses?
Or medicine?
Or printing and books?

Its a 2000 year old story scroll
not a guide to life

Apricot who has the authority to define us? Can we self define, since no other person can know our minds or do others know us better? Can groups define themselves or is there an authority who defines them?

If you believe there is an authority, who holds it and why?

If you believe we are self defining, please let us...

So your problem is with other Christians not Atheists? I think you should concentrate on enjoying your pregnancy and leave everyone to live and let live and believe in whatever they do or don't believe in.

i think you may be being a tad disingenous there, Capsium.

Every single human being alive gives advice "according to their beliefs". We are our beliefs. What else is there?

More worrying is "If I sincerely believe that dysfunctional thinking is leading a person into trouble, I will do my best to correct them...."

Dysfunctional thinking = not believing in God?

Correct them = telling them that God exists and what he expects?

All done without the benefit of any evidence whatsoever, right?

Rather arrogant of you. If there is "dysfuctional thinking", the need a doctor, not you.

Capsium

You're being very disingenous.

Who has the "authority" to define us? I would say no one. But I think Jesus/Yahweh has the authority to define Christianity. Don't you?

No doubt your response will be "But Jesus leaves us free to find our own way" etc.....but, actually, no he doesn't.

He was quite explicit about what a follower of his needs to be doing.

Do you know better than Jesus?

I am being entirely sincere Apricot. Although I cannot prove this to you, not without you being able to read my mind. Why would you suspect I am being disengenuous?

That 'we are our beliefs', is rather my point.

Why is it worrying that I would do my best to correct someone if I was seriously concerned they were wrong? Is it loving behaviour not to at least warn them, regarding something you regarded as harmful?

If we are all products of our beliefs, we are all arrogant (a least in part) and the interpretation of evidence is too easily tainted.

So I give advice when I believe it is necessary.

Lovedandhated

And I meant what I said. I don't agree with any of your beliefs but the biggest problem I have with most Christians is their almost wholesale rejection of virtually every word of the Bible. And they smugly pat themselves on the back for doing so.

And it's quite stunning to me to see so many of them having a go at you for doing precisely what their own religion tells them they should be doing. Which they would know if they took a moment to actually read the texts that are supposedly so precious to them.

Apricot

The more pertinent question is do you know Jesus? To know Him, is to know His love and love Him. If you don't know Him, how can you pass comment on Him?

I do not claim to know better than Jesus at all.

If you don't believe in Jesus/Yahweh how can you claim to believe in His authority?

LovedAndHated

BTW, do spell my username correctly at some point, will you?
It's Lweji

You only have to copy and paste.

Yes, that grips my shit, too