Are you a good Samaritan or a good Christian?

[hiddley]

Don't know why this occurred to me tonight. Listening to too much Stormzy for my age I think lol.
I would consider myself a good Samaritan but not a good Christian.

For e.g., I don't go to church, I don't praise the Lord, I don't pray, I don't engage in charitable works. On the other hand, if I see a homeless person on the street I will give them whatever change I have in my pocket (usually fuck all) and roll them a cigarette.

I am also the type who will stand up for the one being picked on, which usually lands me as the new central victim. But ..........

I actually think actions speak louder than words and songs of praise.

I do recognise that the Christian and other religious communities are social centres for people also, but often, they don't carry anything spiritual out of their prayer service.

I just don't usually find people to be both. They are either one or the other.

Op your vile post at 20.23 says it all. Calm your jets and try to have an actual discussion. Stop attacking people and stop with the persecution complex.

I am an unbaptized atheist. I do take my morals very seriously and try to do right by people and help where I can (although I still fall short in lots of ways).

That said, I have known many religious people in my life and have found there to be kind generous and open-minded as well as judgemental and selfish Christians. People take what they want from religion and use it to justify their behaviour. I know it's a great comfort to some people, but the ones who say their faith makes them kind, I suspect are kind to begin with.

If there is any way that I can help at all threesilverfeathers, please please let me know. I'm not offering money, as I know that's not what you want or need. What are the obstacles preventing you getting out of the hole? Is there anyone with the ladder you need?

but the ones who say their faith makes them kind, I suspect are kind to begin with.

I think you're probably right, but at its best organised religion can make it easy to be kind, by providing low-risk opprtunities. For example, my church has a food bank collection box so it's dead easy to drop in a tin of rice pudding when you're there anyway, or a Christmas present for disadvantaged children when the pew sheet reminds you every week and nice Sue who does the coffees nods meaningfully towards the growing pile. They put a Christian Aid envelope through the door and you just pop your tenner in it. And you can assume they've done sufficient due diligence to be sure it's a proper appeal. Easy.

Easy doesn't preclude worthwhile. But most people need to be asked: they don't seek out the needy.

Well two things that I can see that you have in spades are empathy and eloquence. Keep fighting girl. You can't give up. I want to see you on here in a year giving out about who didn't help you. If you have the fight within you, you can survive it. I never thought I would have survived what I did. I never even camped out in my life. But you find your ways and your means and you lower your standards as to what you could and couldn't do to get by. I remember bawling my eyes out the first day I had to beg on the streets. I attempted suicide the second night. Hospital gave me a sleeping bag. It's fucking awful. I just hope someone gives you that ladder to help you to climb out. Be they Jewish, atheist, Christian, Muslim, Buddist or Pagan or Samaritan even, I just hope someone can pull you out. Give you that pull up to help you out. In the meantime, just live it a day at a time. That's what I did mostly. Just accepted that this was life and wondered about where was the best place to beg. Once I got enough money for 2 litres of cider I was happy. I picked up butts from the pavement for cigarettes. Please God, please God, somebody will help you.

One of the last times I heard a sermon the pastor was moaning about how few people have time for god, he said ‘most people don’t give a flip.’ And I did think ‘is that what matters, isn’t it more important how caring they are in general?’ I guess I knew then that religion wasn’t really doing it for me.

You actually have me in tears now as I kind of like to think nobody else is in the same fucking shit awful situation. Keep in touch if you can. You'd never know where help might come from. Are you in the EU or the US?

Another thing. I thought I had 3 close friends. None of them did anything. Nothing. I like to think that maybe they thought I was delusional and making it all up. In the end, it was a first cousin (a guy who has had his own problems) drove down, found me, persuaded his Dad to pay for a hotel for a night, then reported back to my family. Then my siblings rocked up and nearly scared the fucking life out of me lol.
Life can be so fucking shit when it doesn't need to be. I was addicted to alcohol. That can destroy your life second by second. You've said you're clean now from whatever, that's one fucking hard battle you've won! I know you don't want to hear it, but you're going to have to keep fighting! Try to arm yourself for battle (against your own demons mostly lol) every day. I really want you out of that black hole. You're too kind. You stood up for me.

Sorry you felt you had to remove your posts. Hope it wasn't something I said.

I just can't get past the Catholic abuse. If any of you watched The Wind that Shakes the Barley, The Magdalene Laundries and another film that escapes me about a little mixed raced girl born out of marriage tortured by nuns, you might question who and what you are putting your faith in.

Well, whilst I'm with you on the not all christians are kind front (to be fair that's not news - but I've encountered many people from various faiths who are anything but - to err is human and all that) ; abuse is not confined to the church either, many people from all walks of life are abusive, regardless of their religious leanings or lack thereof.

Thanks to people like you feathers, and boy have I taken it tenfold before on this site and another one, I know that not everyone thinks like some who comment. Don't you be worrying about me. I've got great support around me (no friends unfortunately) but professionals, so am on the good path please God. You will be too. I think the good people win in the end.

JonSnow - you have to admit it was endemic in the Catholic Church however. Can you deny that?

Housed, unaddicted, people with family to help, who lived settled lives or who overcame abuse just cannot comprehend, hiddley.

Sheep. Rich. Pampered sheep. And Lord, do I wish I was one of them.

The good are few and far between. Stay off the booze, girl. If I can, you can. Fuck its miserable! X

It's like me trying to understand a woman on 'Life in Chelsea' or whatever it's called crying because a nail broke.
I think we'll turn out more resilient in the end. I'm just hoping for 'the end' to start bloody soon!

Whats that doors song? My friend the end?

Oh nails would be a fun worry to have! Or what to wear to a fancy wedding. Or what perfume to buy.

Its ok to not be part of that world.

Some official person accused me of associating with lessers once. That was funny. Shows how they see people.

I hope things get easier and good people who arent judgemental help you. Demand decency from them. They get paid to do the job, not talk down to you.

Loving this song at the moment 3silverfeathers.
You might enjoy it.
Even if you don't like the song, god, he's nice to look at lol.

Oh bless your sweet hart, you made me cry.

Jesus loathed the nicolaetans too the hippocrites, the churches arent necessarily good, but your man there has it right.

Plenty will cast the first stone, judge, be mean. But truly I see God at work in McDonalds letting you use the bathroom, someone helping with money, food, and yes, booze if you are shaking and puking. God, jesus is in those small mercies, not the church.

Thank you

No fear of anyone talking down to me. I'm a bit lippy. Too much so for my own good sometimes. But I don't take shit, even if that cuts off my nose to spite my face. Another thing I need to work on with my personality!! As I said, I'm a work in progress. :)

Hah! Dont change to please others, it wont stick anyhow. Some of that grrrr has kept you alive.

Glad to hear youve still got some fight left in you.

If you want to pray for something you can pray my old truck lives!

Your truck will live. All my old cars lived until their final journeys.