Church + Girlfriend problem.

[TheStinger]

I was asking snoopy

[Fake Boris]

Snoopy, dump that girl right away. Don't let yourself be manipulated into things you don't want.

[Arrian]

Get out while you can, Snoop. From your description, she sounds kinda fanatical. You're not. Those two things don't mix well.

-Arrian

[Donegeal]

Look down the road a bit Snoopy. What is she going to make your children do?

My wife and I have a similar situation, although my wife sounds more understanding. She's Catholic, I'm... Christian at best. I'd like to believe in Jesus and God and such, but I just don't see much proof. Anyway, I go to her church when I can to show my support for her religious choice (I frequently work weekends so I don't go when I work). This works out great between us, but then we talked about children. We decided that our children would go to church, be confirmed or whatever, until we thought that they had learned enough to make their own choice. Yeah, there's alot of leeway in that that could backfire, but at least we've givien ourselves some time to work it out.

Good luck with your GF, but it doesn't sound too good...

[Japher]

Just ask her; "Which church did Jesus go to?"

with that can of worms opened you can successfully jack the conversation into a topic of circumcised vs. non-circumcised which will clearly end in the bed room.

Case closed.

[duke o' york]

Originally posted by Stuie

You forgot to end that with "thus sayeth the lord."

So Snoopy just has to put himself on the waiting list of freaks who speak in tongues/shout the loudest when that time approaches. The message that "God" sayeth through his vessel of Snoopy will curiously support his position, and then which of the truly faithful can argue, for God has spoken to them and yet they see fit to question his immortal words?
Thus sayeth the duke.

[Stuie]

This reminds me of that list of ways to piss people off that goes around the internet. One of them (my favorite) was to end every statement you make with "in accordance with prophecy."

Ah - here it is:

HOW TO ANNOY OTHER PEOPLE....

1. Set the copy machine to reduce 200%, extra dark, 17 inch paper, 99 copies.
2. In the memo field of all your checks, write "for sensual massage."
3. Specify that your drive-thru order is "to go."
4. If you have a glass eye, tap on it occasionally while talking to others.
5. Insist on keeping your windshield wipers running in all weather conditions "to keep them tuned up."
6. Reply to everything someone says with "that's what YOU think."
7. Practice making fax and modem noises.
8. Highlight irrelevant information in scientific papers and "cc:" them to your boss.
9. Make beeping noises when a large person backs up.
10. Finish all your sentences with the words "in accordance with prophecy."
11. Signal that a conversation is over by clamping your hands over your ears.
12. Holler random numbers while someone is counting.
13. Adjust the tint on your TV so that all the people are green, and insist to others that you "like it that way."
14. Staple papers in the middle of the page.
15. Publicly investigate just how slowly you can make a "croaking" noise.
16. Honk and wave to strangers.
17. Decline to be seated at a restaurant, and simply eat their complimentary mints by the cash register.
18. TYPE ONLY IN UPPERCASE.
19. type only in lowercase.
20. dont use any punctuation either
21. Buy a large quantity of traffic cones and reroute whole streets.
22. Repeat the following conversation a dozen times: "Did you hear that?" "What?" "Never mind, it's gone now."
23. As much as possible, skip rather than walk.
24. Try playing the William Tell Overture by tapping on the bottom of your chin. When nearly finished, announce, "No, wait, I messed it up," and repeat.
25. Ask people what gender they are.
26. While making presentations, occasionally bob your head like a parakeet.
27. Sit in your front yard pointing a hair dryer at passing cars to see if they slow down.
28. Sing along at the opera.
29. Go to a poetry recital and ask why each poem doesn't rhyme.
30. Ask your co-workers mysterious questions and then scribble their responses in a notebook. Mutter something about "psychological profiles."
31. Declare your apartment as an independent territory and sue your upstairs neighbors for "trespassing your private airspace."
32. Send this list to everyone in your email address book even if they sent it to you or ask you not to send things like this.

[Dinner]

Originally posted by TheStinger
Does she sleep with you?

If she's that deep into a Penticostal then the answer is no.

About the only advice I can give the OP poster is to explain your feelings about the current church, tell her you do have faith but that the current church is not one which you wish to attend, then ask her to come with her to find a new church which you can both agree on. 75% chance she's to deep into this wacky church to ever leave and will dump you but there is still that 25%. Either way you will be happier and if she doesn't go then she is unwilling to compromise on anything and you'd end up being a bitter man if you faked it anyway.

[lord of the mark]

Re: Church + Girlfriend problem.

Originally posted by Sn00py

However, my point of view is that church is NOT NECCESSARY to believe in God, but my gf does not see it that way, she believes that you can only believe in God if you go to church.

At least a billion Muslims would agree with you. Among many other people.

Cultural blinders

[lord of the mark]

Re: Church + Girlfriend problem.

Originally posted by Sn00py
It is starting to become clear to me, that she does not go to church for God, but she goes to church for church. And I would not be surprised if most women do. Not to sound sexist, but as far as I can tell, this is how it looks.

Lots of people go to a house of worship for the community. If your theology is such that G-d is identified with humans (acts in the world, or even exists in the world, largely or entirely through humans) than theres no real distinction between going for the community and going for G-d. Some modern thinkers, like Buber and esp Levinas, say that its in interactions between humans that we find G-d.


"Dear Ms. Shul Manners:

Another congregant, who shall be known as Craving Quiet, asks about where Schmoozing Congregants should talk. "Craving" notes that the foyer is an echo chamber and those in the back of the shul cannot hear when people talk out there.

My dear chevrei:

Schmoozing...now there's an easy topic. Not! You know the old joke about the Jewish guy who says: Cohen comes to shul to talk to God... I come to shul to talk to Cohen! Well, we're Reconstructionists, soooo.... if we don't come to shul to talk to God, then what??? Maybe we come to talk to our better selves? In Hebrew, yet?? OK, I think I'd best leave the theological implications here to someone else. Suffice it to say that it is a legitimate aspect of many people's Shabbat lives, and a time honored Jewish tradition, to connect with friends and community. But still, the service is a time when many long to hear the still, small voice; to meditate, to daven. Unfortunately our foyer is an echo chamber that resonates into our sanctuary. The best way to schmooze is to go into the social hall if there is no Torah School or Tot service being held there. Ms. Shul Manners finds that the Ladies' Room is also conducive to a brief bit of catch up while powdering one's nose.

And, yes, of course it's true that we should have sound absorbing materials in the lobby, and that we should have an inner door to the vestibule. But we don't right now, so let's all be aware of our challenges and considerate and caring of our daveners/meditators/pray-ers/cravers of quiet!

---- Ms. Shul Manners
"

[lord of the mark]

Originally posted by Sn00py
Thanks all.

btw, Plarnomad, I placed amazing/inspirational in quotes, to indicate that it is what their speeches were MEANT to portray, but as for me, I do not find them inspirational or amazing.

The other thing I don't agree with is this 10% tithing. When did God come up with the idea of "10%"? why 10%? and how does one work out what 10% is of what you own? What if you owned 533,331 plants, how are you going to work out how much 10% of that is?

Do you really want details on this? I mean from the point of view of Jewish religious law, not whatever these pentecostal guys do.

http://rabbi.bendory.com/docs/maaser.php

http://www.ou.org/kosher/tithing.htm

[MOBIUS]

Tithing and this whacko crap about God speaking through the pastors leads me to think this is some sort of cult instead of proper church - I once went to a First Church of Christ meeting because of a friend, out of curiosity and because of an almost supernatural series of coincidences...

Anyway, any idea of actual belief on my part was swiftly dispelled through a combination of the rampant homophobia and chauvinism they were espousing, this tithing thing and the fact that all the heirarchy of the church seem very wealthy to say the least - e.g. their cars etc.

I found out afterwards that FCC is a cult and basically they're bent on taking advantage of the gullible and stupid and fleecing them of their money - it strikes me this church is one of those...

Get out while you can - this is going nowhere fast!

God I hate religion!

[Cort Haus]

Snoopy, get out of there! That woman is bad, and as others have said, will break you and your children. You might love her, but love can be very foolish sometimes. Find a good woman instead! I have experienced both, and good women are better.

[binTravkin]

On the church money topic - imagine the priest has 10 followers - he is with that on the same level of income as his followers.
Now take it to the usual count of people in a church - 50 to 100 and even more, and you get the picture..

[solo]

If something does not feel right, you can trust that feeling.