Supposed "Christians".

or; how do you share your message?

(Please excuse my lack of lucidity, I'm quite ill and drugged up the wazoo and still I'm stuck at work. Yay.)

With much interest I've read the conversation occuring on KFC's thread here, specifically concerning the Hindu prayer offered in the United States Senate floor.

For those of you who haven't seen exactly how it went down, I'm giving you YouTube goodness (or badness?) here.



Watch it.

I know that I've already asked the question "Does God or country come first?" in another thread. Most people seemed to say that God would come first, and that's fine in a personal setting. But on the other thread, Kingbee makes an important statement when he says, (and I paraphrase here) "The First Amendment trumps the First Commandment." This, of course, referring to the freedom of religious belief protected by the First Amendment versus "Thou shalt have no other gods" from the First Commandment.

In personal life, that's fine that you have "no other gods" before yours. But in a political sphere, the Amendment must, of necessity, overrule your belief in your god. Because, let's be honest - everybody believes in a different god, or believes in the same god in a different way. Even within the same religious sect, people have drastically different ideas of how and what their god is like.

Now, moving back to the video.

These supposed "Christians" are doing the exact opposite of what Christ would have them do. Have they forgotten so flippantly the Golden Rule, given by the Man himself? Treat others the way you want to be treated. Do you want your "Christian" prayer shouted down by Hindus, Muslims, or even other Christians who may not agree with you? Of course not - it's an affront to your god. But to do the same is an affront to their god, and is not, I believe, the type of behavior that the Christian God would be that big of a fan of.

Think about it - how do you share your message? How do your convert people to your cause? Is it through being a good example, leading a good Christian life? Or is it through shouting down your opponents, treating those who believe differently as somehow inferior? Because that's the vibe I get as I watch the video - these are people that somehow see themselves as superior because of their supposed belief in Christ. They're acting the exact opposite of the way a true representative of the Lord Jesus Christ should and would act. Or at least that's how I see it.

So what do you think, JU? How do you share your message? Did those who were shouting down the prayer giver have the right idea? Or could there be a more effective way to share your message?
4,152 views 22 replies
Reply #1 Top
What a disgusting display of rudeness and very Un Christ like behavior!
Reply #2 Top
I found their behavior to be disgusting and pointedly unChrist-like.
Reply #3 Top
Can't watch it now, but I think Jesus wasn't very happy with anyone's praying.

I remember Him not being happy with those that prayed in the streets, loudly... I'm recalling scriptures to that effect... but I'm not that good at placing them.
Reply #4 Top
those people are douchey. I really dislike people like that. Who can't at least accept the people are different. You don't have to agree, you just have to accept, ya know?
Reply #5 Top
Plus, as you listen to the Hindu (priest?)'s prayer, it's sounds more non-denominational than specifically Hindu.
Reply #6 Top

Reply By: SanChoninoPosted: Friday, July 13, 2007
Plus, as you listen to the Hindu (priest?)'s prayer, it's sounds more non-denominational than specifically Hindu.

the Hindu man of cloth showed mucho class by keeping his prayer as non denominational as possible. he showed class, where the so called Christians showed nothing but ASS.

Reply #8 Top

Can't watch it now, but I think Jesus wasn't very happy with anyone's praying.

I remember Him not being happy with those that prayed in the streets, loudly... I'm recalling scriptures to that effect... but I'm not that good at placing them.


You are thinking of his advice to go into your closet to pray instead of praying in the streets as the Hypocrites did to show their righteousness (self-righteousness to be exact).

I'm quite sure God isn't too impressed with someone using prayer to Him as a means of protest instead of as the worship He intended it to be.
Reply #9 Top

Reply By: SanChoninoPosted: Friday, July 13, 2007
Plus, as you listen to the Hindu (priest?)'s prayer, it's sounds more non-denominational than specifically Hindu.


the Hindu man of cloth showed mucho class by keeping his prayer as non denominational as possible. he showed class, where the so called Christians showed nothing but ASS.




Couldn't agree more.
Reply #10 Top
Thanks Mason, that was good advice from Jesus if you ask me.
Reply #11 Top

Absolutely disgraceful behaviour from the Christians, but unfortunately it's pretty common for those who call themselves 'followers of Christ' to behave in such a way and do such things.  I see it all the time - I've even been prayed over in the hope that I'll be converted and redeemed from my "heathen" ways.  That kind of pissed me off, but I was polite about it and thanked the people for their prayers, telling them that I was really pretty happy with my life as it is but I appreciated their concern.

It's a crying shame that so called Christians cannot and do not have the class and grace to do the same thing.

Reply #12 Top
You will know them by their fruits and their are none righteous - paraphrased but you get the gist of it. I don't think you get much more righteous than disrupting a prayer. It's awful.

Do unto others as you would have done to you, I guess if a Christian were to offer a prayer in a non-Christian majority country it would be okay for someone to disrupt them?
Reply #13 Top
I guess if a Christian were to offer a prayer in a non-Christian majority country it would be okay for someone to disrupt them?


That's the thing - these "Christians" hold themselves to a different standard than other religions. You can't interrupt one of their prayers because it's disrespectful, but they can interrupt whatever the hell they want in the name of their "religion".

Amanda said it the most succinctly in saying they're douche bags.

Reply #14 Top
Amanda said it the most succinctly in saying they're douche bags.


I have to disagree. Douche bags serve a useful purpose.
Reply #15 Top
I think the Hindu guy had a right to say his prayer. The Christian guy had a right to protest. And the Sgt at Arms had a right to restore order.  

Personally, I just wouldn't have stayed for the prayer.
Reply #16 Top
From what little of the prayer I heard, I thought it was beautiful. We're all humans, we're all fundamentally alike, heart and soul. Religions across the board pretty much come down to acknowledging a higher power than oneself. I think that's all the nice man was meditating on, and for the well-being of all concerned. I hope the protesters were able to calm down and listen for a second.
Reply #17 Top
Ironic that so many Christians piss and moan about their religion being driven from public life, yet didn't hesitate to try to do the same to this fellow.

So what do you think, JU? How do you share your message?


I don't, unless directly asked to, and even then, I often refuse because most of those asking have no serious interest, they're either looking to have their own stereotypes reinforced or seeking some 'flaw' they can exploit in order to push their own religious beliefs on me.

Only when I have been thoroughly convinced that a person is honestly 'seeking' and open-minded enough to FIND will I share the message. (the message, not 'my' message.)

In most cases, all that's going to consist of is me pointing the seeker in the direction of a door...whether they have the courage and honesty required to open it or not, what they discover behind it, and what they do with that discovery is on them at that point.

My spiritual practices do not require me to gain converts, and in fact, such recklessness is often discouraged, if it's addressed at all.
Reply #18 Top
I can't see the video, but I get the point.

I agree with Tova. If they had to protest, I think the best thing would have been to have quietly stood and left the room.

Reply #19 Top
As Elvis Costello said 'What about peace, love and understanding'... And good Christian tolerance?
Reply #20 Top
so while i will never be ashamed of being a christian, those christians should be ashamed of themselves.

its worse knowing that they had time to decide how to handle this, and this is what they came up with.

is this kind of thing what we elected these people to do? are these people really representing us?
Reply #22 Top
And good Christian tolerance?


These days that's extremely funny.