Newsgroups: alt.callahans
Subject: Re: Another introduction...
From: olson@husc8.harvard.edu (Chip Olson@somewhere.out.there)
Date: 17 Nov 92 00:09:05
Organization: Spam-On-A-Rope Inc.
In-reply-to: mjmh@crsa.bu.edu's message of 16 Nov 92 18:14:22 GMT

In article <102170@bu.edu> mjmh@crsa.bu.edu (Michael J M Holmes) writes:
>In article <1e79nkINNrha@gap.caltech.edu> ajm@wag.caltech.edu (Abner J. Mintz) writes:
>>The strangest event was when I put up a Star of David and he told me that it
>>was a pagan symbol !!!!  
>
>"I've noticed that when 'born-agains' are recently converted, or are
>particularly zealous, they have almost no knowledge of, or interest in,
>other beliefs.  Some of the things my brother used to say to get me
>away from Buddhism and into his church made *no* sense whatsoever.
>It was clear that, outside of his own beliefs,  when he talked 
>about religion, he knew very little. Of course, I'm sure this isn't
>true for all born-agains."

"Not for all, but a distressing percentage." observes Castellan.  "Friend of
mine once asked to borrow a proselytizing BAC's Bible... then sat on it and
said `Now what were you saying?' `Ummm...'  Poor fellow was completely help-
less without his crutch.  My biggest problem is when they find out I'm Uni-
tarian... some are convinced I'm going straight to hell, worship Satan etc.,
but the worst is when they ask what it is... it's hard enough to explain to
reasonably open-minded people, let alone those whose only interest is to get
me to believe what they think I should believe.

>
>>the atheists.  He's still, to this day, born-again, but he stopped *preaching*
>>about it all the time.  Of course, he had trouble getting away from the 
>>local branch of the AFA (American Family Association ...  if you don't know,
>>you probably don't want to know) ...  They don't like giving up a new
>>recruit.  He had to threaten to go to the papers to get them to drop him from
>>their list of officers ...
>
>"Hmm, haven't heard of that one.  Sounds like a christian cult.

"Worse, they're a political lobbying group, headed by the oddly named Rev.
Donald Wildmon.  Anti-homosexual, anti-abortion, pro-school prayer, anti-
anything remotely having to do with sex or education thereof; these are
the people who give thousands of perfectly reasonable born-agains bad names."

>That has been an additional problem with my brother. He is in
>one of the 'plantings' of the Boston Church of Christ.  I don't know
>if it is a cult, but it has many cultish aspects.  I think I would
>have had less of a problem with his being 'born-again' if he had
>seemed less like a zombie reciting memorized arguments and speeches,
>and more like, well, my brother!"

"Yeah, I managed to politely fend off a BCC member on the ferry back from
Martha's Vineyard a couple months back... they look and sound like a normal
church, but they are very cultish in some respects.  Fortunately, I was
able to convince this fellow that I was an unlikely convert."

>>>respect.  So, I just ask for a little understanding and acceptance 
>>>of differences and diversity - if we all believed the same thing, 
>>>what a boring Place this would be!"

"Amen, and it goes both ways- too many of my co-religionists claim to be
open and accepting of all faiths and beliefs, then turn around and slam
Christianity. Of course, most Unitarians became such as a reaction against
Christian upbringings, so there's a bit of a blind spot there.

>"Thanks, Abner!  I think I need another drink after that Purple-People
>Eater scare!!"

"GRRROWFF!! sorry, just kidding..."
--
-Chip Olson. | olson@husc.harvard.edu | ceo@{gnu.ai,silver.lcs}.mit.edu 
"These are the days you might fill with laughter until you break. These days
you might feel a shaft of light make its way across your face... And when you 
do you'll know how it was meant to be..." -10,000 Maniacs, "These Are Days"