From: holt_c@cubldr.colorado.edu
Subject: Re: You should be a Christian because (30 words max):
Organization: University of Colorado, Boulder
Date: Thu, 17 Dec 1992 21:45:25 GMT

In article <BzCvsD.4HG.1@cs.cmu.edu>, rhuss+@EDRC.CMU.EDU (Robert Huss) writes:
> 
> |> %In article <1992Dec10.172246.1@cubldr.colorado.edu> 
> |> %  holt_c@cubldr.colorado.edu writes:
> |> % 
> |> %>I don't know why, but this reminds me of the absolute weirdest sin I've ever
> |> %>been accused of.  It came during my infiltration of the Church of Christ here
>                                          ^^^^^^^^^^^^^
> 
> 	Infiltration??  Was this some kind of undercover mission to reveal
> the horrible corruption in this church or something?  I am an athiest, but
> wouldn't think that going to a few Church of Christ meetings would be an
> 'infiltration'  I might go to find out what they think, but I certainly
> wouldn't do it maliciously.
> 
I didn't originally intend for this to be an infiltration.  A couple of years
ago, I had noticed that some of my friends in this drum and bugle corps that I
was a member of were quitting because "some fanatical group" (as some people
were calling it) was telling them to cease certain activities, quit their
current jobs, and even to stop associating with certain people.

A few months after this occured.  I ran into one of my friends who had been in 
the drum corps.  We talked for a while and she invited me to a bible reading. 
I agreed to go but, secretly, I never had any intent of joining, I only wanted
to see what was so interesting with this group that people would obey anything
they had to say.

After going to every meeting available, all I found was that this group had a
highly literal interpretation of the bible and that the people involved were
highly energetic and actually fun to be around.  But since I did not intend to
stay and thought I wasn't finding anything, I decided to leave.

The real trouble started when I left.  I suddenly found myself being confronted
by groups of no less than three people asking me why I had left and reminding
me of my commitment to God.  They would confront me just about anywhere; my
room, hallways, the cafeteria, even the front office of the dorm because of few
of them worked there.  My guess is part of their thinking was that if you were
"in" then everything was cool, but pity the person who doesn't go to the
meetings.

It was at this time that I decided to "rejoin" due to my further curiousity and
perhaps too much free time.  This was the beginning of the stage that I
commonly refer to as the infiltration.  During this stage I played the role of
a somewhat insecure person trying to find his identity and a place to be, just
the person the Church of Christ tends to look for (I considered it my best
acting job ever).  

I also attended the meetings inconsistently, sometimes I would go, other times 
I promised to go, but didn't.  This tended to make them even more edgy when
they confronted me about it.  I would make up some excuse about having to do 
homework or to study for a test, but they didn't seem to care about that.  I
have quite a bit more information from this "infiltration" but it would take me
a while to post.

> |> %>on campus.  Basically they said my sin was not having a girlfriend at that
>                             ^^^         ^^^
> |> %>moment in time.  Their actual words were, "You are depriving some girl of
>                        ^^^^
> |> %>yourself."  And I thought I was strange.  Does anybody out there feel that 
> |> %>I am depriving them.
> 
> 	Is this an US and THEM argument? Do you group a whole set of people
> together here, or was it just some one or two people who were making small talk?
> Maybe one of them was hot for you and had put the others up to it...  It is 
> possible for those 'Christians' to act like normal folks you know.  
> 
This came about during the "confrontational bible study" (as I like to call
them) where about two or three members tried to teach me what they had to say,
they would even lock the door of my own room when they were doing this.  Again,
I would play the insecure, unsure role and keep them busy for a LONG time, I 
think my longest one was about three and a half hours *snicker*.

But, anyways, I should probably answer your question.  No, these words did not
come from everybody in the Church of Christ as an overall opinion, but it did
come from two of the major student leaders during these 3 on 1 bible studies. 

I had forgotten to mention this before, but one of these guys had even hinted 
to me that one girl, that I had known for a long time, may have been attracted 
to me because, "she loves you deeply" and "she always discusses her concern for
you."  I knew for a fact that she thought I was a nutcase.  I don't blame her.
We've been good friends but we would not be a good match.

							Sincerely,
							Lieutenant Wilkes
Newsgroups: talk.religion.misc,alt.atheism