Looking around this board, you guys seem to be a very compassionate, mature and non-judgmental kind of people…which is why I really need anybody’s help with the matter in which I’m stuck in. It has to do with religion. Before you read this post, I must say that I have profound RESPECT for ALL religions, and I don’t consider any one of them as “wrong”. By the way, I’m an Agnostic, and still am in a sense. I must warn you, this post might be a bit long…
Anyway, it all started last year with two of my best friends. Their twins, and the year before, almost completely out of the blue, they became heavily involved in Christianity. It came to an extent where you could call them born again Christians. This surprised many people in my friendship circle as these guys never expressed any interest in religion of spirituality at all. Now suddenly one of them is carrying their Bible in their pocket all day.
Now, let me just say that I see NOTHING WRONG at all with their strong beliefs in Christianity. My problems began much later.
It turns out that this sudden turn around in Christianity was all attributed a local Christian youth group in which they attended. Australian Interferencer’s would recognize the name Hillsong. Basically, Hillsong, and the sudden surge of the Pentecostal movement, has really gained momentum in Australia, and how they practice their Christian views is quite unique: instead of a priest reading through the Bible and various ceremonial procedures, Hillsong employs Christian rock bands to perform high energy worship music, and instead of a priest, a pastor (usually someone in their mid-twenty’s) would preach a sermon in an entertaining but thoughtful way. As a result, Hillsong became highly popular with young people.
Anyway, my friends introduced me to this youth group. It started well enough: the other youth’s there were really friendly people, and they welcomed me with open arms and I very much enjoyed their company. When it was time to start the Christian youth program, I was at first impressed with the way they worship: Christian worship bands and then a really good sermon by the senior youth pastor which as entertaining, funny but also deeply spiritual at the same time. I have never seen religion preached in such an entertaining and accessible away, and I was immediately swayed.
Things went well until a few months after I was introduced into the youth group. The senior pastor began to preach things which received admiration from other youths, but silent questioning by me. I began to have serious doubts when the pastor preached “YOU MUST BE SAVAGE, BARBARIC AND BRUTAL WITH YOUR FAITH! SPREAD THE WORD AND CONVERT!” It almost borders on fanaticism in my view.
It goes further. The pastor continued by saying “Buddha isn’t worthy, Mohammed isn’t worthy, Confucius isn’t worthy, you are worthy lord!” When I was introduced to this youth group, I thought it would be a more “liberal” brand of Christianity, a wonderful alternative to the likes of Jerry Falwell, but I didn’t think they would start bagging other religions.
Worse still, the pastor continued by saying that those who don’t accept Jesus Christ, and those who don’t accept the Christian religion, will for ever suffer eternal damnation.
Here is one of my main reasons why this has troubled me. My dad died of liver cancer back in January 2001. When he passed away, we performed a Buddhist ceremony at his funeral (my families Vietnamese, and Buddhism is the dominant religion). Even though my family goes through Buddhist ceremonies in key events (eg. Weddings, Chinese New Year, funerals etc), my family isn’t that religious so we’re pretty much agnostic. My dad is an agnostic also. So anyway, after I heard the pastor preaching about non-Christians going to hell, I went home incredibly disturbed by this idea. My dad wasn’t Christian. He didn’t “accept Jesus Christ”. And since he’s non-Christian, I had this nightmare where……………………..oh jeez, I don’t want to think about it. I think you pretty much get the picture. I was not only disturbed but horrified and incredibly offended by the idea.
Today, after the youth service, I approached my senior pastor and asked him about his views of other religions. He acknowledged that it is hard to accept this view, but he states that he has studied other religions, and he concluded that Christianity is the only way. He told me that Jesus was devastated that humans would “break away” from him and start creating new and alien ideas. He basically told me that Judaism, Islam, Hinduism, Buddhism and Taoism is flat out wrong and that the only doorway to salvation is through Jesus Christ. I also told him I would like to do humanitarian work in the future (ie. Helping starving African nations to their feet). He was thrilled with the ambition I have, but he told me that giving them food and blankets is not enough, they need Christ in their life in order to properly “save them”. In my mind, I was thinking “why should a push a religion down the throat of starving people?” I walked away with no new answers. I did not tell him about the nightmare I had about me dad.
Ok, some people might ask “why don’t you just quit the youth group if it disturbs you so much?” Well, it’s hard for me to explain, but I have made great friendships with many wonderful people in the youth group. I mean, the people here are great, except many of them share the views of the pastor. Heck, apart from the difference I have of his religious reviews, the senior youth pastor is a fantastic guy. I don’t want to lose these friendships, and if I do quit, the pastor would view me as someone who has pushed away Jesus Christ and is heading down a “dangerous path”. I would also be cutting off the friendships in which I have made.
So that’s what’s been playing on my mind. Personally, I feel a deeper connection of eastern religions (Buddhism, etc), religions which would “bar me from the gates of heaven” according to my youth pastor, but I just gave this youth group a try.
This experience has placed me in a “religious crossroads”, the first time ever in my life. If you any users would like to reply to the dilemma I have right now, please do. I also strongly encourage any other religious Interferencers to comment of whether there are any right or wrong religions and most importantly of all, what truly warrants such a horrifying sentence such as eternal damnation in hell and any other views on spirituality. What I be curse into hell if I "divert from the path of Jesus Christ"? I'm sorry I that I must suddely dump all of this onto you guys, but I really need to get it off my chest and talk to it about someone.
Please reply without any judgment or prejudices.
Anyway, it all started last year with two of my best friends. Their twins, and the year before, almost completely out of the blue, they became heavily involved in Christianity. It came to an extent where you could call them born again Christians. This surprised many people in my friendship circle as these guys never expressed any interest in religion of spirituality at all. Now suddenly one of them is carrying their Bible in their pocket all day.
Now, let me just say that I see NOTHING WRONG at all with their strong beliefs in Christianity. My problems began much later.
It turns out that this sudden turn around in Christianity was all attributed a local Christian youth group in which they attended. Australian Interferencer’s would recognize the name Hillsong. Basically, Hillsong, and the sudden surge of the Pentecostal movement, has really gained momentum in Australia, and how they practice their Christian views is quite unique: instead of a priest reading through the Bible and various ceremonial procedures, Hillsong employs Christian rock bands to perform high energy worship music, and instead of a priest, a pastor (usually someone in their mid-twenty’s) would preach a sermon in an entertaining but thoughtful way. As a result, Hillsong became highly popular with young people.
Anyway, my friends introduced me to this youth group. It started well enough: the other youth’s there were really friendly people, and they welcomed me with open arms and I very much enjoyed their company. When it was time to start the Christian youth program, I was at first impressed with the way they worship: Christian worship bands and then a really good sermon by the senior youth pastor which as entertaining, funny but also deeply spiritual at the same time. I have never seen religion preached in such an entertaining and accessible away, and I was immediately swayed.
Things went well until a few months after I was introduced into the youth group. The senior pastor began to preach things which received admiration from other youths, but silent questioning by me. I began to have serious doubts when the pastor preached “YOU MUST BE SAVAGE, BARBARIC AND BRUTAL WITH YOUR FAITH! SPREAD THE WORD AND CONVERT!” It almost borders on fanaticism in my view.
It goes further. The pastor continued by saying “Buddha isn’t worthy, Mohammed isn’t worthy, Confucius isn’t worthy, you are worthy lord!” When I was introduced to this youth group, I thought it would be a more “liberal” brand of Christianity, a wonderful alternative to the likes of Jerry Falwell, but I didn’t think they would start bagging other religions.
Worse still, the pastor continued by saying that those who don’t accept Jesus Christ, and those who don’t accept the Christian religion, will for ever suffer eternal damnation.
Here is one of my main reasons why this has troubled me. My dad died of liver cancer back in January 2001. When he passed away, we performed a Buddhist ceremony at his funeral (my families Vietnamese, and Buddhism is the dominant religion). Even though my family goes through Buddhist ceremonies in key events (eg. Weddings, Chinese New Year, funerals etc), my family isn’t that religious so we’re pretty much agnostic. My dad is an agnostic also. So anyway, after I heard the pastor preaching about non-Christians going to hell, I went home incredibly disturbed by this idea. My dad wasn’t Christian. He didn’t “accept Jesus Christ”. And since he’s non-Christian, I had this nightmare where……………………..oh jeez, I don’t want to think about it. I think you pretty much get the picture. I was not only disturbed but horrified and incredibly offended by the idea.
Today, after the youth service, I approached my senior pastor and asked him about his views of other religions. He acknowledged that it is hard to accept this view, but he states that he has studied other religions, and he concluded that Christianity is the only way. He told me that Jesus was devastated that humans would “break away” from him and start creating new and alien ideas. He basically told me that Judaism, Islam, Hinduism, Buddhism and Taoism is flat out wrong and that the only doorway to salvation is through Jesus Christ. I also told him I would like to do humanitarian work in the future (ie. Helping starving African nations to their feet). He was thrilled with the ambition I have, but he told me that giving them food and blankets is not enough, they need Christ in their life in order to properly “save them”. In my mind, I was thinking “why should a push a religion down the throat of starving people?” I walked away with no new answers. I did not tell him about the nightmare I had about me dad.
Ok, some people might ask “why don’t you just quit the youth group if it disturbs you so much?” Well, it’s hard for me to explain, but I have made great friendships with many wonderful people in the youth group. I mean, the people here are great, except many of them share the views of the pastor. Heck, apart from the difference I have of his religious reviews, the senior youth pastor is a fantastic guy. I don’t want to lose these friendships, and if I do quit, the pastor would view me as someone who has pushed away Jesus Christ and is heading down a “dangerous path”. I would also be cutting off the friendships in which I have made.
So that’s what’s been playing on my mind. Personally, I feel a deeper connection of eastern religions (Buddhism, etc), religions which would “bar me from the gates of heaven” according to my youth pastor, but I just gave this youth group a try.
This experience has placed me in a “religious crossroads”, the first time ever in my life. If you any users would like to reply to the dilemma I have right now, please do. I also strongly encourage any other religious Interferencers to comment of whether there are any right or wrong religions and most importantly of all, what truly warrants such a horrifying sentence such as eternal damnation in hell and any other views on spirituality. What I be curse into hell if I "divert from the path of Jesus Christ"? I'm sorry I that I must suddely dump all of this onto you guys, but I really need to get it off my chest and talk to it about someone.
Please reply without any judgment or prejudices.
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These are all good questions you're asking. I just hope you know that God really does love you, just as you are right now, and has a good plan for you.
