Date Posted: 7/11/06 9:50:23am Author: Gnasher Subject: being an unbeliever makes me far more accepting of others and far more forgiving In reply to:
Gnasher
's message, "Re: !!!" on 6/11/06 11:21:22pm
As well as renewing an old friendship and sowing the seeds of a fresh one with TS, I talked a lot to a bro' I'd never really known in the old days but who remembers me, apparently, BH at one of the Northampton houses, an American. I liked him.
It will be interesting to see if friendships which are not fruitful in terms of conversion or membership can endure. I am an atheist and have no intentions whatsoever of getting religion.
Noel rang me a couple of times after I left and said I'd have a God-shaped hole in my heart if I did not come back. He would not just accept what I told him then, that actually I was leaving the fellowship and taking my faith with me.
The only hole my leaving left in me was "brethren" shaped. I didn't become an atheist for another 5 years. And I have never felt happier. Belief was a burden without much pay-back. And JFC belief came with far too many negative strings attached.
The thing that I hated most was the way that membership almost automatically meant looking down our noses at other Christians and constantly criticising others, and no friendships which were not about bringing people in. We were never "just" friends with people; we could never just acceot people as they were. I find that now that I am not a believer I can be far more accepting of other people....and far more forgiving.
Going back has closed some unhappy chapters for me...and opened one or two new ones.
