My original post for background if you are interested.
http://community.thenest.com/cs/ks/forums/thread/53174399.aspx
Ugh. It's just getting worse and worse. I haven't responded to any of her emails but she keeps sending them. The last 2 or 3 were about the rapture. She thinks it will happen someday, but really if we truly study God's word we have no clue when it is coming. That is summing it up....she went on for paragraphs about it. I can totally respect that opinion...but she sprinkled in some other things here and there in the email that made me put my hackles up and feel really judged and disrespected. It just reeked of "I am right and you are wrong! Neener neener! Lucky you that I'm sharing this with you!"
I finally had it tonight and did a reply all (the last couple emails were to our core group of college friends, 4 of us in total) and said, "I am respectfully bowing out of any future religious conversations via email." Short and sweet. After everything she said what I really want to say was "Screw you Judgy McJudger" but I'd rather slide gracefully out of a friendship than sever it abruptly with a sharp scissors. If she asks why I will try to answer respectfully. I know nothing I say will ever change her opinions just like nothing she will ever say will change mine... I just can't be friends with someone who makes me feel like this. :-(
UUUUUUUUUUUUGH. Why can't people have different beliefs and still be friends? Be respectful and supportive and have open and flowing two-sided dialogs about this?? I HATE HATE HATE HATE getting preached at. Especially in a condescening tone. It does NOTHING to promote your cause. In fact it turns me off in a huge way.
OK. I am wrapping this up, putting a bow on it, and filing it away. It's not worth getting this stressed about.
Deeeeeeeeeeeeeeeep breath.
Re: F/U to "bummed about email from friend"
Ugh, I don't understand why she keeps e-mailing you all this stuff! I'm sure she probably feels like she needs to save all of you, or something, but she is going about it the wrong way! I think she is going to lose a lot of friends, but then she has all of her church friends, so maybe she doesn't care!
Kudos to you for the e-mail you wrote back, I think I would have a hard time holding my tongue!
Not to change the subject, but how is your other friend (with the mental health issues) doing?
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Maybe she sits by your picture chanting...
THE POWER OF CHRIST COMPELS YOU!
seriously though...I had a freind like that at one point and I just sent all her emails to junk mail...it got old...
I haven't heard much. Our mutual college friend has called her BIL a couple of times but he either doesn't know much or doesn't want to say too much for whatever reason. I know she's back in Ohio and her Facebook profile now says "Separated". I hope she's getting the help she needs and that her kids are safe.
I hope so too! I keep thinking about her kids...I hope they are doing okay.
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Regarding people who believe tomorrow is the rapture:
Even if they are wrong about the date they are right about the fact that everyone has an ?end? to their life. The fact that they care enough about others? souls that they would spend their money on a billboard is pretty bold and loving of them.
YIKES!
I think you did the right thing with your email response. I would have a really hard time holding back.
I'm sure my response will elicit yet another 10 page e-mail about me being too nonchalant about everything. She recommended I do a lot of deep thinking about finding the truth...and then went on to preach to me what my truth should be. How about letting me think for myself??
UGH. I'm obviously still worked up about this. I need to delete her e-mails and be done with it. Some of the stuff she is writing is just blowing my mind though. It's like someone uncorked her and she can't help but spill forth all of this. I get the feeling she is patting herself on the back for being a good evangelizing Christian...but it's just too much for me. Too much. The kicker is, she expects me to just soak this up and PRESTO CHANGO my beliefs all of a sudden match hers. But then on the flipside, I doubt she would EVER be open to hearing about my side of the story. It's too one-sided!
Ok. Shut up Jenny. Go back to work....
:-)
Yeah, I don't think their motivation for their craziness is that they "care enough about others' souls" - I think it is that they want to be on god's good side and make a show of it so they can remain in the "chosen few" that will get beamed up to heaven. Kind of a big flashy (expensive, stupid, annoying) way of saying "Pick me! Pick me!, See what good - but useless -stuff I did!"
I mean, really - if god is going to be soooo selective and most of the population is going to burn for eternity and only a few lucky - pre-selected (?) - people will be saved, would YOU want to DECREASE your odds by savings others?? It is kinda contradictory, but I don't know that they necessary want to add to their numbers, but they want to make a show of trying - to satsify their own nutsy idea of what god wants them do.
But in regards to your friend - UGH. She seriously thinks it is some grand revelation that these people know that everyone has an end?? Wow. Just wow. Here I was thinking that life went on for ever and ever and death was just a scary story old people told before the moved into retirement communities to be free from the stress of family. But apparently they really are dying. Huh. Imagine that - we don't live forever and everyone has an end. Well, that news just ruined my plans for a vacation in the year 2120!
Tired after a long morning of hiking and swimming.
It comes down to knowing that nothing I say will make her change her mind...so I kept it short and sweet and tried to shut off the well at the source. Trust me though - I've started and erased about 50 responses.
If I pulled an "eye for an eye" and responded as in depth as she has about what *I* believe I know it would NOT go over well. So why can she send those things to me and expect "results" but I can't send them to her and expect "results" as well? That's where I have trouble with Christian evangelism.
Thanks everyone for letting me vent.
"If I pulled an "eye for an eye" and responded as in depth as she has about what *I* believe I know it would NOT go over well. So why can she send those things to me and expect "results" but I can't send them to her and expect "results" as well? That's where I have trouble with Christian evangelism. "
So true and really, the heart of what is so irksome about your friend and her emails. And really - any relationship where one person assumes the right to lecture, while expecting the other to listen and not respond - or doesn't give equal respect to the responss - that is not a friendship. She is not your minister or a door-to-door bible-seller, She is supposed to be your friend, but if you do not feel comfortable sharing your thoughts with her, then how can she deserve the title of "friend?"