Help!

[aprilannies]

I don't even recall how I came across the message board anymore... but a few months ago I came across a website entitled:

http://www.prophecynewswatch.com

Complete with message board. At first it started out as simple entertainment, I'd turn to my husband and say things like, "I can't believe that people actually believe this nonsense." Let me clarify on the 'nonsense'

The Beatles Received Inspiration from Satan

The Passion Movie's Dark Secret

We Don't Vote Because God Decides Election Outcomes Anyway

How Can We Prove the Bible - Which isn't so bad in and of itself, but no one actually uses anything useful to support ANYthing, and someone states that science claims gravity is caused from the spinning of the earth... it hurts. (For the record I am not reasoning_deist in that thread)

So things like that, fairly innocuous and innocent, just stuff to laugh at and randomly put in an outsider's perspective while posing as an insider. Then I started coming across threads like:

The Chinese are Eating Babies

Americans Pressed into Mandatory Community Service - FEMA Concentration Camps are Coming!

...and perhaps most distressingly in this time where information is so plentiful and we need to be striving to understand each other CLEARLY...

Muslims Worship Allah the Moon God - Ironically this thread was titled 'Is Allah and God of the Bible the Same God?' - something that has been discussed here - but without the rabid misconceptions - it's amazing how dissent breeds reality.

It's threads like the latter three that makes me cringe every time I think about it. A bunch of Christians who are egocentric enough to believe we are actually living in end times - harmless. Horrific misconceptions about other cultures - that breed hatred.... not so harmless.

I realize this is nothing new and the Chick Tracts have been doing this for decades but it seems TERRIBLE to me. These people are functioning on complete misinformation. All of the conspiracy theories - based on websites BY conspiracy theorists or resembling Ripley's Believe it Or Not. Aren't religious people supposed to be concerned with TRUTH?

My friends tell me that these people are gone beyond helping, but.. I've been feeling idealistic as of late. Anyone up for it?

Note/Disclaimer: I am not in any way, shape, or form trying to insinuate that Christians in general are nuts. This is not meant to be disrespectful of rational, thinking Christians. This is not meant to be disrespectful of Christians who advocate creationism or the Young Earth theory, or even Evangelical Christians who evangalize in the proper manner.

I would also like to state I am not advocating the trolling of the above mentioned board. The only way to get through to these people is to pretend you are one of them. My purpose is not to turn these people away from Christianity, my purpose is to attempt to introduce rational thought into their thought processes. (Ha,ha! Plant the seed... if you will. ) My purpose is to clear up gross misconceptions - especially when they breed hatred.

I'll ask again, anyone up for it?

Am I making any sense or do I sound just as crazy as they are?

[Amadeus]

Good luck with them! GEEZ. It's sad what people like to focus on. They like conflict or something. ( Well...I guess I do too to some extent )


Don't know what else to say. I'm sleepy. G'nite

[scorpia]

My friends tell me that these people are gone beyond helping, but.. I've been feeling idealistic as of late. Anyone up for it?

It's so tempting................... :p. A good idea would be to introduce rational thought. I wouldn't know where to start though. Then again, for example (I just took a squiz at it);

But back to the Beatles, if you listen to some of their songs and listen to their words, you may find many things you never heard before, Like "All you need is love" (The "love god" -- "Another Jesus"),

They go off about a love song. But what about biblical references identifying God as love?

Perhaps biblical references can counter some of their views. Or the spongebob being homosexual deal? Get them to stop caring about gay people being gay. The golden rule includes loving your neighbour, which they can't do if they go on about some sin all the time.

That's one suggestion off the top of my head, anyway. Hope it can help. I'll look at the site futher, although I've seen worse.... well........ just as bad anyway

EDIT: then again, it seems like someone already mentioned that. Well the most advice I can think of right now to get a fundamentalist to understand is to maybe think like one. What are their mindsets? Etc.............

[hannahjoy]

As a Fundamentalist (a term widely misused and twisted), I can assure you, not all of us are into conspiracy theories.

They like conflict or something.

Unlike the people on this forum .

[aprilannies]

As a Fundamentalist (a term widely misused and twisted)

Fair enough. Merriam Webster defines fundamentalism as the following:

Main Entry: fun·da·men·tal·ism

Function: noun
1 a often capitalized : a movement in 20th century Protestantism emphasizing the literally interpreted Bible as fundamental to Christian life and teaching b : the beliefs of this movement c : adherence to such beliefs
2 : a movement or attitude stressing strict and literal adherence to a set of basic principles

I am misusing the term grossly. Accept my apology. Perhaps... extremists would be more accurate?

[seventil]

By sheer willpower did my head keep from exploding upon reading those links.

[hannahjoy]

I am misusing the term grossly. Accept my apology.

I don't think you were misusing it grossly, it's just that people tend to use it of anyone who holds a very "conservative" position. One of these days I'll post an explanation of the movement and it's roots - and maybe Puritanism too while I'm at it.

Perhaps... extremists would be more accurate?

As a value judgement, that's likely to be controversial too. Perhaps just call them whatever they call themselves .

The only way to get through to these people is to pretend you are one of them.

Anyone's likely to dismiss whatever you say if they find you weren't honest . Maybe just offer some observations without stating a position.

As far as "conspiracy theories", the Bible teaches that Satan is the "god of this world", and that he is working "behind the scenes". That doesn't necessarily mean that people are intentionally "conspiring" with him (sorry for all the """" ).

Hannah Joy

[ST88]

I would also like to state I am not advocating the trolling of the above mentioned board. The only way to get through to these people is to pretend you are one of them. My purpose is not to turn these people away from Christianity, my purpose is to attempt to introduce rational thought into their thought processes. (Ha,ha! Plant the seed... if you will. ) My purpose is to clear up gross misconceptions - especially when they breed hatred.

I'll ask again, anyone up for it?

Am I making any sense or do I sound just as crazy as they are?

There was an episode of "Dharma & Greg" where Greg tries to explain to a UFO-believing organization that they are the victims of a vast conspiracy of unscrupulous publishers and fakery artists looking to scam them out of money by telling them what they want to hear. He ends up sounding like a wacko conspiracy theorist and they come off as the reasonable ones. At the end of his spiel, one of the UFO enthusiasts says, "It takes all kinds."

I think what happens when you try to point out just how irrational these conspiracies are, you are accused of being a part of one.

[aprilannies]

Perhaps just call them whatever they call themselves .

They call themselves Christians, and I don't wish to group all Christians into such a category... the struggle with semantics continues.

Maybe just offer some observations without stating a position.

Which is what I try to do, I do nothing to change their assumptions. I was telling a Christian friend about it, and joked that I ended my posts 'Your sister in Christ' I got quite a disapproving look until I clarified I hadn't actually done such a thing.

I think what happens when you try to point out just how irrational these conspiracies are, you are accused of being a part of one.

Thankfully that hasn't happened yet, I try not to make claims that I know will rock the boat, such as a disbelief in creationism, I just try to demand information from credible sources.

The funny thing about this is that I've ended up learning a lot about many different subjects because I have to refute these insane claims that are made in the name of God, and often times this requires me to do independent research. I learned a lot about Executive Orders, Stop Loss, and particulars of the Patriot Act through the mandatory community service thread, I learned a lot about Women in combat (pros and cons) through another thread. So despite driving me crazy, I'm expanding my mind.

[hannahjoy]

Perhaps just call them whatever they call themselves.

They call themselves Christians, and I don't wish to group all Christians into such a category... the struggle with semantics continues.

I meant, not assign names to them that they don't own to, such as "Fundamentalists" or "extremists".

You did say "The only way to get through to these people is to pretend you are one of them," which strikes me as rather dishonest, and if they found out , you certainly wouldn't "get through to" them.