Easter rush of getting new converts

[Riders]

Easter is the time of year when my relatives witness a lot.Im worried about going to AA, tehyve probably got the Celebration recovery groups there.

I don't see the point in all the drama that goes on in alter calls. Whats the point of getting folks saved through an alter call when most Americans have been saved first question?

Number too Why is there so much drama in alter calls? 3 Alter calls encourage folks to get resaved over and over,. If people who just want the free ticket out of hell misuses the alter call to get re saved over and over so they don't really have to live for God they can just go get the free ticket out of hell, so why do the church feel comfortable with rehashing the same sinner Christians getting saved over and pver?

Heres the alter call......." Softly and tenderly Jesus is calling calling for me and for you come home comccccccchome oh om ye who are weary come home softly and tenderly Jesus is calling calling oh sinner come home.
So the preacher has just preached a sermon on a story about some guy who was drug addict who almost died and realized he was going to hell and got saved from hell fire just in time! " Brothers and sisters have you accepted Jesus into your heart tonight?

Do you really know for a fact that your saved? If theres any question at all oh sinner please don't let this opportunity go by without being too late. Maybe you've accepted Jesus but
but in your heart you know youve been giving into the sins you need to renew your relationship with Jesus, let Jesus know that you are renewing that relationship tonight don't let this opportunity pass you by sinna!

Don't worry if you inside that your really really saved they got to hold you not crying before you are now they got to get a few tears from people its got to be emotional DO YOU REALLY KNOW DEEP down that your saned tonight don't pass this by

Someone quick respond to the alter call so he so he will quit trying to save someone and we can get out of here.

 

[Riders]

What about Easter?Does anyone avoid family on Easter so you wont get witnessed to? This is the biggest season for witnessing to people.

 

[David1967]

I don't see the point in all the drama that goes on in alter calls. Whats the point of getting folks saved through an alter call

IMHO, Alter calls are a ridiculous circus sideshow attempting to provoke an emotional response from the congregation (audience) to show what a good job the evangelist (performer) was doing. I grew up in such an environment and even as a young person around ten years old, was disturbed by the whole thing. I am including a link to a history of where this tradition came from. I am in no way affiliated with the group that put out this link but thought they did a good job exposing this farce.

Victory Baptist Church

 

[Spirit of Light]

As a buddhist i have no view of easter or its celebration Its just normal days to me. But i do understand it means more to Christians

 

[Enoch07]

Easter is the time of year when my relatives witness a lot.Im worried about going to AA, tehyve probably got the Celebration recovery groups there.

I don't see the point in all the drama that goes on in alter calls. Whats the point of getting folks saved through an alter call when most Americans have been saved first question?

Number too Why is there so much drama in alter calls? 3 Alter calls encourage folks to get resaved over and over,. If people who just want the free ticket out of hell misuses the alter call to get re saved over and over so they don't really have to live for God they can just go get the free ticket out of hell, so why do the church feel comfortable with rehashing the same sinner Christians getting saved over and pver?

Heres the alter call......." Softly and tenderly Jesus is calling calling for me and for you come home comccccccchome oh om ye who are weary come home softly and tenderly Jesus is calling calling oh sinner come home.
So the preacher has just preached a sermon on a story about some guy who was drug addict who almost died and realized he was going to hell and got saved from hell fire just in time! " Brothers and sisters have you accepted Jesus into your heart tonight?

Do you really know for a fact that your saved? If theres any question at all oh sinner please don't let this opportunity go by without being too late. Maybe you've accepted Jesus but
but in your heart you know youve been giving into the sins you need to renew your relationship with Jesus, let Jesus know that you are renewing that relationship tonight don't let this opportunity pass you by sinna!

Don't worry if you inside that your really really saved they got to hold you not crying before you are now they got to get a few tears from people its got to be emotional DO YOU REALLY KNOW DEEP down that your saned tonight don't pass this by

Someone quick respond to the alter call so he so he will quit trying to save someone and we can get out of here.

Traditions of man (not gender, mankind in general). Its just a bulls**t social game played by the congregation to make themselves feel special. "They" saved >insert name<. Look how great our church is we saved XX amount of people this month. Of course this is just life an people in general, religious people are not the only ones guilty of this.

 

[Riders]

Traditions of man (not gender, mankind in general). Its just a bulls**t social game played by the congregation to make themselves feel special. "They" saved >insert name<. Look how great our church is we saved XX amount of people this month. Of course this is just life an people in general, religious people are not the only ones guilty of this.

True

 

[Jainarayan]

As a buddhist i have no view of easter or its celebration Its just normal days to me. But i do understand it means more to Christians

Same here. I go to the temple on Sunday mornings now because that’s when I can go. I’m waiting for “I’m confused, so you guys celebrate Easter too?”

My family is Catholic-When-Necessary so to them Easter is purely bunnies, eggs, marshmallow Peeps. I just go wherever the best food is.

 

[SomeRandom]

My family is Church of God Christians. Or something along those lines. Sort of liberal chill Christians, really. So whilst I do participate in saying grace before our meals with them, Easter is just an excuse to drink, make merry and hang out.

 

[Father Heathen]

Traditions of man (not gender, mankind in general). Its just a bulls**t social game played by the congregation to make themselves feel special. "They" saved >insert name<. Look how great our church is we saved XX amount of people this month. Of course this is just life an people in general, religious people are not the only ones guilty of this.

Religion - especially the backwater bumpkin variety that we see in the U.S. - has more to do with the gratification of emotions and ego than anything else. Your pride, greed, dishonesty, adultery, and fornication are overlooked as long as you pay lip service.

 

[Father Heathen]

Same here. I go to the temple on Sunday mornings now because that’s when I can go. I’m waiting for “I’m confused, so you guys celebrate Easter too?”

My family is Catholic-When-Necessary so to them Easter is purely bunnies, eggs, marshmallow Peeps. I just go wherever the best food is.

I'm not a christian, obviously, but I still view Christmas and Easter as a time of family and feasting. And to be fair, they where originally pagan holidays, anyway.

 

[Enoch07]

Religion - especially the backwater bumpkin variety that we see in the U.S. - has more to do with the gratification of emotions and ego than anything else. Your pride, greed, dishonesty, adultery, and fornication are overlooked as long as you pay lip service.

True, but that is also a tradition of man. We see it in the secular world as well. The best example I can think of is carbon foot print offsetting. Allowing people to use money to offset their carbon footprint instead of getting those people to lower their footprint. Hopefully that make sense.

 

[Father Heathen]

True, but that is also a tradition of man. We see it in the secular world as well. The best example I can think of is carbon foot print offsetting. Allowing people to use money to offset their carbon footprint instead of getting those people to lower their footprint. Hopefully that make sense.

While reducing waste and pollution is a legitimate, worthwhile cause, a lot of people do approach it with a "look at me! I've been a good boy!" attitude.

 

[Twilight Hue]

Easter is the time of year when my relatives witness a lot.Im worried about going to AA, tehyve probably got the Celebration recovery groups there.

I don't see the point in all the drama that goes on in alter calls. Whats the point of getting folks saved through an alter call when most Americans have been saved first question?

Number too Why is there so much drama in alter calls? 3 Alter calls encourage folks to get resaved over and over,. If people who just want the free ticket out of hell misuses the alter call to get re saved over and over so they don't really have to live for God they can just go get the free ticket out of hell, so why do the church feel comfortable with rehashing the same sinner Christians getting saved over and pver?

Heres the alter call......." Softly and tenderly Jesus is calling calling for me and for you come home comccccccchome oh om ye who are weary come home softly and tenderly Jesus is calling calling oh sinner come home.
So the preacher has just preached a sermon on a story about some guy who was drug addict who almost died and realized he was going to hell and got saved from hell fire just in time! " Brothers and sisters have you accepted Jesus into your heart tonight?

Do you really know for a fact that your saved? If theres any question at all oh sinner please don't let this opportunity go by without being too late. Maybe you've accepted Jesus but
but in your heart you know youve been giving into the sins you need to renew your relationship with Jesus, let Jesus know that you are renewing that relationship tonight don't let this opportunity pass you by sinna!

Don't worry if you inside that your really really saved they got to hold you not crying before you are now they got to get a few tears from people its got to be emotional DO YOU REALLY KNOW DEEP down that your saned tonight don't pass this by

Someone quick respond to the alter call so he so he will quit trying to save someone and we can get out of here.

It's certainly a spectacle. I suppose a fake danger warrants a fake salvation.

 

[dianaiad]

Easter is the time of year when my relatives witness a lot.Im worried about going to AA, tehyve probably got the Celebration recovery groups there.

I don't see the point in all the drama that goes on in alter calls. Whats the point of getting folks saved through an alter call when most Americans have been saved first question?

Number too Why is there so much drama in alter calls? 3 Alter calls encourage folks to get resaved over and over,. If people who just want the free ticket out of hell misuses the alter call to get re saved over and over so they don't really have to live for God they can just go get the free ticket out of hell, so why do the church feel comfortable with rehashing the same sinner Christians getting saved over and pver?

Heres the alter call......." Softly and tenderly Jesus is calling calling for me and for you come home comccccccchome oh om ye who are weary come home softly and tenderly Jesus is calling calling oh sinner come home.
So the preacher has just preached a sermon on a story about some guy who was drug addict who almost died and realized he was going to hell and got saved from hell fire just in time! " Brothers and sisters have you accepted Jesus into your heart tonight?

Do you really know for a fact that your saved? If theres any question at all oh sinner please don't let this opportunity go by without being too late. Maybe you've accepted Jesus but
but in your heart you know youve been giving into the sins you need to renew your relationship with Jesus, let Jesus know that you are renewing that relationship tonight don't let this opportunity pass you by sinna!

Don't worry if you inside that your really really saved they got to hold you not crying before you are now they got to get a few tears from people its got to be emotional DO YOU REALLY KNOW DEEP down that your saned tonight don't pass this by

Someone quick respond to the alter call so he so he will quit trying to save someone and we can get out of here.

I'm sorry. I just can't.

It's "altar call,' not 'alter call."

The folks in my belief system don't have either one, so.....carry on.

 

[Riders]

The thing is when I was younger I expected the altar call and act of accepting Jesus to be a magic act without me doing the work to change my life.

With all the stuff I've done the past 8 or 9 years I look at it and I say My gosh what on earth has gotten into me I cant believe the things Ive done.,

But the blood of Jesus is suppose to cover all my problems and abacadabra my past is gone by going through this altar ritual they have. it seem to me this what they preach.

I long for the days when I was much more innocent and did not know what I do not about the stuff Ive done. But the church can not make someone past go away.

I have to go to counseling , I need therapy bad,to stay with the self help support and also to lose weight, The church can't wave a magic wand. But when I use to be Pentecostal I thought getting the holy ghost and speaking in tongues made everything go away but it did not.

I hope maybe I can visit the Quakers in the next few weeks and make a spiritual connection with them I also practice Zen which helps me get balanced too. I would like to go back to my zen temple after I lose some of this weight.

 

[Jainarayan]

My family is Church of God Christians.

So you're the oddball Hindu in your family too?

 

[dianaiad]

The thing is when I was younger I expected the altar call and act of accepting Jesus to be a magic act without me doing the work to change my life.

With all the stuff I've done the past 8 or 9 years I look at it and I say My gosh what on earth has gotten into me I cant believe the things Ive done.,

But the blood of Jesus is suppose to cover all my problems and abacadabra my past is gone by going through this altar ritual they have. it seem to me this what they preach.

I long for the days when I was much more innocent and did not know what I do not about the stuff Ive done. But the church can not make someone past go away.

I have to go to counseling , I need therapy bad,to stay with the self help support and also to lose weight, The church can't wave a magic wand. But when I use to be Pentecostal I thought getting the holy ghost and speaking in tongues made everything go away but it did not.

I hope maybe I can visit the Quakers in the next few weeks and make a spiritual connection with them I also practice Zen which helps me get balanced too. I would like to go back to my zen temple after I lose some of this weight.

I'm the last person on the planet to do the 'born again experience solves everything' dance. I've been taught very differently, and in my life I have come to see that what I have been taught is right. Being forgiven by God is pretty easy, except for the 'repentance' part. Repenting is all about making oneself into the sort of person who wouldn't do those stupid/harmful/idiotic things one beats oneself up about, and includes forgiving oneself. That isn't easy at all, and what good is it to be forgiven by someone (or Somone) else if one can't accept it, and forgive oneself?

Counseling is good. Meditation is good. Repentance is better. No, you can't erase the past...at least, not as long as your brain works. However, you CAN look at the past, learn from it, say "look what I did, wasn't that stupid/harmful/idiotic" and think "So...I won't do that again." Become the sort of person who wouldn't 'do that again,' and voila'....that's what counts.

That takes (sorry, evangelical Protestant OSAS people) work.

...........oh, I am confused about your comments regarding your zen temple. Won't they accept you unless you are skinny? I mean, really...if they won't, you don't want anything to do with them. If the extra weight keeps you from going, but not them from accepting you, then...........go anyway. (shrug) it's part of the 'work."

Unless your 'zen temple" is a personal, private and mental/spiritual sort of place and strictly a matter of how you see yourself, then again--go anyway.

I would NOT go to any place that has 'altar calls,' but that's just me. It really helps some people. Believing as I do, I'm afraid I would be very uncomfortable and that would be sad, because it DOES help some people. However, while that intense spiritual experience is all well and good, but then you have to go out to the side walk and deal with being the sort of person who would do those stupid/harmful/idiotic things. It's still counseling, meditation and work ahead.

OK, I'll shut up now. At least, for the next hour or so. Maybe.

 

[Riders]

I'm the last person on the planet to do the 'born again experience solves everything' dance. I've been taught very differently, and in my life I have come to see that what I have been taught is right. Being forgiven by God is pretty easy, except for the 'repentance' part. Repenting is all about making oneself into the sort of person who wouldn't do those stupid/harmful/idiotic things one beats oneself up about, and includes forgiving oneself. That isn't easy at all, and what good is it to be forgiven by someone (or Somone) else if one can't accept it, and forgive oneself?

Counseling is good. Meditation is good. Repentance is better. No, you can't erase the past...at least, not as long as your brain works. However, you CAN look at the past, learn from it, say "look what I did, wasn't that stupid/harmful/idiotic" and think "So...I won't do that again." Become the sort of person who wouldn't 'do that again,' and voila'....that's what counts.

That takes (sorry, evangelical Protestant OSAS people) work.

...........oh, I am confused about your comments regarding your zen temple. Won't they accept you unless you are skinny? I mean, really...if they won't, you don't want anything to do with them. If the extra weight keeps you from going, but not them from accepting you, then...........go anyway. (shrug) it's part of the 'work."

Unless your 'zen temple" is a personal, private and mental/spiritual sort of place and strictly a matter of how you see yourself, then again--go anyway.

I would NOT go to any place that has 'altar calls,' but that's just me. It really helps some people. Believing as I do, I'm afraid I would be very uncomfortable and that would be sad, because it DOES help some people. However, while that intense spiritual experience is all well and good, but then you have to go out to the side walk and deal with being the sort of person who would do those stupid/harmful/idiotic things. It's still counseling, meditation and work ahead.

OK, I'll shut up now. At least, for the next hour or so. Maybe.

Zen temples most of them have people sitting on the floor. I have one and they stools, I went once but still uncomfortable. im dealing with my obesity and hernia, I need an operation So. right now thats too much but perhaps after I get some of this weight off.

 

[SomeRandom]

So you're the oddball Hindu in your family too?

No my mum is a born Hindu. As am I. Dad was atheist, but tolerant of mum’s religious instructions to me, considering it vital for me to “know my cultural heritage.”
But our family history is.......”complicated.”
All my mothers older siblings were taught at a Catholic school, which means they were a blend. Their children however are more “pure” Catholic.
My parents’ close friends (whom I consider my family) are Church of God Christians, but are fairly liberal.

 

[dianaiad]

Zen temples most of them have people sitting on the floor. I have one and they stools, I went once but still uncomfortable. im dealing with my obesity and hernia, I need an operation So. right now thats too much but perhaps after I get some of this weight off.

OK, then (and trust me on this...I empathize hugely...two fake knees, side effects from chemo, bad hips... there is NO way you can get me to sit on the floor. Oh, sitting on the floor is fine once I get there, but it would take a Sikorsky helicopter and two SAR teams to get me back up!) If you can't go, then..sit quietly on your bed and meditate. I do. Well, for me, I do 'zen knitting." That's when I just pick up yarn and needles and knit. I have NO clue what I'm knitting. No pattern, no idea of how it will 'turn out,' and about nine times out of ten the thing gets unraveled. it's all about the peace and repetition. You guys say koans. I knit. Same process, I think. Maybe. It works; It gets me to another place. I think.

Isn't meditation about the mind and spirit, not the contortions one sends one's body into?

Well, bless you and good luck, anyway. I don't know EXACTLY what you have to deal with (Ok, I'm obese too...) but some of the things? yeah, and they suck.