Friend turned into a Reglious NUTBALL

Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share
1

My friend, I’ll call him T, turned into a religous nutball and it is driving my nuts.

Some background. T and I met when we worked together back in 1994. We were co-managers at a pizza joint. We became good friends. He was going through a nasty divorce and I was breaking up with the woman I thought I would marry. We went through hell together and became better friends. We would go out after work for a drink, catch a movie or go to my place and play Go. We also went to bars to pick up women. Over the next couple of years we did a whole lot of stuff together. That lasted until 1998 when I got promoted and was moved to Virginia. We still kept in contact.

In the last year we didn’t talk all that much. I called him about 3 months ago and he seemed a little off. I thought that he was off because he had just re-married. I called him last month and he seemed even more off.

Tonight I called him and found out that he is now a nutball.

We started out talking about how things were going which is innocent enough. After about 5 minutes of conversation T got mad because I said the F word. I thought T, who has 6 kids now, was speaking to one of his kids who cussed. But no, he was berating me for using a foul word. (T and I used to cuss each other and we both knew it was just a joke) I apologized and we went on.

Anyway, somehow or another T got into religion. This is where the nutball stuff comes in. T is a very smart guy but he got religion and well…you’ll see:

T claimed that evolution cannot be proved and at the same time that Jesus is a proven fact. I tried to point out that, while evolution isn’t set in stone, there is a lot more evidence for evolution than there is for Jesus being the son of God. (Note, I did this in a very nice way). T came back saying that there is scientific proof that Jesus was the Son of God. I asked T for his proof and he said the bible.

Next, I pointed out that according to the Bible the Earth is only 5000 years old while science shows that the earth is about 3 or 4 billion years old. T responded that the earth could not be more than 7000 years old because the Sun is shrinking. T then went on to say that the Sun, 7000 years ago, would be so big that it would encompass the Earth. WTF?

We went on this way a bit. I pointed out that more people have been killed in the name of Christianity than any other cause. T disagreed. I brought up the Crusades and the Inquisition and T didn’t know anything about that. I told T that he should do some reading.

At the end of the call I told T that I loved him and that we shouldn’t talk about these issues again because we will never agree. T then told me that I would end up on his side because Jesus is on his side and I would have to agree sooner or later.

ACK, where did my smart, funny friend go?

Slee

2

ARRRRRRRRRRRRRR!
In all seriousness, it’s a shame that his religion is overshadowing your friendship. I hope a balance can be struck and you can remain friends.

3

Being a Christain does not make him a wacko. If anything he is just over zelous with his new found religion. Kinda like when a baby is born the parents are over protective… give him some time to mellow out.

4

I’ve been there. I lost a good friend because she “got religion” and insisted I should do the same. Oh well, I hope she’s happy in her new life.

5

Obvious Guy, the OP didn’t say that being a Christian made his friend a wacko. His old friend’s words are irrational and judgmental. The Scriptures have never presented themselves as science. Sounds like the cultism of extreme fundamentalist Christianity has eaten away another brain.

Sleestak, you can fight it if you want to but it is a losing battle unless he is deprogrammed. Even one of my fundamentalist friends says jokingly that the best thing about being “born again” is that he isn’t so annoyed by religious nuts.

6

Here is the problem with your friend… unfortunatly your friend found religion and not Christianity, he has be “programmed” by it and has become less Christ-like than when he was your friend, the one you miss. There are way too many of those zealots around giving Christ a bad name, just as the Crusades did… just because someone does something in the name of Crist, doesn’t mean it is actually sanctioned by Christ!

I would suggest that perhaps you need to gently remind your friend that if he claims to be a Christian (Christ-like) then perhaps he should look at Christs true message (abolishing religion) and perhaps LIGHTEN UP!

7

Well, you both are responsible for this rift. Though your friend started it, and it does sound like he’s gone off the deep end. He shouldn’t just start yapping about this stuff, and assume that everyone is going to automatically agree with him. Hopefully, he’ll mellow out and stop doing that.

He was out of line by telling you all about how you are wrong and you will see things his way. He was a blithering moron to ramble on about his newfound beliefs, as if you were going to believe it hook, line and sinker. He should have known that you wouldn’t—he is an old friend, he knows you already.

And you were wrong to even waste your time trying to convince him that his religion and his personal beliefs are incorrect. You were wasting your time. I can’t blame you, I suppose, since he sort of dumped this big surprise on you so suddenly. But you were wasting your time in a spectacular way.

But, learn from this: When someone starts talking about something like this, smile sweetly, say, “How nice for you.” and change the subject. Neither of you will change each others’ minds. Don’t try to “fix” him—his religious beliefs are his business and he’s entitled to them, even if you think they are weird. And obviously, he ought to not try to “fix” you (which it sounds like he wants to do, and admittedly, he started this whole exchange). Trying to “fix” each other is obnoxious and rarely effective.

I am a religious Christian, and whenever I talk about religion with someone who I suspect may not share my views, I am very careful about what I say. VERY careful. I don’t want to get into an uncomfortable conversation with anyone. Such conversations should only be engaged in when it is obvious that both parties are eager to discuss it with some level of civility and open-mindedness.

8

[hijack] I’m sorry, but as an ir-religious Christian, I find that statement rather contradictory… perhaps a new thread is in order… Hmmm, something for tomorrow.[/hijack]

9

I sense a great debate coming…

10

That was Obvious :wink: but I will have to start it tomorrow as I am looking at 5 hours until I have to get up and start tomorrow!:o

11

LOL! You’re right!

12

So if the sun encompassed the Earth 7000 years ago, and it was created 5000 years ago then wouldnt the Earth be freaking hot as hell on the point of creation seeing as how the sun must have encompassed the orbits of Venus and Mercury. Speaking of which - wtf - did Venus and Mercury just appear out of God’s ass?

13

So… so… so no Great Debate??? :frowning:
Man I was looking forward to that all night!

14

Yup, the Godders got one of my good friends, too. I tried keeping up the friendship for a couple years, then I just gave up. It was too hard trying to look the other way when all conversations ended up on religious topics, and I watched my friend go from an intelligent, thinking man to a religious parrot.

Don’t know what to tell you, since I ultimately gave up the friendship. I know it sucks, though.

15

Venus and Mercury appearing out of God’s behind?

No…Uranus!

you didn’t see that one coming?
:wink:

16

You know, you can be an intelligent person and still be religious. Granted, he does sound still a little unsure, and is dealing with that by forcing it on others. I’m sorry that you feel that it has absorbed his personality, but give him some time. In response to being a “religious parrot”, plenty of free thinking widely regarded as intelligent people have been devoutly religious. Blaise Pascal, mathematician, scientist, and philosopher had a significant conversion experience.

Being unduly distracted by religion is the same as being distracted by anything else. Some people are so convinced in evolutionary theory [and it’s a theory - only natural selection has been “proven” and they are distinctly different things] that they won’t listen to anything evidence to the contrary. The trick is the be open minded to all of it. Please don’t decide that because he now believes something different than you [even if he believes it really aggressively] that he’s crazy. I’m sure there are a few things that you believe that he thinks are a little crazy, too.

17

This happened to a friend of mine. He moved about 20 miles away, so welbywife and I didn’t get to see him as often as we used to. Some friend at work took him to church, and weeks later I was a sinner and unfit to associate with. I still e-mail him from time to time, and we’re cordial, but it’s obvious he doesn’t really feel the same about the friendship we had as I do.

Some people feel the need to have religion dominate thier lives and thinking. IMO it’s because they’re too unsure of themselves to live life like a rational person, but there’s nothing to be done about it.

18

No… that was Guy.

19

At least your friend believes in a fairly normal religion.

One of my high school friends suddenly decided he could do magic, started calling himself the “First Shadowen Freebirth High Wizard,” claimed shapeshifting skills and took up pestering local philosophy professors as a hobby. Did I see this process take place? Noooo, I found out one evening when he called me and got it all at once. My mother (bless her heart) gave him my home phone number at a graduation ceremony for one of his relatives. She still has no idea how off the rocker he is.

Worse, he tried to indoctrinate me into this cult he was starting–of course, he called it a “think tank,” but it was basically a cult.

Of course, this lasted approximately 10 minutes before my mockery made him go away. Wackos seem to take it as an insult when you ask them if the reason they spell “magick” with a “k” is the same reason people spell “cheez” with a “z”.

I wish I still had his web address, so I could show you his loony toon tendencies. The best part was the “art” section–basically awful comic book style drawings of various occult themes.

20

I feel for you sleestak, I really do. This same thing happened to my beautiful, sweet, funny, and fun to be with little sister.

We cannot even talk now, she gods me to death, and I cannot stand it. I’ve asked her to at least read the bible, not just parrot what some preacher says at me, so we could at least have a discussion (since that is the only thing she will talk about), but she sees that as unecessary, as her pastor (or whatever he is called) tells her what verses she should read.

Oh yeah, I forget to tell you the best part. Guess what my little sister does for a living?

Wait for it…(drumroll)…

She is an exotic dancer. Yup, a stripper, shaking her ass for Jesus. :rolleyes: