B40 - Sermon, Rant, or the Truth (Take your pick)

Hi again

Well I might call this post " Sunday Sermon" or "Rant" even though it's only Saturday.

I'm again being activated by religion or rather religious BeliefS. Maybe this is all a test to see if I'm going to go back to my old programs and try to be nice and understanding according to their religious point of view, which from personal experience, is a confusing no win situation. Although an email sparked this post, the story line is one I've heard over and over and so I will combine their stories.


This morning I got an email from a person asking for my opinion and advice on depression, but instead of talking about their feelings, the first words they wrote were that they were devoutly religious, "born again" Christian and a follower of the Lord years and that "being saved" was the best thing that has ever happened to them. They then went on to say that they have been through a lot of “mental” changes over the past few years and that they have been having a hard time really caring about anything or anyone anymore and were not sure what has happened to them. They were no longer motivated and were constantly over-eating and depressed; in stark contract to how their life used to be so which was disciplined and controlled. They hope and pray that things will change or they constantly tell themselves that they will change even though they know that they won't. That they are on a merry-go-round and can't seem to get out of the cycle and can't stay motivated and focused long enough change the life that they are experiencing. And then they conclude by saying that they know they are sinners and weak, because they are human but that Jesus died for their sins and that God forgives them because they are saved.

My reply was to the point.
I'm not confused, but I know you are. If you have been a devote follower of the Lord for years as you say you are, and that it's the best thing that ever happened to you, then why are you asking me for help, shouldn't you be talking to your Lord and following his advice or at least the advice of your religious institution.... no matter what.

Secondly, by your asking (ME) for help.... you are also silently insinuating (in denial and not saying it out loud as then you would hear your own judgments) that the lord isn't doing his job right and that his will is not what you want, and that you know how to do his job better than he does, which is actually saying that you want to be God in his place. So make up your mind and either walk your religious "Babble" that you keep saying is so great, or get off the BS box and get real. I'm not going to waste my time (but I still am in writing this e-mail) with religious people who always have a convenient "out" by quoting the bible or by blessing, or praying for my deliverance and denying the real issues when confronted with the truth. The favorite Christian "out" of having to take personal responsibility for their actions and feelings is to wash them away (denial) and be cleansed, by giving them up to the lord. They then deny that they have any of the issues that they brought up and insist that if their suffering is Gods will, then so let it be as their glory will be in Heaven. Yadda, yadda, yadda. And once they’ve blessed you, know that any further conversation you attempt is then considered the work of the devil.

Another area of confusion that comes up during these conversations is the difference between mental and emotions problems. Mental relates to the mind, to thinking and ideas as in (2 + 2 = 4), while emotions, including depression, relates to the way one feels about experiences. But that’s another topic.

Have a nice day, Amen! (And I quietly step off the soap box)

John

PS: This post is related to one I posted earlier on my issues with religion and Being a Hypocrite