Quoting from the scriptures isn't scary.

This also drives me bananas. I frequently have people calling to my door and before I open my mouth they launch into quites from the bible. I used to stand and listen and then say to them "Are you finished, because I have work to do". They would then hand me a magazine and ask me to read it. Now I get very annoyed with so many of them calling and I don't like getting into discussions about religion so I just interrupt them and tell them to go away.

Ugh! What bothers me is that Christians who quote the Bible to me always seem to expect that someday I will just say "Yay! You've convinced me! I want to be saved now!" even though I've read the Bible myself numerous times and it hasn't had that affect. I am religious myself actually, but my religion is a very personal one, and certainly not "organized", at least in modern times. Still, I believe that my spiritual life is enhanced by studying, questioning, and learned, rather than diminished by it. I am always willing to listen to others talk about their religions, and am always respectful to such people, assuming they behave the same way towards me. Sadly, most of the time they simply want to tell me about their religion and then plug their ears when I talk about my own. The other thing that really gets me is when people use Bible verses to justify their opinions on basic human rights issues that have nothing to do with religion. It just makes me want to slap people when they use their religion as an excuse to limit the rights of others, or to "protect" freedom of religion, but only their religion.

I know exactly what you are talking about when you say nod yes or no. Then you hope you get a pause and can run away. They really don't have their own opinion they do just quote what they know. I think of them more like sheep then church mice. Sheep just follow the heard, are all looked over by one person, then are shaved and eaten at the end. Sound familuar to religon? they call the lord their shepard, so that would make them the sheep. All saying the same thing over and over baaa baaaa.

I wish all the trained parrots had an understanding of what they are spouting. And the fanatasism does not seem to be strictly a christian problem either. I was raised in one of those parrot enviroments. I loathed it. To me it took away from the simplicity of what the bible had to say. The only "verse" that I would ever quote, would be one of the 10 commandments. Love thy neighbor as thyself. What a perfect world we could live in.

I have no problem with people having various religions but if I want to hear about it I'll come to your church, Don't knock on my door and start preaching. Back when I lived in town we got these "Bible thumpers" knocking on the door all the time. At the appartment we'd often see three different groups a night. If you tried to question them about anything besides when the next service was you could attend they got evasive. After a while my wife and I got tired of it and started messing with them. We'd notice them coming and make a chalk outline on the walk surrounded by their brochures ( we had a lot at this point ) a puddle of blood and police tape. My favorite was when a group came up as I was working on some of my armor. I had most of it on when I answered the door, saw who it was and called to my wife " Honey, the sacrafice is here ". They turned white and ran. All in fun... Fortuanatly since we've moved to the country we haven't seen any of them.

It always amazes me that some people don't mind a bit listening to some acquaintance relating every detail of the latest movie they have seen, but they object to another acquainted mentioning God, the Bible, or anything that has to do with religion. It seems a bit like a double standard. Don't Christians have the right to mention what interests them when everyone else has the right to discuss anything they please? What makes you think that people who quote some scripture to you have not studied what they are quoting, and that you are not required to think if you are religious. God tells us very plainly in the book of James that we are to study the scriptures and to find out if the things that our leaders tell us are true or not. I grant you that you may have occasionally come across a raving fanatic like you describe, but I doubt very much that it happens often. There seems to be something about hearing scripture or opinions about things God says in His word that makes people uncomfortable, because they know that they have rejected what God has to say and are afraid to face the consequences of their rejection.

The churches that I have belonged to always taught that you should not take anything anyone said without making sure they were teaching the truth. You researched it and studied it and confronted a person if you found that they were wrong in what they are teaching. One thing that a lot of Bible Thumpers need to learn is to take the scriptures in contexs. Do you know that you could prove that the moon was madfe out of green cheese just by quoating scripture. But the verse says it is "like green cheese." A true christian does not follow blindly because the "Blind will lead the blind." A true christian "studies deligently trying all spirits."

well thats a great observation you got in there..anyway its your opinion on those people nobodys debating you on that one...but i have only one comment on this observation of yours...everyone too has the right to know the passage by heart and be a parrot as what you have named it here..it will do no good in debating about religion here..what is more important is are we leading a life that is good and morally accepted in the community..have we not step on others toe during our struggles to live...

this is why even though i am a Christian i do not belong to any organised denomination .too many people call them selves Christians but are just churched they know little about the real Jesus and his beliefs!he himself accused folks of following there traditions more than him and sory to say many are still doing it!

To quote you: That is the worst problem with religion: you are not required to think and you're not supposed to question the dogmas of the faith. This is why I do not care for organized religion and no longer attend a church. I am curious by nature and enjoy learning. I understand the concept of believing by faith but see no reason not to seek knowledge about the subject instead of just accepting everything as fact because someone tells you it is. Quoting scriptures can be a good thing IF the person you're quoting to is accepting of those scriptures. Otherwise it's no different than preaching Ferberizing to an Attached Parenting supporter. They will not listen and be annoyed just like you said. I think the people that do this are generally overzealous believers that think they must convert the world but also harmless and passionate about their faith. The ones that bother me most are the ones that refuse to discuss anything other than their personal beliefs. It seems as though they are afraid of alternative opinions. The last time I spoke with the pastor of my former church, I asked him to explain why the Da Vinci code controversy could not be a possibility at all. His only response was that it couldn't be true because it just couldn't be. I didn't consider that an explanation and pressed for more. He told me there was nothing more to say about it and he didn't want to waste his time discussing lies. I find this to be a very closed minded way of thinking. I have no problem defending my beliefs but will only do it if I can back it up with more than scripture or a vague opinion.

"Our Lord" said,"You seek the scriptures that you might have life; but you refuse to come to me." So maybe it's not about religion-or a book-maybe it's about a relationship with Jesus. I agree totally! We all have to find our own way there; and cramming "words" down someone's throat isn't gonna do it.

First of all, there is a big difference between a pastor and a priest. I do not pray to a priest. I pray to God. Not everyone who is a Christian rants and raves. Most of us have minds that we use to make decisions for ourselves. I do not condemn someone becuase of their religious views, or their lack of them. I don't think how many scriptures you can quote is the weight of how good a Christian you are. In some instances it closes doors rather than opening them. And yes, I am a Christian and I am very involved with my church and devout in my faith. I do not "Door Knock" and try to shove my religion down someone else's throat. I do not think that if you don't believe exactly as I do that you have no hope. that is contrary to what my bible teaches, and contrary to what I believe God intended.

I myself have witnessed this so called tirade, I do believe in God and a whole lot of other things but I don't expect people to believe or behave the same way as I do, as long as nobody is offended by that then there shouldn't be an issue, the problem is so many of these so called religious people are so wound up in it that they start condeming people outside it and then strongly support and justify a lot of wrong doings that take place within their religion. I believe good is good and bad is bad, ignorance is a sin that a lot of people use in their denial to try and convince as well as twist words around to get people round to their way of thinking.

I think scripture is just scriputre, woth out the life to go with it..... In order to quote scripture to someone you have to be able to show them your living a christian life. If your not that a hypercrite(SP) right....God didnt just f=give us scripture...He gave us his word to study, learn and TO LIVE BY...... Thats what I think about this topic....Learn it, love it and live by it...... The Bible is the only guide we have through out life...

Religion, perse, cannot save our soul. What is important is a personal relationship with the Lord.....

Hi, Splitzip! I am fortunate enough to have found a religion where you can question the pastor Everything about faith. And his answers are all supported by the bible. You are so true! Churchgoers go home with the same attitude and point of view. I learned to put faith on God more. I learned to know him better because in our church, verses are explained word for word.