Just Talk - My American Life

http://www.thisamericanlife.org/radio-archives/episode/77/pray

Spoiler, I'm religious.

Shocker, I know.

The crazy part about listening to this was listening to how other people pray. I'm so used to being surounded by my own faith and those that think the same way, or at least very similar ways, to the way that I do, so I don't get much variation. When I listened to how those people in Colorado Springs pray, it just seemed weird.

First weird thing - holy cow did they say, 'O Lord, God' all the time. It was like a mantra that had to be said before and after every single sentence. I'm sorry, but He gets it. You're talking to Him, you don't need to keep addressing him. How would you like it if every time your best friend talked to you, they started and ended every sentence with your name? Nick, I don't think we should go out for lunch Nick. Nick, I don't have enough money to eat there Nick. Nick, I think that I'm just going to have tuna fish for lunch, Nick.

You do three minutes worth of that towards me, and I would ignore you.

The next thing, that always gets me when more evangelical/charismic Christians pray is the back up squad. To me, this is the equivalent of a group of people coming up to talk to me, one of them saying that they're speaking on behalf of the entire group, and then every now and then one of the people in the back of the group yelling out, "Yes! He just said what I was thinking! That was me! That one was from me! Glad he said that, because I was the one who was thinking it!" Come on, I'm trying to have some one on one time with the person that you chose to represent you to talk to me, give them a moment and let them do their job.

The worst part about this episode was that any time there's religion, like I've talked about before, I just hope to myself, please don't be mormon, please don't be mormon, please don't be mormon. We are ALWAYS put as the crazy people with religion. Somehow, someway, we manage to slip things up and can never be in the normal group. Sure enough, even though this was about a non-mormon group, one of them is an ex-mormon.

Finally, the main article that was part of this just bugs me. I can't help it. I am not a fan of forcing religion on people. You give them the option, you give them the choice, and if they don't want it, you move on and let them be. I don't like this whole idea of forcing Christianity on people, it's not my style. I don't like forcing religion on people and think that it should be a personal, private, individual thing. Figure out what works for you, and share it for those that want to know, but if someone doesn't want your help, don't force it on them.

It's the equivalent, in my mind, for those people that LOVE a certain type of music. You can listen to it all days long, you can  jam out to your playlist and be a super fan, but you have to know that there's a point where your music turns from something that you enjoy, to something that everyone else hates because you are so bad at presenting it. It's nice to say things like, 'hey have you ever heard of this band? They're really great, maybe you would like them' and then if someone says they're not interested in that genre of music to just move on. Maybe they're not a fan of heavy metal, or whatever it is that you listen to. Just move on, you're not going to win them all, even with the best music ever.

What's not appropriate is saying, 'hey have you ever heard of this band?' and then jamming an ear bud from your mp3 player into their ear at full volume during the middle of one of your favorite songs with no introduction or explanation as to what is going on in the song. Then, once the person freaks out, rips the ear bud out of their ear, and says they aren't interested, you then chase them around for the next week blasting your favorite music at them from your car stereo, mega phones, and even wear the band's shirt in hopes that if they just see the band, they'll become fans. Finally after an entire week of you stalking your friend, trying to force your favorite music on them, you stop and just think that they are forever condemned to never know what an amazing piece of art your favorite music is.

You want to know why they didn't listen to your music? Do you want to know why some people get turned off about church, prayer, and religion? Did you ever think it was you? Did you ever think that maybe, just maybe, you were being a tad bit too pushy with it? Did you ever think that right then, while you were going off the deep end citing some scripture from Isaiah while praying to a person who doesn't even understand that there is a God, that maybe, JUST MAYBE, the person wasn't quite ready for Isaiah?

Finally, as a secular person who also prays, time to give my point of view. It's not an either/or sort of deal. You don't have to be either a spiritual or secular person. It is very possible to be both. It is very possible to believe in the tenants of science and discovery, and the beliefs of a life after this, of a God who loves us and wants us to live with Him again, and of a holy book that can guide you and help you in your life. You don't have to do either/or, you can easily do both. You can believe in a little thing called intelligent design, and it works. You can believe in science, and still be Christian.