Must Read for Fundies - I'm blessed - Merge

[Curious]

This came across my timeline today and being a curious sort (ha), I clicked the link to see what the "one thing Christians should stop saying" was. Imagine my surprise when I read this (bold mine):

First, when I say that my material fortune is the result of God's blessing, it reduces The Almighty to some sort of sky-bound, wish-granting fairy who spends his days randomly bestowing cars and cash upon his followers. I can't help but draw parallels to how I handed out M&M's to my own kids when they followed my directions and chose to poop in the toilet rather than in their pants. Sure, God wants us to continually seek His will, and it's for our own good. But positive reinforcement?

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/scott-dan ... 68963.html

It is a great article, IMO and everyone that we follow needs to read it and take it to heart.

[SamuraiKatz]

This is a great article. Thank you for sharing.

[Khan]

Wow. What a great way to describe it. Now I'm picturing God as the South Park version but with sparkling wings and a magic wand.

[FJismyheadship]

I sent this to a friend of mine and he liked it. He even changed from saying blessed to grateful. Don't know how long it will last, but at least it impacted him.

[FJismyheadship]

My dad wrote this

This article is complete garbage.

Thess: 5:18 In every thing give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you.

Eph. 5:20 Giving thanks always for all things unto God and the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ;

What part of "all things" does this guy not understand?

I never got the impression the guy was saying we shouldn't be grateful.

[mockingbird]

I think Ellen was parodying this with her "hashtag Oscars hashtag blessed" comment/caption for her Oscars mega-selfie.

I have a hard time separating "blessed" from being thankful/grateful to God, but then again, I grew up in a religion/culture (mainstream Catholicism) that doesn't overuse the word "blessed". The most I see/hear from my Catholic friends/family is usually of the "so blessed to have a wonderful family" on Thanksgiving variety. If you have a great family, to me that could be considered a blessing. But, I guess I think of "blessings" as a more general positive/good thing word, as in "count your blessings". (I also don't think we were taught that only the things mentioned in the Beatitudes are blessings. Maybe that is a common interpretation of that passage in other denominations.)

I do think it gets ridiculous when people are thanking Jesus for finding them a parking spot or whatever. I do agree with the general idea that "God is not a wish-granting factory". And I think his best point is that it can be seen as bragging or othering... I didn't actively think about that before, but I think that is really why saying/posting things like this can seem insincere.

[FJismyheadship]

Maybe that's why my dad didn't like it. He was raised Episcopalian, and I don't think they over use blessed either. However, I am surrounded by Assemblies Of God who seem to think if you are not receiving blessings in material form, you aren't doing something right.

[Nobodysdoormat]

Amen brother! While they're at it could they please stop overusing the word "just" in their prayers. I think they think it makes them sound like they aren't just writing up a big old grown up Santa's list with their "worshipful" prayer. It is bloody annoying.

[Curious]

I think Ellen was parodying this with her "hashtag Oscars hashtag blessed" comment/caption for her Oscars mega-selfie.

I have a hard time separating "blessed" from being thankful/grateful to God, but then again, I grew up in a religion/culture (mainstream Catholicism) that doesn't overuse the word "blessed". The most I see/hear from my Catholic friends/family is usually of the "so blessed to have a wonderful family" on Thanksgiving variety. If you have a great family, to me that could be considered a blessing. But, I guess I think of "blessings" as a more general positive/good thing word, as in "count your blessings". (I also don't think we were taught that only the things mentioned in the Beatitudes are blessings. Maybe that is a common interpretation of that passage in other denominations.)

I do think it gets ridiculous when people are thanking Jesus for finding them a parking spot or whatever. I do agree with the general idea that "God is not a wish-granting factory". And I think his best point is that it can be seen as bragging or othering... I didn't actively think about that before, but I think that is really why saying/posting things like this can seem insincere.

I have a Proverbs 31 type woman amongst my facebook friends (imagine my surprise when I discovered that) and I have a pretty far right leaning, but not quite so far as Proverbs 31, as well (who just self-identified as a Democrat a couple days ago and I'm still trying to wrap my mind around that based on...virtually everything she has ever posted...ever). Anyway, they had differing views on this article. The not quite Proverbs 31 person, said that she had never thought of it this way and was going to change the way she spoke based on it because it made sense to her. The other one, said a whole lot of words about that not being what God would want (essentially).

Once in a while, I will dip a toe into conversations they are having (I have never self-identified what my belief system or political bent is, but I'm sure they have a fair idea based on stuff I post, in general) and try to bring up how some of the things they post look to others outside their circle (respectfully of course, since they are business type relationships). I find the not quite proverbs woman to be willing to have discussions and a live and let live attitude, despite her pretty fundieish bent on many things. The other woman, not so much, but she hasn't defriended me yet, so there is that ;)

Edit to add: By the way, I posted this in WWoS, but I know a lot of people don't get up there: viewtopic.php?f=81&t=21127

It's another good article, IMO, that is not fundiecentric, but applies to them equally as much as the one in the OP, IMO.

[louisa05]

Amen brother! While they're at it could they please stop overusing the word "just" in their prayers. I think they think it makes them sound like they aren't just writing up a big old grown up Santa's list with their "worshipful" prayer. It is bloody annoying.

I think, for many of them, it is more a verbal tic or filler than anything else. I say that because if you actually listen, it functions that way. They say it when they run out of words. It is also a word that is part of many of the unofficial stock prayer phrases, too. They make a big deal of not using written prayers (like us heathen Catholics) but they construct theirs with a string of stock phrases and they all sound the same anyway.

[doggie]

use the link the article is much longer. this is really a well written on how blessing is way overused and really almost never should be used.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/scott-dan ... 68963.html

I was on the phone with a good friend the other day. After covering important topics, like disparaging each other's mothers and retelling semi-factual tales from our college days, our conversation turned to the mundane.

"So, how's work going?" he asked.

For those of you who don't know, I make money by teaching leadership skills and helping people learn to get along in corporate America. My wife says it's all a clever disguise so I can get up in front of large groups and tell stories.

I plead the fifth.

I answered my buddy's question with,

"Definitely feeling blessed. Last year was the best year yet for my business. And it looks like this year will be just as busy."

The words rolled off my tongue without a second thought. Like reciting the Pledge of Allegiance or placing my usual lunch order at McDonald's.

But it was a lie.

Now, before you start taking up a collection for the "Feed the Dannemillers" fund, allow me to explain. Based on last year's quest to go twelve months without buying anything, you may have the impression that our family is subsisting on Ramen noodles and free chips and salsa at the local Mexican restaurant. Not to worry, we are not in dire straits.

Last year was the best year yet for my business.

Things are looking busy in 2014.

But that is not a blessing.

I've noticed a trend among Christians, myself included, and it troubles me. Our rote response to material windfalls is to call ourselves blessed. Like the "amen" at the end of a prayer.

"This new car is such a blessing."

"Finally closed on the house. Feeling blessed."

"Just got back from a mission trip. Realizing how blessed we are here in this country."

On the surface, the phrase seems harmless. Faithful even. Why wouldn't I want to give God the glory for everything I have? Isn't that the right thing to do?

No.

As I reflected on my "feeling blessed" comment, two thoughts came to mind. I realize I'm splitting hairs here, creating an argument over semantics. But bear with me, because I believe it is critically important. It's one of those things we can't see because it's so culturally engrained that it has become normal.

But it has to stop. And here's why.

First, when I say that my material fortune is the result of God's blessing, it reduces The Almighty to some sort of sky-bound, wish-granting fairy who spends his days randomly bestowing cars and cash upon his followers. I can't help but draw parallels to how I handed out M&M's to my own kids when they followed my directions and chose to poop in the toilet rather than in their pants. Sure, God wants us to continually seek His will, and it's for our own good. But positive reinforcement?

God is not a behavioral psychologist.

[FJismyheadship]

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