Talking to myself again....

I received a phone call yesterday and the more I think about the conversation that took place...the angrier I get. This person was a long lost friend of mine that I met when I was 15 and lost touch with once I got married. He found me online through myspace and got my number from information. Haven't seen or spoken to him in almost 12 years.

I'm not very good at stating an effective argument when I've been insulted off guard. I sit there dumbfounded with my mouth hanging open like an idiot wondering how anyone would act like that....then when the conversation is complete I go over and over in my head the things I SHOULD have said. So this blog entry is my conversation with my self....

The beginning of the conversation started off pretty typical....How've you been? How's life? How's the family? That's great....glad to hear it....so on and so forth....but then the conversation took a dramatic leap.....he says...."well the reason I called is because I've become very involved in my Baptist church...blah blah blah....we're working on inviting people to join our church.....blah blah blah....and I wanted to invite you and your family to join us for our service this Sunday." At this point I'll be honest and say that I was a little taken aback by the drastic shift in the conversation...but whatever....I told him politely that I appreciated the invitation but my husband and I are very happy with our church and have no interest in switching.

him: "oh....are you still going to catholic church?"

me: "no".....I told him the story about the last experience we had with the catholic church and why we left and how we then went on a search for a church...explained that we found this church because we heard so many people speak so highly of it and we decided to try a service and it ended up being a perfect fit for us.

him: "can I ask which church"

me: "sure....we go to Kensington"

him: "OOOOOOOHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH TTAAAAAMMMMMMMMMMMMMY!!!" His voice is just dripping with a condescending arrogance that immediately makes my eyebrows raise and the hairs on my neck stand.....I'm pretty sure I'm about to be attacked.....

me: complete silence

him: "that's not a church....that's just a 'feel good' service"

me: "that's probably why I like it....it makes me feel good and inspired when I leave...and my kids love going because it makes THEM 'feel good'"

him: "church is suppose to teach you the word of the Lord and how you can be a better person not just make you feel good"

me: "huh" this is the point that I pretty much went silent and tried to change the subject because my face was turning purple and I was getting just a smidge upset at this guys' pompous attitude. "again, I can honestly say that I will NOT be joining the Baptist religion."

him: (refusing to take no for an answer)....."can I ask why not"

me: "it's just not for me.....it's not for my husband....or for our family....and we're happy where we're at"

him: (again, refusing to take no for an answer)...but how can you say that when you don't know anything about our religion.

me: "I know enough to know that I don't want to be a part of it"......If I wasn't turned off before I certainly am after THIS conversation. One of my best friends growing up was Baptist and I know that the way her family was is NOT the way I want my family to be. Her father was a very arrogant, pompous, opinionated, judgemental, holier than thow person who made me feel that I would be going straight to hell for not believing in what they believed in....they were constantly trying to "save" me from myself by bringing me to their baptist church services....It irked me then and it irks me now....but I would never sit before them and tell them that MY church is BETTER....good for them for finding something that works for their family. Same thing with the Catholic religion....I've always had my issues with the hypocrisy of the catholic religion....you can sin as many times as you want but just come confess those sins to another sinning priest whose computer is filled with child pornography and do your assigned penance and you'll be absolved of those sins so you can start fresh this week.......the incident with Jordyn's Baptism was just the last straw. But I certainly don't look down on those that still follow the catholic religion....good for them for finding something that works for their family. When the whole baptism thing went down I had someone say to me....I understand how you feel but don't give up on the catholic religion....I can't leave the church because I just can't help but think that one day there will come a time when I'll really need someone....someone to lean on....give me advice...or help with a severe problem.." To which I responded "I can't ever imagine something so horrible in my life happening that I would chose to confide in a priest over friends or family".......but.....I'm glad that the Catholic Church gives YOU that sense of security.

The arrogant, pompous, know-it-all, judgemental, opinionated ways of these churches is EXACTLY the reason we don't go there.....

I found the following description at Kensington's website and it sums up our church and the reasons we love our church beautifully!

At Kensington, Our pastors are real people with real solutions to real problems. They tackle tough issues head on with practical advice straight from the Bible. They show how God wants to be involved in our lives and the help only he can offer. And they do it in real, everyday language we can all understand.
No Hymns, No Pews, And No Excuses Not To Come. Instead of an organ and choir, we have a dynamic band playing music that matters to you. Instead of ritual and routine, we have compelling dramas, comedy skits, and exciting multi-media. All designed to present biblical truths and how they apply to your everyday life.
A New Way To Do Church. Our casual, relaxed atmosphere is a place to investigate Christianity without guilt or pressure. A place to grow spiritually at your own pace. With unconditional love, support, and acceptance during your journey. No strings attached. So come as you are. Go as you want to be. From modern dance to computer animation, we approach church with a wide range of artistic expression and a sense of humor. And we build this freshness and fun into our children's and youth programs, too.

K I'm done....I feel better......