Missionary Dating

Secular Sunday

February 24, 2019

Attendees:

·         Ann Brady	·         Joe	·         Molly
·         Lyn	·         Brian	·         Rachel
·         Bob	·         Lisa	·         Derek
·         Roberta	·         Toni	·         Josh
·         Tara	·         Mike	·         Charles
·         Jessica	·         Stephanie	·         James
·         Dawn	·         John	·         Katie
·	·	·

Announcements:

Lisa – Jim Helton is interested in talking to any groups in NC (American Atheists). Topics include conversion therapy, onboarding, Gideon bibles in public schools, sex education, toolkits for activism. Starter kit from them. Last week of March. Tues 26^th, Wed. 27^th, Thursday 28^th. Can we vote online? Should we partner with another group so that we can meet people outside our area?

Lisa – American Atheist convention is at the end of April. Starts on April 18^th (Thursday). Tickets are roughly $100. Rooms are $105 a night. (3 nights). In Cincinnati.

Molly – if you are interested in the book club give Molly your email by the end of the meeting.

Brian – lending library. Sign up. Brian will bring the book next week.

Lyn – last couple of weeks there were a letter in the paper about praying for Trump. Also 2 amendments were struck down by Winston Salem Superior Court judge.

Fair Districts NC will come to speak to a group about gerrymandering if anyone wants.

Discussion Notes:

Missionary dating – Christians date atheists to try to convert them. OMG.

Charles – married a Christian, was a Christian himself. Lost his faith when his children were growing up. It was very difficult. He does not date Christians now.

Molly – dated a Christian who never tried to convert her.

Derek – dated a fundie but she never tried to convert him.

Katie – her last Christian boyfriend was anti-science.

Rachel – her husband is religious but is not a problem. They argue about Trump, but not religion.

Sean – were any of us in religions that forbid dating outside the religion. Premarital sex will get you kicked out in JW. Being JW is banned in some countries.

Charles and Josh – discussion about Ruth (Moabite) and whether the bible indicates that that disqualified David and Jesus from being Jewish. 2Cor6:14 – Do not yoke yourself to unbelievers.

Sean – Heller – God Knows – the David story from David’s perspective in a Catch-22 way.

John – how has being married to a believer affected your marriage.

Lisa – grew up Catholic but was still looking for something Christian. Her husband was not religious (maybe an agnostic theist). He is conservative and is uncomfortable with her lack of faith. He is concerned that she will influence her son and maybe they will think he is stupid.

Josh is uncomfortable with the term atheist because he feels that it is off-putting to many – seems to be taken as an attack on them. Fear and seeing have the same root in Hebrew. It maybe that they have a fear of something that is unknown.

Jess – religious people are not really well equipped for the unknown because they are used to having answers for everything. If you take God out they don’t have answers.

Back to dating believers – Quiverful Christians. They have conventions where they take their sons and daughters to make matches. Have bunches of kids to populate the world with Christians.

JW – conventions amount to the same thing.

Jesus Camp – movie

Every religion allows loop holes that allow about any kind of behavior. (Josh – Muslims having “marriages” with prostitutes). The divider (in this discussion) is not religion, it’s how dogmatic or tolerant or accepting they are of other ideas. Presenting narrow-mindedness as a virtue is not attractive whether it’s religion or atheism.

Pam – her husband is concerned that his clients will find out she is atheist. He feels outnumbered by Pam and kids. The only way to take the sting out of the word is to use it.

Sean – we are trying to address broader goals in that we have people who are believers.

Charles – likes free thinker.

Josh – words are the way we communicate and miscommunicate.