Life Hacks of the Poor and Aimless
"The slow collapse of the social contract is the backdrop for a modern mania for clean eating, healthy living, personal productivity, and "radical self-love"-- the insistence that in spite of all evidence to the contrary, we can achieve a meaningful existence by maintaining a positive outlook, following our bliss, and doing a few hamstring stretches as the planet burns. The more frightening the economic outlook and the more floodwaters rise, the more the public conversation is turning toward individual fulfillment as if in a desperate attempt to make us feel like we still have some control over our lives."
This is so true. My Narc brother follows the "Law's of attraction". He thinks it works even though I would consider his life a disaster.
ReplyDeleteI'm not sure if I'm a believer anymore but we are at an all time high of people being lovers of self. So that prophecy seems to be playing out...
Yes people are lovers of them selves. Even this stuff is bout more navel gazing and if you fail in the self-improvement often which costs a lot of money, it is used as a stick to beat people with. I hope you will stay a believer, all Christians have moments of doubt and fearing of falling away. The "Christian" world seems so evil to me, that if I had not been able to separate the fallen church system from Jesus Christ, I do not know what would have become of my own faith. Yes the prophecy is playing out. The "God has a plan for your life" people are probably leading away from God. Even here, perfect outcomes and happiness is assured. Law of attraction is a lie. Many put hope in these false things and perfection on this earth.
DeleteI guess I am just questioning why a good God would want me to live in a fallen world? I mean if he is considered our Father;what Father lets their children stay at a crazy psychopaths house. No one to answer that for me.I try to listen to apologetics but no one ever really addresses this.
ReplyDeleteI am holding on to Jesus barely...
I have asked the same questions too. The "best life now" lies the churches give and the automatic blessing they teach if you are "good" is some of the reasons I don't go to church anymore. Hold on to Jesus and realize the church system and rest are teaching the predominant narcissistic messages of society. They more and more deny a fallen world exists. There is a reason that the organized church system in America has become a gathering of the more well off rich and happy in family. The book of Job has explained some of this to me, and other verses about this world being a vale of tears. I even felt like barfing to see this lady [I like her a lot] on facebook from my high school having her upper middle class church travel several states away to Kentucky, to "minister" to the poor there. I thought they never will get it. While I hope they did really help the "poor" there was part of me thinking why'd you have to go 500 miles to find poor people?
DeleteThe crazy psychopath is Satan and the bible does admit say he is prince of this earth. Of course at many churches they will teach the false gospel of the law of attraction, but if you "just think good thoughts" "you'll be rich and blessed".
Did you see this article:
http://fivehundredpoundpeeps.blogspot.com/2016/05/abusive-parents-influence-ones-view-of.html
I talk about how I was a full blown atheist for many years etc.
Yes, I think my abusive parents did warp my view of God being unloving or harsh.
ReplyDeleteI do still believe because I see the power of Christ in saving me from sin and the comfort of the Holy spirit.
I hate when people step over the poor and those in need to go 500 miles. That totally bugs me and is one of the reasons I am out of the church. I think they are shipwrecking some peoples faith.
I agree about the Christians being mostly well off now. I volunteered at a food pantry and these people who worked there gave me the impression they felt above the people coming there. It was so weird. I didn't feel I was better than them. I just couldn't relate. It bothered me.
But still, why does God allow Satan to run this world right now? It just does not compute.
Sometimes I appreciate Job. It makes sense that God is in charge. I get this when I make my craft projects. I'm the potter and they are the clay.. So I think that maybe I just have to accept the vast power and beyond my thinking of God.
The thing that saves me from atheism is how hypocritical they can be. They always give the story of the horrid person who becomes a Christian and goes to heaven and the really good hearted, giving loving, kind atheist who goes to hell. Who is that guy. I've never met that person. Who is this perfect atheist..It's almost funny. Plus they talk about how evil God is but I don't get the feeling any of them care or would care a wit about my problems.
So, I'm hanging in there. I just know I'm kind of a lousy Christian. I'm hoping God is a fair judge and looks at the hardships we've been given, and that we do the best we can.I don't know if that's biblical but...
I'll look for your article.
Glad you like that article. Yeah many abused people go through that where our parents warp our view of God. I am glad you still believe, I agree it is the power of Jesus Christ that saves too. His righteousness. Remember the work to get in crowd, will insist on us being perfect, it's not going to happen in this life, though we should seek to obey God.
DeleteYeah it bugged me, why did they have to go that far? Why don't these church members have poor members in the congregation to help? I know the area her church is in there's tons of poor people within a 25-50 mile radius, even more 100 miles out. Plenty of local poor once you leave the suburbs and probably plenty of hidden poor in the suburban area, and rural area down the road. It bugs me too. They seem so happy to take this trip and you can tell it's like a vacation and they can feel "warm" because they are "doing good" and maybe some people benefit, but underneath I know I would be too poor to be in that church, and I probably am poorer or as poor as the people they traveled hundreds of miles to serve. Yes they are shipwrecking people's faith. Most of the church Christians in my community are well-off types. I see the poor and un/underemployed, disabled, and others at the food pantries and they aren't going to church. Sure one church invites the poor, but we know it's a world we don't really fit in. When I went to my nice rural church it was more accepting in my old town but even there the ladies went on an annual retreat for 80 dollars I never could afford. [that was just the hotel costs, the food would be more plus they went shopping] Even those ladies who were a few class notches down from the ones I live around now, had a different lifestyle.
Yes at the food pantries, you can tell some of them feel above the people. We had the food pantry abuse, and I got the feeling they see my husband and think he is educated, and probably assume he doesn't work at all, and is a "bum" even though his name is always in the local newspapers under articles. One place is far better to us then another, but its hard. Thanks for saying you have seen that too. Most poor people are leaving churches, we can't afford the donations or tithing, or the good clothes or even the present for the ladies auxillary or the church member's wedding shower.
continuing...
DeleteI dont understand either why Satan is allowed to run the world either and be in charge. The Bible warns in the last days this world will grow more evil. I sometimes have asked God, "How am I supposed to stay above it all when there is so much wickedness and people seeing to crush me?" So I have been there too.
Yes I appreciate JOb too and sometimes we have to take the see through a glass darkly stuff, and figure God knows what will happen. It's hard to understand, and God's thinking is way beyond our own.
I used to be an athiest, so remember the hypocrisy. One thing confuses me about atheists, the majority cling like crazy to neo-liberalism, Hillary is always their best pal. Don't get that one. Sure there are exceptions. The UUs never gave me a morsel of food or one dime while I starved in the ghetto except maybe a 50 cent cup of coffee. I never met these giving atheists either. Sure there's some who have ethics, but there is a different outlook on the world, they see this world as IT. I have one agnostic friend, I witness to her openly. Most walked from me long ago she hasn't. I'd like to hope she thinks things over. Yes they talk about how evil God is, but agree, they would not care about our problems.
I'm not a great Christian either. Don't have the pious thing going, probably would offend the church crowd every other minute. So don't worry. I think God wants real people more then phonies and those focused on "looking good" There is a bible verse I can remember exactly that says to those more has been given more will be expected. Kind of along those lines. I hope God looks at our hardships too and takes them into account. Actually for us saved Christians who have put faith in Jesus Christ there is no judgment, His righteousness gets us into heaven.
Actually doesn't it say the saints will be overcome in the last days?
ReplyDeleteYes , I also don't go to church because of the money thing. They always talk about being biblical, but when it comes to Acts and how they pooled there stuff and even sold their house to help people; I can't even imagine most Christians today doing that.
The other thing that bugs me is that they would rather invite a gay person or a Muslim person to convert than a sick person like me who already believes. Then they will parade about said persons..What about what Jesus said about "did you visit me when I was sick,etc".It's because they don't see us as manpower or something like that I guess. They just seem's like a farse to me now.
Oh and the whole baby and wedding shower thing is totally bogus. As if the early Christians were doing that..And the retreats bug me. I just looked at the whole thing and was like ,I don't fit in here. Thanks for reminding me it's Christ's righteousness and not my own. I need to remember that more. And I also think his work in us can be slow going sometimes and that's OK. Thanks for the encouragement. I appreciate it.
there is a verse about even the elect would be deceived but aren't--thats how I see it but there is more then one that talks about the WEARING out of the saints and maybe that verse about NOT FAINTING is really meaning something now. Yes the money thing took me out, too along with the false doctrines and other issues like the war mongering. There are many Christians leaving the churches. Yes you don't see the pooling of resources or that kind of community. In my rural old town church there was some help and sharing of resources, sadly that church closed but I had no idea how RARE that was.
DeleteYes they will use some people to show off, and ignore the sick, and widows, and lonely and others. It's true the ill are ignored. I realized when I was younger, I could get more involved in the church, I had more money then but was still poor working class but had the energy to dedicate. When that is gone and you can't even volunteer or cook anything, yeah they desire those who are healthy and active. The good church visited me when I was housebound, but that vaporized when I moved.
The last church I went to, they never had church dinners or bible studies, it was all endless weddings and babies, and that was it. Very "family focused" there was a reason not one single or childless person was in the entire church. I don't see early Christians doing that either. Many had to LEAVE their families due to differing beliefs. Yes I did not fit in there either, so I have been there too. Yes we have to look to Jesus Christ. With the churches, I do have fond memories of my first, some of the pain in moving still resonates today as I felt like I lost the few found "families" I managed. Its true the work can be slow going. We can only do our best with His help and even there, it is His righteousness not our own. This sick, I am low on "works" I spent enough time in churches before I was saved that taught me I had to work my way into heaven. Glad I was able to encourage you.
Yes , if you look at the whole bible most of the people who were talked about were flawed people..
ReplyDeleteYes they were. It wasn't perfect appearing people.
DeleteDear Peeps and Friends, i was listening to a sermon about a year ago where he was saying he knew several people who traveled nearly 100 miles round trip because they could not find a church that preached the Lord's grace. Way too many supposed "Bible" churches were into legalism. These travelers evidently had gas money. Have to wonder, how many within ten miles could not spare a gallon for Sunday worship, but instead had to burn it scrambling to one or more crappy part-time jobs. As for hhheelping the poor, i've been around those nosey pharisees - and heard with my own ears, ask the "poor" questions / make statements which were clearly out of line. Yeah, some of the poor are dope-heads, and we can thank the Lord-bashing talking heads, and people like Keynes (and various other perverts) for promoting a debt-based economy and a consumerist education system. Oh, and lest we forget, the weirdos who brought us mtv. A worldview that is hopeless - and then people wonder why jimmy is a crackhead???
ReplyDeleteGrace is going by the way side as legalism is going in more vogue. Most could not afford to go 100 miles weekly. I tried to go 40 to one church but it was not so good. It was too far for a weekly or even monthly trip for us. Probably many have to work just to keep a roof over their head or food. You never see any of those pastors demanding that employers give decent hours off or hire people full time instead of piecing no benefits or sick leave part time job together.
DeleteYes many can be nosy. I almost joined this one support group via church until I saw the application. Some of the questions were for information I don't even think my best friend knows. I've heard the "blame the poor" a la Dave Ramsey speak--their lazy, heard "those who don't work don't eat" etc etc. Judgment from humans putting down those with no money, this is especially bad in right wing evangelical churches. Very little getting real. Many turn to "drugs" for escape from misery. I saw that in the ghettos. Young people are given no love, endless narcissistic demands and go running for the pot, crack pipe, and alcohol. Many know how the world is working for them, I meet young people who have less hope then I did, and I had my butt whipped pretty hard in my early 20s, and that scares me. It's like idealism at all is dead. To many young people like this the churches are dead. They are places of perfect well off people they don't relate to.
I am reading a book called "Suburban Warriors" by Lisa McGirr and it should tell you how the Tea Partiers influence American cultures and mentality today. Republican leaders are responsible for what happened to you and many hurting and poor people since 2009. Churches took part in blaming poor people rather than ministering to them as Jesus commanded because many Republicans are going to church. Some pastors follow and embrace Tea Party and Republican perspectives and infuse these ideas in their sermons and when they minister to a certain group of people.
ReplyDeleteThere are some city where I could find good churches and pastors. I live in a Democrat city and state so I could find good churches where pastors do not vilify or blame poor people for economy and world problems today. The pastors and fellow church members are aware of false preachers, Republicans, and churches that work against poor people. My pastors spoke against them.
I went to bad churches and had false Christians in my past. I also want to tell you that some communities or cities are places where a high majority of people who live there are not nice people. Orange County, CA was a starting point where mean people came from and where the Tea Party Republican began in the 1960s. Their meanness spread to Los Angeles County and then it spread to cities where many Orange County residents moved in the 1990s, or after the Northridge Earthquake in January of 1994.
All these message you have been hearing and blaming of poor people came from Republican party of Orange County, CA and from the National Tea Party Republicans since 2010. That's my take.
Well, since you dealt with the same in your 20s, Peep, you dealt with people who subscribed to Reagonics or Reagan Revolution of the 1980s. Reagan Presidency and policies were a part of the movement that started in Orange County, CA in the 1960s (or to some extent in the 1950s). I have been praying for many poor, struggling, and hurting people.
I would like to read that book and have put it on my list of books to read. Much of the Tea Partier stuff was strengthened via the evangelical churches, which helped to support Bushes wars and more and in the church I left where they praised war, they still treated Ronald Reagan like some kind of god when Reagan helped led to the corruption and more poor people we see today.
DeleteI remember the 1980s and went to a very Republican high school, where they overtly supported the "Reagan Revolution".
Yes the evangelicals all join in the false jingoism and rah-rah for trickle down theories. Even now they praise the bankers in these churches and see the elite not as the 1% but as fellow Christians who have the wisdom to direct society. Trump even claimed he was born again to get more of the church vote on the right. I would tell people in churches how both parties were growing corrupt. The pastors in my new community here seem even more brainwashed and clinging to the political system even harder. The whole mentality at least in "conservative" churches is that poor people deserve to be poor, because they are "immoral", "didn't work hard enough", "enslaved by welfare or social security"--Tea Party types offer no alternatives to the "ditch", and that God decided not to "bless them" because they were supposedly inherently sinful.
Things weren't much better in the liberal UU, some there treated the third world and very poor people in the ghetto like their pets and patronized them. Class-wise I was as invisible. I never got help once while UU. They go on about Bali and recycling while I'd go home to gunshots and digging food and a mattress out of the trash. They were out of touch. Now there doesn't seem to be much difference in Christiandom how the poor are preceived where I have seen the same attitudes among some United Methodists to "conservative" independent fundamentalist baptists.
Some churches will help the poor and will teach better attitudes towards them, but much of the societal brainwashing especially in churches has been promoted by David Ramsey who believes hard work and frugal living will "save everyone", people like Oprah who push messages like if you believe hard enough you will succeed.
Orange County yes was a nexus of wealthy people promoting the Republican party. They are famous as being a Republican stand hold with wealth and power. We see class lines now between the Republican party and Democrat though sadly the Democratic party while giving some nods to the poor are part of the same corporatist, globalist-wars and banker agendas...[this is why Hillary is getting the nomination].
I have been around Republicans [some who call themselves Christians who go on about the "free shit army" and the people on welfare and "bums" making their taxes higher. They do not care about trillions for wars or bail out for bankers or that there are no jobs. Often if you raise the issue how few jobs there are or how many can't get good work, they ignore this part and say it is their fault. Some have gone on with this talk in front of my face, with my obvious unemployment and visible disabilities, it is known I m on social security pretty readily.
Putting up with put-downs against the poor from the pulpit, got beyond grating. Some pastors were better like my old rural pastor, he would teach hard times were coming and make collections for poor people in the church instead of for himself but the last one saw people on welfare or it seemed any assistance as evil beyond repair. Here many have taken a dip in the Ayn Rand pool and believe everyone has land resources to grow their own food and huge families to help them and great health.
continuing..
ReplyDeleteWhen I was in my old rural community--much of the prepping, self-reliant messages were mixed with Republicanism. Back then we were working class, and this was easier to tolerate but used to bother me because I knew life was not that simple. At least a few of the Ayn Rand pool swimmers would make nods to civil liberties and were against police brutality and the police state at least. Most mainstream Republicans are in love with the police state. Orange county types and others don't care about lessening freedom or constitutional rights.
I have noticed Tea Partiers tend to be wealthier--often baby boomer age though there are some professional class Gen X who signed up, and their main focus is taxes. Few seem to care about liberties. Their attitude towards those who have become poor is often of disdain. My NM and her brother [my N uncle] would post Tea Party slogans against people on welfare and disability. Funny how that self reliant thing did not apply to family and while some family members had vacation homes and shopped til they dropped, some [not just me] were dependent on the government to survive. So they were hypocrites one and all. Many Republicans WITH money made their money with government money and funding. {My parents a case in point}
The evangelical church world because of the strong right wing politics has grown harder towards the poor especially poor Americans. I think this is one reason some of these rich churches focus on only third world ventures, because while they see the third world as oppressed and in needs of their "Team America" [lets deliver democracy, globalist help] they see poor Americans as "undeserving" sorts who did not lift themselves up by their bootstraps. Some may go to Appalachia and do a few home repairs and take a religious vacation but day to day interaction with people in lower social class is nonexistent. America is becoming more divided by class politically and otherwise.
I used to go visit the "Rich Suburban" Land, wrote about this on an old article to visit my family and it was entering another world with it's own "code".
I am praying for hurt, struggling and poor people too
I have seen people who put down those on disability; but when someone they love and respect has to go on it it is suddenly legit. People today are so hypocritical.
ReplyDeleteI challenged Uncle narc once, when he put down the disabled, saying Aunt Scapegoat is on disability so you want her living outside under an overpass? It shut him up. Yeah suddenly it goes legit, or if they NEED IT THEMSELVES.
DeleteThe blathering about people just wanting free stuff simply reflects the blinkeredness of a tone deaf social elite who, deep down, keep dancing as fast as they can -- because they don't want to admit that anything is wrong. Funny, I thought I was voting for Sanders because he advocated something besides the "same old, same old" BS -- but, now that he's finally endorsed You Know Who, that seems more firmly back on the agenda than ever. But this is the best system in the world, as the talking heads keep on jabbering, the one they can't wait to export everywhere else....ask the Iraqis and the Afghans (and the Syrians) how well that notion's worked out.
ReplyDeleteI, too, am weary of this constant banging of the global drum -- because folks here have (for the most part) not benefited by it. All the religious tourism in the world won't change that inconvenient little fact.
But, please, please, don't let all these folks who want you to eat their shit, and take same, dent your self-esteem -- in my experience, the folks who prate on about "paying dues" never paid a dime of 'em. They always got somebody else to do that for them. --Mr. Peep
Yeah it is a tone deaf social elite who themselves have benefited from tax breaks, government employment like my parents, and other corporate tax write offs and "benefits". You are right they don't want to admit anything is wrong. I thought Sanders stood for some new things too but his endorsement of Clinton is nauseating. I wish there was one real independent allowed to run and win but the system is designed to keep the oligarch's war mongering figure head in. This is why we always end up with two non-choices. yes lets import more "democracy", to the rest of the world, what a joke that is. I got sick of the banging of the global drum, this country is way overdue to "take care of it's own business" instead of trying to run everyone else's business. Most Americans have suffered from globalism and it is turning this place into a third world country with as much power imbalances as a bannana republic. Seeing the churches dedicated more to overseas then people AROUND them also speaks of the blinkered blindness of a privileged set that doesn't want to admit how most of their fellow American's live, then they may actually not vote for some of those union busting corrupt politicians. They want to keep them brainwashed, then they can set up more organizations and NGOs to set up more "democracy importation" [aka exploitation of resources] The religious tourism has gotten out of hand.
DeleteAgree about people who want us to grovel denting my self esteem. It's true the ones going on about "paying dues" never have.
Thanks Mr. Peep :)
Yes the religious who run over the rest of us to help overseas as if we have no hardships here or are too spoiled. They seem the spoiled ones to me.
ReplyDeleteI saw through Sanders right away.I have the biggest bullshit detector. I've put up with so much. I hate to say this but I really don't believe there is any hope politically. Maybe it's bible prophecy and we are screwed.