tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3479340912474221858.post6509173403641641696..comments2016-05-17T03:44:31.306-05:00Comments on On Pop Theology: On The Things I Didn't FeelAnonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10452247853466672445noreply@blogger.comBlogger7125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3479340912474221858.post-74583392153974182752012-11-29T17:44:42.780-06:002012-11-29T17:44:42.780-06:00First of all, I really enjoy reading your blog. Y...First of all, I really enjoy reading your blog. Your blog is always either thought provoking or funny, which is exactly what a blog should be! Let me confirm that there are others that feel exactly the same way you do. I have always been jealous of individuals who have an awesome, dramatic conversion story. I feel like somehow my faith isn't as strong or my love for God isn't as deep as these individuals who have experienced their God "Aha" moment. I grew up in the church and my faith has grown a lot and I've had some amazing spiritual awakenings, but I still wonder, am I missing out? I've also been on mission trips (although not abroad) where I felt like I was doing a good thing, but I was left wondering if my actions furthered the kingdom in any way. My experiences were not life changing. And I wonder all the time if the people that cry in church and are overcome with these feelings are putting on a show (maybe just a little bit?). I'm definitely not an emotional person so I try not to judge, because part of me is a little jealous of these spiritual revelations and life changing experiences that so many people seem to experience.Lisanoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3479340912474221858.post-75012221367427479722012-11-29T15:42:19.453-06:002012-11-29T15:42:19.453-06:00I'm not entirely convinced, honestly. It is pr...I'm not entirely convinced, honestly. It is probably just my own justification to myself so I don't feel like a robot freak. I'm just not emotional enough to see how those sorts of extreme life-changing feelings could be entirely genuine. So, when it comes down to it and the choice is whether I'm a robot sociopath, or other people are emotional frauds, I push the blame elsewhere.<br /><br />Ellejanelle makes a good point I think with the comparison to when we non emotional beings get frustrated with others for not using reason. It really does I think boil down to people's different ways of processing things. So while others on your mission trip were processing the experience on an emotional level, yours was on more of a... I want to say intelligent without implying that an emotional reaction isn't intelligent. More just to say your experience was felt in the mind, and theirs in their heart, if that isn't too cliche. It just happens that a less emotional way of processing life is less common than an emotional. Or, it's not more common, but other people can fake it better. <br />Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07106661965838577972noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3479340912474221858.post-84881951320366643412012-11-29T14:58:09.959-06:002012-11-29T14:58:09.959-06:00I am an overthinking emotion-phobe who went to a P...I am an overthinking emotion-phobe who went to a Pentecostal college... And I have definitely found this to be an entirely case-by-case thing. Sure, a great many people manufacture, exagerrate, or lie about emotion at worship services and even mission trips. But I witnessed enough very sincere, intellectual people overcome by real, raw feeling to say no, not most of the time.<br /><br />Some of my own encounters with God have been surprisingly, disconcertingly emotional as well. However, for a long time I had shut down my ability to feel emotion, and I think it would have been just as valid for someone to be "suspicious" that I was not encountering God with my whole being as a human (just like it's frustrating to see someone refuse to engage their reason/intelligence).Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3479340912474221858.post-3284843806301238622012-11-29T13:00:36.962-06:002012-11-29T13:00:36.962-06:00I share your cynicism about that, though I'm n...I share your cynicism about that, though I'm not convinced I'm right.<br /><br />Do you think those emotions are always made up? Most of the time? Only occasionally? I think a lot of people experience those things, I just know I haven't and my lack of personal experience makes it difficult to make space for it.Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10452247853466672445noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3479340912474221858.post-88799326960486657322012-11-29T11:45:05.305-06:002012-11-29T11:45:05.305-06:00I only meant cynical in that I suspect other peopl...I only meant cynical in that I suspect other people's emotions are made up or at least exaggerated greatly. And that analogy may be weird, but also delicious! Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07106661965838577972noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3479340912474221858.post-27196638444172712292012-11-29T11:01:53.351-06:002012-11-29T11:01:53.351-06:00There's little doubt that we're both socio...There's little doubt that we're both sociopaths, but I don't necessarily feel cynical about this. I mean, I like my story. It's like the long slow-cooking pot roast of faith. It takes forever, but it's savory and delicious when you finally get there. That may be the weirdest analogy I've ever made.Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10452247853466672445noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3479340912474221858.post-83218455996501085982012-11-29T10:48:13.791-06:002012-11-29T10:48:13.791-06:00I like the new look, Ben. It works on my cell now ...I like the new look, Ben. It works on my cell now too, which it never did before. Also, I have always felt the same as you about those "life-changing experiences." I think it's the same for most people, but they never admit it and rely on cliches to make the event feel more real and important and moving than it really was. Or maybe I'm just a cynic and a sociopath...Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07106661965838577972noreply@blogger.com