Another Ignorant Christian Comes To Cambodia and Looks Down on the Unsaved Locals

YouTube · Post by **General Mackevili** » Mon Apr 18, 2016 12:23 am

Talks about how sad it is when non-Christians die because, unlike Christians, they are dead forever because they don't believe in Jesus, yada yada yada...

"I've been in a land where wifi is about as common as a squatty potty, and a squatty potty is about as common as wifi, so I was unable to speak my thoughts on the day. Not that it has to be on that day. It's all very strange, the anniversary of his death and all. A very confusing time indeed. I didn't think much of him the day this years anniversary if I'm being completely honest, I had a lot of distractions. Good distractions, but none the less distractions. It wasn't until the fifteenth when it hit me. For those who don't know I'm currently in Cambodia on a missions trip, and the first week we were in a village. It was about four days into ministry (the fifteenth) and that mornings schedule (I use the term "schedule" lightly; a ton of the work here is on the spot stuff) was canceled. The pastors sister in law had died during the night and we were to encourage the family and attend the funeral. My first thoughts were "wow, that's some last minute planning for a funeral", and my second thought quickly followed. That thought was filled with memories of Josh's funeral.

I remember it very vividly; all the black clothes, the crying relatives, the finger foods, and the big box of sad letters. I consider it one of my saddest moments. I wasn't nearly sad enough. I remember two of my good friends from elementary showed up, guys I hadn't seen in ages. When we were finally able to eat the oodles of finger foods, I took my plate and sat with them. Both hadn't changed a bit; some scraggly ninth grader facial hair here and there, but pretty much the same people I knew in third and forth grade. I immediately dived into conversation with them about the good ol' days and joked here and there and they bounced back with some jokes of their own. This went on for a little bit and then one of them asked me
"Caleb, shouldn't you be, I don't know...sadder?"
Being raised in a Christian school my whole life, I was able to tell him the answer we've all heard that says something along the lines of
"Well, we live in a fallen world you know. It's sad, but Gods good and I'll get through this."
What a bunch of Bolshevik. Now of course it's a theologically sound statement, and it rings true to this day. But, I promise you, that the whole "fallen world" rhetoric has never comforted me. Theology never really has comforted me now that I think about it. But that statement I made, that piece of "wisdom", well, I said it out of pride. In reality I was in pain. In reality that pain weighed on me for a long long time.

We're heading to this funeral and I'm sitting in the back of this trailer. As we get closer I'm smiling less and less, talking less and less, preparing myself for how one should be at a funeral. One ought to be sad and look good. I looked a few weeks short of doing laundry and shaving but I could try my best to look sad. We're pulling into the families home and I'm at maximum seriousness mode. I even tell some people on my team to hush up and be respectful. The home is pretty much the thing you'd expect to see in a third world country; garbage laying about and such. There's a tent with a bunch of chairs underneath, and table with water bottles resting atop them. The family and friends are all outside, talking, laughing, letting their children run amuck and such. There was something wrong with the atmosphere here, and it wasn't heat. It was joy. We picked up the garbage for them and the time to give encouragement had come. I did my best to give them an encouraging speech, but if anything they encouraged me.

That woman wasn't a Christian. I think the saddest thing for Christians should be when an unbeliever goes through life and never chooses to live for Christ. Cause that's death. They are dead. There's no joy in that. You here at funerals all the time "this is a celebration/remembrance of their life". I think for the funeral of a non Christian that's a very appropriate thing to say. Mostly because there's nothing good that comes from their death, and most certainly nothing good to follow.

As far as my brother goes, I miss and love him dearly. We have shared some of the greatest memories two siblings could ever share. He was smart, he was funny, and as far as skin-and-bone fourteen year old Caleb thought, he was strong. I look back at his funeral, and it gets me wondering. Why should we, as Christians, celebrate our lives in a time of post death? Isn't the best part about it that he isn't in the fallen world we throw around so much? Today, I look back at his death. That's the conflict of his story I think. And it's a painful conflict, and it had quite the ripple effect, one that's still rippling. BUT, the resolution has already happened. His story is good. And the conclusion isnt death, by any means, can not defeat Christ. Today, I'm thinking about my brother, and all I can think about is how jealous I am of him. I'm jealous that he gets to touch the scars in His hands. I'm jealous he gets to have questions for God and gets them answered. But more than the selfish jealousy I feel, I also feel a somewhat selfish anticipation to see him again. As stupid as it sounds, I find some solace in the song at the end of Fast and Furious 7. It's dedicated to Paul Walker, and the words are something along the lines of
"It's been a long day without you my friend
And I'll tell you all about it when I see you again"
That last part is very important I think as far as how Christendom should deal with death. Let the joy of seeing the lost ones in the future out weigh the sadness of not having them to yourself. And also, if anything, they're more found than us here.

And Josh, I'm not sure if you have some secret form of Facebook up there in heaven, the bible doesn't describe heaven as well as I would like, but if you happen to be scrolling and come across this post, I want you to know that you're da bomb, I love you a Hutt load, and that I'm probably smarter than you were at my age."

John Bingham · Post by **John Bingham** » Mon Apr 18, 2016 12:30 am

Today, I'm thinking about my brother, and all I can think about is how jealous I am of him. I'm jealous that he gets to touch the scars in His hands. I'm jealous he gets to have questions for God and gets them answered. But more than the selfish jealousy I feel, I also feel a somewhat selfish anticipation to see him again. As stupid as it sounds, I find some solace in the song at the end of Fast and Furious 7. It's dedicated to Paul Walker, and the words are something along the lines of
"It's been a long day without you my friend
And I'll tell you all about it when I see you again"

Fucking loon. Bless.

franzjaeger · Post by **franzjaeger** » Mon Apr 18, 2016 12:33 am

Nothing works like religion, to make yourself feel better and more important.

csosdny · Post by **csosdny** » Mon Apr 18, 2016 1:26 am

The problem is no one has every met God the father or Budda, etc, etc, etc, but people will die in their name and say "their religion, is the true religion!" Whoever made us is sitting somewhere
saying "where did I go wrong??????"

viper · Post by **viper** » Mon Apr 18, 2016 2:10 am

Don't expect so much from them;they're just fellow primates. Personally, I tore up my celestial insurance policy decades ago.

rozzieoz · Post by **rozzieoz** » Mon Apr 18, 2016 6:46 am

I grew up in a fundamental Pentecostal church in South Africa, the old style happy clappies. My earliest childhood memories are of lying under the church pews colouring in etc.
I hate religion now, it makes me so angry the way Christians use god the same way parents use Father Christmas to control and manipulate people to do what they want.

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Post by **Jamie_Lambo** » Mon Apr 18, 2016 9:19 am

"here and there" this story sounds like a load of bull "and such"

Post by **Jamie_Lambo** » Mon Apr 18, 2016 9:22 am

rozzieoz wrote:I grew up in a fundamental Pentecostal church in South Africa, the old style happy clappies. My earliest childhood memories are of lying under the church pews colouring in etc.
I hate religion now, it makes me so angry the way Christians use god the same way parents use Father Christmas to control and manipulate people to do what they want.

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

just because parents use Father Christmas to control their kids doesnt mean that hes not real, same goes for the tooth fairy and easter bunny! you think someone just made these things up? you must be pretty messed up in the head to lie to your kids like that, thats why i believe