I was brought up Catholic but I've had nothing to do with the church since about the age of 15. I'm happy for people to think what they like but it wasn't suited to me at the time. Anyway my friend recently did the Alpha Course, which is a group to discuss different issues of Christianity and supposedly not push anything upon you - anyone can go from those who have faith through to those with none. The group she attended sounded really interesting because debate was encouraged and there were lots of people there who didn't believe in God along with people on the fence and firm believers. She came out at the end of it as a non believer and felt the course to be an interesting way to meet new people and discuss an ever popular topic and she learnt a lot about religious history. I decided to go along to one in my area and wow, it was awful. I've never felt so preached to, so preyed upon and more like a child being indoctrinated into something in my life. The people running this Alpha Course had adapted it slightly and were very much of the mindset that there is NO debate -Jesus IS God and any debate surrounding that topic was brushed over in a matter of moments and any questions myself or others had were dismissed as us stirring up shit for the sake of an argument. I knew it was a course run by people in the Christian faith so I did expect there to be a tiny bit of bias but this was something else altogether. I've never been so disappointed in anything and I came out really quite upset. I'm very respectful of religions and the different view points of others but the people involved in the course were unable to understand that not everyone would agree with everything they laid out in a PowerPoint slide. They inserted committed members of the church in between people new to the course so if we had a doubt they tried to instantly quell it with their testimony and how it 'will be ok when you find God.' It is safe to say I won't be attending the next 12 weeks and I'm thinking of making a formal complaint to the Alpha Course down in London. Has anyone else attended the Alpha Course?
when will you find god ? even then it may not all be ok . maybe you won't like homelessness and getting baptized in the river everytime you want to take a bath . kwit yo bitchin ?
Your reply made no sense to me whatsoever. I don't want to find God, I wanted a discussion about it and felt preyed upon. I don't understand what you are trying to say.
I'm a recovering Catholic and I'd just stay away. I don't want them in my head anymore. They are a nasty business as far as I'm concerned.
I wanted to have an open discussion asking questions about what various people think and feel which was something I was promised in the literature and the experience my friend and others have had from taking the same course. I'm not sure why, Tikoo, you are being quite so aggressive?
you have been victimized , present your wound in Sanctuary for healing . you are the incarnation of Job . may the lord bless you with a 1000 camels , or , a sweet spirit kiss from a hippie jesus girl .
His mummy didnt love him as a child. As for the alpha course thing, what else would you expect? I suppose they couldve been a bit more subtle about trying to re-indoctrinate you, but the end purpose would've always been the same! Lucky escape for you
