Believers on mountain bikes.

We are Believers On Mountain Bikes, our intent is to expand the Gospel of Jesus Christ our Lord, through people who mountain bike. Thereby, bring the word to those who are not Christians, encouraging ongoing fellowship, and presenting the opportunity for all of us to develop a personal relationship with Christ.

Anyone heard of this lot? Cant say I like the thought of this. On the one hand, everyone has the right to participate in the sport regardless of colour or creed but…..they are blatantly using mountain biking to convert people to their religion.

For them, mountainbiking is just a tool so they can climb the ladder in their cult of respectability?

I’d like to hope they wont become as vocal and obvious as christian surfers (bloody synonomous with the sport almost).

Discuss…

nice acronym for a christian group…

Any fit Godbookers? TBH they could convert me if they were fit (and put it out)

Depending on which brand of the cult of christ they belong to, they are obliged to try to convert you (for your own good, obviously).

Pity the deluded fools.

‘…my sport.’? Since when did you have the exclusive licence on mountain biking GnarGnar? (by the way I’m an atheist but I’m also not a bigot)

geetee1972 – Member
‘…my sport.’? Since when did you have the exclusive licence on mountain biking GnarGnar?

I regard it as my sport, do you not regard it as your sport? I could have typed “our sport” but that would be making an assumption that everyone on here is passionate about it and feels a degree of ownership / responsibility toward it.

Id like to think Im not a biggot either.

Cycling; a pleasing sport in which fellowship, play and the taking of pleasure in the world around us are mingled to keep us young, happy and vigorous.

If some people want to bolt specific beliefs about the nature of life, the universe and everything onto that then that is their affair.

I had no idea surfers were all christians, by the way. 🙂

Live and let ride. Why’s it any worse than all the other over hyped advertising schmuffle that seems to cling to riding nowadays? I don’t think they’ll be chasing you through the woods.

I’m not fit. Anyway I’m married. 🙂

The only thing that bother me about their approach is that, if they tried to talk to me about religion, I’d think;

“The only reason you spoke to me was to try and convert me”

at the end and any feeling that we were sharing an experience or hobby would be lost.

“they are blatantly using mountain biking to convert people to their religion.”

Religious people trying to convert heathens – I’m shocked! 😉

What’s the peoblem ? If you don’t wish to be converted, just tell them to F off.

Get rid of them and feel good at the same time 😀

wwaswas – Member
The only thing that bother me about their approach is that, if they tried to talk to me about religion, I’d think;

“The only reason you spoke to me was to try and convert me”

at the end and any feeling that we were sharing an experience or hobby would be lost.

I dont think that’s how they operate, I could be wrong but I think the idea is to bond with you over an extended period of time through a shared enjoyment of a particular activity, all the while portraying the impression that they are great blokes with great lives….eventually they earn your friendship and trust then bam! they drag you into a bush and baptise you….something like that.

“they drag you into a bush”

that’s hora converted then 😉

I have ridden with people who believe in things!! wwooooooooooooooooooooooo 😯

“….climb the ladder in their Cult of respectability” whats that mean? Jacobs Ladder? It would be a miracle to be able to ride that all the way. If they want to use their sport to share their religion with others then fantastic, it’s good to see that there are people around who believe in some thing. Now that shopping is on the decline as a major religion then perhaps we’ll see a return to more faith based beliefs. Obviously it’s not going to a good idea if they were to hold prayer meetings just the start of that “do or die bit” on the last section of the Innerleithen downhill but on one occasion recently it may have helped me.

theres a few christians at sheffield uni cycling club, never seen any of them clear jacobs ladder past the first RH turn after the streem. Not seen an atheist manage it either though.

I don’t think Christian MTBers climb, they ascend.

Quick question. Do you see Bible bashers down at the homeless and washed-out actively trying to convert them? Am I being cynical here but are biblebashers selective (or at least draw the line) on whom they want in their community? Its a human weakness after all but surely they should seek to convert ALL souls.

“they drag you into a bush”

That pleases me on so many many levels

Not seen an atheist manage it either though.

That’s because you’ve not been riding with us for ages.

hora – Member
Quick question. Do you see Bible bashers down at the homeless and washed-out actively trying to convert them? Am I being cynical here but are biblebashers selective (or at least draw the line) on whom they want in their community? Its a human weakness after all but surely they should seek to convert ALL souls.

In their defence many do. It might be my skewed sense of things but I’ve noticed this tends to be COE etc, not neccesarily born agains and evangelicals. They seem to have a hard on for converting drunks with tea and biscuits.

mt – Member
“….climb the ladder in their Cult of respectability” whats that mean? Jacobs Ladder?

Do I have to elaborate?

Jacob’s Ladder, now there was an excellent film.
Kind of fits in with the God thing as well.

When the Jehovas came round to the house when I was a kid my dad would answer the door and the conversation usually went like this.

Jehova – “hi, isn’t it a lovely day”

Me – “who is it dad?”

Dad – “happy clappers son… get my gun”

Worked every time.

Quick question. Do you see Bible bashers down at the homeless and washed-out actively trying to convert them? Am I being cynical here but are biblebashers selective (or at least draw the line) on whom they want in their community? Its a human weakness after all but surely they should seek to convert ALL souls.

There are Christians helping in pretty much all the world’s trouble spots and lots working to help the homeless. I personally know two who worked in the Romanian orphanages and another couple who are currently in Africa.

The Salvation Army do a bit with the homeless too, I believe.

I know Christians with physics degrees being paid big money. I know Christians who are (or were) teenage single parents with no qualifications. I know Christians who are builders, teachers, chip shop fryers, midwifes, web designers, secretaries…

Obviously, none of that fits into the Ned Flanders right-wing creationist stereotype.

cult of respectability

Since when was getting nailed to a tree (naked) respectable?

They probably just ride on Saturdays…

I’m certainly not selective in who I talk to, 2 of my best friends are, or more accurately were, a bank robber and a drug dealer. You just have to show love and compassion and hopefully someone will see a difference in you that will make them inquisitive to know more. If they aren’t interested then that’s ok, it’s their decision.

Lots of Atheists do this as well but with greater moral justification. they dont think they are avoiding hell and destined for a greater reward like Evangelical Christians do. Consequently they get the higher moral ground as far as I am concerned.

Doctors without frontiers are secularist. It doesnt need an irrational belief in an invisible friend and the promise of an afterlife to be good to people in this one.

hora said: Do you see Bible bashers down at the homeless and washed-out actively trying to convert them?

You should see the Jesus Army operate.
They actively/aggressively target the street homeless (some would say the desparate and needy).

I’m certainly not selective in who I talk to, 2 of my best friends are, or more accurately were, a bank robber and a drug dealer.

Found jesus did they?

Do you see Bible bashers down at the homeless and washed-out

Yep, the Sally Army, etc.
And a very good thing, too. They don’t try too hard about the conversion, either, as they’re too busy being Christian and charitable.

In their defence many do. It might be my skewed sense of things but I’ve noticed this tends to be COE etc, not neccesarily born agains and evangelicals. They seem to have a hard on for converting drunks with tea and biscuits.
ooh! what sort of biscuits. and can i have juice instead of tea?

shineyredorange – had a bloke round my house the other day who asked if I’d thought about vacuum cleaners recently. Turned out he was a jahoovers witness.

More seriously;

My mum is a christian missionary. She’s approaching 75, goes to all parts of the world both preaching and getting equipment and materials to places that need them. She’s just been appointed a Unesco representative and can direct where their aid goes. about 10 years ago she was in a minibus crash int he cameroon that left her with a fractured skull, broken neck, borken shoulder and a mashed left hand – 13 out out of the 15 people in the vehicle died. She says god was protecting her – I ask why god let her be int he crash in the first place. Still, hasn’t slowed her down much and she’s still pretty spry. I hope I’ve got that much living left to do at 75 as she seems to have, even if I don’t share her beliefs.

The title of this thread is a bit of a poor show and almost as offensive to christians as saying mongs, darkies or chinks to their respective groups.

I don’t get the anti-religion feeling in this country; live and let live and as long as it doesn’t affect your ability to live and enjoy life then just ignore it. A christian having a little chat doesn’t hurt, but like myself when various religious groups try to talk to me in the street, you have the ability to say no thanks and walk on. Some fanatical religious groups are not like this though (think extreme ‘christian’ cult groups or various muslim extremist groups that hold protests and encourage hatred against others), but that’s not related to the OP.

I_did_dab, that is the whole point, thanks. 🙂
Actually, I don’t generally ride on Sundays, not because I think it’s wrong, it’s because I’m busy most of the day! I do go out on a Sunday afternoon sometimes. Saturday is better anyway, less walkers and tourists around.

I do like the idea that someone who starts a thread called “bible bashers” (a widely accepted derogatory term for Christians) and then rants about a specific group stealing *his* sport, then goes oin to suggest he isn’t a bigot.

It’s not the offence caused to those with faith I mind, it’s some fat IT bloke on his £3k full susser referring to the puffing and panting he does on a Sunday morning at a trail centre as being a “sport”.

Whoa whoa whoa sweetchild of mine mysterymurdoch, turn your Jesus Raygun off of me.

wwaswas, NO OFFENCE meant by this but I had to reread this bit twice My mum is a christian missionary

time for another tablet hora…

Why do I come across as a satanist?

I don’t get the anti-religion feeling in this country; live and let live and as long as it doesn’t affect your ability to live and enjoy life then just ignore it. A christian having a little chat doesn’t hurt

It does when that chat involves preaching against condom use in Sub Saharan Africa which in turn leads to millions of innocent deaths each year. Hardly just a bit of fun. Similalrly when those little chats involve restricting funding for life saving treatments in countries that dont ban abortion or refuse to teach abstinance.

This is what bothers me about religion.. It’s not benign. They have a policy of conversion. Indoctrination is not a bad word to these people, it’s part of their reason for being. It’s fine for us as individuals cos I reckon most of us on here are strong enough to make up our own minds but there’s always a percentage of people who will be proactively recruited and it won’t be down to their own choice but via a campaign of indoctrination.

This is why I prefer to consider myself a proactive Atheist. Being a passive atheist is fine so long as the religions around you are benign and allow people to come to them rather than via a policy of conversion to ‘The truth’ but unfortunately organised religion is not benign and is in fact pervasive throughout our society. As a result I find myself with restricted educational choices for my kids because parts of the educational system is not accessible to my kids because I don’t believe in any religion. Atheists are disadvantaged in this way as ‘believers’ have the equal choice of state or religious schools. A Church going parent can choose EITHER.. I can only choose the state option.

I know it’s not directly relevant to us in the UK but in the US, that actually does have a separation of religion and state built into the constitution, any presidential candidate offering himself up as an Atheist candidate would never be elected.

And my point is that unless Atheists counter the voices of the religious convertors by arguing and questioning their beliefs that situation will never change. I’m an atheist and while organised religions continue promotion of a policy of conversion of none believers I’ll choose to actively argue against it and try and convert believers into none believers, not because I think it’s right to do so but because in not doing so the society in which I live will continue to be one in which my right to exist is affected by religion.

Jeez.. organised religion winds me up!