NationStates Jolt Archive

Just curious, why do people dislike Christians?

I dont dislike CHristians, though I do disagree with the more conservative ones (and thats becasue they're conservative, not because ethe Christian.)

I don't dislike Christians, I disagree with them (ie, Jesus isn't the son of God)

Although, I don't like Christians that attempt to cause others to convert into Christianity and tell me I'm going to hell if I don't become a Christian. But those are rare....and I got tons of Christian, Catholic, and Muslim friends.

I don't dislike christians in general... I dislike christians that preach hate. Don't deny that there are some religions who have programs that teach kids to grow up hating certain groups of people or religions. I see advertisements for them in the local newspapers even.

I dont hate Christians, they just dont like me. (hate is such a strong word after all)

One Example of Christians preaching hate:

Some Muslims wear sacred clothing.

So do some Jews. The same for Native Americans and some Hindus and others.

Bits of cloth or string that are physical reminders of God and his bond with man. Sacred things, really. Prayer shawls or beads, head coverings or aprons, medicine bags. Things that are special to people, honorable and good things.

Things that should be respected.

One would not, for example, rip the yarmulke from a Jewish man's head and mockingly fling it like a Frisbee. Nor would you wear a yarmulke as a spoof or joke. Certainly not as an attack on Judaism. Not as a mockery of Jews and their faith.

Yet something like that happened this weekend.

In front of thousands of people in one of America's great cities. An act of religious desecration, bigotry and discrimination.

And the perpetrators boast of it to the press.

It was in Salt Lake City. And it was against Mormons.

And somehow that makes it acceptable.

Here's what happened.

Over the weekend, Mormons gathered for what they call "general conference." It is a twice-a-year meeting that draws tens of thousands to Salt Lake City and is broadcast around the world to an audience in the low millions. It is a worship service. It is sacred and special to them.

And each year it is protested.

So-called Christian evangelists stand on the sidewalk outside the Mormon meetings and shout rude condemnations of the religion to the thousands who pass in and out. It is an odd spectacle, unmatched in American society. To think that crude protesters would stand outside a mosque or synagogue, or a cathedral or church, and harass worshippers and denounce a religion is just beyond the pale.

It is an act of indefensible religious bigotry.
And yet it happens, and is often applauded and boasted of.
This column started with a mention of sacred clothing. Well, Mormons have sacred clothing, too. Like a variety of religious garments, it is worn against the skin. It is a type of underclothing. They don't talk about it. They don't show it to people. They keep it sacred. Like virtually all religious clothing, it is a specific reminder of promises made to God. Like virtually all religious clothing, it is precious and significant to the people who wear it.

Well, Sunday the evangelists had some.
Maybe six guys, Baptist ministers, mocking the Mormons as they came out of a meeting. Shouting rude things to people coming out of church.

And they had these sacred garments.
And one supposed minister of the gospel was wiping his backside with them, laughingly treating them like toilet paper as thousands who held them sacred walked by.

Can you see that being done to a prayer shawl in front of a synagogue, or a prayer rug in front of a mosque?

Wouldn't that sacrilege be publicly denounced by all decent people?

He also draped them around his neck, and pretended over and over to sneeze into them. And loudly blow his nose into them. While families and children walked past.

Stop for a moment.

Lay aside what you do or don't think about Mormons. But was that right? More to the point, was that Christian? Is that what Jesus would do? Is that what any decent person of any faith would do?

Absolutely not. It is wrong, bigoted and un-American. No matter who it's against.

It was an affront. It smelled like the bigotry of the Klan and the Third Reich. And yet the ministers boasted of it to reporters and posed for pictures and no one in the Utah or American religious, media or civil rights communities has condemned it.

And, oddly, two worshippers were taken away in handcuffs.

One man, dressed in his church clothes, walked past in the crowd, saw the insults and desecrations, and grabbed the piece of clothing. To protect it. He was charged with robbery and taken to jail.

Half an hour later another worshipper similarly grabbed a molested garment and attempted to take it away. He was unsuccessful and waiting police stepped in to take him into custody.

And that's the world we live in.

You are harangued for your beliefs and arrested for defending them.

And the bigotry of our society is illustrated by how selectively we practice tolerance.

- by Bob Lonsberry © 2003

Because as a group Christians tend to be extremely self-absorbed and overly superior, condescending, and unheedful of the opinions of others.

That doesn't go for only Christians. There's something about religion which says "everyone who follows this particular religion is better than the rest of the world" - which is something I just can't stand.

Because as a group Christians tend to be extremely self-absorbed and overly superior, condescending, and unheedful of the opinions of others.

That doesn't go for only Christians. There's something about religion which says "everyone who follows this particular religion is better than the rest of the world" - which is something I just can't stand.

Are you prepared to make exceptions for buddhists and shintoists? I dont think they claim to be better than anyone else.

Because as a group Christians tend to be extremely self-absorbed and overly superior, condescending, and unheedful of the opinions of others.

That doesn't go for only Christians. There's something about religion which says "everyone who follows this particular religion is better than the rest of the world" - which is something I just can't stand.

Are you prepared to make exceptions for buddhists and shintoists? I dont think they claim to be better than anyone else.

And Quakers and Menonites.

Because as a group Christians tend to be extremely self-absorbed and overly superior, condescending, and unheedful of the opinions of others.

That doesn't go for only Christians. There's something about religion which says "everyone who follows this particular religion is better than the rest of the world" - which is something I just can't stand.If striving to achieve perfection means you're better than those who don't, then I guess that's true... but that's like saying a millionaire thinks he's better than a bum on the street... it's kinda a duh.

"What up with dat?"

I've got a friend named Dat. We say, "Hey, look at Dat, over there." People are like, "look at what". And I say, "Dat, right der."

:lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol:

Now back to your normally scheduled topic. 8)

Because as a group Christians tend to be extremely self-absorbed and overly superior, condescending, and unheedful of the opinions of others.

That doesn't go for only Christians. There's something about religion which says "everyone who follows this particular religion is better than the rest of the world" - which is something I just can't stand.


no no no no no, thats atheisits(sp?)

Are you prepared to make exceptions for buddhists and shintoists? I dont think they claim to be better than anyone else.

And Quakers and Menonites.
No, absoutely not. I'm making a generalization here which I know very well is not true of every religious organization and individual. But I hold to my generalization for ALL religions - the premise of a religion is that if you adopt its views and teachings, you will get rewards... what kind of reward varies widely... but it promotes the attitude I spoke of in my last post.

Again.. it's a generalization. I grew up Christian and know some very nice people who subscribe to that religion. I just don't like the concept of in in general.

Are you prepared to make exceptions for buddhists and shintoists? I dont think they claim to be better than anyone else.

And Quakers and Menonites.
No, absoutely not. I'm making a generalization here which I know very well is not true of every religious organization and individual. But I hold to my generalization for ALL religions - the premise of a religion is that if you adopt its views and teachings, you will get rewards... what kind of reward varies widely... but it promotes the attitude I spoke of in my last post.

Again.. it's a generalization. I grew up Christian and know some very nice people who subscribe to that religion. I just don't like the concept of in in general.

But your generalization is faulty. Why do you stand by a faulty generalization?

It's not faulty - the premise of religion is to set one group of people above another. Whether that be the main purpose or even a realized purpose, it's still there.

My beef is with all organized religion... not just Christians.

It's not faulty - the premise of religion is to set one group of people above another. Whether that be the main purpose or even a realized purpose, it's still there.

My beef is with all organized religion... not just Christians.

You need to lear a bit more about buddhism (and the quaker too - good point B) before you can make that sort of caim about their beliefs. It is true that christians and muslims tend to think their way is better than others but that is definately not true of all organized religions.

as a Christian, I truly believe what the Bible says, and such I believe that people who don't choose Christ are going to go to hell. However, practicing what you believe by attempting to "convert" someone shouldn't be a reason to hate soemeone. If they have the right motives, they're doing out of love. Whether you agree or not is your choice, but don't hate people who do this sort of thing.

I've been to both a buddist service and a quaker service. I am quite aware that there is a huge difference between that and some more fundamentalist Christain demoninations which claim that your thoughts and words cannot reach God unless it is during one of their services - BUT quakers are still a group of people convening together every so often to promote their own beliefs and lifestyles (be it among only themselves or the whole world). There is something about a system that does that which breeds an assumed superiority.

Not saying that the quakers and buddists weren't very nice to us visitors... they were... but then, they thought we were looking to subscribe to their religion.

as a Christian, I truly believe what the Bible says, and such I believe that people who don't choose Christ are going to go to hell. However, practicing what you believe by attempting to "convert" someone shouldn't be a reason to hate soemeone. If they have the right motives, they're doing out of love. Whether you agree or not is your choice, but don't hate people who do this sort of thing.
The Bible itself is a huge source of this attitude I'm trying to point out - follow Jesus, go to heaven, and be better than the infidels and athiests.

Evangilism is an aspect of religion I cannot stand. I have enough respect for other human beings not to senselessly bash everyone who tries to convert me personally, but it raises my hackles.

It really is a great way of spreading kindness and charity... to tell people who don't agree with you that they are doomed to a fiery afterlife.

I don't believe in heaven or hell... there's enough evidence for death being an unwaking sleep that I do not see how I could ever change my mind about that.

Not to focus on you too much Galliam; I respect you and your right to believe what you like. I just... fundamentally disagree with it.

as a Christian, I truly believe what the Bible says, and such I believe that people who don't choose Christ are going to go to hell. However, practicing what you believe by attempting to "convert" someone shouldn't be a reason to hate soemeone. If they have the right motives, they're doing out of love. Whether you agree or not is your choice, but don't hate people who do this sort of thing.
The Bible itself is a huge source of this attitude I'm trying to point out - follow Jesus, go to heaven, and be better than the infidels and athiests.

Evangilism is an aspect of religion I cannot stand. I have enough respect for other human beings not to senselessly bash everyone who tries to convert me personally, but it raises my hackles.

It really is a great way of spreading kindness and charity... to tell people who don't agree with you that they are doomed to a fiery afterlife.

I don't believe in heaven or hell... there's enough evidence for death being an unwaking sleep that I do not see how I could ever change my mind about that.

Not to focus on you too much Galliam; I respect you and your right to believe what you like. I just... fundamentally disagree with it.

You've obviously made your choice. I would like to see you reconsider, but I'm not going to push it. I appreciate your attitude. I just wan't people to understand that I believe so much that I am willing to take leaps of faith and try to live as God would want me. I beleive wholeheartedly in evangelism but I respect that some people will choose not to become christian. As I said, I would like to see them reconsider, but nothing I can do can force you so I just speak my point of view and let them decide.

You've obviously made your choice. I would like to see you reconsider, but I'm not going to push it. I appreciate your attitude. I just wan't people to understand that I believe so much that I am willing to take leaps of faith and try to live as God would want me. I beleive wholeheartedly in evangelism but I respect that some people will choose not to become christian. As I said, I would like to see them reconsider, but nothing I can do can force you so I just speak my point of view and let them decide. Fair enough... and I'm not trying to belittle your belief or question your right to... spread the word about what you believe.

see, Christians don't bite. :lol:
I'm glad we agree on something.