t3h br0th3r said:
I can't understand why Christianity gets so much hate.
It seems like most of the 'religion is evil' sentiment comes from kids, teens, and 20 somethings (of which i am one) wanting to 'stick it to the man' or offend their Christian parents as much as possible.
Atheism isn't about sticking it to "the man," unless by "the man" you are referring to the heaps of legislators throughout the United States that vote by their bibles. Atheism is about promoting humanistic values and encouraging rationalism, critical thinking, and scientific progress.
kool
Where i am from (Mid-western USA), I'm considered a moderately religious guy (I pray before I eat a meal and before I go to bed) but the second i step onto the forums people suddenly look at me crazy and tell me I believe in fairy tales.
Moderate or no, there are still some things you are required to believe in if you want to consider yourself an xtian. Absurd things like a man calling himself the son of god came back from the dead. Or that saints rose from the grave and invaded the city and interacted with the people in it (though, for some reason none of the Roman officials felt the need to write any of this stuff down, and the only accounts of this happening are mutually-exclusive and written by men with an agenda long after this so-called son of god died). Therefore, you do, in fact, believe in fairy tales.
Not to mention the fact that, just by being paying members of religious organizations, moderates are complacent in the terrible things the more extreme members of their religion do.
This just isn't true. I am a member of Mt. Vernon AME(African methodist episcopal church)Church. When i put my tithe in the offering plate it goes to Mt. Vernon, who primarily uses the money for programs, keeping the lights on and (because we have a big congregation) paying the minister's salary. Some of it goes to The District (in my case the 3rd district) who then gives some to the AME brass. The brass uses it to give to struggling churches, various charities and to keep its operations going (like the colleges and seminary we run).
The money does not go to any extremists. The money doesn't even go to other, legit, denominations, therefore meaning I do not fund exstreamists, do not agree with them, and should we run into one another I argue against them.
Its as if some (and not all) of the atheists here think Christianity is some kind of sinister organization seeking to rule the world. Like any expression of faith, no matter how personal, is an attack on atheism or some kind of subliminal recruitment campaign.
Well, speaking as an atheist who has spent a lot of time listening/reading/talking about xtianity with other atheists, no. No one actually believes that. xtianity has hundreds of sects and is too decentralized to be an organization like you're describing. Now, if you mean individual groups of xtians, like fundamentalists or catholics, then yes. They want to (and have in the past) shape the country/world in their image. Same with islam.
Why can't we just respect region or leave it alone if we can't say anything good about it? Why must those who express their faith here be attacked for it? I don't go around calling atheists godless heathens, why treat me in the same manner?
Because people under the influence of religion have done terrible things, and whitewashing history to avoid offending people is tacit approval. It's not even like anyone is even "attacking" xtians -- at least not atheists. Atheists are just pointing out reality using words. Now, if you go to say, Saudi Arabia there you'll see xtians getting attacked, but not by atheists. By other religious people who are just as sure as you are that they are right.
I am not saying we should whitewash history, i am simply saying that we should show deeply held belifes respect. Calling the life, works, and story of Jesus a fairy tales is almost as offensive as calling me the N-word. I'm not saying forget the crusades, i am calling for civility.
I also have that opinion and its gotten me laughed at before, but to be Christian is to be counter-cultural to a certain existent, no mater where you live.
Why do xtians have such a persecution complex? xtians are not being persecuted. Something like 80% of people in the US think of themselves as religious. How is that counter-cultural at all?
There is a difference between checking a box on the census and the reality on the ground. In reality, the United States is an agnostic nation, not a Christian nation, at least culturally. If we still were a Christian nation then we wouldn't have an issue with teen pregnancy or STDs because people wouldn't be out having the premarital sex that causes the problem. The culture of the United States celebrates promiscuity and looks at virgins over the age of 20 as losers. Saying your not going to have sex until you are married is a counter cultural view in the United States.
The fact that you are even an xtian, and not hindu or muslim just goes to show how prevalent xtianity is in the US. Have you ever thought about why this religion, and not another? It's because you were born into a society heavily influenced by xtianity. If you had been born in Afghanistan, you'd be a muslim right now. Doesn't that very fact make you wonder about how legitimate any one religion is?
not really. I've played the 'what if I were born under different circumstances' game for days but in the end reality is reality. I believe God puts us where he puts us for a reason, one we may not know but he does.
