Bad things about Christianity (Earth, Messiah, beliefs, soul, followers)

[adilrockstar]

Originally Posted by Radio Frequency X

Christians appear quick to point out that Wicca is an evil religion, because one time there was this one "Wiccan" who did some evil thing.

You are stereotyping. You are doing the exact same thing that you are against.

[Nullifidian]

I don't really care much if people want to believe things that I myself consider to be patently untrue, but I do very much dislike a group trying to legislate their religion and institute their holy book as the law of the land. I refuse to live in a Christian theocracy, and yet it seems that we're getting closer to that state of affairs with every passing day. Christianity has, in my opinion, way too much influence on what we can watch on TV and in movies, what we can do in the privacy of our own bedrooms with consenting adults, what we can read, and what we can say. And the Christian Right is trying as hard as it can to worm it's insidious way ever further into our government. I think this is a very dangerous trend, and is totally against the Constitution of our great nation.

[Nullifidian]

Originally Posted by Faint

I personally do not like Christianity (or any religion that stems from the Old Testament) because, to quote Richard Dawkins,

The God of the Old Testament is arguably the most unpleasant character in all fiction: jealous and proud of it; a petty, unjust, unforgiving control-freak; a vindictive, bloodthirsty ethnic cleanser; a misogynistic, homophobic, racist, infanticidal, genocidal, filicidal, pestilential, megalomaniacal, sadomasochistic, capriciously malevolent bully.

Well, sure, but besides all that he's really a pretty nice guy, huh?

[Nullifidian]

Originally Posted by Katzpur

I beg to differ. Christians have, at different times and places, been quite intolerant of other religions. I see Christianity, or the gospel of Jesus Christ, as being very inclusive, but many of His professed followers to be quite exclusive. He taught us to love our enemies; that is true Christianity and that will never change.

Jesus also said that in order to be his disciple we must hate our father, mother, brothers and sisters and children, and our own lives. I know that apologists claim he meant to "love them less than him" but that's not what the book says in black and white, at Luke 14:26. Some of the newer versions, other than the KJV, read differently, so what are we supposed to think?

[Katzpur]

Originally Posted by Nullifidian

Jesus also said that in order to be his disciple we must hate our father, mother, brothers and sisters and children, and our own lives. I know that apologists claim he meant to "love them less than him" but that's not what the book says in black and white, at Luke 14:26. Some of the newer versions, other than the KJV, read differently, so what are we supposed to think?

I suppose that anyone who interprets the Bible literally ought to start hating his parents. I realize that, as a non-Christian, this may very well be a moot point, but is this what you think He meant?

[Radio Frequency X]

Originally Posted by adilrockstar

You are stereotyping. You are doing the exact same thing that you are against.

No, I am not. I'm not taking a few Christians as examples of a specific behavior and saying that it is true of the entire group. I'm saying that it is, in my broad experience, true of a majority of the group. It has been true of the majority of Christians at every church I've attended, from large nondenominational churches to small Baptist, Lutheran, Four Square, and Nazerane churches, and it has been true of the majority of my family and my family's friends. Every once in a while I meet a Christian who is tolerant of people of other religions and lifestyles/cultures/moral codes and so forth. I understand that this may not apply to the majority of Christians in Europe, but I've only been there once, so I don't know. I'm not stereotyping, because I'm not implying that this behavior applies to all Christians. Now, maybe you really haven't had the same experience, or maybe your just aren't paying attention. I don't know which.

Please understand, that I'm not bashing Christianity here. I have serious concerns about modern and historical expressions and dogmas within the Christian church, and that doesn't pertain to Christians in general.

[adilrockstar]

Originally Posted by Nullifidian

Jesus also said that in order to be his disciple we must hate our father, mother, brothers and sisters and children, and our own lives. I know that apologists claim he meant to "love them less than him" but that's not what the book says in black and white, at Luke 14:26. Some of the newer versions, other than the KJV, read differently, so what are we supposed to think?

This is slander. God never told us to Hate our loved ones.

[adilrockstar]

Originally Posted by Radio Frequency X

No, I am not. I'm not taking a few Christians as examples of a specific behavior and saying that it is true of the entire group. I'm saying that it is, in my broad experience, true of a majority of the group. It has been true of the majority of Christians at every church I've attended, from large nondenominational churches to small Baptist, Lutheran, Four Square, and Nazerane churches, and it has been true of the majority of my family and my family's friends. Every once in a while I meet a Christian who is tolerant of people of other religions and lifestyles/cultures/moral codes and so forth. I understand that this may not apply to the majority of Christians in Europe, but I've only been there once, so I don't know. I'm not stereotyping, because I'm not implying that this behavior applies to all Christians. Now, maybe you really haven't had the same experience, or maybe your just aren't paying attention. I don't know which.

Please understand, that I'm not bashing Christianity here. I have serious concerns about modern and historical expressions and dogmas within the Christian church, and that doesn't pertain to Christians in general.

Sorry you feel that way.

God Bless


Adil

[Nullifidian]

Originally Posted by Katzpur

I suppose that anyone who interprets the Bible literally ought to start hating his parents. I realize that, as a non-Christian, this may very well be a moot point, but is this what you think He meant?

I'm not qualified to interpret the sayings of the biblical Jesus, all I can do is read what it says in black and white. It says "hate", which in Greek is the word "miseo" and, as far as I know, always means "hate".

[doppelgänger]

Originally Posted by Nullifidian

I'm not qualified to interpret the sayings of the biblical Jesus

Nobody is.