Why are many extreme Christians so nasty?

[JJ50]

Many moderate Christians are thoroughly decent people, like my own children, who aren't Biblical literalists, thank goodness. However, I have encountered, throughout my life, many of those who believe you have to be 'saved' in order to go skywards, who are not nice at all. I can only think because they believe in the 'once saved always saved' dogma, they will get waved through the pearly gates, however bad they are. I have known quite a few of the 'saved' who were dishonest, and sexually abusive! The bigots who use the Bible as an excuse for condemning homosexuality are also very unpleasant too. Being gay is normal, not perverted!

It is no wonder many people are put off religion when they encounter people like that.

 

[ADigitalArtist]

I'm not going to assume that nasty atheists etc are being 'put off' from religion by nasty theists.

I usually assume guilt, not wanting to take responsibility for actions etc, with atheism.

I take responsibility for my actions by thinking through how they will actually help or hurt people instead of just doing what I'm told to do because somebody said so. There's no responsibility in only doing things because of a security camera in the sky and fear of punishment or desire for reward.

 

[ADigitalArtist]

People are generally put off by all extremists, n9t just Christian ones. Extreme beliefs tend to have extreme behaviors.

 

[allfoak]

Christianity has become more of a philosophy than a religion.
Religion is the living out of one's philosophical views.
Many Christians just adopt the philosophy and drop the religion part.

 

[JJ50]

Christianity has become more of a philosophy than a religion.
Religion is the living out of one's philosophical views.
Many Christians just adopt the philosophy and drop the religion part.

Which is very sensible, imo

 

[JJ50]

And what is an ''extreme belief''?

You might be ok with taking chances, but consider that you might be encouraging people to make decisions that could lead to facing a Hell/s/.

Threatening people with burning in hell if they don't convert is very extremist and unpleasant. Especially as there is no evidence to substantiate that POV.

 

[allfoak]

Which is very sensible, imo

A philosophy of life is useless unless it is acted upon.

 

[ADigitalArtist]

Sure, accept that it works the other way, as well. No Hell, no 'rules', and who would be happy with that?
Ever occur to you that many atheists are just hoping there isn't some Hell, etc?

If I were afraid of hell I would be a Christian. Based on so many Pascal's wager arguments and arguments that it takes gods to be responsible I can only assume that those people are Christian out of an intrinsically selfish fear over their afterlife whereabouts, not because of any purported 'love of humanity and their god.' That's not responsibility, that's self-serving.

I don't need a god to do right by my fellow man, I don't need rules to know what's right and wrong. People who can't distinguish between right and wrong don't lack religion, they lack empathy.

 

[columbus]

Threatening people with burning in hell if they don't convert is very extremist and unpleasant. Especially as there is no evidence to substantiate that POV.

This ^^^
Christians telling gay kids that if they develop a romantic sexual relationship and marry they are going to Hell is child abuse. But they do it anyway.
Tom

 

[columbus]

A philosophy of life is useless unless it is acted upon.

I think the point of this thread is that Christian theists often have little regard for Christian moral philosophy. Those two things don't always go together at all.
Where is the Holy Ghost when you need Him?
Tom

 

[ADigitalArtist]

So you have no idea what Jesus adherence is, but you like to talk about it. You aren't supposed to be a 'Christian', because of fear of type of afterlife, that's generally non-Christians who think that

And yet your immediate converting tool was to try and tell me not to 'take a chance on hell.' Not citing some appeal of Jesus or adherence to him. I think it's pretty plain where your priorities lay. No thanks, no sale.

Sure, the usual argument that really doesn't work in reality.

That's not a rebuttal.

 

[Brickjectivity]

Yes sometimes people are both fundamentalist and nasty. It can happen. It is probably related to a history of deaths in the family tree, abandonment, abuse, drugs etc. Kindness teaches people to be kind, and some people grow up without a lot of kindness in their lives. They can still learn it.

 

[pearl]

Many moderate Christians are thoroughly decent people, like my own children, who aren't Biblical literalists, thank goodness.

Exactly, literalism is not equal to literal truth. Extremists hi-jack a religion and twist it to serve their own agenda, usually a political one.

 

[Revoltingest]

Anyone can be nasty.....extreme, moderate, liberal atheist, Xian, Muslim, & even Revoltifarian.

 

[Spiderman]

I find those who believe the Bible to be the sole rule of sacred theology to be more nasty than those who don't.

 

[loverofhumanity]

Many moderate Christians are thoroughly decent people, like my own children, who aren't Biblical literalists, thank goodness. However, I have encountered, throughout my life, many of those who believe you have to be 'saved' in order to go skywards, who are not nice at all. I can only think because they believe in the 'once saved always saved' dogma, they will get waved through the pearly gates, however bad they are. I have known quite a few of the 'saved' who were dishonest, and sexually abusive! The bigots who use the Bible as an excuse for condemning homosexuality are also very unpleasant too. Being gay is normal, not perverted!

It is no wonder many people are put off religion when they encounter people like that.

My experience with Christians has been mostly good and positive. I have found them to be very good people and always kind and friendly.

 

[metis]

Many moderate Christians are thoroughly decent people, like my own children, who aren't Biblical literalists, thank goodness. However, I have encountered, throughout my life, many of those who believe you have to be 'saved' in order to go skywards, who are not nice at all. I can only think because they believe in the 'once saved always saved' dogma, they will get waved through the pearly gates, however bad they are. I have known quite a few of the 'saved' who were dishonest, and sexually abusive! The bigots who use the Bible as an excuse for condemning homosexuality are also very unpleasant too. Being gay is normal, not perverted!

It is no wonder many people are put off religion when they encounter people like that.

Almost a century ago, Gandhi noted the same thing, saying "I love your Christ but not your Christians". However, he was not blaming all or even most Christians but was referring to fundamentalist Christians in that quote. He said they strutted around pretty much bragging on how they supposedly are already "saved", thus apparently feeling no necessity of being worried about their own morality. Also, he hated the "my way or the highway" approach that they push.

BTW, this characteristic is not just found amongst many fundamentalist Christians as it's also found in many other fundamentalists in other religions.

 

[metis]

My experience with Christians has been mostly good and positive. I have found them to be very good people and always kind and friendly.

Generally speaking, I do tend to agree with you as many of the nicest people that I've ever had the pleasure of knowing are Christian.

 

[A Vestigial Mote]

Sure, accept that it works the other way, as well.
Ever occur to you that many atheists are just hoping there isn't some Hell, etc?

I know there is no hell. That's how sure I am. And I have no guilt to hide. I'll talk about everything I've ever done plainly with God right now if He wants. Let's do this. Oh wait... is there a way to get in touch with Him? Maybe I can get a hold of His secretary? Doesn't have one? Okay... where's His house? Perhaps I can just stop by? No house? Hmm... does He have an e-mail address? P.O. box? Make house calls? Maybe there's a cloud I can go visit where He hangs out or something? No to all of those? Well dang... it almost seems like He doesn't exist, if you ask me.

 

[loverofhumanity]

I know there is no hell. That's how sure I am. And I have no guilt to hide. I'll talk about everything I've ever done plainly with God right now if He wants. Let's do this. Oh wait... is there a way to get in touch with Him? Maybe I can get a hold of His secretary? Doesn't have one? Okay... where's His house? Perhaps I can just stop by? No house? Hmm... does He have an e-mail address? P.O. box? Make house calls? Maybe there's a cloud I can go visit where He hangs out or something? No to all of those? Well dang... it almost seems like He doesn't exist, if you ask me.

God is in your heart, closer to you than your life vein.

We Baha'is understand there is no hell except the one we create ourselves.

In the scriptures hell is to be far from God and heaven to be near to Him as in obeying His laws which are for our benefit.

There is a next world but we understand we take our good deeds and what we have made of ourselves into that existence and we will remember our life here and some may be filled with joy at having not wasted their life here while others may be filled with sorrow and deep regret at not having used their time more wisely and yet others may be inconsolable at having hurt and harmed and caused sorrow to others in this world.

We make our future in this world and the next. It is all in our hands what we do with our life or don't do. We have freedom of choice to do the good or bad the right or wrong thing. That's why it's important we don't follow others blindly as they may be wrong.

We are basically here to learn and then evolve into a higher being as we go from world to world.

That is just my humble understanding not gospel truth.