• Welcome to Religious Forums, a friendly forum to discuss all religions in a friendly surrounding.

    Your voice is missing! You will need to register to get access to the following site features:
    • Reply to discussions and create your own threads.
    • Our modern chat room. No add-ons or extensions required, just login and start chatting!
    • Access to private conversations with other members.

    We hope to see you as a part of our community soon!

Why are some non-Christians so interested in Christianity?

Vinayaka

devotee
Premium Member
Atheists, Muslims, Bahai, etc. What gives? Why are you so interested in this religion? What is the value in studying it, or picking it apart?

Sorry, I don't get it. Help me out.

Personally I have enough time figuring out and becoming skilled at my own religion, let alone another one that doesn't suit me.
 

sun rise

The world is on fire
Premium Member
For me, several reasons:

In order to understand a Christian's perspective and perhaps debate, I need to know something about the religion.

Because to me all religions have a valid though limited view of Divinity (blind men and the elephant) so knowing something about them helps me have a more rounded view.

Living in a Christian-centered culture, it helps me to know something about the dominant religion.

Curiosity.
 

Left Coast

This Is Water
Staff member
Premium Member
Atheists, Muslims, Bahai, etc. What gives? Why are you so interested in this religion? What is the value in studying it, or picking it apart?

Sorry, I don't get it. Help me out.

Personally I have enough time figuring out and becoming skilled at my own religion, let alone another one that doesn't suit me.

Many of us used to be Christians. It's also the largest religion, broadly speaking, in the world.
 

Vinayaka

devotee
Premium Member
Many of us used to be Christians. It's also the largest religion, broadly speaking, in the world.
Do you still study it, or have you moved on to Buddhism?
(I was never Christian, and any interest I may have ever gotten was lost really quickly.)
 

Vinayaka

devotee
Premium Member
Because it infects everything.
Actually no it doesn't. In some places it's not seen much. When I was in Mauritius, I barely noticed Christmas, and there were a few churches here and there. But in places like Thailand, Burma, China, Saudi Arabia, is it really very visible at all? It has little or no impact on me personally.

But yes, in large portions of this planet, it does infect stuff.
 

Sunstone

De Diablo Del Fora
Premium Member
picking it apart?

I'm not going to be too popular for saying this, but the empirical evidence would suggest that 'picking it apart' is just as likely the main reason for most non-Christian interest in Christianity as "picking it apart" is likely the main reason for the interest most fundamentalists of any stripe take in evolution.
 

Vinayaka

devotee
Premium Member
For me, several reasons:

In order to understand a Christian's perspective and perhaps debate, I need to know something about the religion.

Because to me all religions have a valid though limited view of Divinity (blind men and the elephant) so knowing something about them helps me have a more rounded view.

Living in a Christian-centered culture, it helps me to know something about the dominant religion.

Curiosity.

I get the basics part. I've been in a few churches and all that, and I know some Christians. But what I meant more was studying it. (like in some bible threads on here, started by non-Christians) Do you interact with Christians? (I don't.)
 

Left Coast

This Is Water
Staff member
Premium Member
Do you still study it, or have you moved on to Buddhism?
(I was never Christian, and any interest I may have ever gotten was lost really quickly.)

I sometimes do, though from a secular place of textual or source criticism of the Bible, or the history of the religion. I spent so many years wrapped up in it, I think it'll always interest me on some level.

However, I've also "moved on" to Buddhism as well.
 

Dawnofhope

Non-Proselytizing Baha'i
Staff member
Premium Member
Atheists, Muslims, Bahai, etc. What gives? Why are you so interested in this religion? What is the value in studying it, or picking it apart?

Sorry, I don't get it. Help me out.

Personally I have enough time figuring out and becoming skilled at my own religion, let alone another one that doesn't suit me.

For me quite a few reasons:

1/ Christianity is the religion I was brought up with and the religion of my ancestors.

2/ Christianity is by far the largest and most influential religion where I live.

3/ I’m a universalist and see all religions as being interconnected just as I see humanity as one.

4/ My faith encourages a world embracing outlook, not insular or tribalistic.
 

Vinayaka

devotee
Premium Member
I'm not going to be too popular for saying this, but the empirical evidence would suggest that 'picking it apart' is just as likely the main reason for most non-Christian interest in Christianity as "picking it apart" is likely the main reason for the interest most fundamentalists of any stripe take in evolution.

Yeah, I guess. Not my cup of tea. That's like picking apart Texas so you can think Colorado is better. Why not just enjoy Colorado?
 

Sunstone

De Diablo Del Fora
Premium Member
For me quite a few reasons:

1/ Christianity is the religion I was brought up with and the religion of my ancestors.

2/ Christianity is by far the largest and some influential religion where I live.

3/ I’m a universalist and see all religions as being interconnected just as I see humanity as one.

4/ My faith encourages a world embracing outlook, not insular or tribalistic.


See what I mean, Adrian? Obviously your post proves my own post that the main interest lies in "picking it apart".


Uncle Sunstone
"Achieving excellent in Ideologically warped thinking since 2004"
 

Vinayaka

devotee
Premium Member
For me quite a few reasons:

1/ Christianity is the religion I was brought up with and the religion of my ancestors.

2/ Christianity is by far the largest and most influential religion where I live.

3/ I’m a universalist and see all religions as being interconnected just as I see humanity as one.

4/ My faith encourages a world embracing outlook, not insular or tribalistic.

And none of that has to do with proving to yourself that your new faith is better? For example, you're really delving into the bible and it's intricacies in your own thread. I'd suspect that even many Christians would get lost in that discussion.
 

SomeRandom

Still learning to be wise
Staff member
Premium Member
To be fair Western culture has been largely shaped by Christianity and to a lesser extent it’s older sibling Judaism. So it’s sometimes just a natural consequence for some.

There are some combative strains of Christianity that do tend to “ask for retaliation.” Whether they realise it or not.

For me, many of my close family friends are Christians. But they’re chill. The closest I come into contact with regards to interacting with the faith is joining them in saying grace before we eat a meal together.

Although I have been told by numerous fellow book nerds that one who is interested in classical literature should at some point at least read the Bible. Not for spiritual gain or even to understand Christianity. But to get all the references and in jokes baked into the Canon
 

Vinayaka

devotee
Premium Member
I certainly don't feel it's necessary to understand another person' faith just to get along with other people. A discussion about a mutual interest (sports, wine, music) would most likely do as well.
 

Twilight Hue

Twilight, not bright nor dark, good nor bad.
Atheists, Muslims, Bahai, etc. What gives? Why are you so interested in this religion? What is the value in studying it, or picking it apart?

Sorry, I don't get it. Help me out.

Personally I have enough time figuring out and becoming skilled at my own religion, let alone another one that doesn't suit me.
I can only think of three.

Christians tend to be pushy with their faith.

The errors and contradiction associated with the religion. (Giving rise to apologetics)

Ex Christians expressing the reasons why they themselves left.
 

SomeRandom

Still learning to be wise
Staff member
Premium Member
I certainly don't feel it's necessary to understand another person' faith just to get along with other people. A discussion about a mutual interest (sports, wine, music) would most likely do as well.
Oh never discuss religion and politics with friends. Such topics are far too uncivilised.
Now the topic of which bourbon tastes better is a much better and enlightening subject, I find
 

Vinayaka

devotee
Premium Member
Oh never discuss religion and politics with friends. Such topics are far too uncivilised.
Now the topic of which bourbon tastes better is a much better and enlightening subject, I find
Operative word being 'friends'. If you want to gain some enemies, start discussing religion. I'd rather have friends. There is less reason to be paranoid.

That's an excellent point. Maybe the people who 'pick things apart' enjoy having enemies.
 
Top