Biggest turnoff to Christianity

[huajiro]

I understand totally why you think as you do--can't say I blame you. But I do want to assure you at the same time, that there are some amazing Christians out there, who actually walk the walk, and live what they believe. It's these people that give me hope, and encourage me in my own walk, despite all the corruption I see in the majority of Christendom.

I know how you feel. When I was a child my mom would take me to Church. I remember listening to the sermons and thinking the world was perfect. I believed in "God", I believed that he was there for me. Then, I would hear the people criticize other people's clothes, see more emphasis put on the collection plate, hear people judge....and when parts of the Bible made "God" judgemental, it made me lose interest.

Hope, you sound like a truly "good" person. You want people to understand Christianity the way you do, as your interpretation of it is "good". My question has always been, why do Christians believe that someone will burn in "Hell" if they don't believe in their "God"? It is insecurity. I have nothing against the Christian "God", in fact I believe in him, as I believe in Buddha, Alllah, Vishnu and all Gods and Goddesses that are benevolent.

My personal view is that all "good" people are rewarded. I hope I do not sound ignorant, but I have not completely decided on what the afterlife brings. I am trying my best to absorb anything positive from each religion. I am learning as I go.

 

[jewscout]

I have a few problems with Christianity. My first and biggest one is the concept of Salvation. I don't believe in the concept of all i gotta do is believe in this guy on a cross and think he's the son of G-d and that's it i'm all hunky dorey and get to go to heaven. I'm sorry i don't believe it's that easy. Secondly i can't be a part of a faith which believes that non-believers are going to burn in hell for eternity (now granted not ALL denominations are that way but it is a mainstay of the majority of them). Thirdly, (and this is probably why i can and have related to Judaism) the very concept of the death and ressurection and the majority of christian beleifs i find ridiculous. The very nature of Jesus wasn't settled upon until 3 centuries after his death not to mention most modern concepts of the Devil and hell come from writings like Paradise Lost. Too much of Christianity is painted in black and white.
Or maybe it's all because when i was 12 i was told in Sunday school that i was going to burn in hell because i questioned the divinity of Jesus.

 

[robtex]

I have a few problems with Christianity. My first and biggest one is the concept of Salvation. I don't believe in the concept of all i gotta do is believe in this guy on a cross and think he's the son of G-d and that's it i'm all hunky dorey and get to go to heaven.

But to be fair most of them makes large strides to live virtueously. Hey, this is a tangent but seeing as your Jewish and all....my gf is a reform Jew and what really gets under her dad's foaming at the mouth with anger is when somebody suggests (or even talks about) Messianic Jews--those are Jews who think Christ is the savior.....His face gets so stern and boils with anger if somebody mentions that to him......Sorry had to say that....

 

[Hope]

Or maybe it's all because when i was 12 i was told in Sunday school that i was going to burn in hell because i questioned the divinity of Jesus.

I am truly sorry that happened to you, jewscout.

I think it's unfortunate that so many use scare tactics to try to force people to become Christians.

 

[jewscout]

But to be fair most of them makes large strides to live virtueously. Hey, this is a tangent but seeing as your Jewish and all....my gf is a reform Jew and what really gets under her dad's foaming at the mouth with anger is when somebody suggests (or even talks about) Messianic Jews--those are Jews who think Christ is the savior.....His face gets so stern and boils with anger if somebody mentions that to him......Sorry had to say that....

I'm not saying that many christians don't live virtuously but to me i'd like to think i have to work a little harder because there are many who don't act virtuously. Personally i like to keep my sins because they teach me better than any sermon can. They are a part of who i am and i try to avoid them, not out of fear (which is another tactic of many denominations) but out of a desire to better myself. Well unfortunately i have to agree with him if you believe that Jesus is the messiah and all the rest of it then your not religiously a Jew, your a Christian so just call yourself one and stop making it confusing for the rest of us.:bonk:

 

[jewscout]

I am truly sorry that happened to you, jewscout.

I think it's unfortunate that so many use scare tactics to try to force people to become Christians.

So do I Hope. Though i don't like Christianity and it hasn't been my thing i can't deny that Christianity has been the tool HaShem has used to bring His word to the Gentile people of the world. I believe Jesus and the Apostles were used by G-d to bring the word and Law of G-d to the Gentiles. Does this make Jesus the son of G-d or G-d incarnite, no. However no one can deny his influence on the world. I just wish that some missionaires would recognize that Jews and Christians are all part of the same family and stop trying to convert us.

 

[robtex]

Personally i like to keep my sins because they teach me better than any sermon can.

I like that....makes a lot of sense.

 

[almifkhar]

the biggest turn off of christanity is that the bible has constantly been re worded to fit the needs of the different sects which leads to doubble standards.

 

[Fluffy]

I don't know what my biggest turn off would be. I have short listed the following however:

Its views on what should be defined as unethical.
Its unintentional methods on gaining the majority of its followers.
The way in which its messages are so badly worded so as to be open to contradicting interpretations.

 

[Melody]

Just a short comment on the "faith is subordinate to reason." For me, my faith is "despite" all reason and logic. It's not a comfortable place to be. My head tells me one thing but there's something inside of me that says "this (my beliefs) is right." I'm not going to try to defend it against reason and logic because I can't....not even to myself. I'spent 20 years running from Christianity because I couldn't make sense of it. I still can't but it "feels" right.

However, it does mean that I continue to question and study and *try* to find meaning. I'm just not always successful.

 

[Melody]

Turnoffs to Christianity? Same as with any religion......hypocrisy and intolerance. I may not agree with your views but I respect your right to have them.

My biggest turnoff to Christianity specifically is the incredible hypocrisy of the people who twist the Bible to reflect their own personal beliefs and they don't see that they are being inconsistent and contradictory in their application.

 

[Faust]

Fausty is a blue-collar boy from the great mid-west. Whats left of his salt and pepper (mostly salt) hair compliments his bloodshot eyes and jaundiced complexion.
Fausty stands a towering 5' 9.5" and shrinking and measures approximately 38,48,33.
My interests are music, art, religious history/theory, and philosophy.
I like long walks on the beach, a warm fireplace, and good companionship.
Turn ons,
Honesty,intelligence, and a desire to educate oneself.(a sense of humor is also a must)
Turn offs,
Speaking authoritatively on subjects one has little or no knowledge of.
Ignorance.
Intolerance.
Arrogance. (which I'm often guilty of)
We believe that Fausty has a great future ahead of him here on Religious Forums and in the world at large. Watch out for this man marching to the beat of his own drum, or is he simply out of step with everyone else and trying to pass it off as vertu?
So long for now Fausty, you master of verbosity, we've got our eye on you
Sorry Hope, I couldn't resist.
Faust.

 

[ConfusedPuppy]

I'm new to this place, but I wanted to comment on this thread. When I was 12, I was horribly beaten up and spent a week in the hospital. The kid's mother that did it told me "God forgives him." Well, that's just wonderful. I get beaten up and God forgives him. One of the problems I have with Christianity is the idea that people can sin all they want apparently and as long as they believe in Jesus and confess those sins, all is forgiven. If there is a hell or heaven, I would think that should make some points against the permanent record.

The other thing, as I'm much older now, is what has been said many times that people hold the Bible up and state that it is the truth and there is no other truth. When questioned, they simply say that you have to have faith to understand it and by not having faith, you are going to hell.

We were in the Florida hurricanes at a shelter and I had the unfortunate position of being next to two diehard christians. So in the middle of all this craziness of the winds, I was engaged in such a conversation when one asked, "What do you think of the bible?" I basically told him that I didn't want to get into that conversation, but they insisted and so I told them. They spent the next 3 hours trying to convince me that the Bible was the only thing that could possibly be correct and everything else was a lie, no matter how much science I tried to inject into it. Then it was the hurricanes were products of Satan and there is only good and evil, and since the hurricanes came, they must be evil, even though there are good reasons for hurricanes as far as nature is concerned. I've also seen blind trust where someone will accept a complete stranger with a self-admitted mental illness and history of violence just because they are a believer. I certainly hope I don't wind up seeing that person on the news one night.

I am not an athiest I don't think, as I do believe there is order to the universe. I believe that there is a power beyond man that created the amazing world we live in. I just don't think it is how any particular religion describes this being or beings. I think no one really knows why we are here and what happens when we die, but such stories help guide and comfort mankind, but in the end, no one knows. Christians seem to be believe and make it known at almost every turn (at least some of them) that their truth is the only truth, and that bugs me, because really don't know anymore than anyone else.

 

[The Voice of Reason]

Welcome, Confused Puppy. Glad to have you on board. Get ready for the ride of a lifetime - we have someone from almost every walk of life, and we spread it around pretty well.

Take care,
TVOR

 

[Majikthise]

Hypocracy:tsk:

 

[Melody]

One of the problems I have with Christianity is the idea that people can sin all they want apparently and as long as they believe in Jesus and confess those sins, all is forgiven. If there is a hell or heaven, I would think that should make some points against the permanent record.

That's a misconception, but this is the wrong thread and I'm still getting my head (and notes) together on the subject.

 

[lilithu]

What is the biggest turnoff, to those of you who aren't Christians, to Christianity? What specifically leads you not to believe in it? Would there be anything you would change, if you could, that would make it more appealing, or easier to believe? I'm genuinely curious here.

Hi Hope! A lot of people have mentioned intolerance, hypocrisy, etc. I think that it's important to make a distinction between the doctrine of a religion and the actions of its followers. When we judge our own religions or belief systems, we tend to judge it by the best of its ideals - what the doctrine says we should be. When we judge religions that are not our own, we tend to judge them by the worst of their followers' actions. Both are legitimate standards by which to judge but the double standard seems a bit unfair.

The reason why I am not Christian is because of its core doctrine, not because some Christians happen to be stupid. I simply can't believe in substitutionary atonement - that God would require a blood sacrifice in order to forgive us of our sins. I can tentatively accept the idea of divine intervention/miracles. I can even accept the idea of original sin, depending on how it's defined, and consequently our need for divine intervention of some type. I have cognitive problems with these ideas but they do not violate my soul/heart. But I cannot accept that divine intervention would take the form of a required blood sacrifice.

Would I change this about Christianity? I doubt it. Changing this would change the very heart of Christianity, I think. And many people draw great comfort from it. I'm just not one of them.

 

[Lycan]

IMHO - I am describing christians instead of christianity because they are one of my major "turn-offs" of the religion itself

Arrogance
Hypocrisy
Sheep mentality
Refusal to question their spoon fed belief system
Refusal to acknowledge valid logical statements made against their religion (not hateful comments)
Self perceived interpretations of the bible
Out of context use of bible verses to prove their arguement
self proclaimed exclusivity on moral values

The christian religion itself lacks logic for me. I have many questions that cannot be answered to my satifaction.

What would I change? - christians
What would it take for me to believe in christianity? - logical answers to my questions

Disclaimer: I am only speaking from my own experience with "christians". I am not trying to imply the all christians are like this. Only 99.9% of the ones I have met.

 

[Isis-Astoroth]

For me there are two big turn offs...(most) Christians...and the bible.