This popped up in my Facebook feed. I didn't write it, but it's interesting, to say the least.
http://anissalotti.theworldrace.org/post/why-people-really-dont-like-christians-and-why-i-dont-really-blame-them
Please stop.
I odon't really tghink its all "The CHristains" fault hre. As this article pointe dout, films and media often protray Chrisaisn negatively,and those fictional portrayals liek in Easy A or Footloose usually don't reflect a Reality at all.
I think it became OK to lambast Christins and sciety just accpets the media image.
Now, am I sayign all Christains are innocent? No, but I do think it snot just "The Christains". After all, not all Christasn are alike and the majoirty don't realy behave in any sort of nasty way, so its more like stertyping the media has gotten away with. Its nodifferent than Sterotyps of Muslism we've seen, or any other social group.
I odon't really tghink its all "The CHristains" fault hre.Agreed. The point is that a large number of Christians are giving Christianity a bad name, and the rest of us have to suffer for it. Not all Christians. The article acknowledges this when the author states:
I don’t blame people who don’t like these Christians.
Now Mr. Senor talks about religion. Watch carefully as he delivers knowledge for everyone.
I once told a man to go screw himself! Can you even imagine?! - Kilgrave
I'd agree the media certainly has a part to play. What's more exciting to cover, the many Churches across America holding fundraising events or the Westboro Baptist Church picketing another soldier's funeral? In the UK, unless I really dig around I'm unlikely to hear anything about Board of Education Elections in the US. But the Creationist woman who nearly won in Texas made big news.
I do also wonder if the way religion is used quite cynically in elections and by politicians in general doesn't contribute to the problem somewhat.
An interesting and honest article, thanks.
Part of the problem (For Christians, though it might be said of any faith) is that when one holds oneself up against the very highest standards and source your life from them, reflecting such things outwards then, inevitably, one is judged and found wanting by those taking you at your word.
I thought the most memorable line in the link was
Christians aren’t recognized as people who do the very thing Jesus did: feed, love, and clothe. Instead we are recognized as people who don’t make cakes for people that are gay.
I definitely don't dislike the vast majority of Christians. Most of them I encounter are very good people that don't try to force their beliefs on me, so that's really cool. I'm an atheist and used to attend church, so I have a lot of Christian friends. I generally tell them "let's just each explain for 15 minutes why we each take the sides we do, and then don't debate." It seems to work. I've let them talk uninterrupted for that amount of time, and then they let me explain why I'm atheist. It's a much healthier way of handling things compared to talking over each other and lobbing insults. This way, you get to learn from each other.
The only Christians I dislike are the ones that are beyond certain they are right, and threaten you with hell, or try to enforce their beliefs into the political/educational structure. Very rare in my experience, but I know others have to deal with this and that must be frustrating, just as it would be to a Christian if their child was being told by other people that they should be reading the Avesta or the Book of the Dead, that one of these was the true holy book. It would be very upsetting to most Christians I would think.
The only Christians I dislike are the ones that are beyond certain they are right, and threaten you with hell, or try to enforce their beliefs into the political/educational structure. Very rare in my experience
It is an interesting article but here's the thing, I'm a huge atheist but I don't dislike most Christians out there. They, like everybody else, are normal everyday people who just so happen to believe in something I don't but besides that they're perfectly reasonable and there's no reason to hate them for it. Some of my best friends are Christians.
The type however that most people dislike are the evangelical ones. You know, people who make it their business to tell you that you're wrong and that you're going to hell unless you repent right this moment and they're afraid for your immortal soul and all that jazz.
I get it, it's what they've been taught and what they think is right. But if they continue doing so even after you've told them you're not interested that's when I have a big problem with it. Well, that and when they try to get their religion into every part of secular life including schools.
I enjoyed reading that. Thanks. Frankly, I am a Christian though I do believe in trying my hardest to do what the Bible says. But it's kind of hard since so many people who don't believe reject me when I try to tell them about God/Jesus. Or they say, "Well because of what God did in the Old Testament, I will not serve him." Or they say, "Why can't God just have forgiven everyone without sending his son to die? Him making his son do that makes him a jerk!" I don't even know how to answer those things. Cause really no matter what I say there just seems to be no convincing them.
Or they go on and on about how the world came about as if they're like God and have been around forever. As far as I'm concerned thing how old the Earth is or how the world/universe were created is just a theory. I do believe God created them but unless someone has a time machine and can go back in time to 6billion years ago there's no way of knowing how old the Earth is. I myself don't know how a scientist looks at a fossil of a dinosaur and concludes it's millions of years old. Sorry for preaching. Was just typing my thoughts.
1, 2 Freddy's coming for you. 3, 4 better lock your door.
Or they say, "Well because of what God did in the Old Testament, I will not serve him." Or they say, "Why can't God just have forgiven everyone without sending his son to die? Him making his son do that makes him a jerk!" I don't even know how to answer those things. Cause really no matter what I say there just seems to be no convincing them.
If they don't actually make much sense, how true can then be?
Funny how nobody ever says that about quantum mechanics. :P
You can say it, Hobo, but you'll just prove my point.
shareHaha, but no. Do you seriously think that nobody has ever said that quantum mechanics doesn't make any sense so it can't be right, ever?
shareIt's amazing how quickly you get things all twisted up.
The (not-so slight) implication is that if something doesn't make sense, it must not be true. Now who was it that said, "If you think you understand quantum mechanics, then you don't understand quantum mechanics"?
I'm sure there are at least a few people who have said that if quantum mechanics doesn't make sense, it must not be true, so don't take "ever" so literally.
It only takes a few seconds to create a mess, but it takes a lot longer to clean it up. And you, sir, are a tornado. I won't clean it up again...
If only it was clear exactly which direction you were aiming your sarcasm. To be fair you tend to waiver between sarcastic, contradictory, opposed to anything not God, and fairly reasonable so often it's not always obvious which direction you're coming from. But that last bit was fairly poetic as far as waffle goes, so well done for that.
shareI think it was Feynman, but it's often credited to Bohr so I can't really say for sure. I suppose it doesn't really matter either way.
Changing your perspective doesn't actually change what you're looking at. But you knew that already, right?
That's true, but it doesn't really change my point - If people don't understand something (rightly or wrongly) they will be less likely to buy in to it. Questioning the narrative logic of the Bible is a fair concern for someone to raise.
shareBut you asked how true can it be if it doesn't make much sense, not how likely it would be for someone to buy into it.
There's also the question of whether it doesn't make sense at all or if it's just not understood. It seems a very arrogant position to say that because one doesn't understand something, it must be because it's not understandable.
But you asked how true can it be if it doesn't make much sense
It seems a very arrogant position to say that because one doesn't understand something, it must be because it's not understandable.
Arrogance is a very popular trait. No argument there. :)
shareI myself don't know how a scientist looks at a fossil of a dinosaur and concludes it's millions of years old. Sorry for preaching. Was just typing my thoughts.
Nothing aggressive in that atheist response.
Now we know why I'm here.
Has science declared that religion is bogus, Kaito?
I must have missed that headline.
Do tell.
The point he was referring to had nothing to do with religion...
shareNothing aggressive in that atheist response.
Has science declared that religion is bogus, Kaito?
the earth to be more a million years old.
If anyone actually took a science class
But you and deviates had to bring your snarky remarks back to this board to smack around the "young earth creationists" for their own good?
But no one projected they would obsession over it for going on three years, and on the attack with GND 2 and later 3.
GreenGoblinsOckVenom86 I could explain it to you, but I think Neil DeGrasse Tyson does a much better job, so just his Cosmos, episode 8
shareIt's really not that hard to explain but I'm thinking you meant ep 7, which really only covered U-Pb dating, only one of the radiometric dating types and not known for use on fossils. Except fairly recently (and atypical), U-Pb has apparently been used to determine the age of a sauropod specimen in New Mexico, determining its age at under 65 million years ago. This would mean it survived the so-called KT extinction event of non-avian dinosaurs.
Of course, all of this potentially means nothing as recent discovery, once again, has shown that our science in dating has been potentially wrong all along (according to MIT technology review.) You see, decay rates have long been 'shown' to be independent of environmental factors (except for decays caused by electron capture of course.) But new information has surfaced that has reopened the investigation of this constant. Particle physicists may find that this isn't a constant after all. Imagine that: Our age determinations could turn out to be very wrong. I guess that would be a good thing when it comes to treatment of radioactive waste products...
I love science but, time and time again, we've found the scientific community dismissing things too quickly; things that should require more testing.