Why do people hate Christianity?

[erowe1]

This was actually a Roman law.

So was slavery.

Basically what Jesus was saying here is do more than is expected of you.

Isn't that basically what Paul was saying to slaves?

But the point of me putting it in my post was to prove a point. Most of what Jesus taught was about morality, which is always relevant. Most of what the other guys taught was relevant for the people of the time.

Except the parts of what Jesus taught that were relevant for the people of that time, like telling them to go the extra mile when a Roman soldier compelled them to carry their stuff.

[ShaneEnochs]

So was slavery.



Isn't that basically what Paul was saying to slaves?

Yeah I guess you can argue that.

[PursuePeace]

Because christianity is often times so far from the real message of Christ: LOVE.

[BuddyRey]

I love Christ; it's just some of the members of His fan club that piss me off.

[ShaneEnochs]

I love Christ; it's just some of the members of His fan club that piss me off.

Didn't Gandhi say something similar?

[heavenlyboy34]

Why do people hate Christianity?

Most have never seen it..
They have seen political religion called "christian', they have seen a lot of misguided and downright evil people that call themselves "christian".

They have no understanding of Christ. only bad examples.

(they would probably like any Christians the actually met)

+rep

[heavenlyboy34]

Because christianity is often times so far from the real message of Christ: LOVE.

Indeed.

John 13:34-35

New International Version (NIV)

³⁴ “A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. ³⁵ By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.”

[Libertarian_Renaissance]

Because christianity is often times so far from the real message of Christ: LOVE.

I love Christ; it's just some of the members of His fan club that piss me off.

I do agree with this line of thought. The Christians that annoy me most tend to be Christian apologists. Now the vast majority of Christian apologists are not bad people. But, well, look at people such as Matt Slick and his CARM organization. They openly start harassing people off the street, film it, then go on their website and attack these people. If anyone thinks that is Christ-like behavior, I would direct you to a mental asylum.


Now I'll reiterate that I think most (vast majority, even) Christian apologists are nice people. John Lennox, JP holding, Dr. Craig and them are great. But those few a-holes on the internet like Slick and his cult really do bug me. They are doing more harm than good for their religion.


But I don't think Christianity should be attacked. It is essential building block of the West. Jewish Atheists aren't stupid enough to attack Judaism after leaving the faith. Or else they would be attacking their civilization. On the other hand, Westerners have a nasty habit of denigrating Christian civilization & history.

[VIDEODROME]

In all seriousness, what's wrong with the message that:

1. God is perfect
2. Every single human being is flawed
3. Because of our flaws (sin), we can never meet the standards of a perfect God
4. Imperfect humans have no place with a perfect God, so an eternal separation (damnation) will result
5. God, in His love and mercy, offers His perfection to us and takes our flaws in exchange, so that we can stand righteous before Him
6. Being righteous, God blesses us for eternity
-Craig

As this message is described here, I want to interpret it as Universalism. Or rather, we are all saved.


But a lot of Christians in my experience seem to dwell between steps 4 and 5. They have this crazy hangup where they want to talk endlessly about how hopelessly screwed up we are and only through Jesus(or going to their Church) can we be saved.

It's like a never ending guilt trip. Or that we should be ashamed of being human. Yeeesh.

[erowe1]

It's like a never ending guilt trip. Or that we should be ashamed of being human. Yeeesh.

Isaiah 6 starts out like this:

In the year that King Uzziah died, I saw the Lord sitting on a throne, high and lifted up, and the train of His robe filled the temple. 2 Above it stood seraphim; each one had six wings: with two he covered his face, with two he covered his feet, and with two he flew. 3 And one cried to another and said: "Holy, holy, holy is the LORD of hosts; The whole earth is full of His glory!" 4 And the posts of the door were shaken by the voice of him who cried out, and the house was filled with smoke. 5 So I said: "Woe is me, for I am undone! Because I am a man of unclean lips, And I dwell in the midst of a people of unclean lips; For my eyes have seen the King, The LORD of hosts."

When he encountered the holiness of God, he was ashamed of being human. If you were to encounter the same, you might be as well.

[phx420]

Isaiah 6 starts out like this:


When he encountered the holiness of God, he was ashamed of being human. If you were to encounter the same, you might be as well.

if you replace the words holiness of God with truth about foriegn policy, it sort of has the same effect

[erowe1]

if you replace the words holiness of God with truth about foriegn policy, it sort of has the same effect

That's because it's the holiness of God that makes immorality immoral. To be awestruck by one is to be awestruck by the other.

[VIDEODROME]

Look we are far from perfect, but regularly dwelling our faults seems almost mentally unhealthy.

A Catholic church here has a response phrase with something like "Through my fault, through my fault, through my most grievous fault."(Mea Culpa?)/// paraphrasing here.

The strong focus on the negative just bothers me and I find it really frustrating.

It's like why bother relating to the teachings of Jesus as a guide to be a better person, then on the other reinforce this message humans are inherently despicable failures. It feels like a bizarre mind game and it drives me nuts.

[MelissaWV]

Thank you, thread, for answering the OP's question quite loudly lol

[phx420]

ive been religious my whole life, but began struggling with idea of original sin over the past year or so which has ultimately broken my faith.... i adopted the idea that people are good.... so i started treating people well.. with manners and affection, every stranger i come across, and i notice life some how comes easier to me.. i never had that luxury, and i grew up wealthy... original sin allows us to hate people who aren't "saved" like us, creates apathy when injustices are carried out against other peoples, and allows the people who rule this world to conquer us by division... if we cant picture a world, in this life or the next, where we are all welcome, then we are damned.

[Sola_Fide]

original sin allows us to hate people who aren't "saved" like us,

No it doesn't.

[phx420]

every one is evil, but you are saved and love those whom are saved.. whats left for anyone else but hatred

[Sola_Fide]

every one is evil, but you are saved and love those whom are saved.. whats left for anyone else but hatred

What's left is the command to love your neighbor as yourself.

[phx420]

i didn't want to point out the bible is hypocritical, but thanks

[fr33]

Isn't that basically what Paul was saying to slaves?

You can stop acting like slavery was justified by Christians only during Roman and Egyptian times. The British had slaves for over 200 years while having a state enforced religion (christianity). That's only one example. There are many more and they too used the old testament to justify it.

If secularists today disappeared, the christians would revert back to torturing and killing scientists. I have no doubt slavery would be reinstated as well. We are at the mercy of Israel today because of religion.

Christians were dragged kicking and screaming away from witch burning and slavery. The text justifying it remains the same. Only the actions changed; and not by the christians' will. The pastors begged for these things to remain.

[Sola_Fide]

i didn't want to point out the bible is hypocritical, but thanks

Why would you say that?

[Sola_Fide]

You can stop acting like slavery was justified by Christians only during Roman and Egyptian times. The British had slaves for over 200 years while having a state enforced religion (christianity). That's only one example. There are many more and they too used the old testament to justify it.

If secularists today disappeared, the christians would revert back to torturing and killing scientists. I have no doubt slavery would be reinstated as well. We are at the mercy of Israel today because of religion.

Christians were dragged kicking and screaming away from witch burning and slavery. The text justifying it remains the same. Only the actions changed; and not by the christians' will. The pastors begged for these things to remain.

Right. The founding generation of American Christians were really tyrannical weren't they? They locked up scientists left and right, right?

[heavenlyboy34]

Right. The founding generation of American Christians were really tyrannical weren't they? They locked up scientists left and right, right?

The politicians were (same as everywhere else). The people, not really.

[VIDEODROME]

I thought about half the Founders were Deists.

[fr33]

Right. The founding generation of American Christians were really tyrannical weren't they? They locked up scientists left and right, right?

Well they had slaves didn't they?

If you think free thinkers weren't persecuted by christians in this country I should point you to the history of Salem.

Most of the founders were secularists even though most were Christians. It's possible to be both.

Thomas Pain himself was at the very least an agnostic.

Thomas Jefferson wrote his own heretical version of the bible.

"The hocus-pocus phantasm of a God like another Cerberus, with one body and three heads, had its birth and growth in the blood of thousands and thousands of martyrs." --Jefferson

"If we look back into history for the character of the present sects in Christianity, we shall find few that have not in their turns been persecutors, and complainers of persecution. The primitive Christians thought persecution extremely wrong in the Pagans, but practiced it on one another. The first Protestants of the Church of England blamed persecution in the Romish Church, but practiced it upon the Puritans. They found it wrong in Bishops, but fell into the practice themselves both here (England) and in New England." --Franklin

"What influence, in fact, have ecclesiastical establishments had on society? In some instances they have been seen to erect a spiritual tyranny on the ruins of the civil authority; on many instances they have been seen upholding the thrones of political tyranny; in no instance have they been the guardians of the liberties of the people. Rulers who wish to subvert the public liberty may have found an established clergy convenient auxiliaries. A just government, instituted to secure and perpetuate it, needs them not." --Madison

"The divinity of Jesus is made a convenient cover for absurdity. Nowhere in the Gospels do we find a precept for Creeds, Confessions, Oaths, Doctrines, and whole cartloads of other foolish trumpery that we find in Christianity." --Adams

"Whenever we read the obscene stories, the voluptuous debaucheries, the cruel and torturous executions, the unrelenting vindictiveness, with which more than half of the Bible is filled, it would be more consistent that we call it the word of a demon than the word of God. It is a history of wickedness that has served to corrupt and brutalize mankind." --Paine

[bunklocoempire]

In all seriousness, what's wrong with the message that:

1. God is perfect
2. Every single human being is flawed
3. Because of our flaws (sin), we can never meet the standards of a perfect God
4. Imperfect humans have no place with a perfect God, so an eternal separation (damnation) will result
5. God, in His love and mercy, offers His perfection to us and takes our flaws in exchange, so that we can stand righteous before Him
6. Being righteous, God blesses us for eternity


Seems to me a simple and positive message, that puts shame to any personal self-righteousness ("well, I'm not perfect, but I'm better than most people.") Human self-righteousness has made all the problems that our world knows, apart from natural disasters and disease of course.

So, by all means disagree with the validity of the Christian message, as there is no objective proof that it is true, but don't put down the message. It is a positive one and it makes a lot of sense with what we know about human nature.

After all if everyone went to heaven, including me, I'm not sure I'd want to be there. It would have all the same problems we have on earth, maybe minus the natural disasters and disease. Praise be to God that it's not any of our righteousness that counts, but that of Jesus Christ!

-Craig

All great points.

This Christian laughed.

"Hey man, I'm all for justice... wait wait, that's TOO much justice. I like perfect love and everything, but I'd much rather be judged like Romney judged against Obama rather than Obamney against the constitution/bill of rights.. being an individual held up to perfect love is kinda uncomfortable..I want justice! I'm an individual! Sorta! "

lol Back & forth, back an forth.

I've been there. Still struggle with it.

Why do people hate Christianity? As folks are proving in this thread...

When "Christians" put their faith in force rather than love and call themselves "Christian" the "Christianity" becomes the focus rather than the sin those "Christians" are supposedly trying to combat. Two wrongs does not a right make.

The world is right to call 'em on it, and the world will also be judged by what it focuses on.

[James Madison]

[QUOTE]

If secularists today disappeared, the christians would revert back to torturing and killing scientists. I have no doubt slavery would be reinstated as well. We are at the mercy of Israel today because of religion.

No, they wouldn't. That's complete bull$#@!, and you know it. Removing religion from society doesn't remove the fallabilities of man. In fact, it makes them worse because he is ultimately accountable to no one but himself.

We are at the mercy of Israel because a group of areligious Khazars purchased the British economy for pennies-on-the-dollar in 1815 and used their influence to manuever the US and Europe into two world wars in an attempt to justify stealing Palestine from the Ottoman Empire and later the Palestinians themselves.

Christians were dragged kicking and screaming away from witch burning and slavery. The text justifying it remains the same. Only the actions changed; and not by the christians' will. The pastors begged for these things to remain.

Also bull$#@!. Western Europe was free precisely because it had people like Martin Luther, John Calvin, and John Locke, all of whom were inspired by the God of the Bible. The most wicked and violent of murderers existed in the absence of religion. They destroyed the Kingdom of France. They raped and then murdered the royal families of Russia. And they are not your ally. They worship the state as their god, and they will gladly take every ounce of freedom you enjoy to empower the state.

[fr33]

No, they wouldn't. That's complete bull$#@!, and you know it. Removing religion from society doesn't remove the fallabilities of man. In fact, it makes them worse because he is ultimately accountable to no one but himself.

What I know is that men are fallible enough to use such a barbaric book as the bible as the rule of law. Slavery, witch burning, wife and children beating to name a few, are all justified in this immoral doctrine. Not to mention the demand of worshiping an eternal dictator that claims to be perfect but purposefully creates imperfection for his personal sick game known as earth.

We are at the mercy of Israel because a group of areligious Khazars purchased the British economy for pennies-on-the-dollar in 1815 and used their influence to manuever the US and Europe into two world wars in an attempt to justify stealing Palestine from the Ottoman Empire and later the Palestinians themselves.

I've never met an Israel supporter that does not cite religion for their support. Ever.

Also bull$#@!. Western Europe was free precisely because it had people like Martin Luther, John Calvin, and John Locke, all of whom were inspired by the God of the Bible. The most wicked and violent of murderers existed in the absence of religion. They destroyed the Kingdom of France. They raped and then murdered the royal families of Russia. And they are not your ally. They worship the state as their god, and they will gladly take every ounce of freedom you enjoy to empower the state.

Oh hey, let's talk about Calvin and Luther. Both were murderous, torturers to any and all that did not agree with their religious views. They burned heretics at the stake. They especially focused on scientists and philosophers. They were the most immoral men in their respective countries at the time. Mass murderers.

Religion has ALWAYS had to be dragged kicking and screaming into scientific revolutions. They killed scientists until the public and reason would no longer allow it.

[robert9712000]

People hate Christianity because it shines a light on there souls and exposes them for how prideful,vain and corrupt they really are.People love to see the faults in others but can never step back and see the injustices they commit on others,there pride won't allow it.

So instead of acknowledging that they have Sin in there life they need to deal with,they take the cowardly route make excuses.Some will say well since Christians sin aswell, then they are hypocrites,so i can therefor invalidate the light that God shines on my sin and pretend like i have no problems.

What they never look into enough to understand,is while God exposes the Sin you have, you won't be able to overcome it till you humbly come to God for help.His plan to help you is brilliant because as you become more righteous you have no claim on pride for being righteous based on your own strength ,because it was imputed too you as a act of mercy,that thru your faith in Christ that he took the judgement for your transgressions against God , he will redeem you and cure what ails you.

When you become humble enough to where you finally realize that you cannot become a better person without the assistance of God, it is then when he will start to change your heart and show you what it is to be righteous.

People have no clue what it is too be righteous.They are the ones that will pretend that because i work 50+ hours a week im being a good parent because im providing them with material comfort,but then they will ignore there child's mental needs.These are the people that will try to justify in there minds that its ok to lie about how many hours you worked on your timesheet at work ,because my employer owes it too me since im not fairly treated.These are the kind of people who will talk badly about others when there not around but then act appalled when they are judged.I could go on and on.

The fact that you havent murdered or raped someone doesnt make you a good person.Until you acknowledge your short comings and come to God for help to deal with them,your only fooling yourself in your self perceived righteousness

[jmdrake]

A better question is why do Christians (sometimes) hate other people? Solve that problem and the other one will go away.

In all seriousness, what's wrong with the message that:

1. God is perfect
2. Every single human being is flawed
3. Because of our flaws (sin), we can never meet the standards of a perfect God
4. Imperfect humans have no place with a perfect God, so an eternal separation (damnation) will result
5. God, in His love and mercy, offers His perfection to us and takes our flaws in exchange, so that we can stand righteous before Him
6. Being righteous, God blesses us for eternity


Seems to me a simple and positive message, that puts shame to any personal self-righteousness ("well, I'm not perfect, but I'm better than most people.") Human self-righteousness has made all the problems that our world knows, apart from natural disasters and disease of course.

So, by all means disagree with the validity of the Christian message, as there is no objective proof that it is true, but don't put down the message. It is a positive one and it makes a lot of sense with what we know about human nature.

After all if everyone went to heaven, including me, I'm not sure I'd want to be there. It would have all the same problems we have on earth, maybe minus the natural disasters and disease. Praise be to God that it's not any of our righteousness that counts, but that of Jesus Christ!

-Craig