Christianophobia?

[Melody]

It doesn't matter if they "really" are or not. If they claim to be Christian and act in a way that can damage Christianity's image, then the damage is done regardless if they are truly following Jesus' teachings.

That is true, but isn't that a great reason not to "throw the baby out with the bathwater"? Several of you made the comment that many of the christians on this forum are not at all like what you're used to seeing in your daily lives and as portrayed by the media. Why not instead paint Christianity with that view and consider the others as aberrations?

Every group has their bad apples, but why do we paint the whole group bad instead of focusing on those who do truly represent the beliefs of their group?

 

[Green Gaia]

Because, unfortunately, the "bad apples" are usually the most vocal and visual (I'm thinking of people like Fred Phelps here). Also, I see in the case of Christianity, the "bad apples" becoming the majority and I don't see enough "true" followers speaking out against these people.

Let me make clear: I have no problem with Christianity itself, just the way some people claim to practice it.

 

[retrorich]

It doesn't matter whether they truly are the majority or are a very vocal minority if the results are the same. In this case, the very vocal minority has managed to get quite a number of laws passed that threaten the Christians. So they're reacting.

Specifically what laws have been passed that threaten Christians?

 

[Melody]

Specifically what laws have been passed that threaten Christians?

Retro,

Everytime a law is passed that removes God from our public life, it can be considered a threat to a christian. Everytime a law is passed that reflects humanistic beliefs (e.g. abortion), it is considered a threat to christians. Not all....but some. Just as not every atheist is threatened by Dubya, not all of us are threatened by these laws either.

 

[Melody]

Also, I see in the case of Christianity, the "bad apples" becoming the majority and I don't see enough "true" followers speaking out against these people.

We are....we just don't get the media attention because love and compassion doesn't make newspapers sell.

 

[Green Gaia]

How is it a threat to Christianity to allow other beliefs and ideas into the public domain unless, Christianity is threatened by these ideas? No one is keeping a Christian from practicing their faith just by allowing different ideas and different opinions.

This whole line of thinking is reminding me of something in Islam, but I can't formulate it right now.... I'll get back with you on that though. But it has to do with why Muslim fundamentalists hate the West because they feel Islam is threatened by Western ideas, much like you just stated Christianity is.... interesting that Christianity seems to be heading down the path we see Islam on now....

p.s. That isn't meant to be offensive, but I'm sure some might take it as such, my apologies.... I'm a Comparative Religion major, it's what I do, compare religions.

 

[painted wolf]

such laws are not passed to limit Christianity, but to allow non-christians equil footing in our 'freedom of religion' culture. There have been no laws that say that you can not be Christian in the USA.

wa:do

 

[retrorich]

such laws are not passed to limit Christianity, but to allow non-christians equil footing in our 'freedom of religion' culture. There have been no laws that say that you can not be Christian in the USA.

wa:do

I agree. Some laws may not reflect Christian beliefs, but they do not threaten Christians' right to have those beliefs--and most certainly do not threaten the Christians themselves (as in Melody's earlier comparison to the holocaust.)

 

[Melody]

How is it a threat to Christianity to allow other beliefs and ideas into the public domain unless, Christianity is threatened by these ideas? No one is keeping a Christian from practicing their faith just by allowing different ideas and different opinions.

Why do humanists have a problem with creationism being taught alongside evolution? There's no more proof for evolution than there is for creationism so it can't be because evolution is based on "fact". Even the scientists are finally speaking up and saying it's not.

So why are humanists threatened by allowing different ideas and opinions? No one is keeping them from practicing their own evolution based views and, in fact, they've managed to get the weight of the law on their side.

 

[Green Gaia]

OK, then which religion's creation story do we teach in public schools? To be fair, we'd have to teach all of them, correct? That's A LOT of creation stories for the kids to learn....

OR we can leave the creation stories to the religious groups to teach their children from their own religion.

I would be more than a little upset if my child came home from public school talking about Adam and Eve and the Biblical creation story. How do you think a Hindu or Muslim or Atheist parent would feel?

 

[Tzeitel]

Nazis were definitely NOT Christians. They give true Christians a bad rep by calling themselves that.

 

[Green Gaia]

What thread are you replying to? I don't recall anyone here saying they were.

 

[Melody]

I agree. Some laws may not reflect Christian beliefs, but they do not threaten Christians' right to have those beliefs--and most certainly do not threaten the Christians themselves (as in Melody's earlier comparison to the holocaust.)

Not yet....in this country at least.

Several years back I wrote an article for my university paper about the drug testing they were doing on university athletes. I tried to make the point that if this were permitted, how long would it be before others were being forced into drug testing. I was laughed at but now the majority of jobs in this country require mandatory drug testing. I wonder if they're still laughing, particularly since a Michigan business has now passed a policy that they are doing blood tests to make sure their employees do not smoke, nor any members of their household. What's next?

Everytime a law is passed that is contrary to Christian belief, it is a potential threat of what is to come. How long before it's illegal to be a Christian because the powers that be decide the belief only fosters intolerance and hatred?

You may say it will never happen? There was a time when we would have been horrified at the thought of a living infant being ripped limb from limb just because the mother doesn't want it. Now look where we're at. We don't even consider them human beings.

 

[Melody]

OK, then which religion's creation story do we teach in public schools? To be fair, we'd have to teach all of them, correct? That's A LOT of creation stories for the kids to learn....

OR we can leave the creation stories to the religious groups to teach their children from their own religion.

I would be more than a little upset if my child came home from public school talking about Adam and Eve and the Biblical creation story. How do you think a Hindu or Muslim or Atheist parent would feel?

I would have been happy with the sticker they wanted to put on the books in Georgia, but were forbidden to.

I would even be happy if they spent just a few days on evolution and made it very clear that this is "just an opinion" and not based on fact.

 

[hoomer]

Christianophobia?

Scared of Christianity.....Christianity like all the major reigions has its dark and its light side.......Christians often like to say they they are hard done by..discriminated against:bonk: ...Well maybe they ARE......maybe they are not

Hate is bad whatever the reason...and from whatever angle......Hate is a force or emotion caused by fear...ignorance...anger....and other negative emotions /circumstances.....

Now histoically of course Christianity's hands are DRIPPING with blood.......need I make a list of a the entire "races"...cultures and even continents......that have been attacked...butcherd and changed by christiantiy?????

Of course the get out clause is "those people arent christians"..........unfortunaty they are/were.......

So christianity is a BLOOOD SOAKED religion......so should we then discount it?...throw it away and destroy it..and FEAR it?

NO

Christianity can be USED to further whatever AGENDA is deemed appropriate to a group...... The Bible itself is OPEN to interpretation in MANY ways....and sadly is largely read in a heavly edited and bad transated version......

So what do we have....we have people running around....:bonk: killing....fornicating....etc etc etc...in the name of God....but underneath it all there IS GOODness...but....pretty much like when anything becomes popuar...it becomes waterd down...its original vision is changed..and youi are left with a warped twisted...homogonised version of the original....Christianity in fact all religions therefore becomes like fast food for the soul...cheap easy to obtain and leads to a heart attack!

The idea that Christianity is persecuted ....and subject to hate attacks is laughable.....considering the lies..the hate ...the wars...the tortures...done in its name.......but then 2 wrongs dont make a right..........

Christianity (or more righty Paulianity)is in its death rattle.....here we see now...the emergence of ever more extreme crazy forms.......such as the kind practised by Bush..which actuay beeives that the Bible states we must destroy the earth...in order to bring about heaven!!!!!!!!...inssanity

So in conclusion we can see.......Christians suck and so does christianity.....but there are aways exceptions......and thankfuly not all christians are literalist nuttters who think greed...kiling....fornication ......and destruction are their god given rights!........

USA christians are crazy...you guys have frothing at the mouth christians...I can see why this topic arises.....I can see that there woud be a lOT of il feelings toward christians..and from christians toward non christians...........

"It is I who am you: and it is you who are me,And wherever you are,I am there. And I am sown in all; and you collect me from wherever you wish. And when you collect me, it is your own self that you collect" --- (the man commony know as)The Christ

 

[Green Gaia]

You may say it will never happen? There was a time when we would have been horrified at the thought of a living infant being ripped limb from limb just because the mother doesn't want it. Now look where we're at. We don't even consider them human beings.

Abortions have being going on throughout history, it is not a new thing. Women have been terminating pregnancies one way or another, for one reason or another since the beginning of time. But... this isn't an abortion thread.

Everytime a law is passed that is contrary to Christian belief, it is a potential threat of what is to come.

Baloney. Saying that people can believe something other than Christianity, does not threaten Christianity, except to perhaps decrease it's numbers if people leave the group, therefore threatening it's majority. Which I guess would be pretty scary to the group, since it has been the majority for so long. So there is no threat to Christianity the religion, but to Christianity the majority, I can see that.

 

[Green Gaia]

I would have been happy with the sticker they wanted to put on the books in Georgia, but were forbidden to.

I would even be happy if they spent just a few days on evolution and made it very clear that this is "just an opinion" and not based on fact.

But that's not what the Christian groups want. They want the Biblical creation story taught in public schools to all children. How livid do you think they would get if their children came home telling a Native American creation story? I'd hate to be that teacher!

 

[hoomer]

ah creationsim in schools...a SURE sign of "persecution":biglaugh: rofl.......

well...anytime we teach that a STORY is literal scientific fact...we are reducing the human potential......

lets look at this critcially.....

Firstly...no SANE person coud REALLY call a creatin story SCIENCE....there are no mentions of chemicals....no interactions with atoms....and where are the bar charts and test tubes?.......where is the verifiable testable data???.......

Creation myths.....may have ascientific undertone......BUT THEY ARE NOT SCIENCE.....would you teach a class about car mechanics in a sports class?...they both use the body...in a co ordinated way....but um....ARE THEY THE SAME?....no

But here we have literalism...believing the bible is literal fact......which eads to such absurditys such as the word is only 6000 yrs od..the world is flat....people can turn into pillars of salt if they sin....and one day 4 men on horses wi end the universe!!!!!!

:jiggy: now if we stop and THINK for one minute we see this is absurd......I am wiling to bet that AMERICA is the ONLY WESTERN INDUSTRIALISED NATION...that likes to teach creation myth as LITERAL SCIENTIFIC FACT........

My education in england included YEARS of "reigious education"class....it taught me tolerance...and perhaps not much besides to see that people are different....but then America is pretty much like the Arab nations in its overal populace's reigious fever........thankfully....literalism ISNT enforced...we arent quite iving in a fascist dictatorship...(but yu coud easily mistake current america for a fascist state)......

AMericans have this whole...seperation of church and state......and the overal ideal that we shuld WORSHIP AND APROACH GOD..as WE WANT...until this is fuly recognised to the expense of all other reigions...this argument wil go on forver:biglaugh:

The idea that "public" schools in america should be mre christian goes against the entire ideas that the US was created UPON.........

but you guys are nuts...heh...what can I say

 

[hoomer]

I would have been happy with the sticker they wanted to put on the books in Georgia, but were forbidden to.

I would even be happy if they spent just a few days on evolution and made it very clear that this is "just an opinion" and not based on fact.

I am gad you are aware that evolution is opinion...but SO IS CREATIONISM.....
if one really wants to go deep into things...the MAJORITY of science is opinion:biglaugh:

Putting stickewrs on books....hmm.....can we say NAZISM.....

the NAZI's BURNT BOOKS...putting stickers on books IS 1 stage away from burning unsuitabe texts........

it is sad to see tat a person's texts..actualy validate my own assertion...that americans as a whole are nuts........of course they arent...its a generaisation...BUT............:biglaugh:

 

[linwood]

I would even be happy if they spent just a few days on evolution and made it very clear that this is "just an opinion" and not based on fact.

But it is based on fact.
The genome.
The fossil record.
Modern observations of microevolution.