Factors behind negative reactions to religion

[Rival]

No-one.

 

[☆Dreamwind☆]

Because all of religion throughout history has done terrible things, and still do.

 

[Trailblazer]

Sure. I purposely left it open-ended. I figured that anything that someone sees as "mistreatment" would probably correlate with a negative opinion. As long as each person is using their own consistent understanding of "mistreatment," the survey should be meaningful.

I see it as mistreatment when Christians say only Christians are going to heaven and everyone else is going to hell, so I'd have to say I was mistreated when I attended a Grief group led by Christians at a Church.

One of the 13 sessions was about Heaven and there was a video. I never said anything, I just listened. I never told anyone I was a Baha'i, so I think they assumed I was a Christian as was everyone else in attendance. As a Baha'i, I would be headed straight for hell in their beliefs.

 

[Trailblazer]

Because all of religion throughout history has done terrible things, and still do.

Many religions but not all. What terrible things have the Hindus and the Buddhists done?

 

[Viker]

I would agree that's mistreatment.

But on the opposite end of the spectrum, "mistreatment" to someone else might be something as trivial as being told they're going to Hell for not believing in their god.

That in and of itself may not be considered mistreatment unless it's directed incorrectly at an inappropriate occasion. A minister telling a helpless grieving child that their beloved (Jewish, for some context) great grandmother is going to or already in hell is mistreatment and abuse.

 

[Evangelicalhumanist]

I'm a gay man. I've had to listen to the vitriol from quite a few religions, most especially the Abrahamic ones. But I've been dissed by Hindus and Sikhs as well.

Of course, where I live, Christianity is the predominant faith, and I've fought head to head with some pretty vile members of that faith -- as someone who fought hard through the late 1970s and 80s for decriminilization, then recognition, then eventually the right to marry who we choose. The Christians, I have to say it as I see it, were the least Christian of them all.

Which is not to say that there were not also many Christians (and Reform Jews) who battled with us. I do not forget that, and I am grateful for it. But the hateful Christians, they tarnished many sects of the religion for me forever.

 

[Audie]

Because all of religion throughout history has done terrible things, and still do.

I suspect the sale of indulgences may
have been a scam.

 

[Evangelicalhumanist]

I suspect the sale of indulgences may
have been a scam.

Well, yeah! Pretending that you can control what God decides, and can get Him to change His mind for cash, couldn't possibly be anything else!

 

[Viker]

My negative list from my experience with Christians. Mind you, I don't hold all of Christianity responsible. I don't hate Christians. This is not a list of me taking a poo on Christianity. There are millions of Christians who would side with me in a heartbeat.

• The aforementioned incident concerning my Jewish great grandmother. The worst thing a Christian has done to me, on behalf of their own interpretation.

• My terror and anxiety over the doctrine of the rapture. Meaning more people I love and everyday decent people could be destroyed and eternally punished. Even if I didn't get it right, I could be destroyed and eternally punished at any second. The last part always had me on edge. I consider it a contributing factor to damage done to me neurologically leading to life long anxiety issues. It's one of many things that didn't help as a child.

• The mishandling of and mistreatment over my sexuality and gender identity. I view this as irreconcilable. It maybe could have been dealt with more carefully when I was younger. I view it as too little too late.

 

[paarsurrey]

Factors behind negative reactions to religion

The idea is that you or the person you know was mistreated in the name of the religion of the person doing the mistreatment.

I was never mistreated by the Christians and others (believers or non-believers of whatever ianity and or Ism), nobody's religion gives any such teachings, it is the zealots and or the politicians who back zealots to do it and use them and their religion for their politics, who understand their religions incorrectly , please, right?

Regards

 

[sayak83]

I've been reading this thread: Why do christianity get so much hate?

... and thought some data would be illuminating.

Please feel free to expand on your answers in the thread below.

Edit: I realized that the question wording is a bit wonky. The idea is that you or the person you know was mistreated in the name of the religion of the person doing the mistreatment.

I have several school friends whose parents had to leave their homes and everything in Bangladesh and came as penniless refugees from East Pakistan to India during the partition.

 

[danieldemol]

I view ad-hominem as mistreatment likely to give a poor impression of a religious group, and I've experienced plenty of that from certain Jews, Christians, Muslims and Baha'i.

I had a Sikh man shout at me once when I asked him questions concerning his religion, but I was more of a proselytiser in those days and I kind of get that in India communal violence has occurred due in part to the efforts of proselytizing imperialists, so I didn't count that one in the poll because I can kind of understand the reluctance some groups may have to discussion with outsiders due to historical events.