Why do so many Christians do this?

[Wandering_Wonderer]

So I'm at work right now and this morning I had a customer come in to pay off his loan. He is a regular with our company and I know him by name. Well there was a cricket in the change tray where the money is slid through to my side of the glass and my regular says to me to go ahead and kill the cricket. I told him no. He asked me why not and I told him that the cricket has done nothing to us and it's not like we feel threaten by it so why kill it. That makes no sense to me. Then he asks me if I'm "one of those vegetarians or something". I told him no I'm not and told him to think about it, what if something bigger than him killed him just because he was annoying to it. I guess it gave him something to ponder because he was real quiet after that.

So, this afternoon he came back in to open a new loan and he asked me where the cricket went. I told him I put it outside in the flower bed so it can live its life. He laughed at me and said to me that crickets don't have long lives. I responded by saying that neither do humans in comparison to other things. He asked me who's fault I thought that was. I looked at him confused and told him no one's. He asked me if I thought it was Adam and Eve's fault and I told him that I do not believe in Adam and Eve. He asked me if I believed in Jesus and I told him no. Then he asked if I'm with a non-denominational Christian church. I told him no and I don't beleive in religion.

First question I have is why is it that so many Christians believe that people who don't believe in Jesus are bad people and that there is no way that we could live moral lives, but quite often they disregard what they preach (sanctity of life thing) and kill things for no reason, send people to wars to die, believe in capital punishment and they think all of that is fine and dandy, but it us who are non-believers are heathen animals that have no morals or conscience.

Second, after I told this guy I don't believe in Adam and Eve and I don't believe in Jesus, why does he still try to ask if I'm Christian? I don't get it. After I told him I don't believe in religion he looked at me like I was some crazy person. I don't know. I try to avoid religious talk with people that I don't know very well and especially customers, but when someone straight out asks me then I will answer. I just really hate the crazy look and the preaching that usually follows and the anger that usually follows when they realize I'm not converting.

I'm not saying all Christians are like this at all. I've noticed that there are a lot of great Christians on this forum. It just seems to me that the situation that happened today is more prevalent than understanding for some reason.

Anyone have any comments? Answers?

 

[Kurt31416]

Well, all religions seem to have the tendency to want to censor their critics. Easy to see why people get so hostile towards religion.

 

[ChristineES]

You have narrow people in any group. I don't like to kill crickets, either, and I am a Christian, too. Unfortunately, I have known too many people, including Christians, who believe if you don't believe what they believe, then you are either stupid, condemned, or insane.

 

[J Bryson]

He's an idiot. He's also being remarkably unprofessional by asking you personal questions in a professional setting. Seriously, you have the right to smile and politely say "I choose not to discuss my religious beliefs at work."

 

[Wandering_Wonderer]

You have narrow people in any group. I don't like to kill crickets, either, and I am a Christian, too. Unfortunately, I have known too many people, including Christians, who believe if you don't believe what they believe, then you are either stupid, condemned, or insane.

That's true. It's just frustrating. It feels to me that they feel they are better than me or something. I just wish people could be more understanding. I live in the Bible Belt and I feel like I always have to watch what I say because I may offend someone or upset them.

 

[Wandering_Wonderer]

He's an idiot. He's also being remarkably unprofessional by asking you personal questions in a professional setting. Seriously, you have the right to smile and politely say "I choose not to discuss my religious beliefs at work."

I usually do say that. I get really tired of not being able to say certain things because of people's narrow mindedness. I think he felt comfortable to ask those things because he's a regular customer of ours, so he sees us quite often.

 

[Panda]

*MOD POST*
Thread moved at OP request, it is now in the DIR please follow the correct DIR rules.
​

 

[Wandering_Wonderer]

So I had this thread moved because I was not really wanting to debate anything. I was really just wanting some questions answered. I know that there are some really cool Christian people on this forum, but especially where I live there seems to be a lot that get very jugdemental, angry and so on when they ask if I'm a believer and I say no. I just don't know how to deal with this. So my questions are: Why do they do this? Why do they get so angry? Why do they look at me like I'm some disgusting person when I say that I do not believe the same as they do? How am I supposed to respond? Just say, "Sorry I do not want to talk about religion with you." What if they persist? I'm sorry it is just something that bothers me so bad and I just don't know what to do. I figure maybe someone here has some insight.

Thanks,
W_W

 

[whereismynotecard]

Some people assume everyone on earth thinks the same way they do. Not all Christians are like that though. Jerks come in all religions, races, genders, and ages. Some people just find it difficult to accept that someone else doesn't think like them.

 

[AlsoAnima]

There's a pecking order.
Humans - Only okay to kill if they are attempting to kill another human and you can't otherwise stop them.
Angels/Demons(Same creature, different affiliation) - It's not clear if these can even BE killed.
Animals - Only okay to kill if needed to survival, IE food and animal made products.
Plants - Okay to kill when it doesn't harm the above.
Non living matter - Can't be killed.
Bugs - Kill on sight.

So yeah. As you've gathered, I hate bugs.

To answer your question: A lot of Christians don't.

 

[Lucian]

I guess he supposes that you have to be a Christian because you live in the "Bible belt". I've noticed similar angry reactions towards those who do believe in a religion from "confessional atheists" over here (though most often Christians are the ones who are responsible for everything, Buddhists get more love as long as it's just a cool philosophy). "One has to be a stupid idiot to believe anything you don't", etc.

I would just put it in the category of human fanaticism and conformity to what they think is the majority/surrounding culture/"only wise thing to be", not particularly their creed. It's that "angry mob" reaction. I think it's the same case in this Christian customer's case.

I'm afraid there's nothing else except to politely avoid answering any personal inquiries like that. Seeming like a person who no one wants to be angry at would be really helpful too! And definitely not tell them that the theory of evolution is correct, or anything like that! That will just get them going. They should get tired of it, then again like you guessed, people are sometimes pretty persistant. I'm pretty anxious to theologisize and ponder, and especially share it with others, so sometimes I end up being harassed because of what I believe, since I'm an oddball to everyone - from atheists to mainstreamers, and all who expect me to be something because of a label. So welcome to my world.

In summary, being a mystery should do it. Maybe. This theory will be put to test again in my case in a few weeks or so.

 

[whereismynotecard]

There's a pecking order.
Humans - Only okay to kill if they are attempting to kill another human and you can't otherwise stop them.

I think there are other reasons why it would be okay to kill a human.

1. If are a rapist.
2. If they torture and kill cats or dogs or any other animal that has a personality, just for the fun of killing it.
3. If they abuse children or anyone else for that matter.

I think the world could do without those kinds of people, so I have no problem with them being killed.

 

[Willamena]

There's a pecking order.
Humans - Only okay to kill if they are attempting to kill another human and you can't otherwise stop them.
Angels/Demons(Same creature, different affiliation) - It's not clear if these can even BE killed.
Animals - Only okay to kill if needed to survival, IE food and animal made products.
Plants - Okay to kill when it doesn't harm the above.
Non living matter - Can't be killed.
Bugs - Kill on sight.

So yeah. As you've gathered, I hate bugs.

To answer your question: A lot of Christians don't.

Why do angels/demons fit into the "packing order" between humans and animals?

 

[Willamena]

I think there are other reasons why it would be okay to kill a human.

1. If are a rapist.
2. If they torture and kill cats or dogs or any other animal that has a personality, just for the fun of killing it.
3. If they abuse children or anyone else for that matter.

I think the world could do without those kinds of people, so I have no problem with them being killed.

I sometimes feel as you state here, but I don't subscribe to it. Is that a belief?

 

[Ukonkivi]

Vegetarians frequently choose this path because of their feelings towards harming animals.
It was an apt question.

 

[Sunstone]

I think there are other reasons why it would be okay to kill a human.

1. If are a rapist.
2. If they torture and kill cats or dogs or any other animal that has a personality, just for the fun of killing it.
3. If they abuse children or anyone else for that matter.

I think the world could do without those kinds of people, so I have no problem with them being killed.

Works in theory. But only in theory. In practice, once you start killing, you eventually kill innocent people.

 

[McBell]

It was an apt question.

An apt question?
Over a cricket?
Some people really love their stereotypes....

 

[Caladan]

Just wanted to say, that one of the things that ****** me off is people who get all hectic about a bug and want to kill it, yes especially hysterical women (I simply cant tell you how much of a turn off that is).
there are only a few more pathetic things than a person crazed over a small creature.
I always put that extra effort to simply remove the bug rather than killing it, even if its a large poisonous scorpion. insects are simply fascinating creatures, some of them with a much more efficient and ancient social norms than humans.
and back to the OP, I agree that many people who supposedly believe in the good Lord, simply do not possess any regard and respect to life around us. it seems that their religious conviction are centered around themselves, people of other groups and even species are simply not relevant to the divine plan, I suppose.

 

[kai]

some people have an overwhelming feeling that they hold within them the ultimate truth, that they are right and have all the answers and What! you don't believe? but the question is did he take out the loan from such a heathen? Lol

 

[Enoch07]

I think there are other reasons why it would be okay to kill a human.

1. If are a rapist.
2. If they torture and kill cats or dogs or any other animal that has a personality, just for the fun of killing it.
3. If they abuse children or anyone else for that matter.

I think the world could do without those kinds of people, so I have no problem with them being killed.

Don't get me wrong I totally agree with you here on this. But I think we need to add.

4. Murders-convicted murderers that is. I realize this is true in some places but the resistance to death penalty has risen over the years and soon not even murderers will receive it.

As far as the guy and the cricket in the OP. Every group (religion/non-religion/belief system/whatever) has its knuckleheads. So really your problem is with knuckleheads in general. I save about 10 moth/frogs/centipede/millipede life per night that I am at work. Not because I think its a righteous thing to do or what not, just because the way these small creatures die where I work is sometimes horrible.