Anti-religious people and Christianity:

Has anyone else noticed that when someone wants to talk about how bad religion is, they always refer to Christianity? Like, even if they claim to be against all religion, they'll almost always use Christianity as their whipping boy, rather than referring to Islam or Judaism.

Does anyone else wonder why this is? I have a couple of ideas.

 

I think it's probably most likely to do with the fact that the majority of people on here have had most experience with christianity and so choose to attack it rather than, say Islam or Voodoo. Whereas someone anti-religious growing up in Iran would attack Islam (though probably from the safety of a bunker, which also probably has something to do with it) and someone brought up in Israel would attack Judaism (or someone brought up in Benin, Voodoo)

 

1. I am not only referring to this forum.
2. I've checked the other religious forums for posts, and of all of them, this is the one that is most consistently used as a "bash all religions" forum. There is very little generic anti-religion sentiment in the Islam forum, for example; if there is any, it is specifically critical of Islam, not of any belief in a god of any kind.
3. I'd rather you didn't post in this thread, since you've shown yourself to be either incapable of or unwilling to engage in mature debate.

 

I see your main point, and it's valid. However, your post does raise an issue that I feel is significant - that Christianity, compared to Islam, is actually more willing to accept criticism. Compare reactions to Mohammed appearing in an unflattering cartoon and, say, God, The Devil And Bob. Christians might complain about God being depicted unfavourably, but I don't see them blowing anyone up.

 

Good point, Christianity has mostly had it's social renaissance, and has become more accepting (though, saying that, there are still fundamentalist christians willing to use violence). Middle Eastern-Islam though, while generally more scientifically accepting, is less accepting of social reform. People do still criticise, but they are more likely to come accross as bigoted.

 

To be honest, the Christian fundamentalists seem to be in decline everywhere except America. Hardly surprising considering we sent all our backward Puritan retards there when the place was colonised

Did you know that the Vatican has officially declared that it is "okay" to believe in aliens? I'm sure the anti-religion folk with think that's nothing, but given the tenets of the religion, that's a pretty significant step, since they're effectively saying "if the Bible didn't say it didn't happen, we're fine with you believing that it did".

The danger, I think, in the anti-religious leveling their attacks solely against one religion is that it lets the others off, and leads to feelings of persecution; a lot of Christians feel quite hard done by when their religion is singled out for criticism, when it is among the least-worst offenders.

 

Christianity preaches against gays and people of religions, and it claims to be the "one true path" and that everyone else are heathens and sinners. They're "God" gets jealous, angry, and even vengeful.

 

And no other religion claims as such?

If you aren't a practicing Buddhist, you get caught up in the cycles of rebirth. If you aren't a devout Jain, you accumulate immense amounts of material karma. If I eat beef, I am an untouchable. If I am not born Jewish, it is near impossible to become one.

Remember the citations about Buddhist and Shinto violence? It seems other religions aren't getting their fair shake in the lion's den.

Addressing the italicised portion of the quote, just because other groups do not have the words "heathens" and "sinners" does not mean they do not have those concepts. Untouchable, gentile, sinner, whatever.

As a student of religion, I find the whole idea that certain religions are better than others to be disgusting. Judging religious views too I think is out of line. What is a good (read: right) belief, what is a bad (read: wrong) belief. Would you tell someone that they are wrong for wanting to vote on paper? or on computers? Is someone wrong for holding personal convictions?

 

Episcopaleans preach against gays? Their gay bishop just got married to one! Most mainline Protestant churches don't preach against people of other religions. Even the Catholic church doesn't consider non-Christians to be "sinners". You're overgeneralizing again.

 

Uhmm... Nothing new. Christians have always believed in Santa Claus, Mother Goose and fairly tales anyway. At least, now they're being consistent. LoL.

 

Uhmmm....... actually, if you are a practicing Buddhist,


you get caught up in the cycles of rebirth... :jester:

 

As has been said, this is precisely my point: most major religions have this attitude, yet Christianity is the one taking the flak for it, despite making far greater moves towards reform than, say, Islam.

 

Are you saying that aliens are fairy tales, in the same way that Mother Goose is?

Congratulations on completely ignoring the point, by the way. :hurray:

 

what i think about religion, it's mostly a tool for the rulers. sometimes it can help people when they are in some troubles (talking to god makes you feel you're not alone). but there's nothing more in religion.

what about christianity. it's changeable and it's written in bible that it is and that's the main reason of my leaving 'the only path' in spite of being brought up in religious family. how christianity may be called religion any more if we all know that any pope can change digmas and rules (all of them have to be in accord with bible, but it isn't difficult to describe a new rule the way it is completly in accord)... pope can change rules if he considers the previous ones wrong. if religion is once 'right' and once 'bad', it isn't religion for me. you don't change your believes if it they just don't suit with the situation. christianity does. it seems that christians are just big society governed by one man having his own point of view on this 'religion' and his servants. the man dies, the next one comes to change what he doesn't like.

 

I guess the intent is preserve the spirit of the religion. There's plenty of stuff in the Bible that I'd change if my goal was to give it a more consistent message.

 

but the holy book of christianity is the bible. the interpretation of it first popes made shouldn't be changed because probably it was the most proper. the longer distance from the very beggining of christianity, the less we know about the most true idea of it so we cannot call ourselves christian any more since we don't believe in the very first laws but only in transformations of them.

and sorry for personal remarks but - if you 'd change bible for any goal, should'nt consider yourself as believer of any existant doctrine of christianity. it's like having polygamic sex and consider yourself as a right christian. i don't have nothing at all against polygamic or christians. some acts are just against the christian doctrine, and wishing to 'change' the bible is one of them.
if yo'd like to change it - you don't consider it as yr sanctity - yo're not a christian.

 

Well I'm not actually a Christian. It's been asserted on here that I am but all I have is an interest in religion generally.

Over changing it, it was a hypothetical scenario - unless the church feels like electing an atheist homosexual as a pope, and hell, they elected Cardinal Ratzinger so it's probably not that far-fetched! - but as you say, the Bible is so different from the original now. I figure if it's changed already, why not go all out with it, hack out crap like Leviticus that is clearly the product of heatstroke rather than communion with God, and try and end up with something that actually unites people rather than divides them.

 

I guess ultimately it's the consequences of their personal convictions that decides the matter. If a person despises black people, but never actually acts on or voices that hatred, does it actually matter?

 

Nuh-uh, Far from ignoring the point.

Actually, aliens could already be here...... LOL! :jester:

Unfortunately, it is your christianity brainwashed mind which is completely incapable of comprehending the matter.

So, what is the Vatican going to come up next, are they going to start claiming the existence of UFOs and little green men coming out of space ships to gain more deluded followers and thereby to increase their coffers. LOL. :jester:

This just proves that christianity and the Vatican is so far out of touch with reality, the christian institution is now completely delusional thanks to the ascension of the Nazi Pope, Ratzinger, and basically don't know what the heck they are talking about.

Like I said, christianity is one of the biggest scams invented by mankind.
Christianity has become the laughing stock of religions.