A summary of what we see in these debates

[Not_By_Chance]

The following article is a summary of the sort of attacks that creation-believing Christians often come across on a regular basis. Creation-believing Christians will recognise many of these attacks.

In addition to the above attacks from anti-creationists, I beleive it's no coincidence that Christianity is one of, if not the most persecuted religion on the planet, about which I'll probably raise a separate thread in the appropriate Christian parts of this forum.

 

[DogmaHunter]

The following article is a summary of the sort of attacks that creation-believing Christians often come across on a regular basis. Creation-believing Christians will recognise many of these attacks.

In addition to the above attacks from anti-creationists, I beleive it's no coincidence that Christianity is one of, if not the most persecuted religion on the planet, about which I'll probably raise a separate thread in the appropriate Christian parts of this forum.

Where exactly is this persecution taking place?
Certainly not in the west...

 

[Loudmouth]

The following article is a summary of the sort of attacks that creation-believing Christians often come across on a regular basis. Creation-believing Christians will recognise many of these attacks.

In addition to the above attacks from anti-creationists, I beleive it's no coincidence that Christianity is one of, if not the most persecuted religion on the planet, about which I'll probably raise a separate thread in the appropriate Christian parts of this forum.

 

[Astrophile]

The following article is a summary of the sort of attacks that creation-believing Christians often come across on a regular basis. Creation-believing Christians will recognise many of these attacks.

In addition to the above attacks from anti-creationists, I believe it's no coincidence that Christianity is one of, if not the most persecuted religion on the planet, about which I'll probably raise a separate thread in the appropriate Christian parts of this forum.

You should see what I think about astrologers, UFOlogists, Erich von Daniken and his supporters, pyramidiots, crystal healers, Velikovskians, Atlantologists, theosophists, believers in the Bermuda Triangle, Apollo Moon hoaxers, 'face on Mars' fanatics, and believers in dragons, sea-serpents and the Loch Ness Monster. If I tried to write what I think of such people, my computer would probably go up in flames. By comparison, the creationists have little to complain about.

 

[CarlaB]

The following article is a summary of the sort of attacks that creation-believing Christians often come across on a regular basis. Creation-believing Christians will recognise many of these attacks.

Why is asking questions of creationists seen as an attack on creationism?

In addition to the above attacks from anti-creationists, I beleive it's no coincidence that Christianity is one of, if not the most persecuted religion on the planet,

I think perhaps you need to ask yourself why creationism is persecuted, why would anyone bother to attack and persecute creationism? is it seen as damaging? do creationists tell lies?

about which I'll probably raise a separate thread in the appropriate Christian parts of this forum.

That's how all religions keep their believers, they stop dissent before it starts by keeping other opinions out, they shut them down before they can even be voiced because it's well known that open discussion kills all religions dead.

 

[PsychoSarah]

The following article is a summary of the sort of attacks that creation-believing Christians often come across on a regular basis. Creation-believing Christians will recognise many of these attacks.

In addition to the above attacks from anti-creationists, I beleive it's no coincidence that Christianity is one of, if not the most persecuted religion on the planet, about which I'll probably raise a separate thread in the appropriate Christian parts of this forum.

-_- try asking my fiancé what it is like to be openly atheist in the Southern part of the United States.

 

[CarlaB]

Not_by_chance has gone awfully quiet.

 

[Not_By_Chance]

Not_by_chance has gone awfully quiet.

One has to have a break sometimes.

 

[Not_By_Chance]

Where exactly is this persecution taking place?
Certainly not in the west...

Maybe not on such a large scale of course, but I'm sure that the scenes in the film "God is [not] Dead" concerning the female muslim student having to hide her secret conversion to Christianity could well be taking place behind closed doors in some of our ethnic minority communities (Heck, we even have Shariah Law courts in the UK). For certain, Christians are facing torture, death, economic ruin, imprisonment, etc for having such beliefs in many Arab and far eastern countries. Just take a look at the Open Doors web site and you'll get an idea of scale of the problem. The hatred and intolerance of those countries is in stark contrast to Jesus' teaching to "love your neighbour" and "do good to those who persecute you." Never did our Lord ever tell anyone to go out and kill anyone in His name, so if anyone is thinking of bringing up violent history from past so-called Christian crusades, burning people at the stake, etc, I would simple say that they were not following Jesus's teachings and were therefore not Christians but doing the works of the devil. Even Peter the disciple was rebuked by Jesus for his ungodly thoughts and that was nothing compared to what man has done since -
Mat 16:23 Jesus turned and said to Peter, "Get behind me, Satan! You are a stumbling block to me; you do not have in mind the things of God, but the things of men."

 

[Loudmouth]

Maybe not on such a large scale of course, but I'm sure that the scenes in the film "God is [not] Dead" concerning the female muslim student having to hide her secret conversion to Christianity could well be taking place behind closed doors in some of our ethnic minority communities (Heck, we even have Shariah Law courts in the UK). For certain, Christians are facing torture, death, economic ruin, imprisonment, etc for having such beliefs in many Arab and far eastern countries. Just take a look at the Open Doors web site and you'll get an idea of scale of the problem. The hatred and intolerance of those countries is in stark contrast to Jesus' teaching to "love your neighbour" and "do good to those who persecute you." Never did our Lord ever tell anyone to go out and kill anyone in His name, so if anyone is thinking of bringing up violent history from past so-called Christian crusades, burning people at the stake, etc, I would simple say that they were not following Jesus's teachings and were therefore not Christians but doing the works of the devil. Even Peter the disciple was rebuked by Jesus for his ungodly thoughts and that was nothing compared to what man has done since -
Mat 16:23 Jesus turned and said to Peter, "Get behind me, Satan! You are a stumbling block to me; you do not have in mind the things of God, but the things of men."

Those same arab countries often reject evolution. Those are creation-believing muslims you are talking about.

 

[PsychoSarah]

Those same arab countries often reject evolution. Those are creation-believing muslims you are talking about.

Sorry Loudmouth, but just like we don't have to defend every atheist, no theist is obligated to defend every theist. Especially if their religion isn't the same.

 

[PsychoSarah]

Maybe not on such a large scale of course, but I'm sure that the scenes in the film "God is [not] Dead" concerning the female muslim student having to hide her secret conversion to Christianity could well be taking place behind closed doors in some of our ethnic minority communities (Heck, we even have Shariah Law courts in the UK). For certain, Christians are facing torture, death, economic ruin, imprisonment, etc for having such beliefs in many Arab and far eastern countries. Just take a look at the Open Doors web site and you'll get an idea of scale of the problem. The hatred and intolerance of those countries is in stark contrast to Jesus' teaching to "love your neighbour" and "do good to those who persecute you." Never did our Lord ever tell anyone to go out and kill anyone in His name, so if anyone is thinking of bringing up violent history from past so-called Christian crusades, burning people at the stake, etc, I would simple say that they were not following Jesus's teachings and were therefore not Christians but doing the works of the devil. Even Peter the disciple was rebuked by Jesus for his ungodly thoughts and that was nothing compared to what man has done since -
Mat 16:23 Jesus turned and said to Peter, "Get behind me, Satan! You are a stumbling block to me; you do not have in mind the things of God, but the things of men."

I don't doubt that there is some Christian persecution in some regions of the world. You would be hard pressed to find any religion that didn't have that issue.

Who do you think they would want to stone first, an open atheist such as myself, or an open Christian such as yourself? Or would they compromise and stone us together?

 

[Loudmouth]

Sorry Loudmouth, but just like we don't have to defend every atheist, no theist is obligated to defend every theist. Especially if their religion isn't the same.

The opening post was complaining of attacks from "anti-creationists". When asked for an example, NBC decides to cite persecution at the hands of creationists. Seems like a bit of an oversight on NBC's part.

 

[Not_By_Chance]

Those are creation-believing muslims you are talking about

They may be, but they don't believe in the same Creator as Christians.

 

[PsychoSarah]

They may be, but they don't believe in the same Creator as Christians.

Actually, they essentially do, hence why they refer to Christians and Jews as "people of the book" sometimes. The main difference is that they view Jesus as a prophet rather than as an incarnation of God, and they interpret what that deity wants as different.

 

[Not_By_Chance]

Who do you think they would want to stone first, an open atheist such as myself, or an open Christian such as yourself? Or would they compromise and stone us together?

Probably both together. We would even be killed if we didn't belong to the same group of Muslims in some of those countries, but the point is I think, they regard Christians as a particular threat in the same way that the Romans did, because although Christianity is a peaceful religion, there is a duty placed on us by Jesus to spread the word in order to give other non-Christians the opportunity to join the flock and that is why they despise us so much.

 

[PsychoSarah]

The opening post was complaining of attacks from "anti-creationists". When asked for an example, NBC decides to cite persecution at the hands of creationists. Seems like a bit of an oversight on NBC's part.

Yes, that would indeed be an oversight. I don't think creationists are ever persecuted for being creationists, at least, nothing beyond being called stupid by some people. It's more a matter of what type of creationist a person is.

 

[Not_By_Chance]

Actually, they essentially do, hence why they refer to Christians and Jews as "people of the book" sometimes. The main difference is that they view Jesus as a prophet rather than as an incarnation of God, and they interpret what that deity wants as different.

Which confirms that the God they worship is not the same as the one that Christians worship. Jesus is the Creator of all things in our religion. He is part of the Trinity and equal in status but different in essence to other parts of the Godhead. He is not the Allah that the Muslims worship. He doesn't tell us to beat our wives or smite the necks of the unbelievers, but just the opposite.

 

[PsychoSarah]

Probably both together. We would even be killed if we didn't belong to the same group of Muslims in some of those countries, but the point is I think, they regard Christians as a particular threat in the same way that the Romans did, because although Christianity is a peaceful religion, there is a duty placed on us by Jesus to spread the word in order to give other non-Christians the opportunity to join the flock and that is why they despise us so much.

Ah, but I think they would demonize this "disgusting atheist" more across the board. Forbid someone give this seeker a chance to find faith; the practice of seeking out and killing those that are nonbelievers or of differing faith than yourself is a practice I will never understand. Fear doesn't make people believe, it just makes them pretend to believe.

 

[Not_By_Chance]

Yes, that would indeed be an oversight. I don't think creationists are ever persecuted for being creationists, at least, nothing beyond being called stupid by some people. It's more a matter of what type of creationist a person is.

It may not be brutal persecution of the kind we have discussed above, but it is a mixture of character assassination, ridicule and other inappropriate behaviour is it not?