Animosity towards nonChristians

[Beanieboy]

In the fairness of debate, I would like to hear Christians voice their frustrations from nonChristians.

I hope to build bridges, not walls, so tell us things that might better

 

[brinny]

i don't have a lot of frustrations with un-believers.....maybe once in a blue moon when i'm pouring my heart out about why God means so much to me and i'm told i'm too emotional.....

that can't be possibly true...just look at my avatar

 

[hsmommyofmany]

i think the only problem that i have with non-christians is that some of them may come across as condescending to christians...talking to a christian like they are stupid. the fact is, most christians are highly intelligent.

the wonderful thing about God is that he gives us a choice of whether we are going to believe. christians deserve the same respect from non-christians as they expect from us.

unfortunately there are a lot of christians who have given the rest of us a bad name out there. i think that is another problem...people here the word christian and they automatically think about some stereotype. i think if non-christians would realize that christians are not all the same either that would be a good thing.

you have to understand that some people (christian or not) are very passionate and it is hard for them to express themselves without getting "emotional" or agitated or whatever.

thanks for asking.

 

[Beanieboy]

i think the only problem that i have with non-christians is that some of them may come across as condescending to christians...talking to a christian like they are stupid. the fact is, most christians are highly intelligent.

the wonderful thing about God is that he gives us a choice of whether we are going to believe. christians deserve the same respect from non-christians as they expect from us.

How do they make you feel stupid?

I'm going to take a guess, but it is kind of like believing in the bible is like believe in Fairy Tales? Having grown up Christian, I really never questioned it, but I suppose that if you tell someone that Jesus was born to a virgin, or that there was a spot light down on the manger, that he walked on water, there was a talking donkey, it seems pretty far fetched to a nonBeliever. That is why I try and be more respectful of other religions that have equally hard to believe stories, such as Ganesh, whose head was cut off, and replace with the head of an elephant.

My brothers and sisters are Christian, and quite intelligent. I think a lot of people have met the "God did it" people who choose not to think, and explain everything with God.

unfortunately there are a lot of christians who have given the rest of us a bad name out there. i think that is another problem...people here the word christian and they automatically think about some stereotype. i think if non-christians would realize that christians are not all the same either that would be a good thing.

I agree. How do you think you could communicate?

you have to understand that some people (christian or not) are very passionate and it is hard for them to express themselves without getting "emotional" or agitated or whatever.

thanks for asking.

Emotional how?
I'm emotional myself. I think what turns people off it haughtiness, but I would rather see a Christian full of passion about Christ than one who is look warm.

thanks for your response.

 

[Beanieboy]

Let me reach in my memory banks from when I was a Christian and see if I can come up with some to see if they ring true with you.

I didn't have all the answers. People would ask me why bad things happened to good people. I said, Because we choose to do bad things to other people. They would ask me why there are starving people if there is a loving God. I would ask why the US is such a good nation when it wastes so much food while others in Africa starve. We have more than enough to share, and more than enough wealth to help 3rd World Countries. It's like you parents leaving your older brother $20 for pizza. He orders it, eats 3/4, and leaves 1/4 for you and your 5 sibblings, and says, "Mom should have given us more money. Blame her."
They will ask me why there is hell, and I say that I didn't know.
They would ask what happened before the beginning of the Universe. I said that I didn't know.

I was simply Christian, not some wise sage living on a mountain.

As a Christian, one of the problems I had with other Christians was the issue of tongues. I speak in tongues, and have since I was 18. I don't do it for other people when they ask, unless they are simply curious and want to know more. However, people will accuse you of doing something from the devil. They have said that it isn't necessary, which i agree, and while a fork and knife aren't necessary, I simply choose to use them. There is also something that changes in ones Spirit when tongues happens. And its kind of supernatural, and amazing. They will argue that if one doesn't understand, you shouldn't speak in tongues, only it is done in private prayer. They will say it isn't biblical, and I just get tired of trying to justify it, and rarely tell anyone in rl.

I also remember nonChristians being hypercritical, saying, "Look! You're drinking beer/swore," etc. I didn't condemn others, but I think that is what they thought I did, where it be outloud or not, because they have probably experienced that from the minority.

I also God tired of "proving God." I usually said that I can't prove God, but I don't know how not to believe in God. I have since I was very, very small, and would talk to God when I was alone. Because I can't prove it, I simply have faith. I can't prove love is real, and yet, I believe in it.

Finally, I think the opposite was also true. I think people thought I was a priest, very good, they had to watch what they said around me, and it made me really sad, because the thought I was too "sensitive" to hear a swear word, or never had a beer. While I strove to be pure of speech, it was a struggle, and sometimes I just let it go. It's actually pretty hard to offend me.

 

[Beanieboy]

i don't have a lot of frustrations with un-believers.....maybe once in a blue moon when i'm pouring my heart out about why God means so much to me and i'm told i'm too emotional.....

that can't be possibly true...just look at my avatar

What does "too emotional" mean? Angry? Crying?
I don't think I would know how to take that.

 

[stan1980]

i think the only problem that i have with non-christians is that some of them may come across as condescending to christians...talking to a christian like they are stupid. the fact is, most christians are highly intelligent.

the wonderful thing about God is that he gives us a choice of whether we are going to believe. christians deserve the same respect from non-christians as they expect from us.

unfortunately there are a lot of christians who have given the rest of us a bad name out there. i think that is another problem...people here the word christian and they automatically think about some stereotype. i think if non-christians would realize that christians are not all the same either that would be a good thing.

you have to understand that some people (christian or not) are very passionate and it is hard for them to express themselves without getting "emotional" or agitated or whatever.

thanks for asking.

I think most people do realise that not all Christians are the same. I quite like and respect some of the Christian folk on this forum, others I don't quite respect as much.

The frustration tends to come when in a debate (some) Christians will quote his/her rulebook (the bible) to a non-Christian. That information is irrelevant to non-Christian, we need real (non-bible) reasons why something maybe either right or wrong. That, and the quantity of unfounded statements from the usual suspects are mind blowing.

I do take exception though when you say God gives us all the chance to believe. Quite honestly, I couldn't choose to believe in God at this stage in my life, not without compelling evidence.

 

[HighwayMan]

I think most people do realise that not all Christians are the same.

Actually, my only gripe is that most atheists don't.

You mention that you're Christian, and immediately you're lumped in with "those ridiculous wackies who believe in creationism" and all that. And when you say that's not what you believe, they adapt a "cool, but you still believe in fairtyales" attitude and go back to attacking easy targets, thinking they've somehow proved God and/or the Bible wrong because some old intertpations about the Bible may be false.

It's a mentality that keeps people from opening their eyes to different possibilities.

 

[WatersMoon110]

I do feel slightly bothered when some atheists express their belief that religious people are mentally unstable. I try to understand that, from the perspective of those individuals, believing in something that they have not experienced can seem a little odd. But I wish that such people would try to keep in mind that others do have reasons that they believe in religious or spiritual things, and not disrespect others just for that.

However, such people are pretty rare, and are just teaching me patience. On this site, I am far more likely to be upset at a (self-proclaimed) Christian than at an atheist or agnostic.

 

[Verv]

Nonchristians are often arrogant about the fact that they are not Christians, in my experience, and tend to thumb their noses at Christians.

There is an entire market based off of trying to make fun of Christianity, whether it is films like Dogma or people messing with the Jesus fish or any of that.

It is one thing to take time to promote something important to you (e.g. youth football, Christianity, vegetarianism, the environment, etc.) but it is another to really go out of your way to bash at one specific cause.

 

[cantata]

Actually, my only gripe is that most atheists don't.

You mention that you're Christian, and immediately you're lumped in with "those ridiculous wackies who believe in creationism" and all that.

Well, I can't speak for your country, obviously, but in my country the fact is that most Christians one encounters on a daily basis are not ridiculous wackies who believe in creationism. Most Christians in the UK believe in evolution. In fact, most Christians in the world believe in evolution. I guess somewhere like America where creationism is much more popular, people might make that assumption more. I don't know about Bulgaria. But in the UK I don't think people make that assumption at all. Most Christian people in the UK keep their religious beliefs quiet and personal.

Besides, I'm an atheist doing a theology degree. I know that Christians are not even close to being all the same.

And when you say that's not what you believe, they adapt a "cool, but you still believe in fairtyales" attitude and go back to attacking easy targets, thinking they've somehow proved God and/or the Bible wrong because some old intertpations about the Bible may be false.

It's a mentality that keeps people from opening their eyes to different possibilities.

Perhaps, but be aware that there are some atheists who have studied the Bible and who are capable of being more diplomatic than that.

 

[QuakerOats]

Nonchristians are often arrogant about the fact that they are not Christians, in my experience, and tend to thumb their noses at Christians.

That's true, I've met a number of non-Christians like that, be they members of another religion, or simply irreligious. However, the pendulum doth swing both ways, as I've also met a number of Christians who're arrogant about the fact that they are Christians, and again, the same goes for members of other religions.

I think my primary 'beef' with some atheists, in particular, is simply that many of them tend to lump all religious and/or spiritual folks into one neat little mold, often labelled crazy or more to the point, stupid. I think painting people with such a broad brush, no matter the flavour, so to speak, is ignorant, and in extremely bad taste.

 

[Polycarp_fan]

I guess I'm supposed to be disliking you or something?

Nonchristians are often arrogant about the fact that they are not Christians, in my experience, and tend to thumb their noses at Christians.

Arrogant, rote in their comebacks and laughable in their logic.

There is an entire market based off of trying to make fun of Christianity, whether it is films like Dogma or people messing with the Jesus fish or any of that.

Marilyn Manson and Richard Dawkins. Where the intense chuckiling comes in. They're both just peddling a product to an easy-sell group.

Christians are far more wary of cheap thrills and emotional sales pitches. Denominations anyone?

It is one thing to take time to promote something important to you (e.g. youth football, Christianity, vegetarianism, the environment, etc.) but it is another to really go out of your way to bash at one specific cause.

How right you are.


I guess I'll bash you some other time?

 

[HighwayMan]

Well, I can't speak for your country, obviously, but in my country the fact is that most Christians one encounters on a daily basis are not ridiculous wackies who believe in creationism. Most Christians in the UK believe in evolution. In fact, most Christians in the world believe in evolution. I guess somewhere like America where creationism is much more popular, people might make that assumption more. I don't know about Bulgaria. But in the UK I don't think people make that assumption at all. Most Christian people in the UK keep their religious beliefs quiet and personal.

Besides, I'm an atheist doing a theology degree. I know that Christians are not even close to being all the same.



Perhaps, but be aware that there are some atheists who have studied the Bible and who are capable of being more diplomatic than that.

I live in NYC, Bulgaria's simply where I'm from. But I mostly mean the atheists I've encountered on the Internet, I really don't have religious debates in the real world often.

 

[keith99]

How do they make you feel stupid?

I'm going to take a guess, but it is kind of like believing in the bible is like believe in Fairy Tales? Having grown up Christian, I really never questioned it, but I suppose that if you tell someone that Jesus was born to a virgin, or that there was a spot light down on the manger, that he walked on water, there was a talking donkey, it seems pretty far fetched to a nonBeliever. That is why I try and be more respectful of other religions that have equally hard to believe stories, such as Ganesh, whose head was cut off, and replace with the head of an elephant.

My brothers and sisters are Christian, and quite intelligent. I think a lot of people have met the "God did it" people who choose not to think, and explain everything with God.

I agree. How do you think you could communicate?


Emotional how?
I'm emotional myself. I think what turns people off it haughtiness, but I would rather see a Christian full of passion about Christ than one who is look warm.

thanks for your response.

To me one funny thig is the born of a virgin is a case where the way the story is told makes it believeable to me. Or at the least not unbelievable in the way many anti-Christians make it out. Many anti-Christians go with a presuposition that the people of the time were ignorant of reproduction. However the story itself makes it clear that Joseph knew exactly how babies were made.

Now other verses are a bigger problem. The demon posession verses treat that as 'normal' and quite real. And Aarons Rod in the OT seems to split the difference.

 

[wanderingone]

In "the real world" (outside online forums and I'm not including media only thinking in terms of personal interaction) I don't really encounter this. I do think that Christians who identify as further right and express a more conservative view point probably do in some places encounter a fairly derisive attitude toward their views in some places.

People know I'm Christian, they know I'm active in my church, they often are fairly gentle in their attempts NOT to offend me (usually based on their own impressions of what an active Christian finds acceptable or not acceptable)

In terms of a larger derisive attitude toward Christians. I do think some of it is just plain silly- as another poster pointed out, if you have a passion about a belief I get expressing it all over the place, but if the only point of your public persona that gets "air time" are things meant to insult someone else specifically because they are believers I think those folks need a life outside of the solitary "insult a christian today" vocation. I also would say that it's rare for the anti believer bumperstickers and what not to target believers who aren't Christian. Some of this stems from people most often encountering Christians who seek to influence public policy. However in some places it's odd that other groups of believers don't get the same slack... probably because it tends to be more local and the issues tend to be more specific for that time and place- Orthodox Jews in Orange County wanting their own schools on the public dime for example. The attitudes towards orthodox and hasidic Jews can be quite condescending and abusive, same for observant Muslims.

Some commentary to me that is viewed as "anti Christian" isn't really - you know bumper stickers that say things like "keep your theology off my biology" are not anti Christian to me.

Taking it larger-- people like Bill Maher.. I think he's funny, he is condescending towards believers, and he does tend to target primarily Christian believers and while he doesn't offend me because I believe his simplistic "If you believe in the talking snake then I can't take what you say seriously" commentary to be meant condescendingly, but it's also his routine and as far as I know he and other atheists are not inclined to limit the free practice of my religion so he's free to be a snob.

In the online world- it gets boring to hear people call each other stupid or trying to prove how if you're smart because you do or don't believe. I don't know anyone who hasn't managed to make themselves look like a twit from time to time.

 

[jcook922]

i think the only problem that i have with non-christians is that some of them may come across as condescending to christians...talking to a christian like they are stupid. the fact is, most christians are highly intelligent.

the wonderful thing about God is that he gives us a choice of whether we are going to believe. christians deserve the same respect from non-christians as they expect from us.

unfortunately there are a lot of christians who have given the rest of us a bad name out there. i think that is another problem...people here the word christian and they automatically think about some stereotype. i think if non-christians would realize that christians are not all the same either that would be a good thing.

you have to understand that some people (christian or not) are very passionate and it is hard for them to express themselves without getting "emotional" or agitated or whatever.

thanks for asking.

The problem is, we have the same problems with some Christians too. When they act condescending towards us and become agitated with our own beliefs. Rational folks from both sides having a conversation builds said bridges, while the condescending fanatics of BOTH camps are what put up walls.

I like having the former, I feel I've expanded my knowledge of life, and built some character, by being exposed to and debating about the beliefs of others. I live for knowledge and understanding.

 

[LittleNipper]

Actually, my only gripe is that most atheists don't.

You mention that you're Christian, and immediately you're lumped in with "those ridiculous wackies who believe in creationism" and all that. And when you say that's not what you believe, they adapt a "cool, but you still believe in fairtyales" attitude and go back to attacking easy targets, thinking they've somehow proved God and/or the Bible wrong because some old intertpations about the Bible may be false.

It's a mentality that keeps people from opening their eyes to different possibilities.

What exactly makes a Genesis believer a "ridiculous wacko." Where you there or did the "wisdom" of men provide you with a revelation superior to GOD's.

See, you might say you are a "Christian," but you qualify the kind of Christian you want to be. You would call me a "wacko" on account of my faith in what GOD reveals. Isn't that a more modern form of simply calling a brother a "fool?"

 

[Ryal Kane]

I think to a certain extent the animosity between the two groups extends from a difficulty in grasping that basic elements of the others belief.

There are too many Christians who think that atheist secretly believe in God and just deny it, and too many atheists who believe that Christians don't believe in God and are lying to themselves. The truth is that most of the time, the other side really do believe what they say.

 

[cantata]

What exactly makes a Genesis believer a "ridiculous wacko." Where you there or did the "wisdom" of men provide you with a revelation superior to GOD's.

See, you might say you are a "Christian," but you qualify the kind of Christian you want to be. You would call me a "wacko" on account of my faith in what GOD reveals. Isn't that a more modern form of simply calling a brother a "fool?"

Why do you assume that he holds the same beliefs as the people he was criticizing?

He put the "ridiculous wackie" stuff in quotation marks, which at least suggests that he might not subscribe to those beliefs. You are, like certain other posters, relentlessly pugnacious. It's rather wearing.