Very difficult when the common/typical stance of the secularist, is that a Bible-affirming Christian is an idiot and far, far worse. You just can't seperate the atheist/progressive/liberal from their pompuos stance that they have come to enlightenment from what they have been exposed to and a "Christian" that believes that fairy tale stuff, is to be excused from society to live somewhere of the choosing of the secularist.
That is certainly why I connect the dots of "the usual suspects."
I would say the same of your side at times Polycarp. I could have said "Very difficult when the common/typical stance of the Christian, is that a rational atheist is an idiot and far, far worse. You just can't seperate the Christian/Conservative/Zealot from their pompous stance that they have come to enlightenment from what they have been exposed to and an "Atheist" that denies the truth, is to be excused from society to live somewhere of the choosing of the Christians."
I'm not mocking you here, I'm just saying that Christianity isn't suddenly innocent of doing the same to non-Christians. There are parts of Christianity AND non-Christians who conspire to totally suppress the other, and then a majority who are fine with live and let live. I find many pompous Christians who try to patronize me and tell me I'm wrong, and not respect my beliefs. Why should I respect them at all? The culture and belief system is different, but the human BEHAVIOR is a mirror-image.
I certainly start fights. Because, I know it's coming anyway and throwing the first punch is usually the best formula to drive away an attacker.
C'mon Jcook, the non's and anti's here in just about every single incident have no desire to be here but to shread the Bible-believer. And they do this with astonishingly common rote. Not much personal insight that wasn't given to them by some other non or anti.
I do see where you're coming from here PCF, that there are those looking to just anger christians. I think that's wrong, but at the same time there are Christians who are out to do the same to non-Christians. If a secularist decides to put out his opinion, then odds are he'll just get a ton of scripture thrown at him on most controversial issues, which is where our understanding of eachother departs and all rational debate is lost.
OK.
That IS the Christian outlook. "IN the world and not of it." No matter how you slice that, non and anti's know what's being said. And certainly other religion practioners know it too. It is what it is.
That is what Christians do. That is also what everyone else does as well. "OH! YOU didn't vote for Obama?" You must be one of "them."
I don't know, for the longest time I was going to vote McCain, and I ended up leaning towards Obama and look forward to some facets of his presidency, and others not. Can nobody seperate the good from the bad? Why is everything so polarized to everyone?
I can only speak for myself, and I have had an atheist write to me that I am not really a Christian because I am mean to them and that my positions are something they cannot accept. There is no other stance in which is offered to us to take. Once you become a Christian - and note, it is a choice - you take on the teachings of Christ Jesus and the Apostles.
I had a Christian woman tell me in a News & Current Events thread today that I am not a Humanist because I supported capital punishment of a soldier convicted of rape and murder under the UCMJ, so I feel you there. Being told that I do not represent MY faith correctly, especially by someone not of my faith, makes me just want to give them the finger.
That is: You are now on your way somewhere else. Good choice. Now, here, here is how to live with OTHER Christians and get by in a world that is hostile to this uniqueness.
Watch the reactions to that?
I have lived in California for the last twenty years. There is most definately a divide between people here. Especially when you get into the cities.
I grew up in San Jaouqin Valley in my younger years, and then the High Desert(Victorville) for another few years, and have since been in the Los Angeles area. I don't see people discriminating on people on the basis of valid religion, and I usually don't see people judging others on skin color. On the way people dress? Sure. On the way you talk? Sure. But not based on skin or religion.
I'm guilty of it, when I see someone dressed with sagging pants and a hat without a bent bill and a sticker on it, flipped to the side, then I immediately am on the defensive and don't like said person. And when it comes to religion, I did more than just harass the teenage girls in junior high and high school who were in some strange Wicca/Pagan phase. While I respect that there are people who take such beliefs seriously, a teenage girl who decides to do it to be edgy doesn't deserve respect.
If the Christian-bashing is kept to a minimum then you may get a few posts to use.
Because it's you, I'll keep my fangs and claws tucked in.