Just Against Christianity?
 

First of all, I don't know whether this would go in the Debate forum, so if it does could someone move it please?

So anyway, I wanted to ask why people are so against Christianity, in particular. I mean, there are many other religions, but I never see any threads, etc. against them. I'm just wondering. It seems unfair... or, I don't know... And this may just be because I am a Christian and I kinda feel like that if your an atheist it means you don't believe in any god or gods, right?

I'm just wondering why I see more flames against Christianity than any other religion, to sum it up.

(I respect others' beliefs, so I'm not trying to flame other religions.)

Well, I gues most Christians practiaclly hove down people's throats.. But still, if you're going to tell people they're wrong for believing in a god or gods, you shouldn't pick out just one!!

I think you were right, it belongs in the debates forum...So I am moving it over there for ya:)

Darkness: Oh. Thanks for clearing that up!

And I have noticed that a lot of people don't like when Christians shove it down their thoats... does the exact opposite of what they were intending..

Harmonious: So sad when it's like that... Christianity isn't supposed to be like that..

Daria: Thank you!

The only problem I have with Christianity are "Sunday morning Christians". Basically, the only time they're Christian is on Sunday morning in church. They don't believe in it, they don't practice it, they just claim it because they either think its cool or they're supposed to. Other than that, I stick up for all religious groups.

It's actually the opposite. Atheists don't believe in gods or goddesses and agnostics believe that something exists, they just aren't sure what.

Anyway, I don't have anything against Christians, I think it's unfair to stereotype and say that all Christians are bad because some of them are rude or pushy.
I agree that the reasons others posted are why a lot of people pick on Christians.

There are a huge number of Christians in the US and there are indicators that you have to be a Christian or at least pretend to be a Christian to do certain things (ex: many people didn't want to vote for Obama when it was being said that he was a Muslim). It sometimes makes people feel angry to see this sort of thing going on, so they might persecute back. Christianity in a way is the most persecuted religion, but in other ways it's the least persecuted. It just depends on which aspects your talking about.

Another factor is that we generally know a lot about Christianity. Most people have had some sort of exposure to the Bible, so it makes it easier to pick apart the religion or find fault with its practitioners. The philosophy of the religion is cataloged in detail all in one easy to access book.

While I agree that there's been a lot of anti-Christian talk here in General Discussions/Debates, I can't remember anybody actually flaming Christians or the Christian religion. There's a huge difference between flaming and simply disagreeing.

Also, very few people disagree with the religion, most only have problems with those Christians who are just boot-licking hypocrites and try to force their religion onto others.

Like a lot of people have already stated, the reason it's mostly Christianity that's being discussed here, is the fact that you barely find this extremely vocal minority with other religions. No Muslim has ever tried to force me into signing up for his church, and I can't remember any Jew ever telling me how my bisexuality is a sign that I'm possessed by the devil. Both, on the other hand, have happened numerous times with Christians.

I feel sorry for those Christians who just want to live their religion and are getting blamed for those who misbehave in the name of Christianity. I've been raised Christian, and I know that it's a very positive, peaceful religion, but it's only what a select few make of it that put a wrong complexion on it.

Not really relevant, but epic win for using America in that context. It annoys me so much when people think America = U.S.A. It is called the United States OF America, not the United States ARE America.

As for the topic however, some negative points against Christianity lie in a topic I feel quite passionate about. Namely cultural rights. During the process of colonization many peoples suffered ethnocide and forced assimilation for moralistic reasons which often came as a result of forcing Christian views, morals and values upon them. Where I live, Aotearoa the Maori like many other colonized peoples, found their rituals and beliefs banned. Even now when we are aware of how damaging these atrocities can be, we still have the Christian church in many occasions going around and acting as neo colonialists. They look at cultural practices then instead of analysing it in its own cultural and historical context they apply their morals to it.

What I don't get is how the former underdogs, who should know what it feels like to be oppressed just because you don't follow the Roman Egyptian Christian beliefs, do the very same to others.

It's like the boy that gets beaten up by his father, and instead of learning from all the pain and the fear, later on start beating his own children. It's sick, it's stupid and it shows an inability to learn from past wrongs.

While it is true in instances Christians themselves have been on the receiving end, the Christian church has proven to quite readily align itself with the oppressors whenever it suits them most. Case in point, the Christian church saw it fit to support the apartheid in South Africa.

I suspect that so many teenagers are mad at Christianity because it tends to oppose sex. This hatred then follows them into adulthood. Note that there are very few pre-pubescent children who rebel against Christianity as a thing in itself (as opposed to having to put on their Sunday clothes.)

There are other reasons, but I can't think of many that would inspire the same passionate hatred.

I think that's a good point!
But what I hate more about it isn't the fact that they are against sex, it's more that they are against condoms!
Maybe that's just the same thing... >_>

I am Christian myself, but that will not last much longer. My mother insisted in staying Christian as long as I don't have to pay the church, what means until I'm out of university, so maybe 5 years.
But nevertheless I am against Christianity, because of what happened in the past. In my opinion the bible is just cruel and what Christians in history have done is also cruel.
So... you shouldn't have sex, you shouldn't kill other, but how many people were killed, because they had another Religion?
I am sure there are other bad religions, who have done as bad things, but I don't know about this one...
I know for example that the Japanese religions can work together. Most of the people there are Buddhist and Shintoist at the same time and it's no problem at all. But the Christianity doesn't want other religions and tries to fight them... that's not okay... >_>

I'm sorry if I got something wrong, but that's how I think about it... ^^"

OK, So I don't want this to into a discussion about religion itself I just want to point out that people only think Christianity is against sex. That is WRONG!! It is against sex before marriage!! Once you are married (hopefully to someone you will actually spend the rest of your life with) you are allowed to have sex.

And honesty, "Christians" who actually criticize others because of their beliefs really aren't Christians at all, are they?

I feel like this is coming dangerously close to a "no true scotsman" fallacy. Just because someone fails to live out a belief from their faith doesn't mean that they are not Christian. In fact, one belief in Christianity is that nobody can follow all the rules all the time (I forget the bible verse that makes a very clear point of saying "all have sinned"). All people have sinned, therefore all Christians have violated some of their teachings. Does this mean that nobody is really a Christian?

Granted, if they knew these teachings were part of being Christian, then of course they would be expected to follow them, but many people go about doing the things they do because they think that is what it means to be Christian. I have friends from my home town who are hell bent on outlawing not only same sex marriage, but civil union rights that gay couples have been granted. I think they are violating God's command to love all people. They think I'm violating his regulation that marriage should be between a man and a woman and therefore disobeying God in my support of the GLBT community.
I am following the form of Christianity I have found and they are following the form that they have found.

Of course, I tell people I'm Christian (or better yet, Catholic), and I'm reprimanded for other people's beliefs just because we both fall under the category of Christian.

Someone else mentioned earlier that Christianity is the easiest religion to understand nowadays since it's so easily accessible. I think that's partially true. But on the other hand, Christianity is composed of many different denominations, each with their own spin on the basic Christian principles, and each with deep, multilayered theology.
Most people understand basic Christian principles. Many people don't understand the differences between denominations and many people don't understand the full complexity of any given denomination.

I think this is one reason Christians get attacked so much. People think they understand Christianity, and to an extent, they do. Their understanding of Christianity is greater than of, say, Buddhism or Islam, which gives them the feeling that they understand exactly what it's all about. However, this understanding is still quite shallow in many cases, leading to misunderstandings and stupid attacks.

That's not to say that there are not people out there with a deep understanding of Christianity who still dislike it. I think this is just one possible source of some of the animosity.

While I see where you're coming from with the claim that the US is starting to move away from Christianity, I think it's a bit pre-mature.

I've been working with an orientation staff for a University this summer, and one of the problems that we have run into this year (and a few times in the past) is that the group of students coming through our program this year are a very different target group than the ones we had only a few years ago. The Millennial generation interacts differently with the world than the generation before them. (examples: they have more of an "Here I am, now entertain me" mindset, they're better at multitasking, etc.) Each difference in this new generation presents a challenge in how we will best be able to pass on the information they need, while simultaneously providing an enjoyable program for them to attend.

The reason I bring this up is that I believe the current generation is not backing away from religion, but that they require religions to be presented to them in a different way. In any generational switch, you can see the ebb and flow of people involved in countless different organizations as an equilibrium is reached between what the world has to offer people and what those people have to offer the world.

I know this is kind of off topic, but I find it to be a very interesting subject.

An in an attempt to bring it back on topic. I think we are seeing a bit of an ebb in Christian teenagers in America right now, so it is possible that this is part of why there is such a backlash against it right now.

garra_eyes: I suppose I worded that wrong. I meant that being nice to everyone no matter what is, well, I don't want to say more important, but that's the main thing people hear about. Yes, everyone lies. Yes, everyone sins. We all learn from day one to be nice, kind, caring, etc, to everyone, and while really everyone should do that, saying you a Christian and then not being nice is very hypocritical, even though we all sin.

Lovely Moco: Christians are supposed to bring people into the religion. (I think many just go about it the wrong way, and end up pushing people farther away.)