Criticizing Christianity is a lost cause

[john.livingstone@lr]

The best thing about Christianity is that even though it attempts to explain certain events and the beginning of the world, the good book does not attempt to disprove others and their beliefs. The Christian religion is a big group of loving friends, we support God and his message and in the end we are all looking to better our lives through Christ. It makes very little sense to me as to why folks seem to get a kick out of trying to discredit Christianity. The Church is about self improvement, positive self-reflection and love of one another. And with a message this positive, why would an individual attempt to discredit the Bible on the basis of the creation or Noah's Ark or Adam and Eve. These are merely stories with the intent of explaining the progression of man and the Earth. The purpose of Christianity is to improve a person's life through God, not to explain the wonders of the world. And all of the people out there spewing hate about Christianity simply because they heard about why Christianity is unbelievable or how evolution better explains the origins of the world are simply wasting their time because Christians don't care what you have to say if the message isn't positive.

[JamesWesley]

The best thing about Christianity is that even though it attempts to explain certain events and the beginning of the world, the good book does not attempt to disprove others and their beliefs..

Acts 4:10-12
"Be it known unto you all, and to all the people of Israel, that by the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, whom ye crucified, whom God raised from the dead, even by him doth this man stand here before you whole...Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved."

This is just one example of where the "good book" attempts to disprove and discredit other religions, claiming that only Christianity is the true religion.

Christian religion is a big group of loving friends, we support God and his message and in the end we are all looking to better our lives through Christ.

That is not necessarily true. There are some Christian groups that hate the others and say that they are going to hell. An example that is well known in America is the Christian church that goes by the name of Westboro Baptist Church.

It makes very little sense to me as to why folks seem to get a kick out of trying to discredit Christianity.

It may not make much sense to you because you believe it to be the truth. Christianity, I mean.

The Church is about self improvement, positive self-reflection and love of one another.

That is a goal that Christianity can be said to have, but all other religions have this as well. With the love for one another Christian comes the hate for other religions.

And with a message this positive, why would an individual attempt to discredit the Bible on the basis of the creation or Noah's Ark or Adam and Eve.

Just because a message is positive does not mean that every store it teaches is true. If I were to write a book with a inspiring message that makes you want to improve the world the for the better like I say in my book, would that mean that if I were to write about how man came into the world through a cow liking some salt that you would say that it doesn't deserve some discredit?

. These are merely stories with the intent of explaining the progression of man and the Earth.

Yes, they are that. Just stories. However, people believe theses stories to be true and will force their beliefs into school systems and into the legal systems to try and make everyone believe as they do. This is why people discredit religion.

The purpose of Christianity is to improve a person's life through God, not to explain the wonders of the world.

Replace Christianity with the name of any religion and replace God with the name of the deity that goes with that religion. Also, some Christians would disagree about the latter part of that. They would say it is about both.

And all of the people out there spewing hate about Christianity simply because they heard about why Christianity is unbelievable or how evolution better explains the origins of the world are simply wasting their time because Christians don't care what you have to say if the message isn't positive.

No one here (I believe) spews hate about Christianity. Most of the aspects of Christianity are unbelievable and evolution does better explain the origins of life (not of the world). I suppose you are right though, most Christians don't care what anyone has to say unless it is in support with their dogma.

[bernee51]

The best thing about Christianity is that even though it attempts to explain certain events and the beginning of the world, the good book does not attempt to disprove others and their beliefs. The Christian religion is a big group of loving friends, we support God and his message and in the end we are all looking to better our lives through Christ. It makes very little sense to me as to why folks seem to get a kick out of trying to discredit Christianity. The Church is about self improvement, positive self-reflection and love of one another. And with a message this positive, why would an individual attempt to discredit the Bible on the basis of the creation or Noah's Ark or Adam and Eve. These are merely stories with the intent of explaining the progression of man and the Earth. The purpose of Christianity is to improve a person's life through God, not to explain the wonders of the world. And all of the people out there spewing hate about Christianity simply because they heard about why Christianity is unbelievable or how evolution better explains the origins of the world are simply wasting their time because Christians don't care what you have to say if the message isn't positive.

And?

[JoeyKnothead]

From the OP:

The best thing about Christianity is that even though it attempts to explain certain events and the beginning of the world, the good book does not attempt to disprove others and their beliefs.

I'd say threatening others with condemnation and insults is just as bad.

The Christian religion is a big group of loving friends, we support God and his message and in the end we are all looking to better our lives through Christ.

History indicates otherwise.

It makes very little sense to me as to why folks seem to get a kick out of trying to discredit Christianity.

Because so many use their votes to try to enforce Christianity into the public sector through various laws, etc.

The Church is about self improvement, positive self-reflection and love of one another.

History indicates otherwise.

And with a message this positive, why would an individual attempt to discredit the Bible on the basis of the creation or Noah's Ark or Adam and Eve. These are merely stories with the intent of explaining the progression of man and the Earth. The purpose of Christianity is to improve a person's life through God, not to explain the wonders of the world.

Some to many folks want that taught as literal truth at taxpayer expense.

And all of the people out there spewing hate about Christianity simply because they heard about why Christianity is unbelievable or how evolution better explains the origins of the world are simply wasting their time because Christians don't care what you have to say if the message isn't positive.

I've seen many Christians on this site alone who don't care about the truth, or the rules of this site. Your statement doesn't surprise me at all.

[Flail]

sounds like what the Muslims say about their religion...indoctrination will blind you and lead you to mindless superstitions.

[Abraxas]

The best thing about Christianity is that even though it attempts to explain certain events and the beginning of the world, the good book does not attempt to disprove others and their beliefs. The Christian religion is a big group of loving friends, we support God and his message and in the end we are all looking to better our lives through Christ. It makes very little sense to me as to why folks seem to get a kick out of trying to discredit Christianity. The Church is about self improvement, positive self-reflection and love of one another. And with a message this positive, why would an individual attempt to discredit the Bible on the basis of the creation or Noah's Ark or Adam and Eve. These are merely stories with the intent of explaining the progression of man and the Earth. The purpose of Christianity is to improve a person's life through God, not to explain the wonders of the world. And all of the people out there spewing hate about Christianity simply because they heard about why Christianity is unbelievable or how evolution better explains the origins of the world are simply wasting their time because Christians don't care what you have to say if the message isn't positive.

That's the rub, isn't it? That people who oppose Christianity aren't the only ones guilty of spewing hate.

See, I can speak for myself and suppose some others agree that the belief itself isn't all that important in a vacuum. There are, however, no less than four major problems that seem to emerge from how Christianity has presented itself, in particular in the US. Firstly, it has come out as the most powerful force for discrimination that presently exists. Denying people because they are gay, or because they have a different belief set, or because they don't have a belief set at all, though not representative of all Christians, certainly is not uncommon.

This leads into the second problem, the refusal of Christianity to stay out of public policy. Legislating things like not allowing Gays to marry the ones they love, refusal to elect different religious opinions, or trying to put literal interpretations of Genesis into classrooms to promote ignorance that holds us back as a species. Leads into three, you say here that tales like that are not meant to be interpreted literally, yet some do, and they pass this on to their kids, and then their children are already locked in a mindset of denying science and logic in favor of dogmatism and magical thinking.

Finally, it tends to work like a defense mechanism to shelter one from the effects of the world. This is a mixed blessing. Though it undoubtedly provides comfort to countless people, by the same token it often has the effect of encouraging them to take no action to correct the problem causing the suffering. Many times have I heard a self-proclaimed Christian say "the Bible says the poor will always be with us" and do so to mean we should do nothing about poverty or hunger. When injustices and atrocities become "part of God's plan" or a "test of faith" it no longer becomes essential to correct them.

If religion only manifested as you described it, I suspect a lot of us would not be engaged in debate on the other side. However, as you, I, and everyone else know, that isnt how it emerges, at least not all the time.

[McCulloch]

The best thing about Christianity is that even though it attempts to explain certain events and the beginning of the world, the good book does not attempt to disprove others and their beliefs.

The writers of the Good Book make no attempt to prove or disprove anything. They simply make assertions.

The Christian religion is a big group of loving friends, we support God and his message and in the end we are all looking to better our lives through Christ.

And to inflict their religious views and beliefs on the rest of us. If you would stop that, we would stop ( OK maybe slow down ) our criticism.

It makes very little sense to me as to why folks seem to get a kick out of trying to discredit Christianity.

You should listen to the message of Sam Harris. To my point-of-view, Sam is way out there, quite extreme, but on reading him, you will find some answers to your quandary.

The Church is about self improvement, positive self-reflection and love of one another.

You really need to preach this message to the choir. They have not all gotten the message.

And with a message this positive, why would an individual attempt to discredit the Bible on the basis of the creation or Noah's Ark or Adam and Eve. These are merely stories with the intent of explaining the progression of man and the Earth.

Because so many Christians believe that these are not merely stories. They read these as history. They apply a similar literalist reading to the rest of the Bible to their own detriment and to the harm of the society that they so try to influence and change.

The purpose of Christianity is to improve a person's life through God, not to explain the wonders of the world.

Please, tell that to the Christian creationist crowd, who wish to dumb-down the science curriculum.

And all of the people out there spewing hate about Christianity simply because they heard about why Christianity is unbelievable or how evolution better explains the origins of the world are simply wasting their time because Christians don't care what you have to say if the message isn't positive.

I have found that many Christians don't care what anyone has to say, even if the message is positive. Humanism has a positive message, and from one point of view, Christianity has a negative one: "If you don't believe this stuff, you will face eternity in torment."

[Ami]

The Christian religion is a big group of loving friends, we support God and his message and in the end we are all looking to better our lives through Christ.

History indicates otherwise.

Doesn't the fact that it is history indicate some sort of desire for self-improvement from the church itself?

[JoeyKnothead]

The Christian religion is a big group of loving friends, we support God and his message and in the end we are all looking to better our lives through Christ.

History indicates otherwise.

Doesn't the fact that it is history indicate some sort of desire for self-improvement from the church itself?

I'd say not so much when that history occurs within one's lifetime. Catholic scandals at the highest levels, murdering abortion doctors, Westboro Baptist, there's plenty in the here and now to consider some to many to perhaps a majority of Christians would relish a return to "the good old days" of oppressing and killing any and all who oppose Christianity.

It's sad that so many Christians bemoan violent Hollywood movies, while ignoring the violence within, and as a product of their sacred book.

[Ami]

I'd say not so much when that history occurs within one's lifetime. Catholic scandals at the highest levels, murdering abortion doctors, Westboro Baptist, there's plenty in the here and now to consider some to many to perhaps a majority of Christians would relish a return to "the good old days" of oppressing and killing any and all who oppose Christianity.

It's sad that so many Christians bemoan violent Hollywood movies, while ignoring the violence within, and as a product of their sacred book.

Yet I'm here, living in safety, enjoying having rights and the like. Would you have had that a few odd hundred years ago?