Dislike

[Youkilledkenny]

There is a lot of distaste for Christianity throughout history (and will always be most likely). But why?
For those who aren't Christian, why do you dislike (shun/hate/ignore/etc.) Christianity?
Is it because of the belief system itself (punishing people who refuse to worship such a being, for example) or because of the Christians themselves (who they act/what they say/do, etc.)?
Or is there another reason(s)?
Please explain AND indicate what it would take to change your mind.

[Divine Insight]

For me it's been both. Although to be fair, I have met many Christians who are very nice people. But they don't evangelize, or judge others, either, so I'm not so sure they actually represent the religion as describe in the Bible.

I have also come to realize that people who claim to "follow" a religion aren't truly representative of the religion itself. Often times what they claim to be following can't even be supported by the religion itself. Especially those who claim to only follow a supposedly luvy duvy "Christ".

When it comes to the actual religious doctrines (i.e. the Bible and Gospels), it's not so much about disliking it as much as recognizing that it simply can't be true.

It is true that there is much in it that is not very attractive. In fact, there are things in the Bible that are downright disgusting. Even many Christian Clergy confess to having problems on that level.

In some ways I think it would be a mistake to say that I don't like the religion overall. The reason being that ultimately the religion is total nonsense and extremely self-contradictory. Therefore there isn't even a consistent story-line to dislike.

The most mainstream story-line goes as follows:

1. God created a perfect world.
2. Adam and Eve disobeyed God.
3. God kicked mankind out into the world because of this "original sin".
4. Every single human is now "guilty" of having rejected God and lusting after evil.
5. No human can be good on their own. It's not even possible.
6. God decided to "save" humans from this impossible predicament by sacrificing his Son.
7. Jesus is now held up as the "Sacrificial Lamb of God" to be our penal substitute.
8. The only way we can redeem ourselves is to accept this sacrifice on our behalf.
9. Accepting this sacrifice itself is never enough for any religious authoritarians.
10. In addition to accepting Jesus as our savior we must also agree with the religious authoritarians to appease all their religious bigotries in Jesus' name.

Just try to proclaiming that you accept Jesus as your 'savior' whilst rejecting the demands of any Christian zealot and you'll quickly discover that that flies about as well as a solid lead balloon.

In any case, I can't imagine why anyone would actually "like" Christianity. At it's very best it has use confessing that we hate God, we love evil, and in spite of the fact that we are unworthy we accept Christ as our Sacrificial Penal Substitute.

As far as I can see, at its very best it's an extremely depressing and negative religion.

At the very best we can only be "saved" by condoning having an innocent demigod crucified on our behalf because we would rather hate God and love evil, (or because we are supposedly incapable of doing anything other than this).

But how disguising would it be to be in that predicament?

So, yes, I Christianity is true as mainstream Christianity holds, (and the Bible appears to support), then we are living in the most depressing reality possible.

We would be far better off in a purely secular universe where we just cease to exist when we die.

There is nothing good about Christianity. To even accept Christ as our "savior" would be an extremely immoral act on our behalf.

Please explain AND indicate what it would take to change your mind.

Short of going back and rewriting the entire Bible into something more intelligent and reasonable I can't imagine anything that could change my mind.

[Willum]

[Replying to Youkilledkenny]

For me it is simple:
Those who believe that the Sun goes around th Earth are wasting their lives, and impoverishing themselves and the world.

This was a belief, like so many others mandated by the Christianity.

[Youkilledkenny]

[Replying to post 2 by Divine Insight]

I have met many Christians who are very nice people.

Same here. Factually, most of my Christian friends are nothing like the negative ones so many have interacted with.

When it comes to the actual religious doctrines (i.e. the Bible and Gospels), it's not so much about disliking it as much as recognizing that it simply can't be true.

A very good point. However, does that not mean it still can't be 'liked'?

In some ways I think it would be a mistake to say that I don't like the religion overall.

Personally I would agree. If followed one way, the religion can be negative. If followed a different way it can be positive (from my experience).

Short of going back and rewriting the entire Bible into something more intelligent and reasonable I can't imagine anything that could change my mind.

Fair enough. Good post - thanks

[Youkilledkenny]

[Replying to post 3 by Willum]

Those who believe that the Sun goes around th Earth are wasting their lives, and impoverishing themselves and the world.

I'm not sure I understand. Please elaborate on the bolded section.

[Divine Insight]

[Replying to post 3 by Willum]

Those who believe that the Sun goes around th Earth are wasting their lives, and impoverishing themselves and the world.

I'm not sure I understand. Please elaborate on the bolded section.

I agree with Willum's sentiment here as well. I would see this as "intellectual impoverishment".

We see this today in the following areas:

1. Resistance to teaching the scientific knowledge of evolution in schools.
2. The movement to teach religious superstition instead of science.
3. A push to enforce religious bigotry against gays and transgender individuals in businesses and the workplace (something our current administration is promising to support in the name of religious freedom).
4. Resistance against stem cell research for medical cures.
5. Pushing religious bigotry itself. We saw this in the prayers at Trump's inauguration where Christian preachers proclaimed Jesus Christ as the "One True God". This clearly proclaims all other religions to be false.

[JehovahsWitness]

[Replying to Youkilledkenny]

For me it is simple:
Those who believe that the Sun goes around th Earth are wasting their lives, and impoverishing themselves and the world.

Have you met a lot of people that believe this?

[Zzyzx]

.

Those who believe that the Sun goes around th Earth are wasting their lives, and impoverishing themselves and the world.

Have you met a lot of people that believe this?

While teaching Earth science university courses I encountered a LOT of people who thought the Sun revolved around the Earth (geocentric solar system). They, like some who post here, had difficulty comprehending that the solar system is heliocentric -- and demanded evidence (and even then may not have fully accepted the idea).

Many of those same people were / are quite certain that the Earth was once flooded 'to the tops of mountains', that long-dead bodies can or could come back to life, and that once upon a time donkeys and snakes conversed in human language.

WHERE did they get such ideas?

Does harboring such notions as though absolute truth hinder / delay / prevent learning about real world conditions?

[Willum]

[Replying to Zzyzx]

Well, how can JW, as a good Christian, not believe what the Bible says?

Anyway, I have met two people in my life-time, but was using it as a universal example. Of course JW would try to state that I meant it as "every modern Christian," and not a lesson from history.

The Church was going to kill Galileo for it... centuries ago. As far as I am concerned there are many thing more preposterous the people believe today.

The creation. A complete assumption based on primitive myths.
Resurrection. Thermodynamically impossible, even for an all powerful being. You would destroy more cells than you repaired, as you fixed the damage.

[JehovahsWitness]

.

Those who believe that the Sun goes around th Earth are wasting their lives, and impoverishing themselves and the world.

Have you met a lot of people that believe this?

While teaching Earth science university courses I encountered a LOT of people who thought the Sun revolved around the Earth (geocentric solar system). They, like some who post here, had difficulty comprehending that the solar system is heliocentric -- and demanded evidence (and even then may not have fully accepted the idea).

Many of those same people were / are quite certain that the Earth was once flooded 'to the tops of mountains', that long-dead bodies can or could come back to life, and that once upon a time donkeys and snakes conversed in human language.

WHERE did they get such ideas?

Does harboring such notions as though absolute truth hinder / delay / prevent learning about real world conditions?

Well one could argue that says a lot more about the level of education in your circle of contacts than anything else. Have you come across a lot on this forum that beleive the sun revolves around the earth? Can you point to any of the posts if you have had such a discussion?