Christianity and Hatred for People

[unknown soldier]

Is there a relationship between Christianity and hatred for people? I've read that early on the critics of Christianity accused it of being hatred for humanity. Most apologists would strongly deny such a charge. They tell us that Christ taught love and that all those who would hate in his name are acting against his teachings. To begin to resolve this disagreement, let's take a look at what two "locals" have to say.

By what the Bible tells, God has decided to give eternal life for righteous and others will die.

These will go away into eternal punishment, but therighteous into eternal life.
Mat. 25:46

For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift ofGod is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.
Romans 6:23

I think that is good, because if unrighteous people would live forever, they would turn the eternal life into eternal suffering for all, which I think would not be nice.

I don’t think death is evil.

I am sure that those that look at these societies that God destroyed and know they are doing the things that God destroyed these societies do look at these acts in fear, and dread. If they do not look at these societies that God destroyed with fear and dread then the next best thing is blame and denial...

...God knows the future. God knew the eternal destiny of all of those that He put to death before He sentenced them to eternal separation from His goodness. That is what dying without belief in Jesus or in this case God is eternal separation from the goodness of God.

When I read comments like these I tend to feel threatened and degraded. Am I such a worthless wretch that my life can be snuffed out any time at the Christian God's whim, and Christians would just shrug their shoulders saying I got what I deserved? Can my entire community be destroyed if some "guy in the sky" judges it to be disobedient to him?

In any event, I sure don't feel loved.

[bjs1]

By what the Bible tells, God has decided to give eternal life for righteous and others will die.

These will go away into eternal punishment, but therighteous into eternal life.
Mat. 25:46

For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift ofGod is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.
Romans 6:23

I think that is good, because if unrighteous people would live forever, they would turn the eternal life into eternal suffering for all, which I think would not be nice.

When I read comments like these I tend to feel threatened and degraded.

I find this interesting, since 1213 does not appear to mention you in his post. Yet still you feel both “threatened” and “degraded.”

Do you consider yourself unrighteous? Do you consider yourself the kind of person who would make eternal life suffering for everyone around you?

If so, why?

If not, in what way are you threatened or degraded?

[unknown soldier]

I find this interesting, since 1213 does not appear to mention you in his post. Yet still you feel both “threatened” and “degraded.”

That is correct. Anybody should free threatened and degraded by what was quoted in the OP.

Do you consider yourself unrighteous?

If you want me to answer your questions, then it's only fair to answer my questions. On the very first line of the OP I asked:

Is there a relationship between Christianity and hatred for people?

OK? Please answer this question.

Anyway, to answer your question, no, I'm not unrighteous at all. Like most people I'm righteous because I make a point of living righteously.

Do you consider yourself the kind of person who would make eternal life suffering for everyone around you?

No, I at least hope I wouldn't! None of us can ever know what eternal life is like because it is impossible to live eternally. At best, we might conceive of what it would be like to live without ever dying. Perhaps any life without death would be a hell of sorts.

If so, why?

If I did cause my fellow immortals to suffer, then that suffering might result from my degrading them or threatening them in some way. So to live without ever escaping people who have that kind of an attitude toward others could be hell.

If not, in what way are you threatened or degraded?

As we all know Christianity threatens all unbelievers with eternal hellfire, but the real threat is that anybody would be so sick as to believe there is eternal damnation and that it's good. It is obviously degrading to any person who is labeled as deserving such a fate.

So bj, I think I set a very good example for you in this post. I answered all of your questions sensible and completely to the best of my ability. I ask you to be so righteous as to treat me the way I treated you.

[bjs1]

Is there a relationship between Christianity and hatred for people?

Yes, there is an inverse relationship between Christianity and hatred.

Am I such a worthless wretch that my life can be snuffed out any time at the Christian God's whim, and Christians would just shrug their shoulders saying I got what I deserved?

As we have never met, I can’t imagine why you think I would know the details of what kind of life you have lived.

Can my entire community be destroyed if some "guy in the sky" judges it to be disobedient to him?

As far as I am aware, no version of orthodox Christianity believes that anyone lives in the sky. Unless you count the international space station. But that would depend on where you think the “sky” ends and “space” begins.

Do you consider yourself the kind of person who would make eternal life suffering for everyone around you?

No, I at least hope I wouldn't! None of us can ever know what eternal life is like because it is impossible to live eternally. At best, we might conceive of what it would be like to live without ever dying. Perhaps any life without death would be a hell of sorts.

Then why do you believe that 1213's comments were aimed at you?

As we all know Christianity threatens all unbelievers with eternal hellfire, but the real threat is that anybody would be so sick as to believe there is eternal damnation and that it's good. It is obviously degrading to any person who is labeled as deserving such a fate.

I was unaware Christians had power over eternal hellfire as to be able to threaten anyone with it. When did we gain that power?

No version of orthodox Christianity that I know of teaches that unbelievers are deserving of anything worse than Christians deserve. Though many Christians do talk about grace and mercy and all kinds of unmerited things of that nature.

[unknown soldier]

Yes, there is an inverse relationship between Christianity and hatred.

Am I such a worthless wretch that my life can be snuffed out any time at the Christian God's whim, and Christians would just shrug their shoulders saying I got what I deserved?

As we have never met, I can’t imagine why you think I would know the details of what kind of life you have lived.

Who asked that you know the details of my life? In any case, what would you do if you believed God killed me? Would you just shrug it off believing that God always does what's right? That's what 1213 says about God's victims--God has every right to kill anybody he wishes to.

As far as I am aware, no version of orthodox Christianity believes that anyone lives in the sky.

So you believe God isn't in the sky. Taking a plane is one way to be safe!

But of course you dodged the issue I raised about God destroying entire societies--men, women, and children. As a Christian you must approve of it, and that's why you dodged the issue.

Then why do you believe that 1213's comments were aimed at you?

Because he thinks that a person being unrighteous depends on their religion or lack of. The only righteous people are Christians. Since I'm not a Christian, I cannot be righteous and am marked for destruction.

I was unaware Christians had power over eternal hellfire as to be able to threaten anyone with it. When did we gain that power?

You're twisting my words, of course, and we all know well that Christians believe they have a God who punishes unbelievers. You don't need a real hell ore God to threaten people--just make them up.

No version of orthodox Christianity that I know of teaches that unbelievers are deserving of anything worse than Christians deserve.

In that case you don't know of Christianity's core dogmas including redemption and imputed righteousness.

Though many Christians do talk about grace and mercy and all kinds of unmerited things of that nature.

It appears you are denying all that for the purpose of arguing on this thread. I've noticed that when I raise difficult issues in Christian belief, apologists often deny their own doctrines.

[1213]

...

Then why do you believe that 1213's comments were aimed at you?

Because he thinks that a person being unrighteous depends on their religion or lack of. ....

Where have I said that?

[unknown soldier]

...

Then why do you believe that 1213's comments were aimed at you?

Because he thinks that a person being unrighteous depends on their religion or lack of. ....

Where have I said that?

The denials didn't take long to surface. Let's take another look:

By what the Bible tells, God has decided to give eternal life for righteous and others will die.

These will go away into eternal punishment, but therighteous into eternal life.
Mat. 25:46

For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift ofGod is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.
Romans 6:23

I think that is good, because if unrighteous people would live forever, they would turn the eternal life into eternal suffering for all, which I think would not be nice.

I don’t think death is evil.

It sure looks to me that you're equating religious belief with righteousness. Does God not care what a "righteous" person's beliefs are? You're perfectly free to deny the charge any time by posting that to you it makes no difference to a person's righteousness what their religion is. Can anybody, including atheists, be righteous and deserve to be treated well?

Anyway, what prompted me to start this discussion is your apparent contempt for people always going on about how those you judge to be unrighteousness should be killed and how much better the world would be without them. And all of that contempt is grounded in your Christian beliefs.

[bjs1]

Yes, there is an inverse relationship between Christianity and hatred.

You have found the Westboro Baptist Church, which represents roughly 0.00000002% (that is, two one-hundred-millionths of a one percent) of current Christians. It does not seem reasonable to treat this as normative for Christians overall.

Am I such a worthless wretch that my life can be snuffed out any time at the Christian God's whim, and Christians would just shrug their shoulders saying I got what I deserved?

As we have never met, I can’t imagine why you think I would know the details of what kind of life you have lived.

Who asked that you know the details of my life?

Well, you wrote, “Am I such a worthless wretch…” If the pronoun “I” in that sentence does not refer to you, who does it refer to?

As far as I am aware, no version of orthodox Christianity believes that anyone lives in the sky.

So you believe God isn't in the sky. Taking a plane is one way to be safe!

But of course you dodged the issue I raised about God destroying entire societies--men, women, and children. As a Christian you must approve of it, and that's why you dodged the issue.

Perhaps I dodged the question. Another possibility is that you have, knowingly or unknowingly, created a childish strawman version of Christianity aimed more at insulting people who disagree with you than actually entering into any kind of adult discussion. I guess we will never know which is the case.

Then why do you believe that 1213's comments were aimed at you?

Because he thinks that a person being unrighteous depends on their religion or lack of. The only righteous people are Christians. Since I'm not a Christian, I cannot be righteous and am marked for destruction.

I missed that. Where did 1213 write that?

I was unaware Christians had power over eternal hellfire as to be able to threaten anyone with it. When did we gain that power?

You're twisting my words, of course, and we all know well that Christians believe they have a God who punishes unbelievers. You don't need a real hell ore God to threaten people--just make them up.

You have chosen twisted words, and I have sought to untwist them.

No version of orthodox Christianity that I know of teaches that unbelievers are deserving of anything worse than Christians deserve.

In that case you don't know of Christianity's core dogmas including redemption and imputed righteousness.

Though many Christians do talk about grace and mercy and all kinds of unmerited things of that nature.

It appears you are denying all that for the purpose of arguing on this thread. I've noticed that when I raise difficult issues in Christian belief, apologists often deny their own doctrines.

Funny how you know what “apologist” believe better than they do. I find it particularly interesting when a Christians states a belief and a non-Christian jumps at the chance to tell the Christian that he doesn’t know what he believes.

It does, of course, stifle debate a bit. How do you have a conversation with someone who is so convinced that he knows your argument better than you do that he corrects you about your own thoughts? It seems that such a person will never move past the starwmen he has created.

[Overcomer]

unknown soldier wrote:

Anyway, to answer your question, no, I'm not unrighteous at all. Like most people I'm righteous because I make a point of living righteously.

How are you defining the word "righteous"? What does it mean to "live righteously"?

[unknown soldier]

You have found the Westboro Baptist Church, which represents roughly 0.00000002% (that is, two one-hundred-millionths of a one percent) of current Christians. It does not seem reasonable to treat this as normative for Christians overall.

That photo is a real killer to anybody who argues that Christianity does not inspire hatred. What's an apologist to do? I see that you focus on the Westboro Baptist Church as if it's somehow not typical of Christianity and pull a number out of the air to "prove" it.

Now, can you tell us where Rev Phelps got all this "God hates fags" stuff? Hint: He didn't make it up.

Who asked that you know the details of my life?

Well, you wrote, “Am I such a worthless wretch…” If the pronoun “I” in that sentence does not refer to you, who does it refer to?

I was referring to myself as a typical sinner as far as Christians are concerned. You don't need to know all the details of my life to answer that questions. Besides, I wasn't really expecting an answer but only a recognition that Christianity smears people merely because they are people.

...you have, knowingly or unknowingly, created a childish strawman version of Christianity aimed more at insulting people who disagree with you than actually entering into any kind of adult discussion.

How is a supposed strawman version of Christianity an insult to Christians?

But the God I speak of is no strawman at least to you unless you deny that he's in the sky. Do you deny that God is in the sky?

Because he thinks that a person being unrighteous depends on their religion or lack of. The only righteous people are Christians. Since I'm not a Christian, I cannot be righteous and am marked for destruction.

I missed that. Where did 1213 write that?

Read the OP.

How do you have a conversation with someone who is so convinced that he knows your argument better than you do that he corrects you about your own thoughts?

Well in this case I suggest that you take his correction.