Why do people have such a negative perception of christians?

Illyricum · Post by **Illyricum** » Tue Oct 12, 2004 12:42 pm

ProfMoriarty · Post by **ProfMoriarty** » Tue Oct 12, 2004 6:30 pm

Why do christians have such a negative perception of nn-christians?

Corvus · Post by **Corvus** » Wed Oct 13, 2004 2:37 am

(Illyricium, it's kind of you to duplicate the topic here, but my post was provoked by a particular poster's assumptions. Some of it is still applicable, and I saved it just in case, so here is part of what I wrote:)

Myself wrote:I do not watch much television and rarely go to the cinema. I probably watch, at most, half an hour during the weekdays because I enjoy Doctor Who. I would be curious to know what programs display this outright hostility towards Christianity. The television programs I have seen in passing - usually police or lawyer dramas, which seem to have flooded every channel on public television - often attack a particular vice. This could be anything from bourgeious hypocrisy to, yes, religious sanctimony.

Considering that roughly 76.5 % *of Americans regard themselves as Christians, even if they are not "real Christians" it would not make sense for someone to target a group with which they themselves, and a large proportion of Americans, identify. The primary purpose of television is to appeal to the masses in order to generate ratings, or money, so why would the remaining 23.5% who do not consider themselves Christians attack their own market? If they did, surely they would not last very long.

Figures provided by http://www.adherents.com/rel_USA.html

The Holy Huddle debate question stated this sort of thing is prevalent in movies and on television, so that was my focus. You ask the more general question of why people find fault with Chrisitians. I can't say much about this, but it's probably because the Christians they are talking about have faults. I am certain you can see which kind. Sanctimoniousness, the desire to guide another person's life to the lord, which many people find intrusive, preachiness, etc, etc. Christians do find recurring faults in atheists too. They might seem angry, or too forward, or aggressive, or they seem immoral in the light of Christian morality, and so on and so forth.

Insomniac · Post by **Insomniac** » Tue Oct 26, 2004 9:50 pm

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I don't have a negative perception on all Christains in general. I have met and talked with quite a few that I got along with. I do enjoy listening to their views; I'm a very open person. The reason I am annoyed with some Christains is because they seem so forceful with their views and beliefs. Most present themselves as being extremely narrow-minded and don't even seem to consider the possible existence of a different religion. I have not met many who support their debates with individual thoughts and opinions--everything they have to say is completely based off the words of another. If someone doesn't want to follow a certain religion, they shouldn't be threatened with 'the firey pits of Hell' or forced to follow the outline of that particular religion (as with homosexuals).

Nameless · Post by **Nameless** » Wed Oct 27, 2004 12:11 am

Perhaps it is because that one can be having a perfectly rational intelligent conversation with a christian and then the topic turns... you know... 'religious'. Their eyes seem to glaze over, they start bot-babbling the silliest of nonsense that even my children wouldn't believe at six years old, they believe the most ridiculous 'mythology' (and I'm being generous with that) as actual reality (delusion), like demented robots regurgitating what has been programed into them, and they LOOK DOWN AT YOU if you don't believe the same nonsense they believe and are spouting! It is so absurd and they often shove their nonsense in your face as if doing you a favor! Mother told me that the emptiest barrels make the most noise... Its like being 'mooned with ignorance'!

And as of the last count, if the 'tree is known by the fruit', 228,945,331 killed in the name of Christ aught to tell you something of the 'tree'!!!

So, I guess that any negative view I might have is because christians perpertrate intolerant judgementalism, arrogance disguised (poorly) as charity and 'compassion', hate and ignorance. Many qualities that bring their fellow citizens pain and unhapiness, which is built upon 'ignorance'. Few indeed are the christians that are able to grow and evolve beyond this point.

Well, you asked...

Icarus · Post by **Icarus** » Wed Oct 27, 2004 4:39 pm

Nameless,
Do you really think that is a fair assesment? How many more people have been killed outside of the Christian Religion?? I can think of quite a few non religious killings that have killed more. The Nazi's, Stalin, WW1, WW2, Korean War, Spanish American War, French Indian War, England v. France, Any tribal war in Africa, The Spanish Aztec war, and so on. Sure there have been Christian mistakes, the most popular to cite is the Crusades, but people seem to forget that Muslims attacked Jerusalem First, both times in the Crusades. Let alone Islam's own genocidal tendancies.

Even though it is true that Christians have killed, or murdered for reasons that to us seem absurd. Do you have a grip with gangmembers in L.A.? I'll bet the number of innocent deaths can approach a very high number.

I willingly concede that some christians look down at those who don't repent after the info has been provided. But I also have been looked down on by athiests who are just as pompous and pontificating about how "outdated" my "mythological" beliefs are. DESPITE science's corner turning that there must be some supernateral reason for a start to the universe.

Nameless · Post by **Nameless** » Wed Oct 27, 2004 9:51 pm

Icarus wrote:Nameless,
Do you really think that is a fair assesment? .

In all fairness, the question was regarding christians. Not Nazis, Aryan Nation, Muslim, Jewish (although the only place people seemed to be exterminated by the Jews was in the mythology of the Old Testament), gang members. But all the rest pale in light of the number of those killed in the name of Christ. There are exceptions everywhere, but the rule is ignorance, hatred, intolerance. Pointing a finger at others does not mitigate in any way the atrocities commited by the 'religious' in the name of their 'gods'.

AND, there is no such thing as science showing and believing any 'supernatural' anything. Nothing. You assert here but give no hard evidence to back your assertion. Religion is religion... People believe what they like despite severe LACK of evidence; science needs some sort of rationality and evidence before accepting a hypothesis.

nikolayevich · Post by **nikolayevich** » Tue Nov 02, 2004 3:49 am

I think that we have to distinguish between what the Bible teaches and what people twist and contort it to foment.

When you eliminate those who claimed to be fighting "God's" battles from those battles which were morally acceptible (such as when fighting tyrants like Hitler), the number killed according to Christ (rather than under the pretense of His name) diminishes an order of magnitude smaller.

The problem we as Christians do face though, and all our agnostic/atheist friends will point out, is distinguishing ourselves from those "Christians" who Christ Himself would not associate with; those of whom he would say, "Not everyone who says to Me, 'Lord, Lord,' shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father in heaven... And then I will declare to them, 'I never knew you; depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness!' (Matthew 7:21 and 23)

He is very clear to say that men and women will claim His favor, yet do evil. They are prideful and use His name rather than share it and cause it to be a blessing.

I believe many perceive problems with "Christians" because so many of us do not live up to what we profess. In addition, public representation is often totally detached from local Christian activity, and we end up with enterprising televangelists who ruin their families, or freak show preachers selling "miracle water" to heal your ills for $2 a pop.

As was mentioned on the other thread, Jesus Himself said that His followers would be rejected, so the aim of the Christian should not be to eliminate rejection, as it is futile, but rather to eliminate well-founded rejection.

Nameless · Post by **Nameless** » Tue Nov 02, 2004 3:22 pm

nikolayevich wrote:I think that we have to distinguish between what the Bible teaches and what people twist and contort it to foment...
When you eliminate those who claimed to be fighting "God's" battles ....

How common that one christian will point the finger at another christian and tell all why "I am a REAL christian, and HE is not!" Different interpertation of your book (we cant BOTH be correct, can we?), different sect (according to catholics, protestants are going to hell, and vice versa), different color, sexual orientation, etcetera ad infinitum. It is always the 'other' christian that isn't really a christian.

Some pretty sad excuses, if you ask me. From what I can tell, if you are serious (loony) enough to call yourself a christian, that is what you are to your fellow professed 'believers'. Maybe your jesus will sort you out one day, like a hairy dark Mengele, but YOU don't have that right, according to your book.

Why don't you boil it down even more, and claim that you are the only real christian, and you never killed, tortured, destroyed noble native cultures, inquisioned, burned, converted at 'sword-point', banged on my door at 8:30am on Sat morning, and so on... You are STILL fighting and killing each other and other religions in the middle east and beyond.. Still meddling in the life of the rest of the world. If you could just obey your 'master' and "lock yourselves in a closet" and pray, pray, pray!!! Leave the world to the people living in it!

nikolayevich · Post by **nikolayevich** » Wed Nov 03, 2004 2:02 am

I think you misunderstand what I'm saying. It isn't about pointing fingers and saying "they are not true Christians but I am".

I know that I am human and fail miserably when attempting to follow Christ's example. For myself, it isn't about the "I" in comparison with the "they". It is about how I contrast my own actions with the life of Jesus.

To do that I must acknowledge when there are terrible examples within Christendom so that I can learn from those mistakes... This is part of what I'm saying. But certainly people will use the heretics among believers to try and paint Christianity as a whole in a dark shade. There is a perspective one must gain.

I am also acknowledging problems in the Christian community which are real, not imaginary.

I don't particularly mind whether someone thinks I'm one way or another. But I do think a keen relevance of this thread is that it's a way for us to examine ourselves and those who likewise call themselves believers. I would welcome any criticism of Christianity and there is plenty of criticism that I share about the tragedies of the past.

I don't defend the larger group who call themselves Christians too much, because I can't know what they all think and do. I generally stick to defending Christ and Christianity as a way of life. But I do like to know why others view Christians negatively, so I'm grateful for the perspective provided here.