What is wrong with Christianity? And Christians?

[killer cacti]

Here's my stance:

 

• I'm a Christian.
• Whatever you are is fine by me, I'm not the one who judges in the end (in my beliefs), so why would I get up in arms about anyone else?
• I have made a promise to raise my son a Christian, until he can make the decision for himself - which is the same thing I did.
• If you have a problem with me being a Christian, I'll pray for you.

[Landlord]

 

From the inside out, I think it's often very easy to perceive a greater sense of persecution than actually exists. You don't have to go back too many years to find posts of mine zealously endorsing Christianity, and there were many times I felt "beaten up" because of my faith. The closer I got to realizing I no longer believed in God/Christianity/the Bible, the more angst-ridden my posts. I even apologized to husker_x for the vehemence with which I would argue with him in favor of Christianity.

 

 

I'm 100% with you when it comes to myself and American Christians, on a macro level, but I don't think that's the whole picture. (Still working on the thread), but worldwide, Christians are the most persecuted faith group and the rates just increase. Keep in mind, too, that these are people that actually hold to the faith even when it costs something, which is to say that a house church meeting in secret for fear of their lives is probably not consisting of arrogant, pompous jackasses like that draw the ire of many in America.

 

 

Now, I don't know if the 'most persecuted' title is simply due to being the most populous religion or not, but I wouldn't necessarily say it's a stretch to claim that something about Christ that uniquely really upsets a lot of people.

[Whistlebritches]

What wrong with Christianity? This right here.

 

 

... Christians are the most persecuted faith group and the rates just increase....

 

[The Dude]

• I have made a promise to raise my son a Christian, until he can make the decision for himself - which is the same thing I did.

This certainly isn't a flattering aspect of religion.

 

Something about convincing young, impressionable children to believe _________ or you'll suffer for all eternity just doesn't sit right with me. Now, it isn't necessary that the blank be filled with Christian beliefs, specifically.

 

 

I've promised to try my best to teach my children how to think and make decisions, first and foremost. If during their journey they decide Christianity, or Islam, or whatever is the thing for them, right on.

[killer cacti]

 

• I have made a promise to raise my son a Christian, until he can make the decision for himself - which is the same thing I did.

This certainly isn't a flattering aspect of religion.

 

Something about convincing young, impressionable children to believe _________ or you'll suffer for all eternity just doesn't sit right with me. Now, it isn't necessary that the blank be filled with Christian beliefs, specifically.

 

 

I've promised to try my best to teach my children how to think and make decisions, first and foremost. If during their journey they decide Christianity, or Islam, or whatever is the thing for them, right on.

 

And that's your choice, but I have mine as well.

[The Dude]

Yes.

[Landlord]

 

• I have made a promise to raise my son a Christian, until he can make the decision for himself - which is the same thing I did.

This certainly isn't a flattering aspect of religion.

 

Something about convincing young, impressionable children to believe _________ or you'll suffer for all eternity just doesn't sit right with me.

 

 

Okay first off raising your child in your faith is not the same thing as raising your child to think "you better believe this or you're going to burn in hell." That is one particular method of motivation that unfortunately and tragically is used by some parents, but there are plenty of others.

 

 

Second, are you not going to teach your child what is right and wrong based on your perspective? Your kid assaults a weaker smaller kid at school and you do what? Tell him to decide for himself if that is cool or not?

 

KC has found, to the best of his knowledge and conscience, that Christianity is true - it would be piss poor parenting not to teach your kids the truth as best you understand it.

[knapplc]

KC has found, to the best of his knowledge and conscience, that Christianity is true - it would be piss poor parenting not to teach your kids the truth as best you understand it.

 

 

KC has found Christianity because he was born in a largely Christian country.

 

Had he been born in Saudi Arabia he would have found to the best of his knowledge and conscience, that Islam is true.

Had he been born in Tibet he would have found to the best of his knowledge and conscience, that Buddhism is true.

Had he been born in Israel he would have found to the best of his knowledge and conscience, that Judaism is true.

Had he been born in Madagascar he would have found to the best of his knowledge and conscience, that Nature Religion is true.

 

In varying nations he would be varying degrees of Islam, or Christianity, or Buddhism. He could be Sunni, Shi'ite, Catholic, Theravada, Vajrayana, Orthodox, Protestant, etc etc etc.

 

 

Let's not pretend that Christianity is something it's not. It's a religion that has been well-marketed around the world. It is not the one true and only right religion to be found based on any kind of truth. Everyone practicing a religion will tell you the same thing.

[The Dude]

 

Second, are you not going to teach your child what is right and wrong based on your perspective? Your kid assaults a weaker smaller kid at school and you do what? Tell him to decide for himself if that is cool or not?

 

KC has found, to the best of his knowledge and conscience, that Christianity is true - it would be piss poor parenting not to teach your kids the truth as best you understand it.

 

Yes, that's literally what I would do. But, certainly I wouldn't let him off easy. He'd have to construct a damn good argument. Odds are in this instance, he wouldn't be able to. The idea is to teach him to think reasonably before it even comes to that in the first place.

 

I don't view my job as a parent to bestow what I think is true onto my children, so no I don't see that as a deciding line between good parenting and poor parenting. Teaching them how to think, not what to think, is important to me.

[killer cacti]

 

KC has found, to the best of his knowledge and conscience, that Christianity is true - it would be piss poor parenting not to teach your kids the truth as best you understand it.

 

 

KC has found Christianity because he was born in a largely Christian country.

 

Had he been born in Saudi Arabia he would have found to the best of his knowledge and conscience, that Islam is true.

Had he been born in Tibet he would have found to the best of his knowledge and conscience, that Buddhism is true.

Had he been born in Israel he would have found to the best of his knowledge and conscience, that Judaism is true.

Had he been born in Madagascar he would have found to the best of his knowledge and conscience, that Nature Religion is true.

 

In varying nations he would be varying degrees of Islam, or Christianity, or Buddhism. He could be Sunni, Shi'ite, Catholic, Theravada, Vajrayana, Orthodox, Protestant, etc etc etc.

 

 

Let's not pretend that Christianity is something it's not. It's a religion that has been well-marketed around the world. It is not the one true and only right religion to be found based on any kind of truth. Everyone practicing a religion will tell you the same thing.

 

Keep acting like you know everything about me, knapp. It just shows your ignorance.

 

I studied a lot of different religions and the philosophy of these religions when I was in college and trying to figure myself out. I was very torn between Christianity & Buddhism and ultimately ended up with Christianity, based on some things that happened in my life. Don't just assume that I'm stupid enough to cave to everything in my surroundings.

[Landlord]

 

What wrong with Christianity? This right here.

 

 

... Christians are the most persecuted faith group and the rates just increase....

 

 

 

 

 

Hey yo dude check the link and instead of deleting the words that give my statements context to prove some jaded and bitter point, realize that there are a lot of people losing their lives over this stuff.

 

http://www.huskerboard.com/index.php?/topic/70229-worldwide-non-american-christian-persecution/

[knapplc]

 

 

KC has found, to the best of his knowledge and conscience, that Christianity is true - it would be piss poor parenting not to teach your kids the truth as best you understand it.

 

 

KC has found Christianity because he was born in a largely Christian country.

 

Had he been born in Saudi Arabia he would have found to the best of his knowledge and conscience, that Islam is true.

Had he been born in Tibet he would have found to the best of his knowledge and conscience, that Buddhism is true.

Had he been born in Israel he would have found to the best of his knowledge and conscience, that Judaism is true.

Had he been born in Madagascar he would have found to the best of his knowledge and conscience, that Nature Religion is true.

 

In varying nations he would be varying degrees of Islam, or Christianity, or Buddhism. He could be Sunni, Shi'ite, Catholic, Theravada, Vajrayana, Orthodox, Protestant, etc etc etc.

 

 

Let's not pretend that Christianity is something it's not. It's a religion that has been well-marketed around the world. It is not the one true and only right religion to be found based on any kind of truth. Everyone practicing a religion will tell you the same thing.

 

Keep acting like you know everything about me, knapp. It just shows your ignorance.

 

I studied a lot of different religions and the philosophy of these religions when I was in college and trying to figure myself out. I was very torn between Christianity & Buddhism and ultimately ended up with Christianity, based on some things that happened in my life. Don't just assume that I'm stupid enough to cave to everything in my surroundings.

 

 

 

OK, you could get all personally hurt over this and come out swinging, or you could look at a map of world religions and make some educated guesses. Let's do that, for fun:

 

 

Let's say a child is born in Saudi Arabia. What religion would that child most likely grow up believing is the one true faith?

Let's say a child is born in Tibet. What religion would that child most likely grow up believing is the one true faith?

Let's say a child is born in Israel. What religion would that child most likely grow up believing is the one true faith?

Let's say a child is born in Madagascar. What religion would that child most likely grow up believing is the one true faith?

 

 

Now, you're welcome to claim the child would grow up believing in Christianity in each of those scenarios, but the far greater likelihood is that they'll grow up according to the demographics of the country they were born in.

 

So YOU are a bad example. The map shows the norms. It's simple reality.

[Landlord]

OK, you could get all personally hurt over this and come out swinging, or you could look at a map of world religions and make some educated guesses. Let's do that, for fun:

 

Now, you're welcome to claim the child would grow up believing in Christianity in each of those scenarios, but the far greater likelihood is that they'll grow up according to the demographics of the country they were born in.

 

 

If you had only just cited the likelihood or the statistics I doubt he would have had a problem.

 

But in fact you said that living in America is the reason he is a Christian. That's an unwarranted generalization.

[knapplc]

If you had only just cited the likelihood or the statistics I doubt he would have had a problem.

 

But in fact you said that living in America is the reason he is a Christian. That's an unwarranted generalization.

 

 

If someone is offended by that statement they've got bigger problems than being generalized as "likely growing up Christian."

[killer cacti]

 

If you had only just cited the likelihood or the statistics I doubt he would have had a problem.

 

But in fact you said that living in America is the reason he is a Christian. That's an unwarranted generalization.

 

 

If someone is offended by that statement they've got bigger problems than being generalized as "likely growing up Christian."

 

I'm not offended, I was just pointing out that surroundings may not always be the cause of someone's beliefs.

 

Also, "KC has found Christianity because he was born in a largely Christian country." is not quite "likely growing up Christian." It's all in the way you say it.