Does Christianity Make People Nice Or Are They Nice In Spite Of It?

[Vomit Comet]

I think in some cases it forces people to go the extra mile: be nice to bums (feed them, even), socialize with lower class people, go out of your way to supress impulses to talk shit or be nasty to each other (although Freudian hydraulics would indicate that it comes out in more underhanded, passive ways), and to go out of your way to be nice and friendly and sacharrine.

 

On the other hand, Christianity is full of horrendous, harmful beliefs, as is Islam, and in here we hear endless complaints of hypocrasy, abuse, etc.

[Shion]

I think in some cases it forces people to go the extra mile: be nice to bums (feed them, even), socialize with lower class people, go out of your way to supress impulses to talk shit or be nasty to each other (although Freudian hydraulics would indicate that it comes out in more underhanded, passive ways), and to go out of your way to be nice and friendly and sacharrine.

 

On the other hand, Christianity is full of horrendous, harmful beliefs, as is Islam, and in here we hear endless complaints of hypocrasy, abuse, etc.

 

Charity seems to be a way to get extra 'heaven points,' which really doesn't constitute being truly charitable. The system corrupts the nature of the nice deed, because we expect a big reward at the end of it all.

[Deva]

In Chrisianity people are taught to hide and restrain their true expression. Using curse words is considered inappropriate for example. There is a veneer of niceness on the surface that people outside the religion don't normally have. These represssed expressions and feelings come out in different ways.

 

Having said that, there are genuinely nice people inside and outside Christianity. I would say inside it thay are nice in spite of it. Telling someone to "love your neighbor" doesn't result in the fact - to me it was more of a block.

[Grandpa Harley]

Some folks are 'nice' by nature, others are not... I could see a nice person being wholly crippled by the Christian meme in that you can't like gays, or people outside the church...

 

Having said that, most of the truly vile people I know are professing Christians...

[L.B.]

Believe you me, the nice people in the churches I have been in are nice to me today. There's about 4 of them or so, not counting their spouses or kids. They are nice because we can care about one another without any bullshit churchy veneer over anything; that's the way it was even when we attended church together. They were just REAL.

 

Most of the 'nice' people, however, were nice because we belonged. They were absolutely 'un-nice' when it was time to let go of the facade. As soon as we were either out of the church or out of town, the calls stopped coming and all that jebus-love just dried right up.

 

Of course, there were always the 'nice' people who remained with that fake-ass plastic smile on their faces when you ran into them down the road. They were the ones who smiled in your face at church while they sharpened their knives for your back. You know, praise the Lord and cuss your brother under your breath.

 

Trust me. If someone is nice, it ain't because; it's in spite. Jebus never made a single person nice who was not habitually nice at their core. Polite? Maybe. More open and friendly? Perhaps. But not NICER at their core... that is innate. If it wasn't there before, no uber-Ghostie is going to magically make it so.

[Thurisaz]

"Does christianity make people (whatever)" is not the point. The point is: What is christianutty?

 

As we all in here know (I trust), if someone says "I'm a christian" this means exactly nothing.

 

If she's "a christian" like most (mainstream) believers over here then her faith's doctrine can be summed up as "jebus was a nice guy, try to be at least a little bit like him please".

 

If she's a christian a la westboro insanity cult (the "church" of freddie krüger phelps)... well... we know what that means, don't we?

 

So as far as I'm concerned, christianutty can make people become everything depending on what part of it you pick and choose.

[Vomit Comet]

Charity seems to be a way to get extra 'heaven points,' which really doesn't constitute being truly charitable. The system corrupts the nature of the nice deed, because we expect a big reward at the end of it all.

 

We were taught to supress all thoughts of personal reward when doing good deeds. They took "don't let your left hand know what your right hand is doing" very seriously. We were made to feel guilty and convicted if we thought about scoring Afterlife Points while doing good works. Maybe it was different in other churches.

[MathGeek]

I have met nice people, Christians and otherwise. They may do it because of their religion or despite it. I think we act charitable because we can, because altruism is more conducive to repayment down the line or because helping others releases dopamine.

 

To me, altruism is a form of selfishness, but this is the only kind of selfishness that doesn't seem to be stigmatized.

[Jincks013]

I have in my life known one single xtian type who tries her best to behave as she interprets the bible as telling her to do. Just one.

What about nice christians, who are they?

Mother Teresa? Don't think she qualifies.. any idea where all that money she collected went? It didn't go to her little programs.

The church full of people on Sunday? You mean the gossips who make careful note of who isn't attending then talk about them?

The preachers? You mean the emotional manipulators who judge their 'flocks'.

The sheep? err Flocks..umm.. people. ya thats it.. The same ones who vote down changes in the minimum wage, universal healthcare and college funding for poor people? Are those examples of being 'nice' christians?

The people who know their neighbor is abusing their spouse or kids and won't call the cops because they don't want to get involved, are those 'nice' christians?

The list is endless but my favorite is the 'nice' christian who repeatedly shows up at my door with "Awake" DESPITE the plaque I have on my door which clearly indicates they are not welcome or wanted. Oh right. I forgot to a good christian disturbing my peace to shove their unwanted religion at me is ok because they are spreading gods word, nevermind my door plaque, cleverly set right at eye level, tells them not to.

[gabby]

Nice is such a relative term...some of the most horrible, hypocritical, nasty ppl. I have met have been x-tians, so I am a bit biased. Let me put it to you this way...both my fathers (step & real) were philanderers and cheated on my mom. One of them is not an x-tain and the other is a missionary who conducted his illicit affairs under the guise of a super-duper prayer breakfast leading Promise Keeper. Guess which one actually came to me and apologized and which one has not ever spoken to me about the issue in 10 years and will probably never admit that he did anything wrong?

X-tianity gives ppl. a false sense of being "good". We humans have the capacity to do both good and stupid things (notice I didn't say sinful or evil). I feel like I have a better moral compass since becoming ex-c because now I choose my actions instead of doing things out of fear of retribution. Just my two cents.

[Vomit Comet]

nevermind my door plaque, cleverly set right at eye level, tells them not to.

 

"No Solicitors" ?

[Abiyoyo]

....., socialize with lower class people,

 

It also teaches you to socialize with the upper class people, but warning us that its easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle then a rich man to enter into heaven.

[Deva]

It also teaches you to socialize with the upper class people, but warning us that its easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle then a rich man to enter into heaven.

 

Yes a verse of scripture that is widely ignored by TV evangelists.

[hereticzero]

....., socialize with lower class people,

 

It also teaches you to socialize with the upper class people, but warning us that its easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle then a rich man to enter into heaven.

As a REAL Christian, I'm sure you know 'the real and true' Christian interp. of that? Quoting the babble is like quoting from comic books, it's fiction.

[Abiyoyo]

....., socialize with lower class people,

 

It also teaches you to socialize with the upper class people, but warning us that its easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle then a rich man to enter into heaven.

As a REAL Christian, I'm sure you know 'the real and true' Christian interp. of that? Quoting the babble is like quoting from comic books, it's fiction.

 

The Op's question was whether Christianity 'forces' people to be nice or basically they are nice in general. I said the above more sarcastically to the broadness of the question. I don't think Christianity 'forces' people to be nice if they were otherwise not nice; I think people force people into situations that either make them adapt to 'their ways' or not.

 

Some sects of Christianity focus on discipleship, missionary work, field labor, etc Losing all you have in worldly possessions to be a 'true' disciple as Christ stated. Are those people forced to be 'poor' because of Christianity.

 

I simply just disagree with the 'force' logic; as to the diversity of sects and firmness of belief. Whatever someone does, writes, speaks, or believes; is by choice

[Grandpa Harley]

Seems Yoyo is still a glutton for punishment... seems his verison of Chrisitianity forces him to hang out where he's not wanted, and occasionally make threats of violence...

[Jincks013]

nevermind my door plaque, cleverly set right at eye level, tells them not to.

 

"No Solicitors" ?

 

A gift a few years back from Zenobia. Its got a man in a suit and lady in a dress, male is holding the bible, there is a big circle around them and line through it. I think it came from Darwinfish web site.

[Jincks013]

Yoyo.. why would your god care how much money a person has in this world? Unless its to give all of it to some overfed priests running around in Armani suits that is? Why would it be harder for a rich person to get into 'heaven' aren't we all equal in the eyes of your myth? Doesn't it allegedly love all its children? Wouldn't that be playing favorites?

This makes abosolutely no sense.

I think its nothing more then envy (seven deadly sins anyone?) on the part of the early church from which all these vile little manipulation cults sprang from. Of course they wanted rich people to convert and give all their worldly possessions to the church, making hte church richer so if indeed it is harder for a rich man to get into heaven the entire population of the upper echelon of the vactican, all tele evangalist celebs and any wealthy person on this planet are not getting into heaven.

Good thing it doesn't exist, imagine the lawsuits..

[Neon Genesis]

I think it depends on how devout the Christians are to their faith. Going from personal experience here, I've noticed that the most devout by-the-books xtians are usually the biggest assholes whereas all the nicest xtians I know are the ones who aren't nearly as strict about their faith and more of backsliding Christians and I've yet to have met a fundie who was't a hypocrite. Like whenever I have to go to my parents' church, the fundies there pretend to be all nice and friendly to you on the surface and claim that they care about you, but then the moment you step out of church and are no longer required to "fellowship", you never hear from the rest of the week at all and they completely ignore you when it really matters unless you happen to fit in with the popular in-crowd. Like a few years back, when my grandfather died, the only person who came up to me and tried to be of any comfort was the preacher, but everyone else ignored me and didn't show any sort of concern or support at all even though they claim to be "friends." On the other the hand, the few Christians I do know who actually do want to have anything to do with me outside of Sundays and Wednesdays and actually are there when I really need it have always been the more backsliding Christians.

[hereticzero]

People are good without religion. One does not have to be religious to be a moral person. An asshole will be an asshole no matter what his religion. A baptized asshole is just a wet asshole.

[SWIM]

....., socialize with lower class people,

 

It also teaches you to socialize with the upper class people, but warning us that its easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle then a rich man to enter into heaven.

 

 

Yeah isn't that great! Discourage people that are "trying" to be good and charitable to others to "be poor". Money is power, and power can be used for good or bad.

 

That's right, take away power from people who "really" want to do good. Think of all the starving people that might be helped had some of them not chosen to be poor...

 

Well, if you think about it, it is a mind ploy to get rich converts to "give"" the church all their stuff so that their odds will be better then the "eye of the needle" anology...

 

Sickening...

[hereticzero]

The 'eye of the camel' is the most over used and out of context verse in the babble. Xtians show just how stupid they are every time they quote.

[MesaGman]

being nice to people is influenced by the personality. I've meet some nice Christians who are compassionate to others, while others just backstab each other in church. The Mormon church is rife with this childish Jr high like behavior. There are some Christians who care about healing, others, and thus would go on a mission in some malaria infested S hole, because they want to improve the quality of life. While other Christians enjoy expressing their zenophobic myopic views on life. Some Christians even love decency so much that they even protest against the alleged Israeli human rights abuses in Palistine. While other Christians drool when ever war rumors circulate there.