jackbauer Posted February 28, 2012 Share Posted February 28, 2012 Why is it that some Christians can't take any criticism of their faith without feeling like they are under attack? A while back (on another debate forum), I posted a thread criticizing aspects of Christianity. I admit, I was a little ranty, but I didn't try to lump all Christians in one group and even said that most of the criticism was directed to the conservatives or fundamentalists. It was going well at first, but then someone had to come along and ask why their had to be another thread criticizing Christianity. Before you knew it, other people chimed in with a defensive attitude; they felt under attack because of their beliefs, Christians are being stereotyped, and that if I didn't like what they believe, I should stay out. I should stay out?! I was posting a thread in a DEBATE FORUM, a message board that is meant to discuss things like this. I'm not telling anyone what to believe, nor am I demanding that every Christian defend their faith. They were the ones who entered the discussion just to complain about how pointless it is to debate things like this, even though that's the entire purpose of the message board! That's just one example. I can think of so many situations where Christians raise a stink because someone makes a joke at Jesus's expense, makes a critique of their religion, or even goes as far as to suggest that Christians shouldn't enforce their morality into law (typically fundamentalists). Why is it that religion is such a sacred thing that no one dare make fun of? Why are those who do considered amoral bastards? Religion has caused a lot and harm, yet I'm supposed to keep my mouth shut just because some oversensitive people don't want their feelings hurt? WTF? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mymistake Posted February 28, 2012 Share Posted February 28, 2012 Because mocking Christianity is a sin. The Bible says so. It's right there in Proverbs, even though the guys who wrote Proverbs never heard of a Christian, never imagined a Christian and probably would have wanted nothing to do with Christians. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BrotherJosh Posted February 28, 2012 Share Posted February 28, 2012 Oldie but a goodie 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moderator Margee Posted February 28, 2012 Moderator Share Posted February 28, 2012 Jack, when I was very serious about serving jesus: I made him the love of my life. He was my 'husband, lover,friend and savior. He was the one who saved me from hell.. He was the one who died a terrible, horifying death, shed all his blood, so I could be free!! I was gonna sit on the right hand throne beside someday. If I heard someone curse his name I would shudder!! When customers used to tell sacreligious jokes,I would put my hand on their shoulder and (without them knowing) ask god to forgive them.... for they know not what they do. When you are that much into belief - it's hard not to be on the defensive. I think somebody just said it somewhere tonight.......christians and atheists are like two soccer teams playing against each other. I'm not going to switch to their side and their not going to switch to my side. Makes it very hard on all of us!! And another thing - I didn't want to hear any criticism because I knew deep, deep, down that you might be right and that scared the crap out of me. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mike D Posted February 28, 2012 Share Posted February 28, 2012 Why is it that religion is such a sacred thing that no one dare make fun of? I am not so sure it's religion as much as it is the Abrahamic religions (Christianity, Islam, Judaism). Since any type of blasphemy in those religions is a sin, and merely questioning is easily interpreted as "blasphemy", followers of those religions get easily riled up. At least Christians don't resort to beheadings if they get offended Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ConureDelSol Posted February 28, 2012 Share Posted February 28, 2012 And another thing - I didn't want to hear any criticism because I knew deep, deep, down that you might be right and that scared the crap out of me. This! As I like to say: A persecuted Christian in America is just a Christian that didn't get to have everything their way. Imagine you have two circles: one red, one yellow. They intersect to make orange in the middle. If you chose yellow as the color you wanted for something, the Christians would choose red. If you said "Hey, I'm willing to compromise" and moved into the orange in the middle, they still wouldn't move from being in the red circle. Yet they'll go and poke as much fun as they want as Islam and other faiths. They hate to see their own glaring mistakes staring them right back in the face. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
par4dcourse Posted February 28, 2012 Share Posted February 28, 2012 Afganistan is in turmoil because of a Kuran burning, allegedly accidental, and Americans shake their heads in disbelief. But can you imagine the uproar if it was a christian bible? 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cryptic Posted February 28, 2012 Share Posted February 28, 2012 Your OP reminded me of when I made a comment to my wife about an inconsistency in her faith. She then told me that "I'm not allowed to criticize her faith because I have none." I think deep down most have a shadow of a doubt and are afraid to question what they believe. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mymistake Posted February 28, 2012 Share Posted February 28, 2012 Afganistan is in turmoil because of a Kuran burning, allegedly accidental, and Americans shake their heads in disbelief. But can you imagine the uproar if it was a christian bible? That is an interesting idea. Where do old Bibles go when they are falling apart? Yeah I've seen some Bibles that were in okay condition after being handled gently for many decades. I mean the other Bibles. Ones that were printed long ago, not handled tenderly and got wore out from use. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Positivist Posted February 28, 2012 Share Posted February 28, 2012 I agree with Margee and mymistake: Superstition The Bible condemns it (sitting in the seat of scoffers and all that?) Fear that the other person is right, and fearing a systematic dismantling of my faith At work someone showed me a cartoon of "church mice" doing door to door evangelism to other mice, saying "I want to tell you about cheeses." As a fundy this would have horrified me. lol Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sybaris Posted February 28, 2012 Share Posted February 28, 2012 As I like to say: A persecuted Christian in America is just a Christian that didn't get to have everything their way. Right, they should feel so persecuted because: 3/4 of Americans say they are Christian There's a christian church within 6 blocks in every major U.S. city There's prayer before public events There's god on our money Churches are tax exempt There's christian bookstores There's Christian websites Christian dental networks There's Christian teen dance nites. Christmas is a holiday There's Bibles in every motel room There's Jesus on signs along the highway There's christian programming on TV and radio 24/7 There's even insurance premium discounts if you go to church I just love to hear christians whine about how the country and christianity is under attack by "external forces" though they don't ever seem to specifcally identify what that is. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Zaphod Posted February 28, 2012 Share Posted February 28, 2012 They get pissy because when you publicly question the faith, you put people's souls in jeopardy of eternal torment and threaten the very fabric of our society. They cannot imagine a system of morals without God, and they won't consider the possibility that they might not be special creations placed here for a specific purpose. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LivingLife Posted February 28, 2012 Share Posted February 28, 2012 This over sensitivity extends to an American thing IMO. I have been accused of being Anti American when criticizing for example the folk that get woodies about the 2nd amendment - right to bear arms (IIRC - lazy). The fact is that much of American culture is on display worldwide via television and in my particular case grew up with the same memes as you guys did as far as soapies and movies go. The more recent xian woo TV is also predominant everywhere the snake oil is proffered. In fact almost every culture is influenced by the US culture. Kinda like we know more about you than you know about others. Then some idiot asks me if I have ever been to America as if that would change that certain opinion and I say no only to find out said person has never left their county or state. At least on this forum folk are generally honest and can see the criticism for what it is and not a personal attack. I never believed the stories that yanks thought wild animals roamed the streets here in SA until we picked a Texan up from the airport in '95 who came out on business. Travelling along the freeway he asked where are all the wild animals. *head desk* The surrounding countryside was obvious corn lands, huge farms like in your prairies. For us it was like was like see the evidence, draw a conclusion and don't ask stupid questions. This was a guy that had travelled globally previously but his first trip to Africa. The inverse would not be the same as we have a pretty good inkling of what the USA looks like. I would say of all TV and movies, 95% of what I have watched is American and of that at least 50% set in America. The culture in SA is very similar to the US and is not a culture shock like going to say the Congo or Kenya, we are pretty modern. I spent about 3 weeks of my history at HS studying the war leading to independence and the American Civil war, how many Americans have studied the South African Boer War which was the same as your one against the Brits? We also studied the EU stuff, Russia, China, Aus & NZ and South American histories and geography in some detail. When I asked on a forum, someone told me nowhere near what I had studied and that was in the 70's and someone here admitted that US schools are diploma mills. The US centric/sensitivity/patriotism rolls over into the realm of the woos as IMO the church in the US has walked hand in hand with govt. to keep the people in fear for a long while. TBH sometimes the difference between religion, politics and the entertainment industry are very blurred. On another forum I post on, the US woos hate me with a passion because I challenge their beliefs with a shit load of logic not even the local AA's do. There are a few Brits on the forum and they make the most sense and a few local US atheists. There it has been "why do I care" to being "anti American" deflections from the few that engage me, it is after all the US evangelicals I am opposed to as that is what was imported into SA in the mid 70's and what I later got wooed into. The RCC, Mormons and SDA's hardly pique my interest as back here they are a very small minority and are not even a blip on the radar screen. But then again, this is just my opinion and the brush may still be too broad. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BrotherJosh Posted February 28, 2012 Share Posted February 28, 2012 But then again, this is just my opinion and the brush may still be too broad. Not really. I have some family and friends living in France. They, literally, cannot understand some aspects of our culture. Which doesn't necessarily make it wrong. It just exemplifies the fact that we (or anyone) can take our (or anyone's) opinions or beliefs for granted. Not to say anyone's beliefs or opinions are more right or wrong. A greater empathy or understanding of culture would go a long way. Personally, I am unpatriotic, anti-centrist and pro-human. I view our (the US) as both a plus and negative in the world. I see the good we do (yes, I do my part), and the bad we do. And we wish we did more of the good. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
owen652 Posted February 28, 2012 Share Posted February 28, 2012 As I like to say: A persecuted Christian in America is just a Christian that didn't get to have everything their way. Right, they should feel so persecuted because: 3/4 of Americans say they are Christian There's a christian church within 6 blocks in every major U.S. city There's prayer before public events There's god on our money Churches are tax exempt There's christian bookstores There's Christian websites Christian dental networks There's Christian teen dance nites. Christmas is a holiday There's Bibles in every motel room There's Jesus on signs along the highway There's christian programming on TV and radio 24/7 There's even insurance premium discounts if you go to church I just love to hear christians whine about how the country and christianity is under attack by "external forces" though they don't ever seem to specifcally identify what that is. classic. also, the most christianized country in the world is also the one with some of the highest rates of violent crime. surely it should be a utopia. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
shadesofgray Posted February 28, 2012 Share Posted February 28, 2012 There's even insurance premium discounts if you go to church Seriously? I need to get me to a Unitarian church pronto! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lunaticheathen Posted February 28, 2012 Share Posted February 28, 2012 <3 Jon. He puts things so eloquently. 7 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jackbauer Posted February 28, 2012 Author Share Posted February 28, 2012 Margee: I can understand it from that point of view. During my brief stint in fundymentalism, I was terrified of hell so it was all I could think about. Since a lot of people on here have been raised in extreme Christian environments where Jesus was our life, I can see why some people would not take kindly to criticism. The thing is, a lot of these people who act all offended (like in my OP example) are not super religious. They are just normal people who happen to be Christian. I don't understand why they get so defensive when their faith is questioned or made fun of. LivingLife: As an American myself, I am sick of these flag waving patriots. I find that military people are the worst about this. If you say you're against a war, you might as well have declared war on them. They'll give you a lecture about how their son, father, brother are risking their lives for our freedom and how dare you villainize them. Since I could never personally handle the military, I admire anyone with the guts and courage to join. I cannot state that enough. However, that does not mean I always agree with the decisions of those at the top. And if people jump to the conclusion that I'm anti american because I don't agree with the government, they are sadly mistaken. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JoeCoastie Posted February 28, 2012 Share Posted February 28, 2012 Being oppressed also makes Christianity more exciting. You're the last bastion of hope in a doomed nation on its way to Hell. If you don't stand up to the secularists soon all the true Christians will die as martyrs. Deep down they want to be oppressed because as humans we like conflict. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stryper Posted February 28, 2012 Share Posted February 28, 2012 At least Christians don't resort to beheadings if they get offended Yet. Or more specifically not regularly anymore. But if the right wins enough, it could happen. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JoeCoastie Posted February 28, 2012 Share Posted February 28, 2012 At least Christians don't resort to beheadings if they get offended Yet. Or more specifically not regularly anymore. But if the right wins enough, it could happen. Christians are quite quick to claim themselves above the barbaric nature of Islam, yet fail to realize they'd be just as barbaric if not for The Enlightenment. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
notaxtian Posted February 28, 2012 Share Posted February 28, 2012 Why is it that some Christians can't take any criticism of their faith without feeling like they are under attack? A while back (on another debate forum), I posted a thread criticizing aspects of Christianity. I admit, I was a little ranty, but I didn't try to lump all Christians in one group and even said that most of the criticism was directed to the conservatives or fundamentalists. It was going well at first, but then someone had to come along and ask why their had to be another thread criticizing Christianity. Before you knew it, other people chimed in with a defensive attitude; they felt under attack because of their beliefs, Christians are being stereotyped, and that if I didn't like what they believe, I should stay out. I should stay out?! I was posting a thread in a DEBATE FORUM, a message board that is meant to discuss things like this. I'm not telling anyone what to believe, nor am I demanding that every Christian defend their faith. They were the ones who entered the discussion just to complain about how pointless it is to debate things like this, even though that's the entire purpose of the message board! That's just one example. I can think of so many situations where Christians raise a stink because someone makes a joke at Jesus's expense, makes a critique of their religion, or even goes as far as to suggest that Christians shouldn't enforce their morality into law (typically fundamentalists). Why is it that religion is such a sacred thing that no one dare make fun of? Why are those who do considered amoral bastards? Religion has caused a lot and harm, yet I'm supposed to keep my mouth shut just because some oversensitive people don't want their feelings hurt? WTF? Two words: persecution complex Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
notaxtian Posted February 28, 2012 Share Posted February 28, 2012 Oldie but a goodie they can dish it out but can't take it 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Thurisaz Posted February 28, 2012 Share Posted February 28, 2012 You can also explain it all with the authoritarian/conservative worldview. Beyond a certain point truth or logic don't matter anymore to these people, they only care for obedience. And a good obedient slave defends its master tooth and nail, no matter what. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sybaris Posted February 28, 2012 Share Posted February 28, 2012 There's even insurance premium discounts if you go to church Seriously? I need to get me to a Unitarian church pronto! Guide One Insurance Company Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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