I'm looking for the best answer from a non-Christian?

Question

I wanted to know, from the perspective of someone who is not Christian, what your opinion of Christianity is. I will not attack anyone for what they say. I am a Christian, but I know that many people dislike Christians/Christianity. I was just wondering exactly why each person doesn't like it. Is it because of the reputation in general? a bad experience with Christianity? overly zealous Bible-beating Christians? just have a different belief? I am honestly just curious. Please try to answer in a civil manner. Thanks for being honest!

Answer 1

I have said many bad things about Christianity and I think I have said them unfairly. I only know Christianity. I hardly know much about other religions and I don't know too many other people besides Christians and atheists like myself.

I say I am unfair because I haven't bothered to deeply study all religions. I say that Christians can be judgemental, hatefull and oppressive. I believe that is true about many of them. What is unfair is the I fail to mention that every religion has people with those bad qualities.

I only pick on Christians becuase I know them best.

Answer 2

Just so you can know a little about my background, i'm an Atheist. The main reason why I don't like Christianity(and left it) is because of the whole-book point and because it is illogical. I believe that if it is a "holy" book then it is infalliable and must not be wrong (because if God wrote it, he can't be wrong.) Now, did a man really survive in a belly of a fish for 3 days? Can a man survive in the belly of a fish underwater? I really doubt it. I also thik an established religion stifles scientifice progress, such as stem cell res earch, which has the potential to do so many good things. On an unrelated point, I think people should study issues before condemning them (Evolution, Etc.). If you actually do the scientific research, you can get behind the whole "DARWIN SAID MAN IS FROM APES" argument, which is false. He never said that. Sorry for ranting a little.

Answer 3

I believe that Christianity is a relatively tame religion, so long as one does not become devout. I think this is where the problems begin to occur...

Among those who call themselves devout, many are Hypocritical because they become devout to a particular interpretation of their doctrine and ignore other parts. This leads to a kind of picking of the text to fit the agenda of the individual, rather than an expression of the true religion.

What's hypocritical about this is that their devotion tends to lead to them forgetting one of the fundamentals of the message of Christ: Love. In fact, the way I hear the Bible, the best Christian is one who follows the word, but is respectful of others opinions as well. They would present the word, and if rejected they would leave them to their own devices, leaving the "seed" planted to God.

Christians who are very politically active on hot topic issues are the ones who violate this ideal, because they're more interested in forcing the Bible's message onto society then following the actual way a Christian is supposed to deliver the message.

I do find problems with Christianity on principle however. Their treatement of the human as sinful and capable of good works only through the holy spirit is one such idea I reject. The Christian Doctrine also has major problems with Theodicy with its keynote difference from Non-Abrahmic religions. There is no morality in placing the deciding factor of a person going to heaven or hell on whether or not the person believes in God and Jesus.

That's my opinion.

Answer 4

Ah. I've asked questions hoping to get answers similar in nature to what you seek. Some of the people here just don't want to understand your request.

I'm about as non-Christian as you can get. I'm a Satanist. That is I subscribe to the beliefs presented in The Satanic Bible by Anton La Vey. I want it to be understood that these beliefes are based on logic and rationale. I am NOT the goat-slaughtering lunatic you might associate with the term "devil worshiper". The difference between the two is vast.

I dislike Christianity for a variety of reasons. The first is personal experiences; most my life I've been treated badly for simply being Atheist. I also disagree with the common interpretations of the Bible; I sometimes have a hard time understanding why anyone would practice COMPLETE blind faith. I don't need hard proof to have faith with anything in life, but I do require some evidence. Otherwise it just seems illogical to me.
I disagree with some of the laws in Christianity, though these are mostly shared with all forms of religion; a prominent axample, though most deffinately not the only possible one is sex. Sex has been proven to be very healthy for you. I have never understood how something that brings pleasure to two people (or possibly more than that) could be called a sin, aside from sexual assault of course. STDs and pregnancy are the only real health risks, and those can be avoided by masturbation. And that's yet another thing that Christianity condemns. And worse yet is that their view on masturbation has a tremendous effect on the non-Christian aspects of our culture. I believe I heard once that the surgeon general was forced to resign after stating that masturbation is healthy and that she supports its practice.
And that brings me to my last big plight with Christianity. And it's got to be my biggest; Christians force their influence onto aspects of society where it does not belong. As I hope you know, seperation of church and state is a big issue in America (I'm assuming those of you using this forum are not limited to American citizens). Said separation is ensured by our 1st Amendment, yet the Christian Coalition is arguable one of the most influencial party concerned in government. Further more, although it's entirely legal, it's nearly impossible to be elected president unless you are very openly a devout Christian. And the more popular the sect you belong to the more popular you are in the runnings.
I could go and mantion all of the atrocities that have been carried out in the name of the Christian God, but that seems slightly redundant. Besides, Christians aren't the only people guilty of bloodshed driven by chauvanism.

Answer 5

I was raised as a buddhist, and practiced all the religious rituals which was enjoyable but rote. Religious practices are always about gaining a sense of identity, a sense of community. At NYU, I studied Buddhism and its many ancient tenets. In fact, there's a book by Prof. Chen who compared many positive attributes of Christianity and Buddhism. All religions share the same good values. However, it's the fanatical believers who cause all wars, when they accuse and believe that other religions are wrong/demonic. Christians had their deadly holy wars, and now the Muslims want their jihad. Buddhism is the only world religion that have never raised a war...it's truly a religion of peace.

Many friends are devout Christians who have included me at Sunday service as well as Roman Catholic mass (including midnight Xmas mass). The negative aspect is created by fanatical Christians (born agains and evangelists). In NYC, we have self-appointed, probably schizophrenics, preachers who board subways and buses. One time, a man recited things that Jesus said. 2 men hollered back, "Jesus said SHUT UP." Jewish people and Muslims may dislike Christians because of historical discrimination from Christians, I suspect. Also, the Christian missionaries were not always the altruistic people who they purported to be. Often the poor natives traded in their "saved souls" for food or shelter offered by missionaries.

How did the descendants of 5 missionary families come to possess/control much of the best land in Hawaii? For me, it is about any believer who lives the word truly. I have been known to say rarely, "She is a true Christian."

Answer 6

Well bravo for being honestly curious and open minded. The closest to a religious group you could put me in would be Pagan.

I personally did not chose the Christian path for the same reason I did not chose any organized religion. I feel that I can communicate and commiserate with any higher power ALL BY MYSELF. If the Almighty needs an interpreter(Priest, Rabbi, Imam) to get the message to me they don't seem that all mighty to me.

As for disliking Christians, I have friends of many religious backgrounds and only the zealots of any religion get on my bad side.

Answer 7

I have mixed emotions about Christianity. I have to admit it helps people, as it helped my grandmother through her daughter's death, and to live with that for twenty years. And I think she wouldn't have made it without her faith. But on the other hand, I think the church (not the believers, but the hierarchies) are brainwashing humanity, so it's easier to control them. On my way to my job, I usually go past a Christian (Evangelic) Church, and I see people doing just as their leader (or pastor, or whatever it's called) tells them to. They're all doing exactly the same things at exactly the same time. And I think what else they would do if they were ordered to.

Also, here in Argentina, there are several cases of Catholic priests arrested for child abuse, and still protected by the hierarchy. How on earth can they protect these monsters!?

And I don't like the way religions deal with sexual matters. Sex is something just so natural as eating, breathing, sleeping or drinking water. But there seems to be a problem with sex, because most religions don't like people having free sex (which does most definitely not include rape or child abuse, but two, or more, consenting adults involved in activities all of them are comfortable with). I think that's a clever way to control people. Because most of us can't avoid having sex, so churches make believers feel guilty for doing something which is perfectly natural.

Another important issue with religions in Latin America, is that the Catholic Church has supported each and every dictatorship we've gone through, and each and every wicked economic plan, that have invariable left us much worse than at the beginning. The church knew it all the time, and yet it didn't seem to care.

And finally, it seems as though hatred were an intrinsic part of religions. Many discussions arise from this, and many wars, too. I know religions claim to be about love, but a common interpretation of religious teachings is that if you don't believe (and if you don't believe the way they want you to believe) you go to hell. And that makes some people too eager to try to convert you, which you (I mean, "I") don't want, and you want to be polite, until you lose it (because some of them are very insistent) and then you make yourself a fame of crankiness, when after all "they were just caring for you".

That's pretty much what I think about it.

Answer 8

Like many things and people in life, Christians and Christianity I feel gets a bad rep due to the extremists. Extremists usually give a really bad rep for anything whether it be a group or a fad. I know in my experience, I've known open minded people of all religions and narrow minded extremists of all religions as well.. Any extremist whether they be buddhist, christian, muslim, catholic, jewish, etc tend to push myself and others away from that sect. The way arguments are presented IMO have been very narrow minded and presented in a brainwashed fashion. I know few christians who live and let live. Maybe you are one of them. If you are teach your fellow Christians the enlightened way of life. There is no one RIGHT way.

Rarely is it the philosophy that is causing the problems but the human element that causes the problem for ideals presented. For example "communism" in it's purest form would be the best government, but when you enter the human factor, it falls apart.

Answer 9

My opinion of Christianity is not negative. I come from a Christian family and have many Christian friends.
I have had a few problems with a local Christian group that threatened to burn down my home and bomb the Mall where my shop was, but I cannot hold all Christians accountable for the actions of few.
I left the Christian church 25 years ago. I just couldn't believe the teachings of the church and ventured out to find my own truths,

Bright Blessings )O(

Answer 10

It's not that I don't like Christians or anything like that....I have friends who are Christians.
What I can't stand is people that try to shove their religion down your throat all the time.
I do not believe in Christianity because I do NOT believe in the bible...there are just way too many contradictions and scientific proofs and things in this world.
I am one of the people that believe if I can see it, hear it, smell it, taste it, feel it, or touch it...than it's real
I guess you can say I really don't have a realigion...I am just me LOL
I've had some bad experiences with some religions and things...but that's not really what made me not like religion...I guess I just have too many questions and not enough answers that's all.
I hope I helped with answering your question. Take care and have a nice day.