Why is that people are so quick to criticize Christianity?

Question

Looking through these questions and answers, I find a number of comments that are highly critical of Christianity. What have Christians done recently (please don't ramble about the Crusades and the Inquisition, that was the medieval Catholic Church, not Christianity) to deserve such negativity from society? While writing your answer, please keep in mind how Christians have benefited the world, and explain how these acts are overshadowed.

Answer 1

Step out of your Christian perspective. Try to see things objectively. Then look at this site again. Look at the Q's asked by Pagans or Muslims or Agnostics or what have you. But don't stop at this section... Take a look at the evolution questions in the Biology section. Take a look at the Q's in philosophy, or the gay and lesbian sections. Take a look in politics.

Then come back here and try to imply that there's some kind of one-sided war against Christianity going on here...

They are every bit as nasty, mean, and just plain horrible as any other group of people (and like any other group, there is only a percentage of the people this applies to).

Also, it just so happens that they are the majority (in this part of the world). That means everything they try to control in society affects all the people that don't believe what they believe.

Most of us have already been Christians. We have just as much right to express our opinions of that religion as Christians do to express their opinions of Pagans and Satanists or Atheists and Agnostics.

I would like for Christians to do the same... keep in mind what atheists and agnostics and other groups have done for the good of the world.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OmQ7kTLD_78&search=atheist

Answer 2

First of all, the Crusades and Inquisition were much more elements of state power than anything else -- not the medieval Catholic Church.

But to get to the crux of your question -- some people are quick to criticize Christianity because Christianity teaches certain moral things that these folks just don't want to hear.

But rather than just say "thanks, but no thanks," some people feel the need to justify those elements of their lifestyles that are in tension with what Christianity teaches.

So, they feel the need to debase, defame, and discredit Christianity.

Whenever someone rails on about the Crusades or the Inquisition or some other long-ago event associated with Christianity, remember that their real problem is not the Crusades or the Inquisition.

In fact, they could care less about these things. They know that the Crusades and Inquisition happened such a long time ago and are not relevant to their lives at all.

They just use these things to attack a religion whose moral teachings don't jive with their lifestyles.

They attempt to validate, justify, and rationalize their own lifestyles by trying to discredit anything that frowns upon those lifestyles -- including Christianity.

Answer 3

I believe that there are two main reasons that Christians open themselves up to criticism. Not touching the fact that the bible can be refuted historically all day long and the history of Christianity has it shaky points as well.
I think the MAIN two reasons are first of all the closed minded judgments that Christians throw out there to folks who don’t share their beliefs. If someone says that they are not a Christian then the attacks come, "They don’t deserve the same rights", "They are wrong and living in SIN", Spewing that folks are not as good as you are and telling them that they are going to burn in hell for going about their own business tends to not make for friendly discussions and acceptance.
The second reason is the hypocrisy that is experienced daily by folks. Like, getting flicked off by someone passing you in a car and then seeing a bumper sticker that says..."Not perfect just forgiven". Having someone at work preach to you day in and day out and then cheating on their wife or husband. It has been my personal experience that they people that have treated me the worst in life have done so under the umbrella of being a Christian and there fore being able to sleep at night because they will be forgiven by God. No need to worry about getting forgiveness from the folks they stomped all over that day.
I think that most people who are open minded and try to have a intelligent non emotional discussion about Christianity (hard to get that from a Christian by the way) would have to concede that there are good points to the religion itself just like the basic concepts of Buddhism and Hinduism, Islam, Wicca and any other form of religion. It is not the concept or the teachings itself that is the problem. Jesus said (according to the bible, refuting that is another question) many very wonderful things about loving each other and finding peace.
It is the individuals that give Christianity a bad name. I would say instead of asking why folks criticize Christianity so quickly ask your fellow Christians what they have done recently to blow their witness to folks around them.
Much Peace

Answer 4

Why are Christians so quick to criticise others?

Christians have done a lot of good for the world. So have the other religions and so have agnostics and atheists. Christians are one of the only religious groups in the world that so vehemently try to force their religion on others.

Most Christians don't kill people in the name of God anymore. However, they are a large part of the reason homosexuals have such a high suicide rate and they were the foundational justification for slavery and racism. They promote intolerance in society (be it directly or by indirect silence/support of the radicals in the religion).

I have no problem with Christians until they judge and try to force their beliefs on others. State law shouldn't be decided by religious beliefs. Individual creed is decided by religious beliefs. Christians should live their life the way they want and leave others alone.

That's why people are so quick to criticise Christians. There is a lot to criticise.

Answer 5

I can think of three reasons that are pretty understandable. I'm not saying it's nice, or right, but I can see where they're coming from:

1) People have seen or heard of people who (are not very good practicing christians) do terrible things, or something that offended them. Sometimes it's hard for people to separate bad people from good doctrine, and sometimes people are just too easily offended.

2) They think it's silly. Try to imagine what Christianity must look like for someone who wasn't raised in a Christian environment.

3) No one likes being told they're a sinner (or feeling like they're being told that, even if their not being told) Like in that Pedro the Lion song: "the problem with rules is, it alienates the criminals"

Chin up, as Christians were supposed be a "Peculiar People," it was never supposed to be the cool thing to do. The best thing we can do is give others the understanding they may not give us.

Answer 6

You don't have to go back very far to find Christians leading the fight to limit reproductive freedoms, continue discriminatory laws against same-sex marriage, and working against stem cell research that has the potential to cure diseases.

Throughout history, Christianity has been the enemy of civilzation and progress at every stage. Sure, individual Christians may do good works that benefit the world, but so do individuals of all religion and even *gasp* atheists. And groups of Christians have done good works, but again so do groups of every type.

There is a saying, "With or without religion, good people can behave well and bad people can do evil; but for good people to do evil—that takes religion."

Answer 7

Today more than ever, you will often notice how Christians act. Now, this is not for all Christians, but most people I know who say they are Christians sin a lot. They smoke, have premartial sex, are rude, and commit a lot of other sins,(like everybody does). I look at it like this, at some point in our lives(anybody) especially Christians, we should just be tired of doing the wrong thing. I do believe in God, and Christ has done a lot for us and he still blesses us today.Now, my answer is not the only answer, but that's why I think a lot of people criticize us. (That's a great question by the way)
God Bless

Answer 8

Before I answer, I take issue, both historically and spiritually, with your statement that the medieval Catholic Church was not Christianity!

Moving on.....

People tend to criticize Christianity because of the behaviors of those who claim to be Christians. Many atrocities have been committed in the name of Christianity. Men and women have been burned and stoned in this country by those who called themselves Christians. Members of the Knights of the Ku Klux Klan claim to be Christians, yet hanged Black people just because of their skin pigmentation. There are people in America right now who call themselves Christians, yet who have declared a sort of holy war against Muslims.

In the midst of all of this, there are those worldwide who try to live the teachings of Christ on a daily basis. Blanket judgments against these people are as unfair and as prejudicial as judgments of the monsters I listed in the preceding paragraph. Before people criticize Christians, they need to stop and ask themselves, 'Am I angry at Christians, or at those who pretend to be Christians?' IF they do that, then I think a lot of the name-calling will stop.

Santa Fe

Answer 9

Cuz it is so damn easy to do.

Allow me to give you a recent, personal experience of what "good" Christianity can bring.

I used to live in the jungles of Papua New Guinea. Before 1960, there were still headhunters living in the area I lived in. White man shows up, spreading the gospel and clothing the naked natives. Know what happened? Half of them died from influenza and other illnesses brought by the white people. Did the whites for one minute think that these people have been living unclothed in a rain forest for a REASON?? Like maybe so they wouldnt catch colds every time it rained??? Oh yeah, they also gave them alcohol....which led to alot of probelms there as well. Where the hell was your God then?

Yes, thank goodness for Christians.

Answer 10

Okay, so you're asking us to remember all the good things Christians have done, but forget about all the bad things? What benefits have the Christians brought that no one else has?

Christians are criticized because they, themselves, criticize. You get what you give. It's called Karma.

Still today, the Witch Trails are in existence in Africa. Ministers gather their congregation to go out to villages to pick potential or accused Witches. They rape them and then murder them. Oh yes, and lets not forget that Priests molest little boys.