When you hear the words "Christian" and "Christianity" are your thoughts generally negative or positive?

Question

What have been your experiences with "Christians" and "Christianity"?

Please explain your answer or give examples.

Answer 1

In relation to the U.S. mostly negative - I consider myself a recovering Christian. I left my Presbyterian church after I was taught that I shouldn't feel bad for people with AIDS, discrimination against gays was good, Mormons were stupid, Catholics were stupid, and women were inferior and subservient to men. I don't believe these are Christian ideas.

I can't think of a better role model than Jesus but Christianity in the U.S. has been taken over by right-wing fanatics. There are still amazing Christians out there, some of whom are my friends but it's not a word I will ever use to describe myself because I feel like it has become meaningless. When I hear someone described as a Christian my first though unfortunately is "are they one of them" meaning intolerant, hateful right-wingers.

Gandhi said, "I like your Christ but not your Christians. Your Christians are so unlike your Christ."

Answer 2

Positive

Answer 3

Positive

Answer 4

Usually negative because of the fact that people don't know what Christian or Christianity mean anymore.
Christian means follower of the Christ...that's it, pure and simple. Christanity is the religious following of that Christ, again, pure and simple.
Man then put dogmas, beliefs, faiths into Christianity because men are weak and men wish to control (and when I say man, I mean both sexes).
I have plenty of bad experiences with so called "Christians" because, even though I believe that Jesus was and is the Christ, I practice witchcraft. I'm constantly told I'm going to hell, or I'm making Jesus cry and babble babble babble. That is not for them to say, and in doing what they're doing, they are breaking the Commandment of Do not take your lord Gods name in Vain. It makes me mad when people shove their beliefs down someones throat because THEY think they are right...which there can be no right nor wrong when it comes to religion, but people don't understand that.
But I have nothing against Christians...I mean, I am one of them...but I am against those that use Christianity or the title of Christian as a mask for their own self-righteousness. And I'm sure I'm going to get many nasty e-mails for this...which just further goes on to prove my point. BLAH...wake up and smell the coffee people...you're no better than me and visa versa. And by the way, the coffee of the day is Hazelnut...anyone want a cup?

Answer 5

Mostly Negative.

First they try to convince themselves that there is a God and start going to church. Then they try to convince others that there is a God and start to preach. After that they try to convince themselves that their God is the only one and start to pray. Which eventually leads to them trying to convince others that their God is the only one and start to aggravate others.

They may think that their form of salvation is good for them therefore good for everybody and that if they harp on it often and long enough, people will eventually be brought over but I beg to differ. I find their precepts hard to believe and flawed, their history distasteful and more often then not, they are so arrogant in their beliefs that they run roughshod over other people's beliefs and not just over articles of faith but in other areas having nothing to do with faith. That unbridled drive by some to bring or try to bring all aspects of life under their purview smacks of a controlling attitude that more often than not makes me wonder if their faith is really so brittle that it cannot withstand any challenges and any and all perceived threats must be eliminated or mitigated least the faithful are tested and shaken.

Therefore my thoughts are mostly negative and as i have posted somewhere else, "let each believe their own."

Answer 6

As a Christian, positive. I hear it used negatively with increasing frequency, though.

Answer 7

Negative to christians, christianity is different though because the bases are way different, the christians say stuff that doesnt belong, christianity is only one true thing

Answer 8

Generally Positive, but it can depend on the person who is saying the words.

Answer 9

Generally, my foot! My thoughts are EXCLUSIVELY positive! I praise and thank Jesus for His incredible love in laying down His crown and coming to earth to save me, a lowdown sinner, at the cost of His own precious blood! Jesus is Lord!

Answer 10

negtive for the most part. I get tired of hearing from these supposed christians how i am going to go to hell because i do not believe. or tired of the 'christian' preaching at me about this or than and then evaiding their legal and moral obligations to their families, "all in the name of the church" -blahhhh