When ever I read the questions, about every third one is a slam against christianity in peticular but also most other religiouns as well. Christians are just people like everyone else. They believe what they believe. We live in America and it is our right. Ligten up- please.
2006-08-06
10:09:03
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47 answers
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asked by
Theresa Rose
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Society & Culture
➔ Religion & Spirituality
What on earth does zealotry mean? I know you wanted your two points but at least make some kind of sense.
2006-08-06
10:13:27 ·
update #1
billyandgaby that is where you are very wrong. I lived my whole life without going to church. I had a religious experience that changed my life.No one talked me into it and no one was more surprised than I. I have never "done as I was told". I received Jesus Christ in my heart after 40 odd years living without him. I do the best I can. Am I a hyprocrit? I guess truth is in the eye of the beholder. I don't think less of you for your views but you sure think less of me for mine.
2006-08-06
10:19:10 ·
update #2
I can't believe all these people who "know' what all the christians of the world are doing. I just went to a place today that had stones and on them was written "He who is without sin- cast the first stone' Jesus Christ. He didn't judge. he loved, thats what he is all about. The rest of it is all something else.
2006-08-06
10:26:29 ·
update #3
every morning I post a question that says "Lets respect humans' are you in? I usually get about 12 responses. I posted this question and got 37 responses. I never shove my religion down anyone's throat. I do what I say I am going to do. If I screw up I make amends and I go to confession. I apoligize to people if I have done them wrong- but- I can only speak for myself. When you group everyone into one generalizeation it is not only wrong but dangerous. I do not , i repeat do not hate gay people. I know them and some are part of my extended family. I don't know who is going to heaven and if they do I personally don't think the only thing that God will look at is their sex life. but I don't know because I didn't write the Bible. I only know how I feel. Peace.
2006-08-06
10:39:48 ·
update #4
Dan S. you truly are a great thinker. I can totally get where you are coming from. the thing is that there is a part of religion that is spiritual and that is the Holy Spirit. I know it sounds very fairytale like and if it didn't happen to me I probably wouldn't believe it. it is the thing that gives people who believe passion. It is like falling in love stronger than you could ever think you could. For me it had nothing to do with the bible per say and everything to do with Jesus Christ. I think you are one of the best people I have communicated with on this site, I wish you nothing but peace.
2006-08-06
12:55:45 ·
update #5
"Hypocrite" is a term used loosely among non-believers. As well as terms like "contradiction" and "Logic" almost any post against religion includes these words. And it seems most using such words, don't even know what they mean.
Non-believers think that Christians think they're perfect. This is a lie, I dont know ANY Christians who think they're perfect. But there are people in general who might warm a pew once a week who think their crap dont stink... these are not Christians. There is some hypocricy among Christians, but there is among ALL humans in general. Like all these non believers who yell at Christians for cramming their beliefs down their throats are also cramming THEIR beliefs. So even nonbelievers are hypocrites.... but I think many just use the words because they've heard them used and think it makes them sound educated.
2006-08-06 10:21:46
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answer #1
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answered by impossble_dream 6
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Well...that is a most difficult question. Most people answering seem to say that everyone is hypocritical to some degree. This is very true. However, Christianity has gotten a bad rap. With all the lobbying, and political involvement, unbelievers see only negative actions. There is also a lot of politity in the church. In my case, I called the professor at a Seminary College a hypocrite and walked out. He seemed to miss the point that God calls people into the ministry, and leads us where to go. I'm attending another Nondemoniational Bible College now where there is little to no judgement of others. Jesus is for all. In the book of James, if a person breaks one of the laws, he/she is guilty of all. I am a sinner, I am a hypocrite just for the fact that I am a sinner. It's human (sin) nature to be that way.
Don't let people bring you down. We are all on the same level--sinners. No person is better than another.
Also, "everyone else is okay", they too are hypocrites. One said that aethiests say what they mean, however, I would love to meet a human being who has never told a lie! That person is a hypocrite.
Just focus on God, Jesus, and the Holy Spirit with your personal walk. Spread the Gospel, but then continue with your personal walk again. God bless.
2006-08-06 10:38:55
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answer #2
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answered by B'Narron 4
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Because Christianity is the dominant paradigm in America. It's considered bad form to talk smack about Jews or Buddhists. Islam is temporarily fair game, but people may still call you a racist. Any attack upon religious minorities is seen as intolerant, whereas an attack upon the Christian majority is seen as fighting for acceptance. It's a double standard, where the rights of the majority can be compromised, but it's the rights of minorities must be protected.
The general nature of religion is a little hypocritical, though. It asks us to give up our ability to question and to logically arrive at our own conclusions, that ability that makes humanity so great. It asks us to respect others and accept those who are different, yet tells us to wage war against people with different beliefs.
But I think that the big thing is the attitude that one can cherry-pick certain parts of the Bible to believe in. Homosexuality is punishable by exile [1], but working on the Sabbath is a capital offense [2]. Check out Leviticus 19-20, and see how many laws you've broken. Do you have a tattoo? Wear blended fabrics? Eat shrimp? You're in big trouble. But we've just sort of ignored some of these teachings because it's convenient to.
2006-08-06 10:36:42
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answer #3
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answered by Rondo 3
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It is NEVER okay to call anyone a hypocrite whether religious or not, unless we ourselves are hypocriteless... There is a saying takes one to know one.
Christians get slammed a lot yes.. because a small faction of Christians slam others, their cultures and their beliefs first. These days Muslims get royally slammed too, accused and generalised as villains.
Bottom line... why get so upset about getting slammed anyway? Wasnt the early Christians heavilly persecuted? Wasnt Christ himself constantly ridiculed for preaching the way of Love and Peace? I wonder what would have happened if he told his critics I believe what I believe, so get lost... his trials were his way of showing our modern day christians to put in full faith and effort, and persevere for the greater good... the Never-Give Up spirit.
And the Christians that I know are some of the loveliest most caring people I know, even they get the head tilt and "eye roll" from people the moment they say they are christians and would like to extend a friendly invite to them to attend a Prayer Luncheon or Tea. Every sage or saint had an enemy Christ had Judas, Buddha had Devadatta , Mother Teresa had the Vatican going against her in the dawn of her missions etc Even Gandhi the proponent of non-violence was shot dead.... so it is not surprising that the kinder and more caring that you are to others in sharing Christ's love with them, the more they will be meaner and nastier, for what better way to learn to be Christ-like than really living as Christ would have? We cannot learn true love without "enemies" trying to make us hate.
2006-08-06 10:36:30
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answer #4
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answered by Tiara 4
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A good friend of mine explained it this way.....I liked the explanation.....
"Of course Christians with high standards are hypocrites. If you have a rules of sorts and high standards you'll occasionally fall short and break them. But if you don't have standards because you don't have any beliefs, you won't be a hypocrite because you don't have any standards to fall short of. So which is better, to have no standards that you can't live up to and therefore you have nothing to strive toward so you CAN'T be a hypocrite, or to have high standards that you occasionally fall short of and so you're sometimes hypocritical"
Anyway.......I think you went a bit too far with the atheists/agnostics there. First off......if someone was a TRUE atheist (I'm one and a former Christian), then they don't believe God exists and they find religion to be folly. It would not bother them if other people were religious. It doesn't bother me if other people have fervent beliefs.....why should it? If I really think God doesn't exist......then people exercising religious beliefs is just a meaningless activity in my mind. And it shouldn't bother me if what the people are participating in is meaningless, any more than it should bother me that they're participating in cakewalks or garage sales. It shouldn't matter. The angry "atheists" that you are talking about don't want other people participating in religion. They aren't really atheists. They are trying to squelch the rights of others. They are doing that because "atheism" is their religion, and they are trying to force their beliefs onto you just like any other religious zealot tries to force his beliefs on others. A true atheist realizes that all belief is folly and isn't concerned by the religious. We just find them odd and leave them to their own devices.
2006-08-06 10:22:28
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answer #5
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answered by Anonymous
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I'm a Christian myself and there isn't one question in the 300 I've answered where it's been relevant that I haven't been proud of that. And tolerant of others.
You're right in the "other religions as well." I see an enormous amount of slams against Judiasm and Islam as well. It's all shallow bigotry.
But at the same time, I'm open-minded enough to know there is a pretty fair amount of hypocrisy in all religions, including ours, and in the more extreme groups, and especially in the fundamentalist factions. These extremes are where war, hate, terrorism, and intolerance of others comes from. This is nothing new. This has been the basis of our longest and bloodiest wars since man has been capable of recording these things.
I've read and studied the Bible and I'm enthralled and spellbound by Christ's words, teachings, examples, lessons, and parables. I feel that I know Him as well as any mortal person can, and I love Him dearly.
Actions speak much louder than words. I make no apology for saying that George Bush has no problem disregardling the Constitution of the United States of America when it doesn't suit him, and he certainly has no qualms about doing the same with the Bible and the teachings of Christ. Particularly when it comes to his total disregard of the working poor and the middle-class in order to enrich the rich. I have a serious problem with the countless Human Rights violations, too. These are the very things Christ fought against most ardently, and much of the underlying reason He lost His life.
So I tend to accept it when people call us hypocrites. I, for one, always put God first and duty second and Country third, but the latter two are very close to the same degree of importance to me.
There is no place at all for the likes of George Bush on my list. And the people who turn their backs on Christ and His principles in order to comply with the whims of George Bush are not Christians, they are merely christians. Bush is no more a Christian than Hitler was a good Catholic boy.
I didn't hear nearly as much Christianity-bashing before the Second Coming of Bush in 2001. But when his father and Reagan were in, I heard a lot of it back then, too. Maybe there's a reason for that and for being called hypocrites. It's a thought.
I don't know you well enough to know where you stand on any of this, Theresa, but you seem to be a decent person who dislikes religious-bashing as much as I do. I even stick up for non-believers and those who aren't sure, as long as they're respectful and tolerant, and not just trying to get people worked up with hateful questions for no other reason. I know you aren't likely to agree with much of what I said, but I said it all in answering your question the best I could.
Peace and love.
2006-08-06 10:41:28
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answer #6
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answered by Anonymous
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Hi,
Hypocrisy is saying you believe one thing and acting another way. It is sad, but many christians are hypocrites. Sometimes people are hypocrites on accident, most people just want to look good by saying they are a cristian.
I think that the reaon antagonists and aethiests are so against christianity is because they think of themselves as an "intellectual" but are uncomfortable with the fact that they are lost (they know that they are lost somwhere in their subconcious) and hide it will other beliefs (veganism, for one).
Sweet Betsy, I am ranting. I'm sorry. I hope that I answered your question just a little bit and could add something to what the other people said.
2006-08-06 10:22:17
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answer #7
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answered by Anonymous
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I think it needs to be defined as "a lot of Christians are hypocrites" and not all.
These thoughts come from being constantly reminded that certain people are Christians, but then they cheat on their spouses, steal, are racist, say everyone else that is not like them is going to hell, etc. If someone is going to be an *** they should not make a huge deal out of being part of something that is supposed to stand for the opposite. That is the definition of hypocrite.
But anyone, religious or not, can be a hypocrite.
2006-08-06 10:48:11
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answer #8
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answered by Myr 3
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I think that hypocrisy in any form is a sin, because it is denying yourself, or deluding yourself thinking that you are something that you are not.
I do not believe in God, and I can slam some Christians pretty hard, but usually I save that for the religious zealots. A religious zealot is a person that has firm belief in their religion; so firm that their mind is closed to anything else. There are other zealots, like some atheists who believe that ALL religions are wrong and will not listen to any Christian. Both sides are wrong. I was raised a Roman Catholic, I attended church every Sunday, and went to Religious School every Wednesday, until I was 18. It was one of the rules of our household. When I was younger I honestly believed in God and the Roman Catholic Church, but as I got older I lost my belief. My mother accepted that, she had exposed me to the Religion that she believed in, and made sure I was taught its ways, so that I could make an informed decision when I became an adult. She allowed me to make my decision, even though to her belief it was the wrong one. That is the mark of someone who is NOT a religious zealot. She realizes that the ultimate choice about God is a personal one and once an informed decision has been made that it is unlikely to change.
I am the doubting Thomas. I must put my hands in the wounds of Jesus to believe. In short I believe in things that can be objectively proven. I do not take a single person or a single book’s word for it, especially when the teachings from that book have been proven to be in error. Faith is the belief in something that cannot be proved. So I lack Faith; I am a questioner, an explorer and a free thinker, and resent those that try to close me down. I may not understand the math in Einstein’s formulas, but enough people do, and enough people have objectively verified his theories. I have also seen the experiments that prove Einstein’s theories are right. There is no possible way to prove the bible is correct, and I don’t mean bible verses. You cannot prove something is true by only using that thing. I was taught that there are three kinds of stories, First Person, Objective, and an Objective that uses multiple sources. First Person accounts can be wrong, they are often slanted in the favor of the viewer. Objective accounts look at the first person sources and try to pull the truth out of them. Only the objective viewer that uses multiple sources can be counted on. Their works, if done correctly, collect and sift through all the evidence, they can find, and draw conclusions. Still the reader must take an Objective viewer and use his or her own objective analysis to come to a final conclusion. I don’t believe in UFOs, but a lot of people do. I have looked at the evidence and I don’t see enough that convinces me. Mainly I don’t think that the government can keep a secret like this for so long. I view the bible the same way. Most of its accounts are first person, or taken from purely first person accounts. The other works available shed doubt on the bible. I can objectively prove evolution, the bible cannot be objectively proven, so its accounts must be taken with a grain of salt.
She did tell me not to brag to people that I was an atheist, or else they might doubt my values. That to me is the greatest effect that religion has; it teaches a good moral code and a way to live one’s life. For that gift I have to thank my parents and the Roman Catholic Church. I am not a hypocrite saying that, I am an informed person who has made a decision. I can respect religious people because they have, and are teaching that moral code. I can respect Islam for the same reason; in fact I can respect most religions for that reason.
What I don’t like, and what sets me off is the people who are closed minded enough to not look at the other point of view. I think that there is no God, I think that it is the way to live my life and that I have made the right decision. I could be wrong, I’ll never know until after I am dead. If there is a god then I will be denied his heaven, but if God is the all merciful being as I was taught then he will not condemn me to hell. Not if I have lived my life as a good one, not if I have been a good and moral person. The religious zealots say that since I don’t believe in God I am immoral and therefore will go to hell. I on the other hand think that those people, with their intolerant attitude are the prime candidates for hell.
I can respect organized religions, but I lose that respect when I am faced with intolerance. I also hate it when I see what that intolerance has done. Hatred in the world can be cured. Japan and the United States were once archenemies. The attack on Pearl Harbor will NEVER be forgotten. The massive causalities in the war, on both sides, will never be forgotten. And the 2 atomic bombs dropped on Japan will never be forgotten. Yet the two countries were able to become allies and even friends, we still compete with each other, but that competition has become less hostile. Americans have started to look at Japanese companies, and society and we have adopted some of their ways, and the reverse is true.
However, the Christians, the Jews and, the Moslems will never get along, because their religious leaders are bending their religion to hate. That’s why the war against Israel will never stop it will only slow down. The new war between Islam and Christianity will never stop either. The only way to stop those wars would be to either completely isolate the people involved, which will be impossible, or to destroy the other religion. That would be a catastrophe. All three religions believe in one God, and share some common roots, especially Christianity and Judaism. If the religious leaders truly followed the moral code expounded by there religion then they would get along better. But, religion seems to only breed more intolerance. Not all of them, but enough that peace will be impossible.
I also don’t like people who claim that their version of the bible (or the Koran) is the ultimate end all text. Galileo proved that the religious teachings of his time were wrong, at least in one aspect. When he observed that the moons of Jupiter did not revolve around the earth. I don’t know if the bible says that everything revolves around the Earth, but I doubt it does, however the religious leaders at the time did. They tried to keep Galileo silent, because they didn’t want anyone to question the Church. When Galileo refused to keep quiet the Church had no choice but to lock him up in his tower for the rest of his life. They tried to tell him that in time they would change the doctrine of the Church, but he wouldn’t listen. The Church had to remain supreme because at the time it was the root of society. The rulers derived their power to rule from God, which the Church supported. The serfs and peasants were needed to farm the land. Agriculture was manpower intensive and without slaves a large agriculture working class was needed, it was brutal and backbreaking work with little to no pay (in many ways things haven’t changed much). The Church taught that if the peasants behaved, and toiled in this life then they would be rewarded in the next. This is what kept the society going, and made food cheap. It also kept the peasants in bondage to their land and society, and insured that the rulers would hold power.
2006-08-06 12:04:00
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answer #9
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answered by Dan S 7
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I rarely see a non-Christian use the term "hypocrite" except for the irony of calling a Christian that (since the term appears so often in the Bible). Generally, it's because Christians make such a big stink about their religion being the source of all that is good in the world, and believe it or not, that's offensive to those who are plenty good without religion.
2006-08-06 10:13:17
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answer #10
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answered by Minh 6
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