Honestly, why are people intolerant of Christianity?

Question

What is it about Christians that make some people dislike and judge them? From personal experience, if you think of Christianity in a negative light, what is it that Christians have done specifically to make you think of them that way?

I'm not asking to provoke people or whatever, I'm just curious.

And if you say it's because of intolerance, by intolerance do you mean refusal to acknowledge all religions as the correct one and their belief that their religion is the only way to God? Or do you mean that they aren't polite and loving towards people of other religions?

Answer 1

Seriously, in the US, it's because of the hard line Christians who have taken over the GOP (Republican party) and are trying to turn the country into a Fundamentalist Theocracy. The Jerry Faldwell Fundies are a minority in this country, and they are trying to run the majority based off their narrow views of Chrisitanity.

Answer 2

I'm just going to answer your amendment:

That they aren't polite and loving towards people of other religions. If you don't believe me, look up some of Soldier of GOD's "questions". No, not all Christians are this way, but the ones that are are extremely vocal and cast the rest of you in a bad light.

I also have a Born Again coworker who crossed off "Holiday Party" on a company memo and wrote in "Christmas Party" last year. We happened to be holding the holiday party ON YULE. More than one Wiccan, which includes me, works in my very small company, as well as atheists and agnostics. We even had a Jewish girl working here at the time (this is substantial given that we have fewer than 20 people working here). Our head of HR - a Christian - was just as offended as I was. But since Christianity is the majority for the time being, he felt he could do whatever he damn well pleased. AND he constantly makes comments about Halloween being one of "those" holidays, meaning "those devil" holidays, which is truly insulting.

Answer 3

It's human nature to look down your nose at times when you find something new and believe that you have found the truth. This happens to Christians too.
People who have quit smoking or people who are on a diet are good examples (C'mon, you know we've all done it).
Sometimes people speak with a self-righteous attitude and sometimes with only limited knowledge.
The problem with religion, is that you step on personal beliefs. Most religions teach proselytizing though, and are expected to spread the word, but sometimes the Good News is spread without much preparation.

Answer 4

Because the world does not like anybody who makes them look bad! I recently conducted a Bible search on the life of Stephen. When the sanhedrin stoned Stephen they did it full knowing he was innocent. His face shown like an angel. He was given a peace from God. They knew that if Stephen was right(which they knew he was) Israel was guilty(Jews) the temple would be done away with which rendered them to losing ther position as spiritual leaders. Pride is the root of this behavior. People refuse to humble or be humbled therefore becoming intolerant of Christians! Email me at [e-mail] for more answers

Answer 5

I see it as the other way around. Christians seem to be intolerant of anyone who doesn't share their views. If they are asked a question about their faith, instead of a question, they perceive it as an attack. I had a question on here yesterday, and someone flagged it after I had 30 responses! Christians are the most judgemental people I've ever encountered. And, this goes against all of Jesus' teachings. "Judge not, lest ye be judged!"

Answer 6

Since I am a Christian, I am not intolerant of Christianity as a whole but of these extremists who have hijacked my religion to judge others. Most of the Christian leaders have also made Christianity into a "den of thieves" but I do acknowledge that this a problem for all organized religions.

Answer 7

Because Christianity is kept in place (and those who follow it are in turn kept from the truth of God) by telling everyone around them, that the way they feel if it doesn't align with what they believe is not only wrong, but that it is punishable by death.

People tend to get antsy and dislike you and your organization when you threaten their beliefs with death.

Not to mention... all throughout history, christians have killed people in the name of God (killings that God actually had nothing to do with). Being that killing people in the name of God is only reserved for the Government now days... Now they just threaten everyone that refuses to confrom to their chosen path, with an eternity of hell and suffering.

If you really read the bible... you'll understand. Jesus spoke of acceptance, unity and grace for all men who followed God through His methods... He was first and foremost, a rabbi, a teacher, a peacemaker come to unite, not divide and seperate.

"None are righteous, no , not, one! All have sinned, all have fallen short of the Glory of God."

Jesus Christ was when he was born, was then in his lifetime and is still now... A jew. (GASP!) A Jew that came to complete the covenent and join everyone reguardless of what they were before, together into one accord.

Jesus never once said "Be Catholic, or be Muslem of be Pentacostal." and he never said don't be these things... or be anything for that matter...

All he said was I am the way the truth and the life. The way to the Father is through me." preaching unity and cohesion... NOT seperate sects of the same damn thing for men to vie and argue over for all eternity just to come together and have a unified belief that their way is the best way to God...

"Depart from me, I never knew you."

Man, I can't wait to see the faces of the Christians when God says that to some of them who honestly believed that they were right and righteous above judgement and contempt. and he in turn, saves the homosexuals and the atheists who in their hearts, reguardless of their hurts and pains because of the badgering bullsh*it of religion, the religious and the guilt and torment they knew as a result of any religion loosley based on love and grace and acceptance but executed with intolerance, hate and denial... These people God will love and accept, the Christians that missed the point... I feel sorry for them.

"I chose to love the least of these."

"He that would go first, go last."

Answer 8

I respect and honor the people. I don't agree with them, but I respect the people.

It's the religion I have a problem with.

Okay. Christianity is the belief that the Jewish prophecies of HaMasiach have been fulfilled in the person of Jesus. But Jesus did NOT fulfill the prophecies of HaMasiach. He could not have -- the Temple still stood during his lifetime, and the HaMasiach was to rebuild the PHYSICAL temple, not the metaphorical temple of himself. HaMasiach was to be a prophet, not Divine. HaMasiach was to rule when there was WORLD WIDE PEACE. The coming of HaMasiach was to be an end not to the consequence of sin, but SIN ITSELF, because Torah was to be written directly onto the hearts of every person on the planet. HaMasiach was to be a mortal man.

Now, Christians say, "Oh, but it's okay that he didn't fulfill everything, most of it happens in the second coming." But the second coming flies directly in the face of the Jewish prophecies of HaMasiach. "But we are under the New Testament, not the Jewish Prophecies!"


....

If Jesus was HaMasiach, he could only be recognized by the Jewish Prophecies. When Christianity cuts itself off from those prophecies, it is rendered null and void; HaMasiach is the fulfillment of those prophecies. If Christianity holds to the messianic prophecies, then it is immediately obvious that Yshua was not, in fact, HaMasiach.

In short, Christianity is self-negating. That it willfully disregards the paradox of its own teaching is unforgivable.


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And by the way, I'm not Jewish and even *I* can see this.

Answer 9

I don't judge Christians, as a whole, I judge the individuals who seem to think that just because I don't see things the same way they do, I'm a devil-worshipper or should be berated and condemmed. I judge those who try to force their personal set of beliefs on others, and get angry when someone speaks out against them.

"Do not judge, or you too will be judged. For in the same way you judge others, you will be judged, and with the measure you use, it will be measured to you.

"Why do you look at the speck of sawdust in your brother's eye and pay no attention to the plank in your own eye? How can you say to your brother, 'Let me take the speck out of your eye,' when all the time there is a plank in your own eye? You hypocrite, first take the plank out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck from your brother's eye."

Matthew 7:1-5

Answer 10

Lolo, I have been a Christian for 20 years and have immersed myself in its various schools of thought. Having done so has enabled me to relate to non-Christians and I sincerely believe people are not intolerant of Christianity, they are intolerant of the fundamentalist approach. They are intolerant of narrow-mindedness, biblical literalism, dogma and the like. It is not Christianity that they have trouble with, it is some of the messangers and those messangers' communication style; in other words, the way some Christians present the faith lays "stumbling blocks" in front of the feet of non-Christians.