Ever notice how its easy to dislike a group, but not so easy to dislike an individual?

Question

Extreme Athiests: do you have Chrisitan friends?? Right

Funamental Christians: do you have athiest friends? Sure.

If we group people together it makes it more faceless, hate is much easier.

I bet alot of us would get along...if for example you saw me as David, not as Christian.

Agrees? Disagrees?

Bless you all
David

Answer 1

I totally agree with you. I think that it's easier to hate a group because it's less personal that way. When you actually know someone of a particular group, you realize they have feelings and can actually be a great person, unlike what ever group they represent.

Great question by the way!!!

And God bless you too!

Answer 2

I think I disagree.

I have nothing against you personally because I don't know you, but I tend to avoid your questions because of the way you word your answers in other people's questions. I do this because I feel that your answers are written with a tone of arrogance to them. You come across like someone who believes what he believes, and he knows he's "right," and nothing anyone else says has any impact on you. People with those kinds of attitudes scare me a little.

I believe that you are probably a good person, but I don't enjoy reading your answers or answering your questions for the most part.

I DO make judgments on groups of people and allow individuals to alter my opinions of those groups. If that helps . . . .

As for disliking Christians as a group, I dislike a smaller group of Christians rather than Christians as a whole. The ones who are insistent, use their religion to hate, or look down on my beliefs are the ones I dislike.

Answer 3

Good theory. Somebody (a psychology guy) already discovered it.

Do you know why all men dress the same way in the army? (Apply your knowledge here and see what you find)
Do you know why all policemen are made to wear nametags that state their names clearly? (Again use it here)
Try this, go to a McDonald's outlet and call the person behind the counter by her/his name. You'll get better service.
All managers make it a point to remember all their subordinates' names correctly. (Ever wonder why?)

Hate and violence are always more acceptable when it is perpetrated by a mob. The people become faceless in a mob.
Ever heard the term "mob mentality"?

Often in times of curfew, they don't let people travel in groups.

It's easier to get away with a crime as a mob. (How do you think Jesus died? )

Answer 4

I have to say that most of my life the friends I ever knew were unbelievers. I find it's much harder to find real true christian friends then it is those who don't believe. Even the bible says that brother will turn against brother.

Even with our own Christian community there will be difficulties mainly because when we leave a certain lifestyle for a new one we aren't all together perfect. Who is? We are growing at different rates in our spiritual walk then with other believers. We don't all walk at the same pace. It would be nice but then we wouldn't be individuals.

There will be more stife with those who don't believe or agree with christians because our world views will be much different so it will be not as easy to always get along.

For the most part I believe that most unbelievers don't like to be preached at. I think they would rather see how real we are in the way that we believe and show that we actually live by it. (My own father used to say to me don't talk about it just do it!)

One thing my sister taught me as a child is that you must learn to accept others as they are. She being a christian lived by it in the way she interacted with me. When I saw how much love and acceptance I recieved from her I eventually came a round and began to see her point of view.

Her love is what persuaded me to get to know about God even more. She was a quiet and gentle witness to me because she didn't push her faith on me. On the other hand my parents did because they are religious. It was either their way or no way. It drove me away from the truth and thus I ended up on the wrong path and eventually I came back to God.

I found that from experiencing both sides of being a unbeliever and a believer. I also think that it's much easier to get along with those who agree with us then it is to get along with those who don't. Whether we are Christian or not.

I will often find that I may get along a lot better with someone who doesn't believe then someone who does and often times it's because of our personalities. Some times we can even clash with our own kind.

I believe that hate can be in both those who say they are believers and non believers. The only way to deal with hate is to learn to love. Being a blessing to others is one way we can truly make a difference.

Answer 5

Yes!

Raised a Christian, I first thought I was right and Jews and Muslims were wrong. I've since become friends with several Jews and Muslims (both Shi'a and Sunni). I'm friends with a girl from Israel and a girl from Palestine--go figure.

It's easy to watch the news and look down upon "them" but I have to remind myself that my friends are among them.

And now I realize we're all believing essentially the same thing as individuals; all believing in the same God and expecting the same Messianic Age.

Answer 6

No, I have the opposite problem. I love humanity; I love philanthropists. I am very accepting and much too aware of diversity within groups to like or dislike most of them. Since groups are more abstract than individuals, I see more flaws in individuals. This is just a general opinion, however, and I do see exceptions to it. It's definitely easier for me to accept one murderer than the entire Bush Administration.

Answer 7

I think what you are talking about is how hypocritical people can be. I don't think that a fundamentalist Christian can have athiest friends. They'd be preaching to their friends all the time about accepting Jesus until their friends told them to f**k off.

I am Catholic and my wife is Buddhist. We get along perfectly fine with our respective religions. I don't really understand her religion but I sure as hell respect her for her faith in her religion. We talk about religion occasionally but it's only learning about the other's religion. No attempts to convert each other or place a value on which religion is better.

I am Catholic and she is Buddhist. It's who we are and we live in harmony. Religion need not destroy anything.

Answer 8

But you're not David on here are you? Your identity in a forum like this is defined by your religious beliefs because that's all you ever talk about.

You definately have a point though. We'd all get along if people would keep their religion in their private life and keep it to their damn selves. Most atheists don't "hate" christians. They just want to be left alone.

Answer 9

This has been documented countless times in psychology. For example, my textbook has an example of a crisis happening where a girl is being raped in the open. If she cries rape, no one is likely to help her. HOWEVER, if she looks directly at an individual and asks them for help, she greatly increases her chances of getting help. This analogy can be transfered to such things as gay bashing by the christians, race riots, and even anti government rallies.

Answer 10

I agree..
As a Witch / Pagan.

I get seen by both as someone who is either
a crackpot or a satan worshiper.

Yet this is why alot of Witches and Pagans, keep there Religion to themselves..
Not to hide anything from the world, but to be treated as an equal.

Face to Face value only.
Not religion to religion.

Great point.