Why do some Christians have such a bleak view of people?

Question

I generally feel like everyone does the best they can in any instance. Usually, when I see a disagreement, I feel like both parties have good points and that the whole thing just needs a good dose of communication.

Yet, I'm amazed that some Christians often go on about how evil and terrible everyone else is and the world in general.

When I asked why so many people interpret the "clear, true" Bible so wildly differently (http://answers.yahoo.com/question/index?qid=20070117052116AA0EZFb&pa=FYd1D2bwHTHwIrNmEOo7RlVThVGs0tkhAxOqQ8e2C_YwowJ4bvgDpTMI_pxF0WoQN3.yuVZWtVw.SA--&paid=asked&msgr_status=), the atheists felt like the Bible was ambiguous and that it could be interpreted many ways.

The Christians, on the other hand, almost unanimously agreed that everyone who interpreted the Bible differently from them was a either "satanic", "vain", "proud", or a "sinner".

Is there no room in Christianity for the benefit of a doubt?

To continue the thought, I notice that almost daily we non-Christians are asked how we cope with living in this "evil, fallen world". The pagans and atheists invariably reply that we LIKE this world and we think it's generally a nice one.

Why do some Christians not see the beauty of the world? Didn't your god create it? So why wouldn't it be beautiful to you?

Robert, I'm intrigued by the fact that my asking a simple question translates to "beating you up". Maybe you can explain that further.

Answer 1

The love a god they have never see more than their child they have held in their arm.

Answer 2

First of all, God is never surprised by your doubts, fears or questions. The world is beautiful...and so are all the things God created. This is a fallen world and a place to be tested in all areas of your life. Sometimes your tested by negative people, by family trouble, financial problems, doubt and fear...and also you are shown the beauty of Gods creation, the love and selflessness of people..both christian an non-christian. Many PEOPLE both Christians and non-Christians spend too much time judging others. God says "in the same way you judge others, you will be judged" A sober judgment of yourself is the best policy...and since God knows to motives of the heart, better to let Him work on other people. Keep in mind that not all Christians ARE Christians and no christian is finished learning the lessons God wants to teach them. Maybe you can change someones negative view by maintaining your positive one.

Answer 3

I'm a Christian. And I apoligize for my fellow brothers and sisters. For some reason Christians just want to judge but not bring any answers. Christians are the most evil people because we know the truth yet we do the complete opposite. More affairs and sex happen inside the church than anywhere else. Pastors cheat on their wives and with members of their own church, this is evil, not you. Recently a well known evangelist fell victim to drugs and homosexuality, the very thing he was so publicly against. We know no more than you. We think we do, but we have no clue. And if we ever want to impact this world for the good, we had better stop judging, stop sleeping and going to social clubs in our churches and tackle issues in our society. And for crying out loud to all you Christians who say the word "satanic", "vain", "proud", or "sinner", look in the mirror every day you wake up if you want to see someone like this.

Answer 4

I am a Christian. I believe in the Bible. And one of my favorite verses from that book is "judge not, lest ye be judged". I unfortunately agree with you that there are a lot of people who call themselves Christians who spend the majority of their time judging and berating others. But I certainly don't think this is confined to Christians. I see and hear comments from all kinds of people that are so negative and hateful. Anyone who chooses to live in all that negative energy and see the glass as half empty has the right to feel and think that way. I'm just glad that I get to choose NOT to think that way.

Answer 5

I am a Christian and I have never claimed to understand everything in the Bible. I do know that the longer I study and pray about it, the more that will be revealed to me. So it's not really doubt, it's just being unaware. We do grow in our faith. I don't believe any Christian can call another person those names when no one has all the answers, except God.

May God Bless you.

Answer 6

Some Christians are taught that their denomination's interpretation of the Bible is the only valid one (Church of Christ, JWs, etc). Having come from a Church of Christ background, I can certainly attest to that.

Note to Charles - Aeryn Whitley has not been picking on Christians. She asked a simple question. Notice that she did not claim that all Christians have a bleak view of people. I've seen more Christians bad-mouthing Wiccans and others than Wiccans bad-mouthing ANYONE. In fact, if I were to choose a religion based upon the conduct of posters here, I would choose Wicca.
.

Answer 7

It is clear and obvious that a core value with humans is selfishness. When you read of a prominent evangelist embezzling money, or running of with someone else's wife it is hard not to be a bit negative. When people will not even consider the plain teachings of the Scriptures, but choose to follow their "cunningly devised fables" what conclusion is there but that they are following something other than "Truth"? (Truth is the Messiah, and if you are following something else-- Then you are lost, anti-Messiah, etc.) We are not SUPPOSED to be tolerant of errors that are fatal to the happiness and eternal life of men! Certainly communication skills are lacking, but there is not much doubt that what else is lacking is the Messiah, and Salvation.

Answer 8

It's really the other way around. There are people who for a variety of reasons, have a bleak view of the world around them. Religions adapt - they evolve - to take advantage of that fact, to offer people who have nothing in this world a fantasy of a world in which they thrive.

Imagine that you somehow measured "liking the world", and plotted people's scores on a normal distribution. People who really like the world are probably those who generally function well in the world: the healthy, financially secure, intelligent, well-informed, attractive, socially adept. The world offers those people rewards in the form of social interactions, fun experiences, good jobs, sex, etc. People who do not like the world are generally those who do not function well in the world, and of course the world offers them relatively little in return. One major tactic of religion (developed through evolution, not intentionally) is to appeal to those people. They're the "low-hanging fruit", as it were, the easy pickings for false promises of a comfortable life after death.

In short, religion doesn't make you hate the world (though Christianity does encourage it), hating the world makes you choose religion.

Lest it sound like an overgeneralization, know that I am well aware that there are exceptions - upstanding, positive Christians - and I see that several of them responded to your excellent question. My respects to those of you who did.

Answer 9

I believe in One God one Son of God and one Holy Spirit. Anything that goes beyond that I have no room for belief. I do not conform to this world for I am no longer of this world. Jesus saved my soul and made me new. I see the beauty of this world and I also see what everyone has done to God's beauty too. My new home will be far more prettier than this and without sin. I am only passing through.

Answer 10

any doubt would lead to the disintegration of the christian core belief. They will state that you cant' dout the words of God nor question them without being a "sinner" or beign sentenced to hell.

although there are exceptions. not all christians are closed minded individuals that try to assert their beliefs on others.

My significat other is a christian and is very open minded about it and accepts the fact that I am not. And just because she is a christian dosen't throw me off either since i love her with all my heart.

Answer 11

--There indeed should be that benefit, for we are not God, who indeed can judge us inwardly & outwardly.

--When you speak of doubts, let me post a text that deals with the subject of choice. In this case it had to do with what people would eat, because in this context the meat was sacrificed to idols. But the principle as to decision can be applied to many other aspects:

(Romans 14:1-4) “14 Welcome the [man] having weaknesses in [his] faith, but not to make decisions on inward questionings. 2 One [man] has faith to eat everything, but the [man] who is weak eats vegetables. 3 Let the one eating not look down on the one not eating, and let the one not eating not judge the one eating, for God has welcomed that one. 4 Who are you to judge the house servant of another? To his own master he stands or falls. Indeed, he will be made to stand, for Jehovah can make him stand. . .”

--So what we have here are prejudgements, that no one has the right to make. When self-righteous "christians" feel they have the right to judge they indeed go against the tenants of not only God, but of Christ himself. Note please how he strongly condemned that:

(Matthew 7:1-5) “7 “Stop judging that YOU may not be judged; 2 for with what judgment YOU are judging, YOU will be judged; and with the measure that YOU are measuring out, they will measure out to YOU. 3 Why, then, do you look at the straw in your brother’s eye, but do not consider the rafter in your own eye? 4 Or how can you say to your brother, ‘Allow me to extract the straw from your eye’; when, look! a rafter is in your own eye? 5 Hypocrite! First extract the rafter from your own eye, and then you will see clearly how to extract the straw from your brother’s eye. . .”

--Whether it be a question of belief or not does not make a difference. There was one group that Christ never hesitated to condemn as a group and individually, and they were the religious leaders. He used the connotation "hypocrites" ,upon them only.

--Also, doctrine has a lot to do with the condemners. Many of them propagate the absurdity "hellfire" this is not taught anywhere in the Bible.
--It has been noted that in the inquisition period and way before, that part of the burning of people alive, was fomented by the evil teaching of hellfire.

Whether this is the type of attitude that some of our "christians" have is for them to examine, but indeed, as your comments have stated and I have seen the threatening with the "everlasting fires" of hell--that indeed is not what Christ taught in any way or deed.
--Of interest is what Mahatma Gandhi expressed about the "christianity"(not the Christianity of Christ) that was responsible for the Crusades ,inquisition & the 2 World Wars and more--is also applicable upon some today:

‘I love Christ, but I despise Christians because they do not live as Christ lived.’*** gt The Greatest Man Who Ever Lived ***

Thanks for your posting!