How do you address that Christians view only their religious ideas and experiences as valid?

Question

Many people from many different religious traditions have “profound”/life changing religious experiences. Yet Christians view these experiences as, at best, nonsense and at worst, the lies of some sort of evil entity.

How can you say that another persons religious experience is pure garbage while claiming that your own are pure enlightenment?

Doesn’t that strike you as a trifle odd?

Answer 1

Hypocrisy at it's roots.

The "it's meaningless unless it's an experience in christianity" rebuttal. I hear it all the time from self-righteous christians.

I don't even bother listening to them anymore because i don't even trust their words anymore. How can you believe in someone who puts so much blind faith into something & tells everyone else they're wrong for not doing the same? How can you believe in a person who will fabricate ANY excuses to circumvent any logical questions posed towards their beliefs?

edit:
Malvin's answer above me is the perfect example. You pose a very reasonable question & his answer is down right rude & condescending.... Not only that but he insults you by calling you an "a hole." Very mature. A diamond in his own mind, i'm sure.

Answer 2

Not all Christians discount the experiences of other people who are non-Christian. That is a gross generalization.

Many people have a hard time reconciling themselves to the fact that people who are "outside the faith" could have spiritual experiences of any kind.

Personally, I believe that all people are able to experience the infinite and the divine. It is within us because we are part of the whole - so feeling the profound within or due to a particular experience is part of who we are as part of the creation.

It is always easy to claim that no one else has any validity. I was taught that there is good to be found in all religious cultures and practices and that there is good to be found in all nationalities writings. The secret is to find what makes you personally a better being and use it to become all that you were designed by our benevolent Creator to be.

Only the foolish and ignorant discount the message of truth because of the messenger.

Answer 3

Ove one million people have claimed to have seen a UFO. Hundreds claimed to have been contacted and abducted by aliens. Thus far we still have no evidence that extraterrestrials are visiting Earth. I think most Christians have no problem dismissing these claims of contact by alien beings as fraud or mental illness. But they insist on the authenticity of contacts between Israelite prophets some 3000 years ago and divine beings. Hmmmm.

Answer 4

I think, you have confused the pesons who practise christianity with persons who profess christianity. The so called christians too have all kind of drawbacks in their life. They are taught by their leaders that they are supreme because the doctrines of the christianity is supreme. Of course, no other religion in this world has the doctrines that are equal to christianity, but the christians do not follow the real christianity. They do believe what they practice is christianity and hence they think that their experience is the best. Do not see the christians and follow what they do. Just see the christianity and follow it. you will know the difference and you will never harm the followers of other religion.

Answer 5

In all honesty, I have to assume Christians who act like that have not experienced their own god.

Anyone who has had a profound religious experience *KNOWS* that nothing another person has TO SAY is going to trump it. If their experience is pure enlightenment, then they know no words are going to change them, and if they know no words will change them, then no words will change their "opponents"

Answer 6

It's childish. I normally just ignore people like that, after a quick ... "If you can't view mine as valid, why should I view yours as valid? Because you said so? Move on" This usually ends it quickly, though from time to time I get a real stubborn punk who pushes his luck and that might last 10 minutes longer than the above. *wink*

Answer 7

I think people get "The Call" (I put it in that term) for different reasons. Now there are some who do not know God/J.C. and do great things. But it can, commonly, turn out to be good for all of us. There are some non-Christian people who have done us good favors or deeds or things of that nature that we respect, and some complete opposite. I think we all have a "Purpose" to serve or "Do" in our lifetime that may or may not affect or generation.

Answer 8

A trifle? lol
I'd say it was odd, but let's look at christianity as a whole.
The entire belief system is based on a mythological person whose very existence has never been proven. They believe their way is the only way to God, and that if one doesn't buy into this stuff, they're destined for eternal torment and damnation.. 'nuff said there, my friend.
Look at the previous answerer for a perfect example. You asked a valid, non-threatening question and got the typical fundie response. To accept other ideas, points of view, and beliefs as valid, one would have to have a trifle more maturity. That's not prevalent in christianity.

Answer 9

I'm a non-believer, and see all religions in the same light. I have to agree that Christians are intolerant of other religions , just as all religions are intolerant of all but their own.
In this respect Christianity is no better or no worse than the other religions.

Answer 10

Because they aren't able to step away from their own narrow point of view for even ONE INSTANT. And why should they? In their minds they have the absolute Truth. Why should they give any credit to the heathen religions of other cultures? Those other people are WRONG.

Christians are such beautiful people, aren't they?