Atheists, etc: Is there really anything WRONG with a Christian having the beliefs they do?

Question

I'm asking this based on the types of comments that a number of people on R&S give about Christians. (Before I go on, I would like to say that I don't believe ALL Atheists are like this!)....

There are a lot of people that say that Christians are stupid and such.. but also others that seem to think that Christians are actually dangerous and things like that too..

I am just curious what it is that makes people think that Christians are so bad just because they have a belief system?

I am sure some will say that when it comes to politics, etc that Christians would want to push their views on the entire nation, etc.. But please remember that the same would be for any group.. If an Atheist is in power, he/she is going to also want to push their beliefs (of no God, etc) on the people as well..

Anyway.. Just curious..

Answer 1

IMO as long as you do no/cause no harm/suffering... you're just peachy by me.

_()_

Answer 2

I'm not an Atheist (Deist), but I wanna answer this:
I don't hate anyone, and I have no problem with anyone's religion as long as they don't preach it to me. There are some Christians here on answers keep condemning others to hell, and saying how 'false' other beliefs are. It's not the belief system, it's the EXTREME self-righteousness. You can never tell you're THE correct path or anything, not me, not you and certainly not anyone else. On a personal level, I get condemned harshly and double the condemning: I'm not Christian & gay. Do you know how many Christian people bug me & others on here & on GLBT because of who we're?

Now about "When Atheists are in power": You're mistaken. There are many Atheists in power, and I don't see them pushing their non-belief on people. They simply ask us NOT to mix religion with politics and education: Religion is PERSONAL and never PUBLIC or legislative.

ADDITION:
And by the way, the Christian beliefs have been ALREADY pushed on the whole nation:
- Abortion is illegal, gay marriage is banned, you have to swear on a bible or by the Christian god's name in courts, many people brag how the law is based on the 10 commandments....How would you feel if you were stuck in a place where other religion than yours was pushed on people and on laws (Say, Saudi Arabia, for example...?)

Answer 3

The founding fathers didn't want to push their beliefs of athiesm (or deism). They would certainly be appauled at the mixture of politics and religion.

You should be equally so, lest someone not of your particular brand becomes a majority and decides to outlaw something that you enjoy or discrimate against you - (er, or kill you) (Be it shellfish, staying up past 10, working on sunday, etc)

Harm also in people needing things in the "real world" to be true, in order to keep that belief true. They have to keep that belief, so this real world thing must be true. And they will go through great lengths to see that it remains so.

It could be anything, be it requiring the earth to be the center of the universe or being against medicine or requiring to be in a certain spot on the earth or even having someone elses existance interfering.... or what have you. Certainly this would be labeled an "extremist", but even inbetween areas are harmful.

The danger there is the stopping of knowledge and possibly direct harm. Certainly if life and death was all up to god, there would never have been modern medicine - or creation of irrigation for that matter. God will provide. In this way, it's not against Christians. It's not even against religion. It's against superstition and myth, which can take many forms beyond just religious ones. And certainly athiests can possess these too. The problem there is "This superstition is true, so stop doing things against it - there is no need to look further"

Another is the drive to convert on others their beliefs, in the public arena, the figureheads often using blatent lies and misconceptions that at first glance, fool a lot of people. It's dishonest, often demonstratably so. I mean, if they want to talk about beliefs and such, that's cool, just don't lie about others to make your position appear stronger, IMO. That goes for everyone ;p

Though, some of these public figureheads I'd bet annoy more christians than anyone else. I'd gotta think most of them groan when pat robertson says something ;p

As far as an INDIVIDUALS belief, that's all fine and cool, believe what you wish and enjoy the ride. But often I think when people say what you said - they probably aren't talking about you, but the vocal and political minority of Christians. If they know you and are actually talking about you, well, don't mean that hehe....

I'm sure a lot of Christians have no problems at all living to the left of a muslim and right of a Hindu, and wouldn't think there is anything "wrong" with them.

But, as far as your question, you kind of have to quantify "WRONG".

Like, morally wrong? wrong as in you don't like them? No to either of those?... Your individual activities and positions, for me, would determine that. (Like if you beat your kid with a rod or kill witches or stone my gay landscaper and stuff)

"Wrong" as in, it's not true? Well, don't need an athiest to answer that, just ask a Muslim or different sect of christian. With 42,000 active or recently active religions, you got a bit of a cosmic lotto going there. :) (assuming your belief requires the non-existance of other gods)

Answer 4

I would argue the point that other faiths push their beliefs. Only Christianity has a mandate to testify to others. That is what gets the non-believers, the constant barrage of drivel. The push for legislation, the knock on Saturday morning, the yells of "You're going to Hell!" etc. I think its great if you are a Christian and believe in it, but shut up! Don't tell me about Jesus; I don't care, if I did, I would ask. Stop telling me about Hell; if you and people like you are headed for Heaven, Hell looks pretty good. Leave your Bible and you beliefs at home, keep them out of our government and out of my face. That's is now and has always been the issue, missionaries and proselytizers. That's it, don't have a thing against Christians, or Christianity, just the proselytizing.

Answer 5

As a heathen, I enjoy a rich spiritual life, filled with the dazzling poetry of my people's Lore and a true sense of connection to my godhs, ancestors, and culture. I don't begrudge *anyone* their private spirituality, because I think our capacity for votive belief is one of the most human things about us all.

That said, there IS that one little problem I *do* have with the xian belief system . . . that whole "we're the only ones with the Truth™" and "you're all going to Hell" thing. :-/

Now, in all fairness, I know xians personally who don't do that. And I suspect that some of the ones HERE who do are well under 18 . . . but they're also, at their age, merely parroting things they've heard around the dinner table, and in church, their whole lives. The adult ones . . . well, there's just no excuse for manners that bad. It is one thing to believe in the spiritual truths of a sacred text, and quite another thing entirely to take those myths and metaphors literally in the face of ALL evidence to the contrary---logical, historical, linguistic, scientific, mathematical---and ALSO deny the validity of *every other belief* on the entire planet, and campaign endlessly against the rights of others to believe, or not believe, as they choose.

A "covenant xian" friend of mine---GOOD friend---says his faith follows the Scripture that only those God draws to him come . . . and that if his god's not drawing ME, it's just flat none of his business. It'd be nice if those yammering door-to-door types and online fundythumpers could take that a bit more to heart.

Answer 6

I've never said people with beliefes are stupid. But i have said that people with beliefs have less knowledge about the way the world works cause instead of saying "the sky is blue because" they say "God made the sky blue" so there is no reason to research the situation.
Another reason I don't think religion is a good choice is because the simple fact that morality shouldn't be taught along with religion. As soon as you lose your FAITH then you lose your morals as well because the only reason you don't do bad things is because of God in religion. And trust me, losing your morals can not result in a good thing.

Answer 7

no nothing WRONG with it... but i do like to poke at the christians a bit because its kinda fun... and i really don't think ANY group "in power" would necessarally force their religious preferences upon others... look at our founding fathers... some were christian, some were deists some never spoke of their beliefs at all, but all agreed that the best way to get along was, when it came to religion, to live and let live.

Answer 8

Christians may believe whatever they like as far as I'm concerned - with ONE exception. It is a tenet of Christian belief that others should be persuaded to believe as they do. Other faiths are fascistic in this way to and I have no respect for that aspect of those either.

So if you want to believe, believe. Just have the same respect for me and everyone else in return.

Answer 9

Don't base your views of atheists on the nonsense on here. Mature atheists don't visit this section because they have no need. They could care less what we believe. What we get here are the bottom of the barrel bashers and trolls, most aren't over the age of 15. Bored kids getting their kicks, but for some reason we keep responding to them, feeding them, so they don't go do something else. If we'd just ignore them, they'd leave.

TooPregnant, you are so off, its pathetic. Christians don't go door to door, that's Jehova Witnesses. We don't go up to strangers and start witnessing, I for one, have never tried to convert anyone in my life. I figure we were told the spread the word, its done, I don't know of anyone who doesn't know who Christ is, what they decide to do is their decision. I never discuss my faith with anyone who doesn't bring it up first. I also never tell anyone they're going to hell, I'm not God, I'm no one's judge, I have my own sins to worry about. I don't push my beliefs on you. We're not running government, if we were there would be the ability to pray in school, the 10 commandments would be allowed in governmental buildings, abortions would be illegal, etc.. Seems to me, you are the ones pushing your belief in nothing on us. I don't especially want to have religion in schools, but it ticks me off my kids can't have christmas pagents anymore because of you guys. So don't go screaming that we're running things, you're the ones with the power, the result of which is drive-by-shootings, kids killing each other in schools over idiotic drivel like shoes, and other assorted wonders of the atheists world. Seems to me like you guys are getting everything you want.

Ty the Unsaved Guy, sorry, but abortion has been legal since Roe -vs- Wade. You may live in some country where its illegal, but its not illegal in the US. I had heard that some state is trying to change it, but as far as I know, it hasn't happened yet. I have no problem with gays marrying, its not like not letting them marry will make them go straight, so there's really no point in opposing it. Also, the way it is right now, if a partner dies, even with a will, the surviving partner has to pay inheritance tax that a spouse wouldn't have to pay, which I have a problem with. If one is in the hospital dying, the partner has no rights if the dying partner's family won't let them in. Then there's the insurance situation. That's just wrong, so I suppose I do support their right to marry. Guess you shouldn't lump all christians into one nice little tidy package. The thing is, "we the people", rarely get a chance to vote on this stuff. "We the people" are all of us, and we should all have a chance to vote on issues, not just expect our elected officials, most of whom are dirty, to do what they think we want. We're in a war we weren't given a choice about, yet because we have a christian president, all christians supposedly support this war. There is no "all christians", we're all different, with different views, so if you don't want us lumping all you guys in with the bashers and trolls on YA, don't lump us together. Obviously, we don't all believe the same or there wouldn't be so many denominations.

Answer 10

The main one I have an issue with is that many of them seem to believe any means of making someone accept Jesus is acceptable.

Look back to the Inquisition, the American Indian conversions, or modern day Creationism in the classroom. They have no scruples when it comes to getting new recruits it seems.

Answer 11

The problem is that Christians HAVE 'pushed their views on the entire nation'. And the world is currently paying the price of that in lives and money.

CD