Christians, how would you feel if you were the minority in a country that considered itself a democracy & yet?

Question

the majority in this "democracy" (a group diametrically opposed to your lifestyle) attempted to passively and subtly make its culture the official culture for you, even you you'd already made it clear you were happy with your own ...

Remember, it's a "democracy", so you don't have to engage in that "when in Rome" mentality .... yet your neighbors don't uphold this aspect of "democracy", they take it as a vehicle to institute "official" culture and religion ...

How would you feel? Would you accept it, in a democracy?

think back to when you actually WERE persecuted, like say, 2000 years ago

answer man: even if leaving were a fair option, what if there is NOWHERE to go?

no one is questioning a Christian's right to worship; many of you though have "worship" confused with infusing the government and everything else with YOUR views

but your views are a PERSONAL matter, as is worship

a democracy doesn't prevent you from having your personal life, but it doesn't grant you the right to make over public life in your image

PS yes it was a republic ... if everyone actually grasped the meaning of that today, we wouldn't be having these debates (you might actually remember Deism, Enlightenment, and other vestiges of that era too)

So how many of you just up and left Judea back in the day? How many of you felt like that wasn't actually a fair choice?

Answer 1

You asked a big question, so I hope you'll consider my big answer. I'm Christian, but without favor of any particular religion, let's pretend that Buddhists are taking over society....

How do I feel about the rapidly growing Buddhist faith? With Gandhi as the epitomy Buddhist, I actually find contentment in the fact that our violent world is gradually turning to the peaceful ways of Gandhi.

Are all Buddhists really as peaceful as Gandhi? No. But what matters is the mere fact that everyone is coming to an agreement on the common interest of peace; it is this agreement in which I am content, rather than the current worldly mindset of "everything is all about me."

What if Buddhists adopt the Jehova Witness method of preaching? What if they start proclaiming the good news on TV, in my local area, and everywhere I go in a country which is supposedly a democracy? Would I accept their beliefs? Absolutely not. But would I *tolerate* their beliefs? Although I personally find no happiness in their beliefs, I am still glad to find that so many other people have discovered Buddhism as a source of great consolation in their lives. I won't let them control what I believe, but I will tolerate their methods of spreading self-less beliefs in a greed infested world.

All major world religions, besides atheism, share the common goal of salvation while working to achieve World Peace. Whether you agree that they are doing much about World Peace, they honestly and religiously believe that they are doing the best they can. This is why I personally tolerate and respect all major world religions, since all of these faiths have chosen peace over anything I might consider malice. Whatever faith you believe, I pray that you may find true peace. God bless.

EDIT: Haha, I just found out that Gandhi was actually a Hindu. Oh well, just sub-in "Hindu" everywhere that it says "Buddhist". My bad.

Answer 2

I am not a majority in a so called Christian country any way... I have always been picked on mainly by Christians for being too Christian...

I can totally relate to the under dog which is why I really try not to slam religions or people, but if someone has not considered all sides of the argument and blatantly makes bold statements I will ask them quiet persuasively to reconsider.

Everybody does try to impose their culture on me, one of apathy and she will be right... well no it won't and I will continue to live according to God's words even when society permits so much and tells me its ok.

Answer 3

Well, first of all, this is a republic, not a democracy. Second, we don't want to make people pray, we want to let pray. That is the difference. You refuse to acknowledge we have a right to worship, and we believe you should have the right to worship or not, as you see fit.

Answer 4

The answer is clear.
I would vote, organize, lobby and influence the govt. in a way consistent with my beliefs.
In a democracy, everyone can't win.
You lose some, you win some.
If my point of view lost and I was confident the country would not change despite my efforts, I would leave.

Answer 5

I thought it went along with petitioning the government, free speech, advertisement, eliciting support for a candidate, the free market of ideas and preaching "with deep respect." Different bible obviously. If God wanted to force people to do stuff he would have made them robots. Government is sort of a compromise so everyone can be mad.

Answer 6

Ross, I have immensely enjoyed ALL of your questions. They give me a LOT of thought time. In the final end of things, I think that I agree with your outl;ook, more than anyother. Although I get the impression that you are either and Agnostic or an Atheist, your messages speak to ALL the minority Religions as well. I am a Wiccan (as if you can't tell. LOL) BUT, like you I am very disheartened by the oppressive influence that Christianity has over the U. S. .

The churches CRY and SCREAM about "Seperation of Church and State" and how America was founded by Christian forefathers when it comes to removing God from the public schools, our money and other Government areas. And then they cry and scream about it when the Government feels that it SHOULD recieve an accounting for how the funds are spent through Faith Based Initiatives, Or when a Church is questioned about it's Tax-exempt status. They want it BOTH ways. They want "special status for themselves and themselves ONLY. I can't get tax-exempt status for the Room that I use EXCLUSIVELY for Wiccan worship, yet THEY insist on it for their multi-million dollar mountain of Glass. My coven can't set up a food shelf using funds from the Faith Based Initiative yet THEY can get it with just a phone call.
There are LESS than 100 Seventh day adventists in the Army yet THEY have 3 full time Chaplains. There are OVER 8,000 Wiccans in the Army and yet there are NO Wiccan chaplains whatsoever. The Wiccan pentacle has just recently been approved for use on Veterans', killed in action, headstone markers. The Christians want to stop paying their taces because they don't want to have to PAY to have OUR religious symbol placed on our stones. YET, since July 4, 1776 WE have had to have OUR taxes used to place Christian Crosses on Their headstones. The Christians want to support our Democratic Republic ONLY as long as THEIR interests are served, when things do NOT go their way then they want to poush the concept of a Christian Theocracy down everyone's throat. They have this misguided idea that "Majority Rules" and it's NOT Majority rules, majority ONLY determines who will govern. The Majority can NOT legislate against the minority. Right now, with G. W. Bush in the White House, America IS a theocracy but that WILL change in just a bit over a year's time. Thank Goddess for THAT.

Sorry Ross, I didn't mena to add MY little rant to YOUR ongoing rant. BUT, it's about time that these things WERE said, and publicly too.The Christian Right has been in power for FAR too long and the result is almost 4,000 of our best and brightest dead and countless others maimed. Countless thousands of Iraqis killed and hundreds of thousands maimed. All for a war whose mission changes every other week (OK, a bit of an exageration). First to find and destroy WMD's. Oops none there, OK then it's to get the terrorists, Oops there weren't any there until AFTER we invaded. Ok so NOW it's to insure Freedom for Iraqis. Iraq is no more free today than it was under Saddam, we've only changed the characters who are in charge. With this new development in Britain, I guess it's going to go back to "war on Terrorism". Wait now, the folks who attacked us on 9-11 were Saudis, they were a radical bunch of Muslims who ACTUALY were hiding out in Afghanistan. That day (9-11) was compared repeatedly to Pearl Harbor. Well Pearl Harbor was attacked on 12-7-41 and the US fought the ENTIRE 2nd world war and had it all finished up by the end of August 1945, less than 4 years... here it is 2007 and Al qaeda is STILL alive and functioning very well. OSama Bin Laden is STILL alive and running the show very efficiently. In fact the Taliban (ergo, Al qaeda) is even making a comeback in Afghanistan. WHY? Because our esteemed leader DROPPED the BALL. He is being dragged around by the nose by his Evangelical, oil rich baron, buddies, and has allowed them to set him off on his own misguided Crusade against the "heathen Moors". And are we any safer NOW than just before 9-11? No f'n WAY.The Muslims are VERY ticked off. And I don't blame them ONE bit either. You Evangelical, fundamentalist Christians NEED to stop messing with our Nation. You NEED to stop messing with our World. Pick up your Bibles and start FOLLOWING the SPIRIT of them and stop misinterpreting them to suit your own selfish purposes.

Again, Ross. Sorry for the rant.. I hope that some of this gets through some of the thick skulls out there but somehow, I sincerely doubt it. Keep up the Good work, my friend and keep em coming. I love em all.

Brightest Blessings,
Raji the Green Witch

Answer 7

I believe this is wrong and I seem to be saying this all day, but everyone has the right to free will. I don't know any better way to explain it.

Answer 8

every one in america has a right to worship the way they please....not so in many other countries...and as a christian myself i feel under attack and misjudged all the time by people of other faiths or no faith at all, who don't even know me.

Answer 9

Sorry your question is to intellectual for me.
I can't grasp

Answer 10

Having seen several of your questions, it is obvious that you are highly impressed with yourself. I am not.