Why do so many religious people focus on all of the things they think are wrong with other religious people?

Question

I see so many people criticizing other people for believing things they think are heretical. It seems like a big waste of energy. If someone isn't attacking Jehovah's Witnesses, they are attacking Catholics. Different preachers come up, like Charles Finny. It seems to me that you guys are wasting energy attacking each other, not allowing you to attack us atheists! ;-)

Answer 1

(((((((iahb)))))))...I think attacking anyone is a waste of energy. It's like criminal activity. If such energy used to plan criminal acts were used for love and the goodness of humankind....ah, what a better place this would be.

Peace, Love, and Blessings
Greenwood

Answer 2

I think it's because many people are religious just for religions sake, Christian infighting between rival denominations or sects is laughable and hardly Christian. Witness Mr Ratzinger (aka Pope Benedict) recently declaring that only his Catholicism is the true Christian religion.
To loosely quote Christopher Hitchens from memory, "leave the religious to burn each others churches and mosques as they've always shown a great ability for it in the past."

Answer 3

It is true that Jehovah's Witnesses are not loved by everyone.
http://jw-media.org/newsroom/human_rights.htm
Some people hate Jehovah's Witnesses out of ignorance, or over some misunderstanding. A few may have had a bad personal experience with an individual who claimed to be a Jehovah's Witness, and prejudicially extended their animus to this entire Christian religion.

However, it seems that the majority of anti-Witness hatred is motivated by religious intolerance and bigotry. A few may even be motivated against their Christian worship by the unseen 'god of this system of things', Satan the Devil.

(2 Corinthians 4:4) the god of this system of things has blinded the minds of the unbelievers

Interestingly, such "hatred" should be expected by true Christians in this time of the end, and it actually helps identify Jehovah's Witnesses as Christ's true disciples:

(John 15:19) If you were part of the world, the world would be fond of what is its own. Now because you are no part of the world, but I have chosen you out of the world, on this account the world hates you.

(Luke 6:22) Happy are you whenever men hate you, and whenever they exclude you and reproach you and cast out your name as wicked for the sake of the Son of man.

(1 Peter 4:4) Because you do not continue running with them in this course to the same low sink of debauchery, they are puzzled and go on speaking abusively of you.

(2 Timothy 4:3-5) For there will be a period of time when they will not put up with the healthful teaching, but, in accord with their own desires, they will accumulate teachers for themselves to have their ears tickled; and they will turn their ears away from the truth, whereas they will be turned aside to false stories. You, though, keep your senses in all things, suffer evil, do the work of an evangelizer, fully accomplish your ministry.

It seems signficant that the relatively small religion of Jehovah's Witnesses are the ones best known for their worldwide preaching work. Yet Jesus commanded that ALL who would call themselves "Christian" perform this public work:

(Matthew 28:19,20) Go therefore and make disciples of people of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the holy spirit, teaching them to observe all the things I have commanded you. And, look! I am with you all the days until the conclusion of the system of things.


Learn more:
http://watchtower.org/e/jt/index.htm
http://watchtower.org/e/20030301/article_01.htm
http://watchtower.org/e/20020401/article_01.htm

Answer 4

Take the blue pill.

Because everyone wants to be right, and believe they have all the answers, like Jehovah's Witnesses. They have been positive the world is coming to an end like tomarrow for over a hundred years now. I wish Jesus would come and wipe out all false religion, and goverenment and freak all non-God believers out!

Answer 5

That's what religion is all about. Their faith as they see it and that is all there is... and for some reason they have to press their religion so far that it actually makes people leave rather then stay. Religions fight other religions that is just the way it is. Atheists don't argue with other atheists about atheism, it is that cut and dry. Its black and white, no questions left unansered.

Answer 6

Hey! When your enemies are smiting each other, don't interfere.

What bothers me is that they alway turn down my offer to loan them a block and tackle so that they can take the beam out of their own eye before ragging on the mote in their brother's.

It's something Jesus said. But their attitude is always, "Hey! He's just God, what does He know?"

Answer 7

Christians of all sorts and Muslims (are there different types of Muslim?) are taught that everyone else is wrong, should be converted or killed. Well, Christians say converted and Muslims (at an extreme) say killed. So it is part of their religious doctrine to try to convince you to believe as they do, because you will suffer terribly if you do not.

Try to be patient with them. It's quite an emotional burden they bear.

Answer 8

It takes a lot more strength and courage to address your own failings than to attack those of someone else, it is also easier to feel superior when all one does is denigrate other people rather than striving for personal achievement.

Answer 9

It doesn't have so much to do with religion as it does with the human condition. Many people who are insecure in their beliefs will try to convince others they are right. Convincing others that we are right reinforces our beliefs.

Putting other people down gives us the illusion that we are somehow lifted up.

Answer 10

Well in a serious element, believers are supposed to confront fellow believers in things that they are doing wrong so that they discontinue it.

Aside from that it's all theologic (?) standings.