Who do you believe does the most harm to Christianity, fundamentalists or atheists?

Question

I vote fundamentalists. Like in YA, most atheists here make me think about my faith, which is good. I’ve met atheists in real life. I don’t agree with them, but most of them are cool. We can interact just fine with mutual respect anyway.

Most of the venomous, hate-filled intolerant questions come from fundamentalists. Honestly, their questions don't make me reassess my faith; they make me embarrassed that they can hate so much and still call themselves Christians. And worse, they drive sensible people farther away from the Christian cause. I've met fundamentalists in real life too, and it's never pleasant.

My opinion is fundamentalists hurt Christianity more than non-believers. What's yours?

Oh Mrs.Badgrumbles, I'm sorry if you feel that way. I assure you I do not dislike you -- if in your passion for your version of Christ's word you try to scare people or bully them into your church, then I would dislike you actions, but not you. Hate the sin, not the sinner, is my motto. :)

Answer 1

I'm Catholic and have tangled with many fundies on YA; what I hate is the confusion brought to the table by all the different sects of Protestantism. Each claims to have to truth but they believe different things. Who's right?

I've posted a question similar to this topic before trying to address this problem. What is a non-Christian supposed to think when they are approached by fundamentalism? How are they supposed to make sense of anything?

On a broader, and probably more deeper scale, I'd have to say that what's even more damaging than the infighting is the simple but deadly scandal of not living the faith.

People respond to what they see. It doesn't matter if you're Catholic or protestant, if you're not living the faith as you should, you're setting an example that is defining what Christianity "is" to outsiders. Are we showing Christ to them? Or are we showing our selfish selves?

People are watching, more than we realize. Even worse, so is God.

God bless.

Answer 2

You question is wrong in that their are no atheists. An atheist is a person who does not believe there is a God. I have talked to many who said they were atheist but after a few minutes of talk I learned they were agnostic. They don't care if there is a God. A true fundamentalist believes one way and no amount of evidence will change them. Like the woman who walk out on Bill Nye for saying that the moon did not have it's own power but was the reflected light because it was not in the Bible.

Answer 3

I utterly disagree with regularly the whole thing you have written. Belief is an issue of will. You can opt for to consider anything, if you happen to desire to. Geez, are you aware what number of screwed up individuals there are strolling round that consider the individuals on cleaning soap operas are truly, that consider they are destined for greatness, that consider they are able to win American Idol? We consider a LOT of matters that we desire to be actual, even within the face of overwhelming proof to the opposite. I'd additionally argue that wondering what we consider leads us to the reality. That fact could also be that our perception is fake, or it can be that our perception is correct. Either manner, investigating the ones doubts and questions brings us in the direction of fact. Ignoring them will slowly however definitely erode our perception, and we will come to be within the identical situation we might have ended up if the perception were not actual. The truly risk right here: the perception possibly proper, and we will foolishly permit doubt to rip down fair perception. I got here to Christianity short of it to be actual. I had many questions as an adolescent and a tender guy. I searched out main points, requested for proof, and investigated it as wholly as I knew how. In reality, I keep to do probably the most identical type of browsing inside Christianity. But the questions have led me to an inescapable end: my religion is good located. The perception is correct. Only through addressing the ones doubts used to be I equipped to arrive this sort of forged end.

Answer 4

I totally agree with you. Fundamentalists cause the most damage, particularly the ones who promote homophobia as morality.

I've also met atheists and agnostics in real life and they were fine. I've even had some as friends and we just don't discuss religion much.

Fundamentalists are imbedded within Christianity and destroy and eat away at it from within. They keep gay people and straight people away from God due to their rigid intolerance and homophobia. They try to portray themselves as God's representatives on earth as if they have a monopoly on God. They embarrass and sadden me, because they take a religion of love (God is love) and make it into a religion of hate and power and money.

But it's not the Fundamentalists I hate, it's their sin. And for the ones who promote homophobia, it's the fact that they won't repent and continue living in their sin of homophobia and they want the rest of us to accept them. To them, their sin is more important than the truth.

Answer 5

Curling Smoke has the best answer so far--that hypocritical Christians do the most damage to Christianity. The ancient Mediterranean world turned to Christ because Christians not only lived the faith, but were willing to die for the faith. Many Christians today seem quite happy with the world.

Atheists are surprisingly ineffective in attacking Christianity. I seldom see any reasoned arguments from atheists, beyond "religion is a fiction." They show little acquaintance with the meaning of scripture or the history of either Judaism or Christianity. If anyone is a fundamentalist, it is a fundamental atheist, with his dogmatic rejection of the claims of Christianity.

The people you call fundamentalists, Jon, call themselves evangelicals. I think that better expresses their motivation. They take Jesus seriously, including his commandment to "go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you."

You can't judge the whole group because of an uncharacteristic few, including the poster whose initials and attitude is opposite from Jesus Christ.

Cheers,
Bruce

Answer 6

I left Christianity mainly because of fundamentalism. They give good people a bad name. Just yesterday I was at a fair and a man in traditional African garb was handing out free video cassettes on Jesus Christ. Alot of people were gving him venemous glances, probably because they had had a bad experience with fundamentalism. But he wasn't being belligerent or mean-spirited like alot of the "hellfire and brimstone" type Christians that I had met, He was humble, compassionate, caring and soft spoken. If all Christians acted as he did, I probably never would have left the religion. I just hope that some the more radical Christians realize that when they act unkindly towards others they are generating hatred towards their entire religion, including innocent people like the African man...

Answer 7

I agree 100%!!!!
Case in point. My soon to be ex husband went as far as throwing a bible at me because I kept asking questions that I guess he did not appreciate. This man has a terrible temper, judgmental and can not keep a job. He is so dedicated to his church & bible. However I did not see a softening or fogiving side the "good christian". I told him many times if reading the bible and going to that church makes people like you I don't want it.
Fundies seem to have issues that have nothing to do with religion. It seems to me they have aggressive personalities that are misdirected.
Very much a turn off.

Answer 8

The problem lies with folks who cannot differentiate Christianity from fundamentalism. Fundamentalism only harms Christianity in the minds of those who are incapable of making their own informed decisions. Reason and common sense refuse to apply the unique attributes of 5% of a population to the entire population.

Answer 9

my experience is the same as yours. The atheists I know are nice and can accept that I believe something different from theirs. The evangelicals I know don't respect anybody except the other members of their church and show disrespect to poeple by trying to force their believes on them. So I say it is the fundamentalists.

Answer 10

I agree, although since I am an atheist, that wasn't really a fair deal for me! Who do you think I'm going to pick?

But yeah, from some of these questions, I can see why so many people are driven away from Christianity. Some fundies are so full of hate and bigotry, it suprises me that they still have thier accounts.