anyone else resent having to hear about Jesus all the time? besides Isaac and me, i mean?

Question

"Imagine the people who believe such things and who are not ashamed to ignore, totally, all the patient findings of thinking minds through all the centuries since the Bible was written. And it is these ignorant people, the most uneducated, the most unimaginative, the most unthinking among us, who would make themselves the guides and leaders of us all; who would force their feeble and childish beliefs on us; who would invade our schools and libraries and homes. I personally resent it bitterly."
~Isaac Asimov

thank you Isaac. Beautify worded. thoughts?

Ti-Barbi is the worst Christian i've ever met btw....she doesn't quite have that "turn the other cheek" thing down. go study your more Titanium head.

Answer 1

thankx

Answer 2

I think you are right. He meant that only a few will understand what he is saying. Jesus knew the mentality of humans. No matter who you are and what you say, some will not understand through lack of ability (not really their own fault), some are deliberately stubborn, and some are malicious so they will try to distort your message. Jesus also knew that you cannot force people into accepting things (something which many modern Christians don't seem to understand). If your parents force you into doing something which is good for you, you will resent them all the same because they did not give you any credit of deciding for yourself what is right and wrong. Do you, as a child, respect the parent who put broccoli on your plate and told you how good it was for you, or the parent that physically opened your mouth and forced it down your throat while you cried? Jesus achieved so much more from being humane and respectful of others than he would have if he had been authoritarian and harsh. But I disagree that anything has changed today. People are still the same as they were in Jesus' days.

Answer 3

I think Mr. Asimov didn't fully understand Christianity when he made that statment. A true Christian doesn't force their beliefs down anyone's throat and impose their will on others.

If someone asks me my religion and what I believe, I tell them in polite and patient manner. If they don't agree, that's their right and I accept their opinion as what they believe.

If you want true equality, everyone is allowed to have their own beliefs and speak their piece. If what they have to say offends you, you have some options available to you:

1. Engage them in a discussion and ask them why they believe that. Both parties being respectful of each other and not attacking the other can lead to an understanding of the other's opinion, just might mean you both agree to disagree.

2. You can choose to just ignore them and keep doing what you were doing before.

3. If it bothers you to the point of outright hostility, just walk away and avoid that person or those people in the future.

What I resent is my right to freedom of religion and freedom of speech being impinged upon by others. If someone doesn't like what I have to say, why not talk to me about it? If I am aggressively engaged, depending on the person and circumstances, I will sometimes listen to what they say and sometimes I'll just say "I'm sorry you feel that way" and walk away.

Attacking others and making generalizations will never be productive. The best solution is to try and understand the situation as best you can, and be tolerant of others. Anger begets anger, hate begets hate. The world would be a much better place if everyone accepted the fact of people are different and believe different things. If you don't like a certain type of food, you don't order it or eat it. If you don't like what a certain person has to say, you can ignore it or just avoid the situation altogether.

Intolerance and "my way or the highway" are what leads to the Hitlers, Stalins, Maos, and Napoleans of the world coming into power and ruling with an Iron Fist. People from all groups are guilty of attacking and trying to impose their will on others. If you choose to attack and insult others, you should be prepared for some of them to come right back at you (right or wrong).

Answer 4

Well, that's one person's opinion. Of course, God never took an opinion poll, and He doesn't ask our permission to continue existing.

I'm reminded of the story of the man who for some reason hated rainbows, but the village he lived in was close to some waterfalls, so when the wind was just right, there would appear in the sky a beautiful rainbow. Sometimes even a double rainbow, and everybody would take a quick break to run outside to watch it for a moment before returning to whatever they were doing.

This man got so sick and tired of hearing from everybody that there's a rainbow outside, that in his great intelligence, he decided to poke his eyes out.

Now, whenever anyone would tell him that there's a rainbow outside, he would tell them quite philosophically that rainbows don't exist.

When they would ask him why he believed that way, he would always reply that rainbows couldn't possibly exist since he couldn't see them.

Eventually, one day he fell into a hole in the ground that led to an underground cave because he wondered off in his blindness.

Asimov was a great science fiction author. I truly love his writings. But, like yourself, when it comes to matters spiritual, you are both blind. Jesus said, "And the blind shall lead the blind, and they shall both fall into the ditch."

Oh, one more thing, when the townsfolk realized how much he despised hearing about rainbows, they asked him why he didn't just move to the village a few miles down the road where the rainbows couldn't be seen. He told them it was his right to live whereever he wanted, and freedom of speech gave him the right to complain about all the people talking about rainbows all the time.

I'll ask YOU the same question the townsfolks asked the rainbow hater - If you resent hearing (er - reading) about Jesus all the time, why don't you go to some other Q&A forum? I'm sure the "knitting" Q&A forum will be free of religious talk!

If you don't like it, why hang around?

One additional comment: Whatever happened to MY freedom of speech? Why do you want so desparately to curtail MY rights to talk about Jesus? Nobody's forcing you to "listen" (er - read) our posts. In the words of Shakespear, "Me thinks he protests too much."

Answer 5

Have I got news for you!!

I'm a committed Christian and I resent having to hear about Jesus ALL THE TIME !! I try to live a good Christian lifestyle all the time, but I certainly do not want anyone to be constantly preaching to me about Jesus.

So, Asimov and Dawkins would have us committed to a mental institution or prison for our beliefs? Just great !!!

Answer 6

I always wonder about how many great minds were destroyed by both Christianity and Muslims over the last couple of thousands of years. Could we have the cure for cancer and other diseases by now if those people wouldn't have been killed due to religion? Or might we have world peace now if a peacemaker wasn't destroyed by religion? I am a wiccan and Christians will point to lions eating Christians as an atrocity perpetrated by pagans but I am sorry but paganism doesn't hold a candle to the open destruction of others that they have done and been openly proud of it. They preach that life is sacred but don't hold to their own teachings in so many ways. They have cost mankind so much....

Answer 7

Then why come to the R&S section..Why not go to the Science or math section? That's like reading Isaac Asimov and complaining there wasn't a cooking lesson in it..I don't get it?

Answer 8

If we're so "uneducated and unimaginative", why didn't you express your own thoughts on the subject? Jesus died for me and for THAT (all "scientific evidence" aside), I am thankful.

P.S.
Isaac shoved his ideas right down YOUR throat....

Answer 9

Yes! I think people talk about religon way too much, especially when they force their religon onto other people. Freedom of religon really does not exist in this country like it should. People are always condemning people for their religon, either it's "bad" according to some people, or the "wrong religon" to other people. As an atheist I think it's offensive that people talk about religon so much, especially if they scrutinize and attack me because I do not believe in God. Keep it to yourself people.

Answer 10

I hate the submarine attack they use.

Hi, are those Nikes?
Yes, yes they are."
Oo, I'll bet they're real comfortable. And they look great, too!
Thank you. Yes, they're very comfortable.
You know, if you want comfort you should come to Jesus. . .

If I want Jesus I'll invite him over to eat. SHUT UP!!!!

Answer 11

No, you're definitely not the only ones. Count me in too.