Do Christians not realise how their religion effects us?!?

Question

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w4fQA9mt-Mg

this is a reiteration of the last site, in text, showing how Christianity persecutes the Atheist, while claiming, love, tolerance and compassion are the criteria of their beliefs.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Discrimination_against_atheists

the Christian espousal of this domination of civil freedom is hellacious, though to be fair I think some/most of them don't actually realise the implications and the reprecussions of their doctrine within the modern world and politics.

Its time you started to open your eyes!
we don't dislike you! we hate the fact that religion dominates the structure of our society.

Mastermind; so I put effect instead of affect, the question is still valid, but your answer is immature and ignorant.

Paulo, that is not the case, I just think religious belief should be personal, not political

oph_chad; typical reaction to a serious question that you can not answer, deny the source. I chose these sources because the say what I think needs to be said, Wikipedia is not all knowing, but this chapter quotes real statements and facts that can be verified. but you just stick to the common sense of Godtube, I am sure it is not bias in any way

you don' have to be religious to have morals, you just have to be a human being with a conscience.

your right Banjingo, English law is Anglo-Saxon based and is the premise for all western countries law, including American. the Christians answering this question are really arrogant, but this goes to prove the question.

poodlek excellent answer.

this question does not relate to your personal rite to believe in what you want. it is about the religion in politics and within the government, that these Christian politicians are bias and descriminate against Atheists and other minorities. Should the leader of the most powerful country on Earth, be making foriegn policies based on his religion and not logic. This fact is very scary to me, and for anyone who is not a Christian, Including you Ibrahim! you gave a good answer that should be listened too and taken to heart but my fear is that Fanatics don't share your philosophy and, at the moment, they are the ones in charge of the button that could destroy us all

Answer 1

As salaamu 'alaikym, my friend.

Insha'Allah, the religous views of any person and especailly those whose faith teaches them that the Deity in which they profess their faith is the Creator and Ruler of every aspect of their life can not and should not be held seperate from all other aspects of his or her life. Logically, it can not as to have it so placed would make "faith" simply another compartment in which to store "single" and unimportant part of life while ones religious life must truly be that person's life if said peson or persons actually do believe what they profess.

Insha'Allah, a Jew can not and should not abandon the Law (i.e., the Decaloge, Ten Commandments), a Christian must live by the teachings of loving ones neighbor and even ones enemies, turning the other cheek and voluntary poverty so as to assist the needy and a Muslim must never leave the teachings of the Holy Qur'an nor forget the lived example of the Prophet Muhammad (sallaahu 'alaihi wasallaam) and the social directives contained within the same.

Insha'Allah, to hold up "modern society" as an example of what all should be pursuing is ludricrous at best especially if by such you mean the societies of the Western nations and their influence. Insha'Allah, I will do all that I can to teach my daughter to avoid the practices, manners and mores (i.e., established norms of daily practice as the same are practiced within a society) of this culture which seems determined to distort every aspect of the beauty of human and natural life.

No, one does not have to hold a particular religious view so as to be a moral person. Aristotle, in the Nicacomean Ethics, teaches the very moral law that later, through the writings of Augustine, became the very basis of Christian morality and the Summa Theologica. However, ascribing to the modern decadence and perversity under the guise of "freedom" is to mislead ones self as well as to attempt to mislead others.

The problem that has arisen in the "modern world" is that those person who espouse a religious belief have, in fact and in practice, done exactly as you have said they should do. They have tried to take their religious beliefs out of their daily life and have, thereby, stopped holding life as sacred and worthy of all effort to preserve and maintain even at the cost of ones own life should such prove necessary so as to help the greater population of both believers and non-believers and thereby serve the greater good.

Insha'Allah, all societies of the world have their very roots and foundations in the religious thoughts which you decry. The ideals of the very liberties which are all too often scewed into a practice of immorality have their basis in the freedoms taught by virtually every faith. Even the city states of the ancient Greeks, which have been held as examples of democracy, etc., were based on their religious beliefs.

Are there some over zealous persons who speak of love in their faith yet seem to practice hate, who speak of tolerance yet practice intolerance? Yes, there are. Is this following the very tenets of the faith they profess. No, it is being hipocritical. Are similar pracitces being conducted by those who deny religion and faith in the exact manner as those they see doing the same to them? Yes and it is just as hipocritical.

Insha'Allah, it might be a wiser course of action for all persons to stop "preaching" and start "teaching" their religous and faith beliefs or their moral views by their "lived example" while respecting all others as their equals. Such a road would seem more likely to lead to peace and understadning than entrenched, dogmatic positions that exculde others and breed the hatred and divisiveness that is all too readily seen in the religious and politacal spheres and arenas of this world.

May we all be guided to the truth. May we each follow the path to which we have been led and may we each allow all others to do the same in safety and security of human brotherhood and peace.

Ma'a salaam.

Answer 2

Since the beginning of time humans have needed a reason to explain the unexplainable such as with the first religions, Lightening was a god throwing light, thunder was a gods voice of displeasure, Rain or bad weather gods were upset, the sun and moon was pushed around by gods. As human beings became more technology oriented - stone tools, hunting scientifically, use of herbs and plants - then their were more gods, demi gods, and spirits to coincide with the effects. When people learned to grow plants and farm and control animals to have food, there were gods for that. When humans decided they wanted what the other humans had and found through force and strength they could take it, then there were gods of war, discord, iron -copper - steel, gods of the hunt, ect. When male humans noticed that they were stronger (hence made them think they were smarter Lol) the old female deities were replaced with Gods of strength, Zeus, RA, Mars,and a thousand others and the female deities were lesser Gods.
The reason single deity beliefs started to come about were that their were too many deities to keep track of and so many festivals, rituals, and the big factor - money, livestock, and produce - were being given to the Deities rather than the Ruler and the people. The Gods were dwindled down slowly and hence came YAHWEH or the God of the Jews and Muslims. Simplicity was a necessity and became the foundation of modern religions today. With the use of a single Deity - there were more food stores, livestock was plentiful, and people worked more than spending time trying to appease "the Gods", with this came the realization that "God" was better and things were prosporus (well DUUUH, more time on life and less on Deities....).
Oph-chad / this country was not set up on Judeo - Christian beliefs it already had a belief system from the Natives of this country. Christian settlers committed genocides against the "heathens" and forced the country to be Judeo - Christians!
Chill / Your explaination is very nicely written and non condemning when it comes to those who do and do not believe in religion as a whole.
Spider / I agree with the marriage thing. I am Pagan and my husband is Catholic and yet we have been married 11 yrs. Nothing should stop love - especially the so called religions of love and peace of Christian and Muslim beliefs. If people are happy and they are living life in peace and harmony and do not force their beliefs and preferences on others then they should be allowed. Life is too short.
Ibrahim / Salaam! You are the first Muslim or anyone of any other faith did not "preach" a dogma but rather taught (as you said) and it was a well thought out answer. If more religions would lead by example - as you just did - instead of pushing them to make choices they do not believe or feel forced to believe. Thank you

Answer 3

As someone once said: Father forgive them for they know not what they do.

Fundies remind me generally of USians remind me of a big friendly dog in a china shop.
Noooo!
Not a Chinese shop - a china shop with porcelain and other fine china within.

I don't think many set out to be destructive - it just turns out that way cos they are the centre of their own attention; they are the centre of the known universe; every part of everything that happens depends on and is specifically for them.
They’ve heard there are other people in the world but they have this weird feeling that EVERYONE on the planet wants to be USian.
It just refuses to sink into their psyche that many people love being Australian (like me) or Kiwi or Irish or Dutch and wouldn't swap their lives at all, EVER.

Answer 4

No they don't and in reality they do not know how it has effected them! Religion has appeared to give some a superior complex as to shove it down some ones throat and people with a different opinion are out cast, this has confused me that if they say God is love then why do you hate me? If God is all forgiving then why do you cast me into this man made place called hell the clergy mans view of the grave, by their words they show that they are hypocrites and if they represent this God with all their ways no wonder they are losing members and being sued. Jesus stated that the blind can't lead the blind for they both will fall into the pit.

Answer 5

Their leader are understanding the results; they had no way to go. To develope their religious should assort other religious to push their way otherwise they soon be ruin since the same sex getting marriage to assort believers to support their economy of church. The leadership is not qualified to leading other people. The leadership used to blind the rules and do not understand the bible aim. If there is god and human, the psychology is not balance of equality, will not in the same level of balanceing. Toaist said; Toa is like water which always go to the lower level. Then water will run and cannot be a mirror to reflect the reality.

Answer 6

What about the Christians who've been persecuted in Communist countries?

What about any Christians that have been murdered, raped, burgled, etc. by people who choose not to live by any moral code?

What about the atheists that express disgust over religion causing wars while ignoring the fact that some soldiers are themselves atheists? Same goes for the scientists that create the weapons.

What about the many Christians who give of their time, money and energy to charitable work?

How can you say that you don't dislike Christians but then call all Christians who answer this question arrogant?

Answer 7

I'm a Christian and a libertarian. I support fully the separation of church and state, and think it should be taken even further than it is now. For example, money shouldn't say "In God We Trust" in a country (the US) with freedom of (and from) religion right there in the First Amendment. Public schools shouldn't have little kids reciting the Pledge of Allegiance (itself an idolatrous act, imho) with its "under God" bit the Congress stuck in their in the 1950s. And I ought to be able to buy beer on Sundays -- there shouldn't be a (religiously-based) law in my state (Arkansas) that says I can't. While I'm on my rant, let me go further and say the government should stop telling people who they can and can't marry, since they do it in favor of one religious tradition (Christianity, of course). In other words, I see no reason why the government should prevent an American Muslim from getting married four times, or a pair of lesbian atheists (for example) from marrying each other.

I expect many "thumbs down" for my rant. Oh well.

Answer 8

Religionists do not realise a lot of things. Their egos re-write history. They believe they invented everything, from plumbing to democracy. They believe that common law wasn't Anglo-Saxon (pagan origins) but Christian. They believe that their Middle Eastern patriarchal Bronze Age mythos is in some way central to a gigantic cosmic End Of World event. It's an End Of The World religion that is so convinced of itself that it continues to hold the World to ransom.

With giant egos and blinkers like that, you can't expect them to think that there is anything other than their self-centred dominionist poop and 'their' version of the invisible Sky Daddy.

Muslims seem to think in the same fashion. Which makes it all the easier for both of them to believe that they are right.

Answer 9

I am not a religious person, I am a very spiritual person and the Universe is my God. I don't believe in an actual entity as a creator, but I do believe that there is a force which we all contribute our energy to after death, and I also believe that there are going to be major advances in technology soon that will make the science of the Earth's beginnings more clear and comprehensive. But I also wish that people would suspend disbelief or at least leave personal preferences to the person that prefers them.

Answer 10

There are only two possibilities:

1.) People in positions of power will predominantly be theists.
2.) People in positions of power will predominantly be atheists.

Whichever group is in the ascendency at any given time, the other group is likely to sqauwk that it ought to be them.