Why is Christianity so hated?

Why do people think that the American president rules the world? That's such a lame myth.

Anyway, here's a perfect example of how hate is brewed by government force of religious law:
www.jpost.com...
"Hamas has instructed schoolgirls in the Gaza Strip to wear the jilbab (Islamic long-sleeved dress) and head scarves or face being expelled from school.
The movement has also banned girls from wearing jeans at school.
The cases are seen in the context of Hamas's efforts to enforce strict Islamic laws throughout the Strip.
Until a few years ago, many Gazan schools endorsed jeans or trousers as an official uniform for girls. But since Hamas seized full control of the Gaza Strip in June 2007, schools have come under intense pressure to force girls to dress in accordance with Islamic rules."

This Islamic principle also applies to the law that Christianity should be hated. It is a law.
How can anyone fight hate when laws contain hatred. Real official governmental enforced laws!

reply to post by calstorm

IMHO, there are a couple of major disconnects going on in today's Christianity.

Firstly, we have seen over and over and over again hugely popular televangelists let their success go to their heads, exascerbating their underlying personality 'issues', thus causing them to 'crash and burn' in a most humiliating and public manner. This is not good for the 'cause', now is it ?

This is disconnect # 1 -- that is to say, have these megalomaniacs forgotten that Jesus ( the person, after all, whom they are trying to become like ) and his disciples all took vows of poverty? Recall Christ's invitation to, "sell your belongings and follow me !"

Secondly, there is a fundamental disconnect in the Christian bible itself. The old testament teaches us that God is a vengeful and terrifying One, not at all beyond totally obliterating those of his children who have diasappointed him ( re : Soddom, Gommorah with fire and brimstone, and indeed the Great Flood itself where He changed tactics and used water this time ), while the New Testament teaches us that God the Father is a loving god who enjoins his children ( that be us ) to emulate the triumphant and self-sacrificing example of Christ Jesus ...

This biblical 'dichotomy' has gotten all 'mucked up' in the heads of Christians since at least before the First Crusade ...

Christians, whose prime imperative is to emulate Jesus, seem obviously to have forgotten that the two Commandments of the Christ ( who was both man and God ) were ( 1 ) "To love thy neighbor as thyself," and ( 2 ) "To turn the other cheek."

To the average 'everyman' these glaring 'inconsistencies' give the impression that todays Christians are little more than gullible children who seek nothing more than to 'fall in line' behind the leadership of some charismatic fool who himself clearly hasn't any idea what the message of the living Christ really is.

What the heck is 'likable' or even respectable about that ?

Just my two cents ...

its not christianity, its what its be come to reprecent as a group of miss doctrinated.

13 Imix 9 Mol 12.18.6.4.1

Originally posted by Misfit

Originally posted by VinceP1974

You were told to HATE people? do you agree with him that US Soldiers are sent to war in the name of Christendom?

Yes I was, and yes I do. It was, afterall, a Christian Pres Bush that labeled this current fiasco a crsuade.

You probably misconstrued what you were taught based on your misconstruing of the use of the word crusade.

Originally posted by visible_villain
Secondly, there is a fundamental disconnect in the Christian bible itself. The old testament teaches us that God is a vengeful and terrifying One, not at all beyond totally obliterating those of his children who have diasappointed him ( re : Soddom, Gommorah with fire and brimstone, and indeed the Great Flood itself where He changed tactics and used water this time ), while the New Testament teaches us that God the Father is a loving god who enjoins his children ( that be us ) to emulate the triumphant and self-sacrificing example of Christ Jesus ...

Old Testament verses about whether or not God forgives people:

Jer 31:34 “People will no longer need to teach their neighbors and relatives to know me. For all of them, from the least important to the most important, will know me,” says the Lord. “For I will forgive their sin and will no longer call to mind the wrong they have done.”

Jer 33:7 I will restore Judah and Israel and will rebuild them as they were in days of old. I will purify them from all the sin that they committed against me. I will forgive all their sins which they committed in rebelling against me.All the nations will hear about all the good things which I will do to them. This city will bring me fame, honor, and praise before them for the joy that I bring it. The nations will tremble in awe at all the peace and prosperity that I will provide for it.’

Jer 36:3 Perhaps when the people of Judah hear about all the disaster I intend to bring on them, they will all stop doing the evil things they have been doing. If they do, I will forgive their sins and the wicked things they have done.”

Jer 50:20 When that time comes, no guilt will be found in Israel. No sin will be found in Judah. For I will forgive those of them I have allowed to survive. I, the Lord, affirm it!’

Hosea 2:21 “At that time, I will willingly respond,” declares the Lord.

“I will respond to the sky, and the sky will respond to the ground; then the ground will respond to the grain, the new wine, and the olive oil; and they will respond to ‘God Plants’ (Jezreel)! Then I will plant her as my own in the land. I will have pity on ‘No Pity’ (Lo-Ruhamah). I will say to ‘Not My People’ (Lo-Ammi), ‘You are my people!’ And he will say, ‘You are my God!’”

Would be helpful if you knew your subject matter.

Originally posted by VinceP1974
You probably misconstrued what you were taught based on your misconstruing of the use of the word crusade.

There you go again assuming you know what someone else did or did not learn in THEIR life. ugh.

There is no misconstruing crusade when spoken by a Christian hell-bent on going to war.

reply to post by visible_villain


The Old Testament is the old covenant, and the New Testament is the new covenant. The baptist church that I go to teaches both the New and Old Testaments, but some churches only teach the New Testament, and follow the rules of only the New Testament (new covenant).

Originally posted by Blueangel7
reply to post by visible_villain

 

The Old Testament is the old covenant, and the New Testament is the new covenant. The baptist church that I go to teaches both the New and Old Testaments, but some churches only teach the New Testament, and follow the rules of only the New Testament (new covenant).

The Torah Ritual Law was only ever meant for the Jewish people.

In the future they will be freed from it too

Jer 31:31 “Indeed, a time is coming,” says the Lord, “when I will make a new covenant with the people of Israel and Judah. It will not be like the old covenant that I made with their ancestors when I delivered them from Egypt. For they violated that covenant, even though I was like a faithful husband to them,” says the Lord. “But I will make a new covenant with the whole nation of Israel after I plant them back in the land,” says the Lord. “I will put my law within them and write it on their hearts and minds. I will be their God and they will be my people.

“People will no longer need to teach their neighbors and relatives to know me. For all of them, from the least important to the most important, will know me,” says the Lord. “For I will forgive their sin and will no longer call to mind the wrong they have done.”

Originally posted by Misfit


There is no misconstruing crusade when spoken by a Christian hell-bent on going to war.

Good thing you weren't around during D-Day you would have hated it.

reply to post by VinceP1974

You can cherry-pick all you want but it won't change the fact that the 'New Covenant' was about Christ paying for the worlds sins with his sacrifice ... etc, etc ...

You are just proving my point -- Your own 'digital persona' is more important to you than what the Master actually taught ...

Maybe you should start your own 'church' and get real rich and famous ...

Originally posted by visible_villain
reply to post by VinceP1974

 

You can cherry-pick all you want but it won't change the fact that the 'New Covenant' was about Christ paying for the worlds sins with his sacrifice ... etc, etc ...

Well duh. Who said anything different?

All I'm saying is, is that this forgiveness will also eventually come to Israel, in God's Time. So you posited that the Old Testament God does not forgive.

He does forgive , and in fact, he prophecized right in Jeremiah the exact manner in which the entire world will be forgiven.

That was my point.

You are just proving my point -- Your own 'digital persona' is more important to you than what the Master actually taught ...

Maybe you should start your own 'church' and get real rich and famous ...

Wow what a zinger!

reply to post by VinceP1974

You said :
So you posited that the Old Testament God does not forgive.

What I 'posited' was the commonly held view that the Old Testament God was a vengeful and fearful one ( 'the beginning of knowledge is the fear of the Lord', etc ... ) while the New Testament God was something 'kinder and gentler' by virtue of the 'New and Everlasting Covenant' paid for by the 'Blood of the Lamb', etc ...

As you know, this isn't anything I 'cooked up' -- it's commonly accepted Christian doctrine ...

I never claimed to be any kind of biblical scholar, only someone in touch with commonly accepted doctrine.

Why you would smack me down for adding my thoughts to this thread can only mean it's important for you to be 'better than' me ...

And that's fine too, but it doesn't seem very Christ-like, now does it ?

Originally posted by VinceP1974

Originally posted by Misfit


There is no misconstruing crusade when spoken by a Christian hell-bent on going to war.

Good thing you weren't around during D-Day you would have hated it.

Can you be anymore irrelevant? Bush, Iraq, and this "crusade" wasn't around then either.

Originally posted by visible_villain
reply to post by VinceP1974

 

You said :
So you posited that the Old Testament God does not forgive.

What I 'posited' was the commonly held view that the Old Testament God was a vengeful and fearful one ( 'the beginning of knowledge is the fear of the Lord', etc ... ) while the New Testament God was something 'kinder and gentler' by virtue of the 'New and Everlasting Covenant' paid for by the 'Blood of the Lamb', etc ...

As you know, this isn't anything I 'cooked up' -- it's commonly accepted Christian doctrine ...

Well i don't know if it's "doctrine" but I would agree that it's a commonly held view... which is precisely why I responded. Because like with many things, the commonly held view is incorrect.

I never claimed to be any kind of biblical scholar, only someone in touch with commonly accepted doctrine.

Why you would smack me down for adding my thoughts to this thread can only mean it's important for you to be 'better than' me ...

And that's fine too, but it doesn't seem very Christ-like, now does it ?

I dont proclaim to be a Christian, so you can use your religious blackmail with someone else.

I'm not better than anyone else, but if I see a factual statement made, that I know is wrong, then I will show why it is wrong. And that's all I did.

reply to post by VinceP1974

Time for me to bow out of this infantile pis*ing contest ...

Originally posted by VinceP1974

Originally posted by Violet Sky
No hatred here. Just not interested.

But you asked a general question, so here's a general answer.

One of the doctrines of Christianity is to 'spread the word'. Here in lies the irritation with many people. If we are secure in our own beliefs we do not want someone preaching at us. Anyone who gets in my face and tries to make me one of the flock just plain irritates me. I just want to be left alone and free to believe as my heart tells me.

So, basically, worship the way you want but stop trying to force others to the same. If Christians didn't have that whole 'spread the word' ideology, things would be great.

LOL. No one is forcing you to do anything. And if you were secure in what you believed in , it wouldn't bother you that someone was advertising something else.

I work in Downtown Chicago, I can't stand those idiot Greenpeace and The Greens and Amensty International volunteers passing out pamphlets and doing surveys , asking for money, etc.. . yet I would never in a million years besmearch them for their right to engage in such things.

In a Free Country people will try to influence their fellow man , as it should be.

You should be grateful you live in a country where this can happen and not in one where it is forbidden.

Well, seeing that I've never come across Greenpeace on the streets, I can't speak for that.

But I don't think they go door to door, putting their kids in front of them to peddle pamphlets. Nor do they send their teens out in suits on ten speeds to knock your doors either.

And this happens over and over - it's an invasion of my personal space.

It's the same irritation one gets from telemarketers calling over and over trying to sell you the same thing you already said no to day after day.

I just stop answering unknown calls and openning my door to unknown people. My home is my personal sanctuary and I don't want others trying to push religion or products down my throat.

Don't call me, I'll call you.

But my first post was not just regarding pesky individuals, but the pushing of Christianity on a much larger scale - such as the missionaries that basically thought they were 'saving' the 'savages' of indigenous countries in Africa, and instead turned self sufficient people into government dependants who have now forgotten how to live off their own lands. This is just one example.

Wow! I really regret starting this thread now. Thanks to the last few pages I have a clear understanding of what people are talking about. Thank you to every one who contributed from their heart. I hate to abandon my own thread but...
I created this thread to learn and try to put myself into the shoes of non Christians. Unfortunately it was the Christians themselves that got the point across with their own behavior. You should be ashamed.
I want to make it clear that I am not referring to all the Christians who have contributed to this thread, just a select few.

Originally posted by calstorm
Bear with me, this is only my second attempt at a thread. If there is already one like this i didn't find it.
There is more opposition to Christianity than any other religion. It is constantly the brunt of jokes on T.V. and other media sources. People go out of their way to prove Christianity wrong. There is also an anti-Christianity camp atheists can send their kids to to learn why the bible isn't real. It was on Dateline or 20/20 can't remember which.
Christianity is also one of the most distorted religions. It has been exploited for profit and personal agendas of hate and war.
Why not Buddhism or Paganism?
Lets say for discussions sake that there is one true religion that has any enemy being. Now what would this enemy do and how would he go about discrediting the truth of this so called religion?
Wouldn't he try to sow discord amongst the people, dived and conquer?
Wouldn't he use people claiming to belong to this religion to do horrible acts in the name of such religion to discredit it?
Now I am sure I will get plenty of replies like "THERE IS NO GOD!" or "Because you are all fools." But I hope to get some legitimate, and well thought out replies from people on both sides of the fence. I am also open to constructive criticism to help me improve on future threads.

Christianity is the largest religion in the world and therefore wields the most power. Also, I don't think (not having studied religion thoroughly) any other major religion other than Christianity and Islam threatens people with death and destruction if they do not convert, or eternal torment. Something about that doesn't create a peaceful, loving attidude towards the religion and it's no wonder people are hostile.

Originally posted by Visiting ESB
Christianity is the largest religion in the world and therefore wields the most power. Also, I don't think (not having studied religion thoroughly) any other major religion other than Christianity and Islam threatens people with death and destruction if they do not convert, or eternal torment. Something about that doesn't create a peaceful, loving attidude towards the religion and it's no wonder people are hostile.

Not true about Christianity being the biggest.
There are about 1.4 billion Christians and there are about 1.4 billion Muslims.
Islam is the fastest growing religion in the world. Again, it is also not plural and not accepting of non-muslims, by law.
Also Christianity doesn't use violence today as much as Islam does. The comparison is dramatically different.

Christianity is a self-fullfilling prophecy and may be creating the destruction that it had said would happen by forcing us to think in such small bi-polar philosophies. Look-up self-fullfilling prophecy on Wikipedia and Christianity fits it well. Reality is more complex than we can scarcely imagine and nor can we describe the intricacy of how it all fits together and more often the stupidity(or crap) that sometimes happens.