Why are christians accepted?

But yeah, like I asked. Why are fundamentalist christians accepted on here? I have no problem with them coming here, but if they're allowed to preach ridiculous claims on here, we should be allowed to argue with them without being warned or banned.

Couple of things... as a "fundamentalist Christian" (if by that you mean bible-believing and relatively conservative), I agree wholeheartedly. I think the problem is (and this applies to both sides of the coin) that a lot of people come here not to talk or discuss, but to put forward their own point of view as if it were fact. This is why you get so many threads crying out that they have "PROOF!" (caps inclusive) and so on. It's really just a base form of attention seeking ("look at me, look at me!"), and one that certainly seems to attract its fair share of humans, both Christian and non-Christian alike.

I guess the problem here is defining "ridiculous claims". If you think a literal 6-day creation is "ridiculous", that's really just your point of view. The creationist would likewise consider evolutionary views to be "ridiculous". If you consider the idea of God becoming man "ridiculous", then the Christian may likewise consider the "search for the god in all of us" to be likewise foolish.

In essence, what I'm trying to say is... we all come here with our own opinions and beliefs. We all want others to hear and value what we say. Provided that we can come here and do that (whatever those opinions or beliefs may be, however "ridiculous" they may seem to us) in a fair, even-handed and above all, polite discourse, then so be it. The problems start when people can't engage in a reasonable conversation about any given topic. Then, and only then, should we start talking about bans or warnings etc.

I believe this is exactly why we have apolitical, areligious terms and conditions - to outline exactly what is expected of each of us here, while allowing us the freedom to think and feel how we wish... and to express ourselves along those lines!

Originally posted by survivalstation
reply to post by Garfee

 

I dunno, How many Christians have you talked to that ARE seeking answers? I have nothing against religion because without it this planet would really suck.

Not many, but they're around I guess. I'd like to come across more. There are definately a few members of ATS that state they're christian or other religions and seem to be level headed and offer healthy discussion.

reply to post by Awen24

To me, a ridiculous claim is something like "Sex is a sin and you will burn in hell forever if you commit fornication" or "Satan put dinosaur bones in the ground to test out faith" or "The Earth is 6,000 years old" or anything to do with hell really. As much as it might not seem like it, this is a place where people come to be free from ignorance. And since facts are the main enemies of ignorance, discussion of hell and sins has no place here.

It's rather simple. Once censorship of opinions is introduced, there's no telling who will be next on the list.

So better let invasive missionaries have their say and then oppose them, if they push too much. After all it's only verbal on a forum.

Usually it works quite good, because the most aggressive missionaries (who mainly are the least informed ones too) loose their mental balance eventually and will start claiming absurdities or use scholastic nonsense, which will scare most people away.

Invasive christian missionaries is the worst enemy of invasive christian missionaries, when it comes to the expected result of converting.

With growing education and global communication, the days of the ranting street-corner soap-box orator will soon be reduced to a minimum. And as to the ridiculous...there are teen-agers who appear to be very interested in details of the personal life of peabrained popstars. So interest in an alleged 'god' isn't that weird (ofcourse unless violence is implied).

Anybody trying to soap-box orate in my secular country would be met with pity. Not even disliked for more than noise-pollution.

Originally posted by CRDDD
I remember three years ago when I joined this site, there wasn't alot of christians on here.

Oh, really? Because there have been plenty of Christians for as long as I've been here...

When someone said they were a christian, they were usually laughed out of the room and no one took them seriously.

I believe this is your fantasy.

Why are fundamentalist christians accepted on here?

For the same reason that you are accepted here... It takes all kinds and all viewpoints are welcome, as long as the T&C are followed.

reply to post by Benevolent Heretic

BH. You thread killer you.

CRDDD

Considering the Christian faith has been around for mellenia, and isn't going away anytime soon, they are a force to be reckoned with just as Hindi's, Buddhist's, Wiccan's, Atheists, and on and on. We may not like what any of these religions have to say about a given topic. But I don't see where any of us have the right to ask why they are accepted.

If that's the case, lets start putting black people in the back of the bus again. Or how about keeping women barefoot, pregnant, and in the kitchen? Oh I know, lets kill some jews.

Do you see the comparison? Your question is no less racist, sexist, and hateful than the atrocities I listed above. Are we gonna crucify a bunch of Christians here at ATS? Drag out the crosses SO! Lets get this on ATS Live!

If you disagree with Christians. Avoid them or debate them with some civility.

BTW. I'm getting quite annoyed with the folks that like to make fun of Reptilians. I don't walk down the street licking my chops, and making comments about how tasty you humans look to me. So nix it, or you're going to be in my next pot of stew?

reply to post by CRDDD


Simple answer, we joined about the same time. When we were new ATS and BTS were not joined together. "Religious" material was not on ATS in the same way it is today, that was over on BTS.com.

Hope this helps.

Originally posted by Garfee

Originally posted by survivalstation
reply to post by Garfee

 

I dunno, How many Christians have you talked to that ARE seeking answers? I have nothing against religion because without it this planet would really suck.

Not many, but they're around I guess. I'd like to come across more. There are definately a few members of ATS that state they're christian or other religions and seem to be level headed and offer healthy discussion.

"Level-Headed" is a secular buzz word for "Apostate".

reply to post by Klassified

If you're comparing disliking christianity to being racist, I'm going to have to strongly disagree with that comparison.

But I mean this is a "Religion, Faith, & Theology" forum.

If it causes you that much displeasure you could refrain from clicking on the forum.

reply to post by CRDDD

You didn't say "disliking" christianity sir. You said:

Why are christians accepted?

We can't just ban people because we don't like their race, color, gender, views, beliefs, or opinions. ATS is not the inquisition after all.

Nevertheless, you are free to not accept christians within the T&C's.

Originally posted by NOTurTypical

Originally posted by Garfee

Originally posted by survivalstation
reply to post by Garfee

 

I dunno, How many Christians have you talked to that ARE seeking answers? I have nothing against religion because without it this planet would really suck.

Not many, but they're around I guess. I'd like to come across more. There are definately a few members of ATS that state they're christian or other religions and seem to be level headed and offer healthy discussion.

"Level-Headed" is a secular buzz word for "Apostate".

Are you saying the religious shouldn't be level headed?

reply to post by Garfee

Are you saying the religious shouldn't be level headed?

If you're defining "level-headed" certainly not. That's a buzzword for an apostate.

Originally posted by NOTurTypical
reply to post by Garfee

 

Are you saying the religious shouldn't be level headed?

If you're defining "level-headed" certainly not. That's a buzzword for an apostate.

It's not a "buzz word" for anything. I chose the term because I feel that many religious people are hell bent on their own ways and answers and refuse debate or other opinion.

When one challenges their beliefs, if only to strengthen them, they are hardly apostate but what I would consider level head and able to hold a decent and healthy conversation.

It's how people learn.

reply to post by Garfee

But christians aren't seeking answers. They are militantly convinced that they have got the answer and everyone else is wrong and damned to hell, spouting ignorant, often hateful garbage at the world.

I have to agree with that, Garfee. You should see some of the U2s I get from Christians telling me I am a satanist and going straight to hell. The things that upset me are:
(not a rant on Christians, just how I feel about this)

Endless pages of Bible quotes, as if we cannot search these out ourselves, and must be reminded on a daily basis.

The constant labeling of anything not in the Bible, ie, all aliens are demons. That one appears every few weeks, it seems.

The constant attempt to convert everyone to their way.

The trolling on threads they do not agree with, and attempts to debunk us, even though we have facts to support.

Always telling us that if we do not take their man-god into our hearts we are doomed.

For myself, I have read the Bible, twice, and researched it to death. I have also studied the history and origins of religion for many years. this in itself does not make me an authority on the subject, but I figure I am more educated on the subject matter than the average Christian. Yet I am told that I must be on drugs, need mental help, am a satanist, and so on.

Here is my take. If a Christian wishes to believe what they believe, so be it. I have not one thing against that. but, I do not want to hear it. I have heard it hundreds of time before, and telling me again will make no difference. You are not going to scare me into your way, and you are not going to get me on my knees in a subservient manner before any God from any point in history, or before any man elevated to the status of a God. You are never, ever going to convince me that the Earth is not millions of years old, and that ELEs have happened before. You are never going to convince me that some guy, whom we think died a long time ago, will come save anyone from what is coming for everyone. You are never going to convince me that I do not have a Spirit/Soul until I join your religion.

I too wonder why we at ATS are infiltrated like we are, didn't used to be that way. When I first came here, the board was fairly secular. I have seen this is real life too, I live in a small town in southern Ohio, and the local Christians leave tracts on your car while you shop, and they knock on your door to attempt to convince you that the world is ending soon, and that I had better get right with their God. The men dress like bankers, and lawyers, and the women dress in dresses, which I happen to like, but I notice they get nervous when I eyeball them. The all stare at the pentagram about my neck as if it mesmerizes them. Go figure.

reply to post by Garfee


Wrong, these are buzzwords for an apostate these days:

"Level-headed"
"Balanced"
"Rational"
"Progressive"

We are not called to be like the world, we are called to be like Jesus Christ. He was the most radical person to ever live. He said the world would "HATE" His sheep because of Him. If you know a "christian" who is loved by all and isn't offending anyone with their theology, I'd be pretty hard pressed to call them anything more than an apostate at best, unbeliever at worst.

reply to post by autowrench

I have to agree with that, Garfee. You should see some of the U2s I get from Christians telling me I am a satanist and going straight to hell.

I call B.S.

Post a couple of them with the member screen name deleted so they are anonymous.

Originally posted by NOTurTypical
reply to post by Garfee

 

Wrong, these are buzzwords for an apostate these days:

"Level-headed"
"Balanced"
"Rational"
"Progressive"

We are not called to be like the world, we are called to be like Jesus Christ. He was the most radical person to ever live. He said the world would "HATE" His sheep because of Him. If you know a "christian" who is loved by all and isn't offending anyone with their theology, I'd be pretty hard pressed to call them anything more than an apostate at best, unbeliever at worst.

If that's the case then I'd go further and call believers insane. If the religious can not discuss their beliefs without open debate, they are plain old dumb.

Isn't part of christianity to do just that? To offer their beliefs to others in hope that they might also be saved?

If they can't discuss and debate with respect, but only offend and belittle, they are actually pushing people away from their beliefs rather than drawing them closer.

I wonder what Jesus would have to say about that?

Originally posted by theRhenn
who said they are accepted? Usually the very first responces to any topic dealing with christianity or the like are usually heckled right from the start. For every openminded discussion relating to this topic, are ten more saying how idiotic religion is, there is no god, and so forth. It's a trolls paradise! Here I was thinking this was a place for open minded induviduals to be able to constructively discuss or argue every welcome and unwelcome side. Alas... It isnt so

Being open minded has absolutely nothing to with blind faith. The real open minded people are agnostic or atheists who are open to change their views if there is enough evidence to back that up.

Originally posted by DeepThoughtCriminal
You may as well ask why there are so many hardcore reptilian fanatics on here! In fact I barely notice the Christians amidst all the people claiming to be descended from extraterrestrials or to be in communication with reptilians and so on and so forth.... I ask you, which is the crazier side?

This is a website not known for its general rationality... I guess we'll all just have to keep sorting through the chaos to find a slice of reason. There is no reason why Christians should be laughed at any more than our "reptilian" friends on here.

After making that stab at reptilophiles (?) I'm glad I'm hidden safely behind my computer screen. Some people can be very touchy!

But sadly if you go back just a few years and read the archive then it seems alot more rational than it is today even with far fetched topics like reptilians.

Either way i think everyone should be allowed to voice their view.