Social Question

josie's avatar

Why do you hate Christians so?

Asked by josie (30934points) July 29th, 2018

I have been drifting in and out of this site for about 10 years.
Not sure why except it is sort of amusing to see the threads and it is a nice break between deployments.
One thing that is constant is the antipathy here towards Christians. In fact, it looks like nearly all of them have left.

If you have been paying attention you know I am a committed atheist. Total. I do not accept the notion of a supernatural God or anything associated with the notion. There you go.

But some people do accept these ideas. They go to church. They pray. They take communion and enjoy the community of their faith.

Why do you belittle them? Why is their faith and sense of community so inferior to your precious secular cynicism?

The Communist Manifesto, and all of the following leftist dogma, is nothing more than a secular version of the Holy Bible. One is the religion of the glorious God, the other is the religion of the glorious State.
Why hate one and not the other?
Just curious.

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77 Answers

RedDeerGuy1's avatar

I don’t hate them anymore. I was builied in a Catholic grade school by teachers and students. As an adult all conversations kept going back to religion. I could not get help. Also I hated doctors because they would not request an MRI for my time travel and would prescribe me anti-psychotics. I expected every religious person to know their stuff and to be smarter than me. Also atheists seemed to really know more that Christians and thar tempted me to follow them. Now i belive that i am a (g) small g god. I belive that (G) God exists i just don’t worship him we are friends.

josie's avatar

@RedDeerGuy1
Meaning they could not prevent your time travel, or they would not facilitate your time travel?

ARE_you_kidding_me's avatar

I guess because Atheists are smug assholes for the most part. I’ll say snarky anti-religious things every now and then but the seriousness of that gets toned waay down first. I prefer the company of christians over atheists most of the time even though I don’t believe.

RedDeerGuy1's avatar

@josie Both. It was becasue of falling in love with a perfect woman who was engaged to another. I could easily stop time traveling if I could find another girlfriend who was more perfect. Its a workaround that doesn’t require knowledge of time travel. ( Flutherites don’t go go getting me a prostitute )

josie's avatar

@ARE_you_kidding_me
So you think I am a smug asshole
I may be, but for the reasons you give?
Or is it something else?

ARE_you_kidding_me's avatar

You’re an exception for sure, you know the type I mean.

josie's avatar

@RedDeerGuy1
PM me. Maybe I can give advice. But please don’t derail my thread.
Love ya man. Just sayin.

rockfan's avatar

I don’t hate Christians, but the Bible has some seriously bad ideas that are worth criticizing, vehemently. Plus, many evangelical conservatives flat out ignore the positive things in the Bible. Because I’m pretty sure Jesus would be anti-war and pro universal healthcare.

josie's avatar

@rockfan
Interesting.
Prove it.

ragingloli's avatar

Because they are evil.

josie's avatar

@ragingloli
Maybe.
But prove it.

rockfan's avatar

The Bible says that we should take care of the sojourner.

The Bible says that a camel has more of a chance of going through an eye of a needle than a rich man does going to heaven.

This is all very obvious stuff.

ragingloli's avatar

they worship a rapist mass murderer and are all about drinking human blood and eating human flesh.

Demosthenes's avatar

I don’t, but I won’t hesitate to argue religion with people. I agree that there are genuine snarky attacks on Christians here and I find it distasteful. At the same time, I think people have a tendency to take religious discussion too personally, so sometimes things that are questioning/criticism are treated as an attack even if they’re not. But sometimes people are deliberately rude and dismissive and seem to assume that all Christians are the same—ironically these people probably get bent out of shape when someone says something that offends or generalizes them.

josie's avatar

@rockfan
@ragingloli
Got it
Thanks for your intelligent arguments.
You bring Fluther to the “Next Level”

rockfan's avatar

Also Christian conservatives believe in personal responsibility, yet their entire philosophy believes that a murderer or a pedophile can go to heaven, but Anne Frank deserves hell.

josie's avatar

@rockfan
Got it.
See above.
Thanks.

rockfan's avatar

I don’t see why you ask these questions when you aren’t willing to have a discussion, and you’re generally very short with people.

josie's avatar

Sorry to disappoint

Demosthenes's avatar

One thing you’ll notice is that the people who make mocking/nasty comments about Christians/Christianity would never say the same types of things about Islam/Muslims. If they are against religion in general, then, clearly whether a religion is associated with a minority or majority has something to do with it.

josie's avatar

I figure that the general empathy towards non-Christian (and Jewish) faiths on Fluther is just an indirect way of expressing antipathy towards the Christians and Jews. So my question stands.

rockfan's avatar

@Demosthenes

Just wondering, do you consider my comments to be mocking and nasty?

Also, many, many atheists who dislike Christianity also criticize Islam.

josie's avatar

@rockfan
Looking for the following words in my answer
“Mocking”
“Nasty”
Not finding them.
I am sure I could love you, but please seek live elsewhere.

rockfan's avatar

@josie

I was asking Demosthenes

And what do you mean by “seek live elsewhere”?

Demosthenes's avatar

@rockfan I don’t, no. I’m talking about things like “Christian worship zombies” or whatever (in addition to less flagrant comments about delusion or stupidity); in other words, statements that are intended to get a rise out of people, knowing they will be perceived as offensive. Stating the issues you have with certain Christian beliefs is not mocking.

@josie Sure, but they go after Christians because they are the majority religion in the U.S. that they are familiar with. Many are probably former Christians or were raised in a Christian household.

rockfan's avatar

If evangelical Christians get offended by “Christian worship zombies” than they need to get a thicker spine. Because a lot of the Christians who get offended by that are the same people who put up billboards saying that atheists are going to burn in Hell forever for not being a sycophant to a supernatural being we can’t even see. That’s way more offensive. But I’m not going to whine about it and act like a victim like many Christians on Fox News do.

Demosthenes's avatar

Well sure, and it’s fair to criticize those statements and call them out when they’re being cruel, but it’s when you lump all Christians together because of what some unsavory ones do and say that it becomes a problem. You can criticize or challenge the belief without insulting the people who might be friends and neighbors and perfectly decent people who happen to be Christian.

Not trying to take over your question, Josie, but this is something I like to discuss.

Caravanfan's avatar

I don’t fault anybody for their beliefs. I fault them for their actions.

johnpowell's avatar

Stop using your stupid made up book to push policy that hurts real people.

You can can believe whatever the fuck you want. If I look uninterested stop talking to me about it. Do not try to convert me. Do not use charity to force people into indoctrination. Do not lobby for laws that your stupid book mentions.

I don’t need to know you are a Christian. Never bring it up and we will be best mates. In return I will not mention my lack of religion. We can watch the Superbowl and eat nachos in perfect harmony.

I went to Thanksgiving around 25 years ago at my friends house. They had a painting of Jesus above the tv classy but we made it through a entire meal without trying to convert the gay dude that was also at the table.

Enjoy your bible stuff.. Just do it in the closet and keep it out of my earshot.

ucme's avatar

Because they gave my granpaw’s pet lion food poisoning.
No but really, I don’t hate them at all that would be weak & crass, dumbstruck maybe, startled even at the sheer madness of their beliefs but hey…their call.

basstrom188's avatar

Would you feel the same about Muslims, Hindus and buddhists?
As for Karl Marx, he advocated the withering of the state replacing it with interconnecting self governing co-operatives.

rebbel's avatar

I don’t hate anybody.
Anymore.
So far.

I’m with @johnpowell on the law/book thing.

kritiper's avatar

By exact definition, a Christian is a follower of the teachings of Jesus Christ. So that could be anyone, whether they actually believe or not. So I don’t hate Christians.
Full blown believers are another story! But I don’t hate them, I just think their belief and belief system is fkd up.

Dutchess_III's avatar

I don’t hate them. I love Snowberry and KNOWITALL. Some Christians are huge hypocrites, and I dislike them as much as I dislike any hypocrite.

KNOWITALL's avatar

Theist here, I’m still here but limiting my participation not only as a christian but as a self-proclaimed Liberal Republican. This site sways way too far left to be enjoyable to me personally, and it is rather antagonistic towards anyone who doesn’t feel the same, which is pretty ironic…haha!

So yes, it’s a great site with a few hypocrits, but like @Dutchess_III says, there’s a few that make it worthwhile to check in on occasion. Maybe after Trump is out of office or even re-elected it will calm down some on the antagonism.

Just fyi, when I first came here many years ago, the attacks on Christians were wayyyyy worse so it’s getting better from what I see. And I don’t think people here actually hate us, I think they feel differently, they are tired of religion in govt, they are tired of us supporting Trump or the next Rep in office based on religious beliefs. I can see how it would be frustrating but in order to change it you have to understand it, but many don’t put in the work for that because mocking is so much easier and requires little brain power. haha

If I had to give you an example here, it would be @JLeslie. She asks questions, she knows people, she clarifies, she tries not to judge or use broad generalizations. Even if we disagree, we know where each other stand and why, in most cases.

rockfan's avatar

But what do you define as “attacks on Christians”?

If I say the Bible is terrible book, that isn’t an attack on any Christian.

gorillapaws's avatar

@KNOWITALL ” I can see how it would be frustrating but in order to change it you have to understand it, but many don’t put in the work for that because mocking is so much easier and requires little brain power.”

I think most Atheists are generally more knowledgeable about the Bible than the average Christian.

For what it’s worth, I think the tone of many Atheists can be unnecessarily derisive. I’m somewhere between an Agnostic and a Theist who appreciates much of the New Testament. I try to live by many of the teachings of Christ because I agree with them, and that means treating others with respect and kindness regardless of their beliefs. It’s a shame that so many Christians in the US don’t live by those practices.

Zaku's avatar

“Why do you belittle them? Why is their faith and sense of community so inferior to your precious secular cynicism?”
1. I don’t mean to hate on or belittle all Christians.
2. I know and have known and met many people who identify as Christian whom I respect and have no particular issues with.
3. I’m not especially secular, and I’m even fairly accepting of the aspects of Christianity I don’t find offensive or problematic. The essential core of the original spiritual and philosophical content of Jesus I have little or no problem with. It’s the later Christian church dogma and practices that I think are misguided and destructive, and I think Jesus would probably share my opinions.
4. Mistakes include: Biblical literalism. Demonization and hostility towards other spiritual traditions. Crusades. Inquisitions and persecution of “heresy”. Pedophilia cover-ups. Destruction of other cultures (including those of my pre-Christian ancestors). Perverse, violent, destructive, inhumane mis-interpretations such as violent homophobic intolerance, US-conservative bullshit, misogyny, anti-reproductive-rights, shaming, conformist bullshit, condescension, excommunication, etc. Lack of actual spiritual practices. Ubiquity. Etc.

“The Communist Manifesto, and all of the following leftist dogma, is nothing more than a secular version of the Holy Bible. One is the religion of the glorious God, the other is the religion of the glorious State.”
“Why hate one and not the other?”
– Your view of “the Communist Manifesto” and “leftist dogma” seems bizarre and an alien concept to me. I recognize nothing in it that corresponds to my own ideas or views, or those of anyone I know. I only recognize a bizarre pattern that American conservative dogma seems stuck on, that people who disagree with them must be “communists” and love the power of “the state”, which is preposterously inaccurate to me.

KNOWITALL's avatar

@gorillapaws Myabe, we’ve had several (atheists) on fluther over the years that surprised me with their knowledge, theologians even.

The thing is, I’ve fallen out with my own auntie over religion when she asked me not to talk God in her house or around her friends. All my life I was raised a certain very strict religion and converted against my family’s wishes at 17 yrs old, then I moved out.

I think beliefs and religion are fluid, we all grow and learn other religions, practices and customs and hopefully evolve. But the main difference to me in how I treat people and how I’ve been treated by some non-religious folks, is that when one has a spiritual ‘epiphany’ of sorts, that is on their time….not mine. Perhaps I may learn something next year that changes my entire belief system, and that’s okay, but it will be on my time.

Trying to shame people or make them feel stupid for believing in ‘Big Sky Jesus’ and mocking my deity is not funny. But I know plenty here who enjoy hurting people with that, so I had to limit my participation.

KNOWITALL's avatar

@Zaku lol, so you have no problem with most christians and some parts of the religion?

You understand that accepting Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior do not necessarily mean you agree 100% with everything related to your ‘brand’ of christianity right? There are a ton of different beliefs, some regional (as I’ve discovered here) and some individual.

I assure you I could disagree with the christians on this site about SOMETHING involving religion or beliefs if they all hadn’t went into hiding. I believe even @snowberry is a little more strong in religion than myself, who is an admitted slacker/ bad christian….lol

Zaku's avatar

@KNOWITALL I don’t know whether I have “no problem” with “most Christians” or not. I just said I don’t mean to hate on or belittle all of them, and that I’ve known many whom I thought were lovely people who I didn’t have any issues getting along with.

“You understand that accepting Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior do not necessarily mean you agree 100% with everything related to your ‘brand’ of christianity right?”
Sure. I know there are countless factions and ways to be Christian.

However I do think the wording “accepting Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior” tends to be taken and used very literally and aggressively by many American Christians, particularly the ones who will engage even strangers on the street to ask them if they have done that yet. I do take issue with that, and consider it a problematic way to relate to Christianity. I don’t think Jesus would approve.

Dutchess_III's avatar

I agree with you @Zaku. Christians telling us we’re going to hell if we don’t do it their way. I don’t think Jesus would approve, either.

KNOWITALL's avatar

I think what you guys are hearing is not what they are saying.

Anyhoo I wont defend religion here, of all places. Peace.

LostInParadise's avatar

Religion in the industrial world is dying. The religiously unaffiliated make up something around ⅓ of milennials, outnumbering Catholics. As long as believers don’t try to tell me what to believe or discriminate against me for my disbelief, they can say whatever they want, but it would not disturb me if it got to the point that the only religious ceremonies were in museum exhibits.

mazingerz88's avatar

No idea Christians were hated here in Fluther. Missed that one. Or seen something and forgot.

I do remember good debates between Christians and atheists.

I do hate hypocrisy, no matter what religion you practice.

rojo's avatar

I don’t hate them. In order to hate someone you have to care and I do not.

It is shit like this Sessions announces new ‘religious liberty task force’ that irritates and causes friction within the larger community.

Dutchess_III's avatar

One of the worst left a long time ago. He was really bad about about posting insulting questions aimed toward Christians. I guess he desperately wanted them to feel foolish, but I don’t know why. Anybody know why someone would want others to feel silly and stupid?

kritiper's avatar

@Dutchess_III I think he enjoyed being confrontational.

Dutchess_III's avatar

@Demosthenes ”...would never say the same types of things about Islam/Muslims. ” Speaking for myself, I don’t know any Muslims.I don’t know that I’ve ever even spoken to a Muslim. I have never had a Muslim telling me I’m going to hell or trying to convert me. Muslims seem to mind their own business, whereas Christianity is exactly the opposite. I really know next to nothing about the religion. So it’s not that I wouldn’t, it’s that I have never had any reason to.

stanleybmanly's avatar

Why not “hate” BOTH the state and religion. And I don’t believe folks here rag so much on Christianity or any other religion until some believer inserts some aspect of the topic into the conversation. The false equivalence of God & the state is rather obvious. The imaginary deity should not be compared or contrasted with all too real and omnipotent state.

Dutchess_III's avatar

I think you are right, @stanleybmanly. I don’t believe I have ever initiated religious discussions out of the blue.

KNOWITALL's avatar

@Dutchess_III I believe ET studied theology and was very interested in it and how we as humans dealt with it. Insulting or not, he knew his stuff which made his posts more interesting to me.

Pointing out hypocrisy or contradictions in religion is not bad in itself, it’s more about using words like @stanleybmanly ‘imaginary deity’, that I find rather rude and pointless.

And if people like him don’t understand Christianity and how Trump won the election, well, that’s their issue but it’s a very real thing. And it’s getting more important as the divide widens politically.

stanleybmanly's avatar

Not rude, nor unnecessary. You are too gentle. Imaginary deity is probably insulting, but no more so than the idea that I should participate in furthering the delusion. It is not meant to be rude nor insulting. It is in fact “my religion”.

Dutchess_III's avatar

It’s your belief @stanleybmanly. But I understand where she’s coming from. When I was born again, I could have just shrugged off comments like that, but everyone is different.

stanleybmanly's avatar

And we really should discuss “Christianity and how Trump won the election.” Let me put it this way. I can imagine no greater validation for rejection of any faith than the flocking of its proponents to a man as vile and reprehensible as Trump. Even as a neutral observer, what should one think about people who would literally embrace the devil himself on the belief that “he’s better Hillary”?

stanleybmanly's avatar

I don’t go around picking on Christians or devil worshipers, but have learned from experience that a blunt response to “have you been saved?” is the kind defense. Sort of like the rattle on a snake.

Dutchess_III's avatar

Yeah, that’s the “hypocrite” problem I have with any Christian who defends Trump. But, like I said, I have a problem with ALL hypocrites.

KNOWITALL's avatar

@stanleybmanly I’ve talked about it before (The Christianity/ Trump phenom) but it always devolves into everyone thinking Trump is my hero, so no thanks.

As far as calling my deity ‘imaginary’, I honestly would think more of you (or anyone) as a human if you wrote “I do not believe in God” and just left it at that. I mean if I’m around Buddhists, I don’t make fun of their haircuts or shrines….it’s different, not my thing, but I can admire the shiny gold mini temples and fresh foods and incense. I just was raised to be polite when I could, especially to people who did me no harm. It’s all good, I really am beyond caring anymore, fluther has toughened me up haha!

Dutchess_III's avatar

I never thought you supported him @KNOWITALL.

KNOWITALL's avatar

@Dutchess_III I support a lot of things in politics, but no one person has gained 100% of my admiration. Now I could list a few things from each that I really appreciated, even Trump, but my support is for the American people, not the left, not the right.

Additionally I will acknowledge and pray for whomever is in office, including Trump. No “he’s not MY President” will ever come out of my mouth, nor did it for any other President. To me that is disrespecting the office, the election process and democracy itself.

Dutchess_III's avatar

Fair enough. I think he’s despicable, personally.

KNOWITALL's avatar

@Dutchess_III I think he is not a politician and has made some mistakes for sure, he has not been groomed for public office and just like I wouldn’t run for Mayor without serving as an Alderman first, I’m not sure he was sufficiently prepped for everything that would be entailed. Just my take.

gorillapaws's avatar

@KNOWITALL ”[Trump] has made some mistakes for sure”

Just to be clear, do you consider grabbing women by the pussy a “mistake” that can be written off as political inexperience, or is that something else?

stanleybmanly's avatar

When considering Trump, the defects are beyond mere mistakes. The thing that floors me when people prefer to believe themselves reasonable or tolerant regarding Trump is the failure to appreciate that his behavior is NOT about mistakes. Expecting Trump to function as President is equivalent to asking a cow to climb a tree. All of us see the same animal, recognize the mooing and cud chewing for what it is. We all see the cow struggling, as the “reasonable” folks insist “the cow is learning on the job. We must give it a chance.” The rest of us are damned near hysterical as well as hoarse from screaming “But it’s a fkn cow!”

chyna's avatar

How did a question on hating Christians turn into Trump?

stanleybmanly's avatar

Let’s review the conversation and see just where he enters. But it’s a good bet that he must intersect with any long running thread sooner or later. And the issue of his suitability is critical enough that none of us should allow ourselves the extravagance of rolling along as though things are “normal”. We are in serious trouble.

stanleybmanly's avatar

It appears that @KNOWITALL is the culprit.

Response moderated
Irukandji's avatar

@josie Why do you hate Christians so?

I don’t. Have you stopped beating your wife?

KNOWITALL's avatar

@gorillapaws In the context of the conversation, which I’ve read thoroughly, he was discussing how some women will do anything for money. He wasn’t wrong. If they are working girls, they probably encouraged it. Like Stormy. So am I mad he said the words and still ran for President….not really, many men are pigs, nothing new there.

@stanleybmanly Culprit? There’s no accountability here, so I’m just honest. I’ve only been called names and told hundreds of times it’s because our religion influences our politics, which affects everyone else’s day to day life.

stanleybmanly's avatar

It’s another of those rude words like “imaginary”. It’s important that you notice my talent for deliberate cruelty as well my skill at shifting the blame. I won’t fault Trump for whoring around, but then again, I don’t profess to be a component of “the moral majority” or a “devout and good” Christian. If bimbo addiction were Trump’s lone defect, we would be fortunate indeed. What I am telling you is that when confronted with Trump the load of reprehension is so severe that you can neither tolerate nor ignore it, and then delude yourself in the belief that you are an ethical person.

KNOWITALL's avatar

@stanleybmanly LOL, gotta run. I’ll try to check in later.

rojo's avatar

Read earlier that there are two people you need to be wary of: A politician who tells you what to believe and a preacher who tells you how to vote.

ragingloli's avatar

“Man will never be free until the last king is strangled with the entrails of the last priest”

Dutchess_III's avatar

The fact that he ran for president of the US knowing how vastly ill prepared and inexperienced he would be for the job, and, in fact, having no idea what the job entails, is one huge, stupid mistake.

Response moderated (Flame-Bait)
mazingerz88's avatar

Why do Christians hate pro-choice people?

With regards to Fluther, not sure how much belittling Christians have to endure here in this site. Is that even accurate or just an impression?

To be fair out of frustration I might belittle anybody who is a hypocrite and cruel. Christian or not.

Also I think even some Christians don’t share similar beliefs as to who is a real Christian or not. So which Christian is being referred to here?

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