As a Christian - Know what I get sick of???

"Christians saying that if poor people want insurance they could get a second or third job (my pastor).

That the blacks before Katrina would have left if they had their welfare checks.

God understands my weaknesses -but those homos are headed for hell if they don't change.

That killing people with bombs is ok but abortionist are going to hell in a handbasket.

That Muslims are children of Lucifer.

That my brother is my fellow Christian.

Can you think of anything else that chaps your ass about what your brothers and sisters in the faith believe?

 

Calling upon enmity.

 

Everyone says things like that, not just Christians. Thats precisely why I dont do organized religion; at least with people that don't claim a religion you aren't dealing with hatred and hypocricy.

 

"Enmity - mutual hatred or ill will." I completely agree. There is no room for hatred in the gospel of Christ.

 

There are as much different christians as there are different interpretations of the bible. Some are bound to clash with you or your views. I can imagine it's frustrating to see other peeps rape your religion by calling themselves christian and acting ignorant and hateful to all they dislike but I wouldn't let it get to you if I were you. This is what happens when you connect to a religious group, but in the end what and how you experience and believe is always personal. That's the only thing that troubles me, why can't people accept other peoples belief. It kind of seems that they dislike seeing people have faith in something different.

 

Perhaps not as much hypocrisy - but hate of those we don't understand is universal. It knows no boundaries when it comes to the religious or non-religious.
In organized religion I can sit down with a group of kids whose parents are supposed to be about Christ love and tell explain to them that God is love. If you know love, you know God and vice-versa.

 

'Can you think of anything else that chaps your ass about what your brothers and sisters in the faith believe?"

^This, is a call for enmity

 

I'm not sure where you are headed with the idea of enmity. But I do know Jesus had no problem challenging those who used the faith for their own selfish edification. And to call a (excuse my illustration) a spade a spade is not enmity. Those who verbalize hate and judgment should be addressed in love. If we allow judgment, and hate and prejudice to flourish, then we have ignored the call of Christ. Our example did it frequently.

I say this knowing full well that I am the greatest offender when I am not in secret.

 

I can appreciate what you are saying. I would think it desirable to confront "a spade" when you are confronted with one. To ask the question, "can you think of anything that chaps your ass" in the mean time is to call upon enmity.

Perhaps a better question to ask in the interim, given the measure of hypocrisy we see is how do we transcend the ignorant weight of it. Can we shine to the extent that the truth comes through no matter the propensity to confusion.

 

You are probably right in calling me on this. Perhaps not the most Christ like way to address a serious issue. In my situation I find that this forum is about the only way to give my frustration air. I do find myself saying things that require self examination.

 

Many, many Christians think judging is their right and priviledge...

Also, Christians that completely overlook Jesus's example but spread their own perverted brand of christianity (that is more "favored" in the OT. lol)

Christians that want to stick with the eye for an eye thing, no matter what...

 

and I really do/did understand the question regarding the (sometimes) behavior of people that will quite often loudly and proudly call themselves a Christian...when I know, well, just too much about the said people.
Also, when people like Anita Bryant act like they are speaking for all Christians, with her big anti-gay crap, it makes me want to just spit.
I know I am a Christian, and more often than not these people calling themselves one would rather pick at the speck in my eye than the mote in their own.

 

When I was a member of the Mormon faith , I was told by another member that i shouldnt be seen hanging out with a particular friend of mine because she had a wild reputation.
Mind you , I was carrying food and drink down to her house because she had just had major surgery.
This was a REAL eye opener !

 

Since I am an openly gay man - it was easy for me to resent people like Anita Bryant, plus all those Christian folks that damned Matthew Shepard straight to hell.

But as I get older, I finally see that anger begets anger, so there's not much point in resenting those Christians that seem to believe I am going to hell, etc. I'm sure they have their reasons: Perhaps it's something they learned from their parents'?

Anyway, I admire Mother Teresa - so not all religious people are bad. Also, Thomas Merton was a great spirit. However, you do bring up a good point: Jesus reached out his hand to everyone. So by his example - it makes little sense to condemn someone just for being different. A little empathy goes a long way.

QP

BTW, I consider myself a Christian. Prayer is an important part of my life. And I have found a Christian church that accepts me just the way I am.

 

I agree that excessive polemics can be hurtful to Christianity's image, and ultimately the entire faith, but did Jesus just reach out to those who were the outcasts and sinners (which we all are), or did he ask them to take one step as well?

As much as I hate the "God meeting us half-way" shit that is out there (God came all the way, fyi) I also have a small inkling of distrust for those that preach an overly sentimental Gospel. Jesus called people to repent and change their lives. So did his predecessor John, whom Jesus submitted to as a sign for us (that we should to be baptised).

 

"Drugs are wrong, no questions asked" (even if they invoke religious experiences)

"Other gods are the wrong way" (how is one so sure out of all gods that their's is the 'right' one?)

"If it wasn't in the bible it isn't gospel"

"The bible is the literal and exact word of god"

"Jesus was the ONLY son of god" (even though we all come from the same place, are all god's children, and are all made of the same flesh. This is extremely hypocritical)

"You have to follow the rules in the bible in order to be accepted by god"

"Nietzsche was just a wounded christian" (I've actually heard a few say this and I almost blew a damn gasket!)

"Near death religious experiences are real"

"Jesus literally rose from the dead"

"It's okay to murder sometimes" (even though we're all supposedly god's children and god is love, sometimes he allows people to kill other people)


I could go on all day.

 

I do find it difficult to fulfill everything within Christianity. I don't think it is humanely possible to do so, and I am beginning to take the Catholic stance that not all sins are equal to God.

I mean, who would God accept? People that follow every single letter of the law? What about following 99% of it? Will those people get the second death? I think the interpretation where we have to follow everything all the time is a heavy burden, something that Jesus himself was against. I think the part where Jesus says, "The spirit is willing, but the body is weak" really define a lot on how Jesus treated our sinful nature. I think the mere willingness to do good can be beneficial, but always beating ourselves up for missing the mark (our very nature is to miss the mark) leaves a person feeling guilty for existing.

Wasn't there a verse in scripture that says if we do a single act of faith, then we are saved? I think that goes along with the part in revelations where it says it see's a great multitude.

 

Christians who think they are living as christians by not actually living by the words of Jesus Christ but are living by some artificial set of standards set in place to control the people.

 

i punched my Christian cousin in the mouth once, cause he said "why should his taxes pay for people food stamps" .. Bigot PLOW!!! there was more to the argument. One this fuckshit works for tyson foods. Their answering machine is this "hi you have reached the xxxxxxxishes, a family powered by tyson, have you had your protein today?"

 

Christianity has always been about principals. But when it is turned into pure emulation, that is when principals turn into mere ritualistic behaviors. Meaning, nothing has changed within the person, but is merely masking what's inside. Many Christians confuse the two and expect that every situation requires the same exact decision.

Believing and understanding the three categories of Elohim, whether God speaks through angels, knowing whether or not wearing long hair is wrong... questions like these are very vain, or a belief that these things actually happened is beyond what is truly important within Christianity.

Christians do try to live by the word of God, but they can get confused and think what they're doing is God's will. Confusing emulation for principals. It is actually quite noble for them to do this, many times, but they're a little lost. I can see that now.