Thoughts/views on Christianity?

Personally I think that all religions are cults. People are telling you what and how to think, and if you stray from that then you are seen as sinful and wrong. I'm okay with God (if there is one) it's just the whole holy book/worship thing I dislike. I truly feel that religion is the reason that there is violence and hatred in the world.

I would date someone who believed in God, as long as they weren't religious.

 

This quote is a bit hyperbolic, but it sums up a lot of what I feel. I'm Jewish and don't believe in the divinity of Jesus, but I believe he was an important rabbi with many great teachings. Between being Jewish and being gay, I feel judged and sometimes demonized by modern Christians. I know that there are many who are not anti-Semitic and homophobic, but there are too many who are too loud in their hate, which tarnishes the reputation of both Christ and Christians.

 

Humans are the reason there is violence and hatred: with or without religion someone would find an excuse.


Personally, I'm okay so long as they don't try and convert me. That's why I like the place I live in: apart from the occasional jehovah's witnesses coming to your door and methodists occasionally daring to air their homophobia, it's okay. Even the Romans Catholic Monsignor here has asked Catholics to tell him their opinions and be open about supporting homosexuality, though he is still reluctant to accept that people under 60 are largely indifferent about what other people get up to.

I'm an athiest - i realised one day that I thought of all religious worldviews as being completely separate from my own (they didn't "click" with me). I would be friends with someone who was religious, but they would have to be open minded and laid back in their approach to religion, like my family are. Romantically, probably not with any religious person.

 

I was raised a Mormon.

Im an atheist, and very much view the Christian God as a Santa Claus that lasts into adulthood, for most. A tool used to get a desired response out of a mass of people by using the threat of punishment and someone watching you as a means to get compliance.

"He sees you when you're sleeping, he knows when you're awake. He knows when you've been bad or good, so be good for goodness sake"...cause you'll burn in hell/outer darkness/denied family in afterlife if you dont etc. Etc.

I used to cling to religion and was scared at first when I started questioning it, but the amount of answers that are available without divine explanation are by far better for me than what is available in religion.

My husband is not religious, but believes in a higher power. I could not be with a religious person, friends, that's fine, emotional personal relationships, nope, couldn't do it. I have a few extremely religious/Christian friends and I love them, they are awesome and we will have conversations about what they did in church, etc.

The bible, I can't express my thoughts on that without sounding offensive so, uh, I feel the bible is fictional, and that's about what I will share with that.

Yes you can be christian/spiritual with religion and be gay, some Christian religions even embrace/accept homosexuality (have openly gay church leaders, etc). I think it would be a struggle to maintain the more popular religious ideas if you were gay, but I do have a couple out friends that are devote Mormons. The church doesn't prevent them from attending, just pretends they don't exist.

I actually really love reading about world religions, considered majoring in religion somehow, it is fascinating stuff. But also furthered my lack of belief. Made it more concrete.

 

Same. ^

 

Im not religious, but I am spiritual. Personally I dont care what religion you choose, its your right to follow or not follow, weather I agree with it or not.

To me there are two types of Christians.

1. The Christians who love, and respect one another while spreading the good word of the Lord. They respect you even if you are not a Christian, and dont rub their religion in your face. This is Christianity.

2. The Christians who believe that you are going to Hell for anything that you may possibly do, but they wont because of what THEY interpret as the word of the Lord. They will condem anyone or anything, call the Bible the law even though they dont follow these said laws (ie: mixed fabrics, shellfish, stoning, etc..) They are happy if you are religious but only if it is the right religion (theirs). These are usually your nutjobs you hear about in the media. (Huckabee, Davis, Westboro Baptist, and usually any televangilist). This is not Christianity.

 

There are certain opinions in and of themselves that are highly associated with Christianity, e.g. homophobia, that if at all expressed, should be punishable. If acted upon in relation to a crime such as physical violence, it should never be seen as something that means the perpetrator should be cut slack.

I think trying to convert someone should be illegal after the first no. If Jehova's Witnesses, for example, come knockin at your door and ask you, "Hello, would you like to know about our teachings?" etc. etc., and the person says no one time, they are to leave immediately or face legal punishment.

In general, my views on what religion is allowed to do are pretty radical.
That said. One must remember that there is a difference between personal faith and religion. What a Christian person believes in is going to be vastly different from that of many other Christians - they are one in three people, after all.
And there are are even major differnces within religion. Buddhism means something very different in Tibet compared to what it does in Japan - even though the similarities justify their being grouped together.

Personal faith should always be respected, minus bigoted views such as homophobia. If one believes there is a God that is omnipotent and so on, that's okay; if one believes that Muhammed is His Prophet, then that's okay; if one believes that the principle of Yin and Yang in which opposites counteract and complete wholes, are applicable to the real world, one may believe that.
As long as it doesn't include evil opinions, is used for manipulation or evil actions, and in general is not harmful, but based only on a person's spiritual drive, I think religion and Christianity is fine. What makes it hard to agree with this view, I think, is that it is not the way the world looks like, and perhaps even a little bit naïve.

 

I'm a Christian, and also a Buddhist.

I was raised in an extremely conservative Christian family, good people, but also (unfortunately) very homophobic. This is one of the only things I staunchly disagree with my family on. Mostly I think they don't know how to approach it and are rather ignorant of the realities the homosexual community face.

They believe that being gay is a choice, therefore if you aregay then you are choosing to commit a horrible sin without intention to repent and will go to hell for it. Sad, I know.

But enough of that. What I've arrived at is this:
-Gay people are in fact, real. They are legit and cannot change (nor did they choose) their sexual orientation.

-If this is true, then God must have known that some people would be gay.

-In the Bible, it states that He makes no mistakes in his design (quoting "before I formed you in the womb I knew you") and also that He does not tempt people into sin.

-That said, if homosexuals are naturally a part of God's design and He truly is good, then they cannot be monsters doomed to hell. They are just like heterosexuals, and bound by the same religious cautions about sexual behavior that is spoken of in the Bible.

-So what then of the infamous "clobber passages" in the Bible... Disregarding the leviticus passages, homosexuality is only every mentioned (I believe) by Paul in his letters. Now, I do in fact believe that the Bible is holy and the inerrant word of God, so I'm not going to peg those passages as "wrong" due to Paul being misguided or something or another. They're there for a reason. Simply, I think that contextual/cultural interpretations for this passage are important.

Most Christians (who are supportive of the notion of homosexual Christians) take one of two stances:
1) Homosexuality is blessed by God and can bare the same good fruit as a heterosexual relationship, if pursued in a Godly manner. So it's not wrong and gay people should be able to "enjoy marital intimacies" just as well as non-gay people.

2) Homosexuality is more of a burden, and those who are cannot engage in a gay lifestyle (becaus it's a sin) and they must remain celibate, lifelong, in order to live righteously. This is due to more of a literal take on the anti-homosexual passages in the Bible.

I take side 1, as you can probably tell. But I am also a firm supporter of Biblical marriage (as in, following all the guidelines set forth for a holy union as spoken of in the Bible) - which in my opinion can apply to both straight and gay relationships just as well.

In the end I don't think I'd "recommend" either stance to a gay Christian. let each person decide for themself, based on how God convicts them, where to stand in this. Personally, while I identify as queer I don't think I could ever feel right in a sexual relationship with another person and therefore have chosen to stay celibate for my own reasons. But I don't mandate to others that this is the one and only "right way" to go.

Would I ever date a gay Christian... absolutely yes. If I felt that the said person was who I was supposed to be with I would date them. It never hurts if they share your beliefs after all.

I'm also a (Theravada) Buddhist, so I think I'm a tad more open-minded than most strict religious people...


Sorry for the extremely long explanation, but that's part of where I stand in all of this. One member here who has a great perspective is Patrick_UK, and he's also an advisor of some sort so you could get in touch with him if you'd like.

Cheers.
-Alec

 

Lemme just borrow something from my facebook right quick ^^

"I find myself posting plenty of things about Atheism, but it's occured to me I never actually post anything that pertains to my own feelings on the matter. So I'm going to go about the subject in my own words.

I think it's safe to say that everyone knows I'm an atheist. My facebook updates and statues make it very obvious to any and everyone. The question, however, remains; Why? How did it happen? What do I feel in regards to religion.

Why? Seems a fair enough starting point. I suppose the best answer is that given the mass array of religions out there, and the complete lack of evidence for any of them. All signs in logic point to the concept that a god doesn't exists. Reality may be preceptive and to those who believe in a god truly perhaps their reality invites the existence of such a being, but to me I see no evidence, I see no proof, and I see no need for a supernatural being in our world, or our universe.

The idea is mind numbing to me honestly. I think it's more eloquent and more beautiful to know the truth of the matter. By some chance, by a simple accident our planet wound up in the right place at the right time, with just the ideal circumstances to create life. That we sifted through the onslaught of other species and became the thinkers, became the dominant force in our planet. It's a real treat to know that by accident we are where we are, by accident we exist. To me it doesn't take away any meaning to know this, it just makes the truth of the matter so much more beautiful because you gain an appreciation for life you could never have if someone plotted out your existence and your life before you were even an entity or a concious being. So for me, I'm happy with what is and what has always been.

How? This I feel a shame in telling. Not because the story itself is shameful, but because circumstances lead to my questioning, I didn't break away from a foolish mindset by intelligence, but by a natural change in time that came with coming to understand one's self.

Around the age of fourteen, when I suppose you could say I came into the age of sexual awareness, I began to take a notice not just to women but also to men, and as a result I had to come to realize I wasn't exactly straight. This of course was bane of my religious views and through this simple means I found myself at an impass; repress who I was or question everything I was taught to believe. Luckily, I decided to challenge mental domination and came to a true understanding of the world.

I'd like to break away from topic though and go into one of the other purposes of this rant/essay type deal I'm writing out here. I was outed I suppose at some point shortly after my coming to terms with my own personal sexual orientation and upon that I found out the other side to the Christian faith. The ugly side you could say...the one where the people you care about become your enemies.

My father, who has come to his own terms with me, at the time was not so nice about it at first. He took me to the bedroom, talked about god's holy word and that being gay was evil. All the things we've heard a thousand times by this point. What was different? Well...probably that part where he lifted the cat's tail up and asked me if I was turned on by our cat. I don't know if he realized at the time, or if he even knows now, but the truth of the matter is...that was probably the most disturbing memory of my life. Not just because my dad accused me of beastiality, but because he was actually commited to the idea that I must want to have intercourse with kittens. It was just awful, and hurtful, plus it was uncomfortable. So if you really want to know what I have against religion, just think about that...

I feel alot of different things towards religion. I can't say I completely hate religion, because alot of Christians take the good moral standings out of it and leave the rest behind. It's not true to the faith, but it's their own life and I can't tell them otherwise, plus no one gets hurt in that scenario. Then you have the people like those at Westboro baptist who protest military funerals because of homosexuality or some such nonsense. Above all though, you have events like the Crusades, events like Hitler's genocide, and so many other terrible things caused by religion that make the idea of it so terrifying, you almost feel like you have to stand against such a destructive force. I try to let everyone to their own vices, but sometimes you also just want to scream out to the world your frustraitions and let them know how you feel.

I'm an atheist. I don't know what you are, or how strongly you are commited to what you do or do not believe, but I am what I am, and I'm happy to be that and that alone. Don't be controlled, don't be mislead. You can have your religion, but don't blindly follow the pastor who speaks nonsense and commands you to shun or hurt others...follow human decency and find your own moral compass."

 

Its not for me. I was raised catholic, and left it as soon as i could think for myself. I now identify as a heathen and a celtic reconstructionist. I worship the norse and celtic gods, to put it simply. Neither religions have any holy book. I believe and worship in my own way, and don't give a solitary fuck about what my fellow pagans think. I have opinions and views, some I share with others, some I don't.

I went through a very hard time. The god I was told to worship and unconditionally love, and the people who follow him, told me I was wrong. That I cant be attracted to people of the same gender and that my gender was wrong and unnatural. I cant be a girl because I was born a male, that the gender binary was the only way to be. I was scared of going to this hell place. I was abandoned by god. But my main gripe with Christianity is the fear spreading. The concept of heaven and hell, of being damned or saved due to some actions. I was taught that i had to be the best person and not be myself, so I could avoid going to hell.

I found pagan religions, then heathenry, and then celtic reconstructionism. The honoring of nature, and there being no holy book, no set guidelines. Just the faith I have and some common beliefs. Now I am a human. I don't know if there is a higher power, there may be, there may not be. But I believe in my gods, and that is that.

Granted, Im also an occultist. I practice chaos magick. Generally, most occultists don't have the greatest view of Christianity, nor does christianity have the greatest view of us.

But, there are some very nice christians. It is not for me, I don't support it in a of ways, but anyone can practice what they can, and I support that very much. I dont look down upon christians, nor do I necessarily respect them. I really dont mean to offend anyone, these are just my personal feelings.

 

Oh Christianity, the religion of Christ. (I don't even know where I was trying to go with that but okay... I word vomit every once in a while)

Most people I know are Christian but it's hard to come by a very religious person where I live. Especially if you live near the downtown area. I used to go to theatre classes and the people there are the most liberal people I know who live locally. I don't really like Christianity all that much (all kinds) but I don't hate people automatically for being Christian. After all I am being raised one though I don't particularly like being a part of it. Though my family is Methodist, not Baptist, so that helps.

 

I'm a staunch atheist. I dislike religion very much and I see no reason to believe in any of it. But what religion someone practices is not my business. People are who they are, and they have the right to believe in or worship whatever they feel like. If it makes you happy, more power to you. I don't look down on religious people; that would be as bad as people discriminating against the LGBT community. Just don't force it on me. That's all I ask and that's all I'm going to say.

 

Glad you enjoyed reading it.

Technically it's about atheism, but it does cover a lot of my feelings/thoughts about Christianity as well.

Surprisingly that post opened up a pretty nice conversation between me a few Christians I knew at the time.

 

I distrust religion in general and personally view it as a tool to control the masses, but I respect anyone who chooses to follow one so long as they're not forcing it on me. So long as I am respect, I too will respect them and not be one of those obnoxious atheists who scream that there's no God to people.
I have a few great friends who are "good" Christians, as in they are kind, good people whose religion motivates them to be better people. I see no problem with this at all. I like the teachings of Jesus, I just don't believe him to be the son of God or to believe any of that in general. But it is your choice, so long as we can all respect each other.

 

Ok so I grew up catholic. I had some rocky faith in my middle school years and I went to a youth conference before 9th grade that changed my life and drew me closer to God. But it was a blind following. In 11th grade, I suffered a concussion, it messed me up bad. It lasted a year and I hated that God would give me that on top of losing my brother before middle school. My youth minister set me up to talk to a priest and that was all good and he told me some stuff I needed to hear. He brought me back to God and I went on another youth conference. That one was less of a blind following. I knew exactly what I wanted to get out of it, and I got it. Then, my senior year came. I realized I wasn't straight. Religion was pushed aside. Nature was my God for quite some time. I still went on the youth conference again the summer after I graduated. I didn't want to, but I had already spent the money. I missed the actual confession times for the weekend, so I ended up grabbing a priest during dinner to hear my confession. I don't know why, but I came out to him. His reaction could not have been better. He told me a lot of things I needed to hear and helped me to come back to God. I don't know where my faith will go from here, but for now, I have it to fall back on. I hope you can find solace in a God who loves you no matter what. He made you the way you are. Maybe, one day, a gay Christian won't be such a problem in society. I think that's what God wants. Unity. Christians don't have to be straight, but a lot of Christians seem to think that's how it should be. Don't listen to them, they aren't really Christians. Christ would never condemn someone like that. The sin of homosexuality is not a sin by itself. Just being gay isn't a sin. Now, that being said, homosexual acts are said to be a sin. I am still one the fence about that. Don't give up on God because a few crazies tell you he hates you for being gay.