I can’t stand evangelical Xians.

[raccoon]

They come across like “I’m right, and since you don’t agree with me 100%, you’re wrong. And, of course, you’re going to hell.”

They come across as, at worst obnoxious and pushy, and at best, partronizing and arrogant.

Looks to me like, if you want to SELL a religion, that isn’t the way to sell it.

I just wanted to get this off my chest. :-)

[callous taoboy]

1. Three of my colleagues know for certain that I am hell bound.

Their smug self-righteousness only serves to push me further away from anything these assholes have to offer.

On edit: However, I have come into contact with evangelicals who seem to "get" what positive role the church can play in society. Please check out the Rev. Dr. C. Welton Gaddy's site:

http://www.interfaithalliance.org/about/meet-our-president

[lazer47]

15. It actually takes one great big load of FAITH to beleive in HELL to start with

[callous taoboy]

17. And your point is.....

[sakabatou]

19. Ask them

If any one of them can really throw the first stone.

[callous taoboy]

21. Call me paranoid,

but just the way they interact with me it's as though I have less to offer because, well, you know, I'm "different." One of them is always trying to play "gotcha" with me when it comes to some of the specifics of our job, but he always ends up with egg on his face.

[Cirque du So-What]

2. Believe me, they employ a whole range of 'sales tactics'

And the one you mention is one of the least effective, IMO. Without getting into a discussion of all those tactics, however, it's important to recognize that religion is a product that's sold just like auto insurance or certificates of deposit.

[rsmith6621]

3. What Is A Xians

.....are they a new religion????...or are they the group of people who celebrate XMAS.

[rd_kent]

18. I use Xtian because it represents the worst

of the christian faith, Those who give what could be a good thing a bad name.

[patrice]

4. Oh, I bet it probably sells pretty well = "I scratch your back: You scratch mine" business model.

[patrice]

5. P.S. Could this be their appeal in Central and South America? PATRONAGE.

[beam me up scottie]

6. Jesus tapdancing Christ, enough with the broadbrush already.

Now we'll be treated to a week's worth of "Why I hate people who hate people who love Jeebus" threads.



Alerted.

[MNDemNY]

10. Go even broader! Deists are a pain in the ass. All of them.

[moggie]

16. People suck

In fact, mammals in general? Bunch of bastards.

[beam me up scottie]

20. Ban them! Anything with boobies!

Wait, what about marsupials?

[moggie]

22. Are you kidding?

Marsupials? Take a look at this guy:



Or this:



Or this:



I'm sorry, Australia, but no. There are standards in civilised society, and lacking a placenta doesn't exempt you.

[beam me up scottie]

23. Aminals!

1) His dad must be so proud
2) Looks disturbingly human
3) Obviously they don't have enough of teh Jeebus yet

:rofl:

[napi21]

7. You may not believe this, but they're not all the same.

I have several relatives, one is even a Christian minister, who are stronger Dem activists than a lot of DUers are. I know the minister's wife told me several times how much it upsets her when Dems lump all evangelicals together.

[raccoon]

13. Perhaps I should amend the OP to: "arrogant, evangelizing, evangelical Xians." nt

[JerseygirlCT]

31. That's true. Evangelical and fundamentalist are often

used interchangeably. There are actual a fair number of liberal evangelical Christians out there. But in a way, they're less noticeable, because much of their evangelizing is done with actions, not words. They'll share their belief if asked, but they're not out preaching fire and brimstone.

[Warpy]

8. I dig my heels in at all sorts of sales jobs

and Jebus sellers aren't any worse than the rest of them.

What bugs me is the bland assumption that every worthwhile person in the world agrees with them and the people who don't agree with them should be marginalized and abused. This mindset comes from otherwise nice people who don't generally hit you over the head with the bible. They just can't conceive of anyone who doesn't buy the Jesus myth having any worth, whatsoever.

Still, I know more fine Christians than rotten ones, people who know I'm a Buddhist and cope with it, although the cutoff points in their heads prevent them from understanding fully what it means.

Try to hard sell me anything from magazines to Jebus, though, and you're not going to like the result.

[raccoon]

12. Well said! Especially this:

"What bugs me is the bland assumption that every worthwhile person in the world agrees with them and the people who don't agree with them should be marginalized and abused. "

[patrice]

9. This is a debate that started with St. Paul. He won, btw, but it continues today.

And you DO meet Christians who think entirely tooooo much emphasis is placed upon St. Paul and not nearly enough emphasis on the more Internal landscape of one's Christianity.

[YOY]

11. I have pointed out to them that if a person is kind and giving but doesn't subscribe to thier cult..

and go to hell. Then their version of God sure sounds like a real asshole.

Of course that's just how they invented him. To be a perfect mock up of them. Judgemental assholes.

If there's a God...I'm pretty sure he/she has the room and reason to be something more than a real dick.

They don't push it further from there. I am sure some would pull out scripture quotes...never had it done but my reply would be "that's special...but that doesn't change what I just pointed out."

Just remember that Carter is also an Evangelical...a hell of a nice and non-judgemental one too.

[rrneck]

14. Why are members of

religions unable to police their own ranks?

There are lots and lots of fine upstanding members of lots and lots of religions. Why if it is such a wonderful way to live do they let all those arrogant, homicidal jerks hide among them and make the whole outfit look bad?

If following one religious faith or another led to better people, why are religions so frequently used as a lever to bring out the very worst in them?

When does the practice of any given religion jump the shark of moral rectitude and how does it happen?

[frogmarch]

24. That used to be

how I felt about Christians in general, until some years ago, on an Easter Sunday, when my daughter, an atheist like me, had car trouble on her way back to Denver from visiting her dad and me in Wyoming. The wind was howling, snow was blowing and the temps were frigid. No one, not even patrolmen, stopped to help her. A few passing motorists slowed down, but when they saw her dog, a big lab/chow mix, they kept going. It was before cell phones, so she couldn't call for help. Finally, a van pulled up behind her and stopped. While Christian music poured from the van, several cheerful, smiling people got out and helped her and her equally cold dog into their van, wrapped them both in blankets and gave my daughter hot coffee to help warm her, and the dog some broth in a thermos cup. Singing happily with the hallelujah music playing on the radio, these "happy Christians", as she described them, took her to the nearest town and waited with her till a wrecker arrived to take her to her car and haul it back. They didn't preach to her, and they refused to accept money when my daughter offered it. My daughter is still an atheist, as am I, but the incident was an epiphany for both of us.

[and-justice-for-all]

25. I do not give a shit what they do...

as long as they leave the rest of us alone.

The only time I have issue with them is when they inject their religion and their idea of morals upon us all. They advocate that some people, who are not like them, deserve less then them, because some how and in their delusional little brain, they have superior just because they follow a bronze age dogma.

So as long as they mind their own, I could care less and would not say a word. However, we all know that is not the case and they always start the fights.

[RagAss]

26. I treat them as mentally handicapped.

They make me feel sad.

[Manifestor_of_Light]

27. I can't stand 'em either.

They need to mind their own business.

I am SICK of hearing about Jeebus.

I am SICK of being around Christianity.

I am SICK of the numerous ugly churches that all think they are unique and have the only way.

I am SICK of the numerous ugly crosses people put out in their front lawns to show their faith.

I am SICK of the whole atmosphere of "if you don't go to church you must be a weirdo and going to hell".

This is the way it is where I live.

I do not have an instrument of torture in my front yard. Maybe I should get an Iron Maiden?

:grr: :banghead:

You can't reason with them.

[spin]

28. You might point out the the concept of hell isn't in the Old Testament...

Popular myth : Hell is an established Biblical doctrine that is in the Bible from start to finish. This is not true! Two thirds of the Bible (the Old Testament) does not mention Hell at all. ("Sheol," the Old Testament word that is sometimes translated as Hell, only means "grave" by definition, and it is where everyone in the Old Testament went when they died--good or evil, Jew or Gentile). Thus the Old Testament does not contain the concept of Hell!
http://www.tentmaker.org/articles/ifhellisreal.htm

'Hell' is not a translation. It is a word that has been inserted by translators into the Bible because of their preconceived ideas about a place of eternal torment. This idea is fast losing ground today as modern translators realise that Hebrew words like 'sheol', simply meant the grave to the original inspired writers of the Scriptures. The translators are still very shy though, and in many instances have left the word 'sheol' untranslated in modern Bible versions. This is because they can see that this word obviously means 'the grave' and not the traditional meaning. Rather than admit this though, and the folly of using the inserted word 'hell' in the past, they have just left the Hebrew word 'sheol' untranslated many times, and left the readers to make up their own minds.
http://www.bibletruth.org.au/teachings/hell.php

"HELL" IN THE OLD TESTAMENT

The word "hell" occurs thirty-one times in the Old Testament, and in every instance it is sheol in the Hebrew. It does not mean a lake of fire and brimstone, nor anything at all resembling that thought: not in the slightest degree! Quite the reverse: instead of a place of blazing fire it is described in the context as a state of "darkness" (Job 10:21); instead of a place where shrieks and groans are heard, it is described in the context as a place of "silence" (Psa. 115:17); instead of representing in any sense pain and suffering, or remorse, the context describes it as a place or condition of forgetfulness. (Psa. 88:11,12) "There is no work, nor device, nor knowledge, in the grave whither thou goest."—Eccles. 9:10

The meaning of sheol is "the hidden state," as applied to man’s condition in death, in and beyond which all is hidden, except to the eye of faith; hence, by proper and close association, the word was often used in the sense of grave—the tomb, the hidden place, or place beyond which only those who have the enlightened eye of the understanding can see resurrection, restitution of being. And be it particularly noted that this identical word sheol is translated "grave" thirty-one times and "pit" three times in our common version by the same translators—more times than it is translated "hell"; and twice, where it is translated "hell," it seemed so absurd, according to the present accepted meaning of the English word "hell," that scholars have felt it necessary to explain in the margin of modern Bibles, that it means grave.
http://www.biblestudents.net/studies/doctrine/biblehell.htm

[Manifestor_of_Light]

32. I won't waste my brain cells.

They love to invite me to their church.

I NEVER say what I believe and have no desire to persuade others who are of different beliefs.

www.skepticsannotatedbible.com

[spin]

37. Good link. Thanks. (n/t)

[Sal316]

29. I can't stand militant atheists.

They come across like “I’m right, and since you don’t agree with me 100%, you’re wrong. And, of course, you’re an uneducated moron who believes in fairy tales and hates logic and reason.”

They come across as, at worst obnoxious and pushy, and at best, patronizing and arrogant.

Looks to me like, if you want to debate and discredit religion, that isn’t the way to do it.

I just wanted to get this off my chest. :-)


Wow... this broad-brush thing is so much more fun and so much easier than thinking.... I wonder if this is what it's like to be a Republican these days.

[raccoon]

34. I've never had any atheists try to convert me to their way of thinking.

If you have, you are definitely in the minority, IME and IMO.

[JerseygirlCT]

30. I have to agree about the selling

Pushy people, telling you what you're doing all wrong - and expecting that will be persuasive somehow of your belief in a wonderful, loving God?

Never made sense to me, either.

Better by far to do as St. Francis is said to have suggested: preach the gospel always, when necessary use words... IOW, action. Walk the walk, feed the hungry, house the homeless, heal the sick. That speaks much louder than obnoxious "I'm better than you are" preaching.

[charlie]

33. I just ran across

a Karen Armstrong article on modern "belief in belief" that might interest you:

http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/belief/2009/jul/12/religion-christianity-belief-science

[JerseygirlCT]

35. Thanks!

I've got to go get on the treadmill for once ;), but I'll look at this later, I hope. I've liked what I've read of her very much.

[charlie]

36. What you posted

seemed to concur a bit with what she's saying, that the way a lot of people eschew religious practice for pure belief is ahistorical and a mistake.

Enjoy your workout :hi: