Growing more and more resentful of Christianity

[Elephantitis Man]

Lately my level of resentment for Christianity has grown alot. I've almost gotten to the point of taking Dawkin's and other atheist scientists' advice of not even debating them, because they ignore you in the first place, and debating them only lends credence to their pathetic arguments. Listening to Christians discuss their rubbish almost disgusts me. I've gotten to the point that I actually lose a bit of respect for someone, right off the bat, if I find out they are Christian. It's like, the same damn thought process as Scientology, only with more time and believers. I feel like I have to "dumb down" my speech when talking to Christians about philosophy or science. Their religion teaches them to believe "as a child does", so I feel like I have to treat them like children.

Does anyone else here feel this level of resentment or disgust (I don't know why I'm asking; I'm sure at least some people here do)? It's not that I "hate" Christians. It's just that they're like mildly retarded people, only by choice. Like they want to not think. Sorry if this seems kind of "out of nowhere". I've been on a board for homeschool alumni that is full of Christians and the constant stupidity just pushed me a little too far today.

[chumpion]

To my mind, religious people are people that can't think for themselves, and willingly submit to someone elses beliefs, just because it is easier than thinking for themselves.

I genuinely pitty anyone that can't think for themselves. If I decide to talk to someone, I want to hear their views, not the view that is shoved down their throats all the time by their church.

So no, I am not disgusted by them. I just feel sorry that they will never be able to think for themselves, and experience everything this world has to offer....

[AngryFemme]

quote:Originally posted by Elephantitis Man:

I've gotten to the point that I actually lose a bit of respect for someone, right off the bat, if I find out they are Christian.

This is one of the few instances when I don't support the "fight fire with fire" adage. I've lost respect for the concept of faith entirely, but I still attempt getting through to the actual human inside the box that is the picture of false certainty.

I feel it's energy better spent trying to convince, and assimilate like-minded individuals into promoting a more humanistic perspective rather than shut out people entirely. Shutting out that huge of a percentage of the world would be difficult to do, even in theory.

quote:

Does anyone else here feel this level of resentment or disgust (I don't know why I'm asking; I'm sure at least some people here do)? It's not that I "hate" Christians. It's just that they're like mildly retarded people, only by choice. Like they want to not think. Sorry if this seems kind of "out of nowhere". I've been on a board for homeschool alumni that is full of Christians and the constant stupidity just pushed me a little too far today.

Try understanding that their emotional investment is so great in their faith, that it's like having a cataract on the part of the brain that helps you identify with people. That simile is not supposed to insinuate that they're stupid or ignorant, but that they're clouded in judgement because of their deep-seated attachment to it.

Suggesting that they have some kind of mental deficit that renders them incapable of holding a rational worldview is freeing them of taking accountability and responsibility for their choices.

How humanity has come this far without recognizing as a whole how much having a religious faith impedes both personal and social growth is beyond me.

[Elephantitis Man]

quote:Originally posted by AngryFemme:

How humanity has come this far without recognizing as a whole how much having a religious faith impedes both personal and social growth is beyond me.

I agree. I think the reason I carry less sympathy than you is that I used to be a Christian (for about 15 years of my life). It's like, after I finally "snapped out of it", I really want to just grab Christians and shout "Wake the fuck up!" (figuratively speaking, of course). I was as Christian as anyone could be. I don't know if anyone on here remembers, but I used to debate atheists on this very board about a year ago. I can even remember the thread that started my journey to deconversion. It was a thread by someone entitle "Who are some of your favorite atheist speakers?". Someone posted a link to a debate between Dan Barker (an apostate minister) and some dude on a Christian radio show. Intrigued at the idea of a deconverted minister of 20 years, I listened and my adventure in freethought began.

I just wish I could find that "sweetspot" in everyone. It took some particular argument, a particular verbage, for it to finally begin to "click" and for the hamster to start running in my head. After trying alot, it seems like most Christians have no such "sweetspot". I've tried arguments of every angle on different kinds of Christians and to no avail. Is it just me? Do some people not have a capacity for reason? If they do, they have to have a point at which they can "click", and understand the lunacy of their current beliefs. Why is it so hard to find?!

I don't spend much time talking to moderates. I live in the Bible Belt, and nearly every Christian I know is a fundie or borderline fundie. If you've never been in such an environment, I can say that it really gets to you.

[AngryFemme]

quote:Originally posted by Elephantitis Man:

I agree. I think the reason I carry less sympathy than you is that I used to be a Christian (for about 15 years of my life).

And I, for about the exact same time, except that I don't count the infant/toddler years when that kinda stuff just doesn't cohere to the mind.

quote:

I live in the Bible Belt, and nearly every Christian I know is a fundie or borderline fundie. If you've never been in such an environment, I can say that it really gets to you.

I can vouch for this ^ It runs deep in the south.

Edit:

I like using "The Ugly Baby Syndrome" to remind me to keep my perspectives towards religious people just short of outright intolerance. Some kind of value has to be attributed to WHY people of faith are so steadfast in their beliefs, despite it being more of a hindrance than a help to them.





[This message has been edited by AngryFemme (edited 03-30-2007).]

[inuteroteen]

For most of my life I have been in a Christian environment. I made it through Boy Scouts sidestepping religion, even in my Eagle Board of Revue. I don't flat out try to argue or convince Christians, I give them little interesting tidbits of info. Like today my dad called me and asked if I was coming home for Easter. I told him I could celebrate the Pagan Spring Fertility holiday here at school.

I would absolutely demolish some fundies in my English class last semester. We often had debates when we were writing arguments. Everything for their points came from the bible. I berated them because they ate pork and wore wool cotton blends. During the abortion debate I had them stumbling and backpedaling. I quoted the verse in numbers that equates a fetus's life to a fine. Also I asked them why aren't they so morally opposed to bestiality. Why shouldn't we dole out the death penalty for it because thats what is warranted in the bible. When they were speechless and uttering unrecognizable words made me realize that I want to become a lawyer.

[Blades of Hate]

I do.

It saddens me when i first talk to people and they say (real perky-like) "Oh ya totally im a christian."

I just kinda shrug and feel that they're just lost to a system where teh child believes what the parents say and they never had a chance to think for themselves.

[Hexadecimal]

I see theology the same way I do narcissism: a method of self-preservation. This world has billions of people aching for death and too fucking afraid to kill themselves. They ask themselves 'Why does nothing scare me more than anything that's real?' and they come up with 'Because God wants me to live.'

Fuck you. God doesn't ask shit of you except birth and death...this sacrifice shit, prayer, meditation, and anything else you think your God demands of you is total bullshit. It's YOU that demands it, because you suffered some fucking trauma and couldn't stand up to it using your god-given abilities, you had to make up some crazy shit about divine purpose and so on...get over it.

^

my view, of course. Ignore it if you want.

[Punk_Rocker_22]

quote:Originally posted by Elephantitis Man:

I've gotten to the point that I actually lose a bit of respect for someone, right off the bat, if I find out they are Christian.

Exactlly.

quote:Originally posted by Elephantitis Man:

I don't flat out try to argue or convince Christians, I give them little interesting tidbits of info. Like today my dad called me and asked if I was coming home for Easter. I told him I could celebrate the Pagan Spring Fertility holiday here at school.

Its normally the best way to get through to them. They'll listen to little tidbits, but completly block you out during a debate.

[Hare_Geist]

I both hate and am grateful towards Christianity. I hate it for being such a tremendous lie that I was indoctrinated with at such a young age, yet I'm grateful towards it since it was breaking its chains that caused be to begin asking questions and get interested in philosophy.

Amor Fati and all that.