Why do people hate christianity so much?

[Thatperson]

As the title says. I suppose this is more prevelent in the US than europe but it's started to become more prevenelnt here. US atheists tend to think christianty is the worst thing since sliced bread, why is this?

[ninja9578]

Because rednecks and republicans use it as a justification to hate other people for no reason. Over here stupid people think that jesus wants them to hate gays, blacks, arabs, muslims, whatever. I think most people here really started to HATE christianity when Bush said that god wanted him to invade Iraq, and when Jerry Falwell went on tv and said that god allowed 9-11 to happen because he was upset about gays, feminists, jews, and anything else that the ACLU stands for. When the answer to "What would Jesus do?" changed from "Use tolerance and love" to "Beat a faggot" is when people started to look at is a backwards and detrimental.

[Sornaensis]

Because religion is an institution of ignorance. Christianity is the most prevalent in the US.

[Thatperson]

even so, why are they more tolerant of islam than christianity, I'm sure if Islam was the dominant religion "faggot beating" would increase substantially.

[strael]

The US is mostly christian, so people living here are much more familiar with it than they are with Islam. It's easier for people to hate something that they are constantly surrounded by, something that directly affects them, maybe?

[Sornaensis]

even so, why are they more tolerant of islam than christianity, I'm sure if Islam was the dominant religion "faggot beating" would increase substantially. The hell? What atheists are you talking about? All religion is bad.

[Universal Mind]

I don't hate all Christians, and I don't hate anybody for being a Christian, but I'll tell you what pisses me off big time about the religion itself. Some people tell children to be at ease and be happy because there is no such thing as monsters. Others tell children that they better believe a really weird story that doesn't add up or else an invisible monster with insane powers is going to set them on fire and make them burn forever and ever. The idea horrifies a lot of adults too. That's what pisses me off more than anything else. The religion uses psychological terrorism. On top of that, the only three strip clubs in my entire metro area are together in a very tiny area of a dangerous part of town. As a result, not too many rich people go to the stip clubs any more, so high quality strippers tend to not work at them. How did that happen? Christians imposed their fucking religious nonsense in a city ordinance!!!! I saw some phenomenal clubs bite the dust as a result. I can't buy liquor on Sundays or after 10 p.m. on weeknights. Psychedelic drugs are illegal. It's because of Christian rules. It's affecting my personal business!!! It's also affecting the rights of others, like gay people and parents of public school children. Christianity grows on government and poisons it like a pest insect population. Plus, I have met countless stuck up assholes who spoke condescendingly and even viciously toward me when they found out I am an atheist. I have also had much more hostile acts than that come my way because of my religious beliefs. Those people can all jump off a cliff together.

[Xaqaria]

Another reason why people don't like christians is because many are so quick to say; "but look, those guys are worse than us!" Basically, for me it all comes down to not practicing what you preach. I have met few christians who are able to turn the other cheek but I have met many who pass judgment on their fellow man. I don't know any that would cut off their hand if it caused them to sin, but I do know many that would cast the first stone.

[LiveInTheDream]

So far everything I've read is not that relevant to the topic because it all assumes Christianity is a religion. The word "Christian" itself means "little Christ", indicating a mentor/student relationship, not a religion. And this is also plainly stated throughout the Bible in the word "disciple". The latin word that "disciple" comes from (discipula/discipulus) would be literally translated into English as 'student', so don't use the excuse that the word "Christian" isn't actually used in the Bible...the concept is still clearly there So what we've got is a relationship with Christ, who teaches us the way of righteousness and salvation, not because he was just a prophet that got his word revealed to him from some mystical source, but because he "is the Christ, the Son of the Living God"...the source itself. NO religion has this concept behind it. If there's a mentor/student idea about it, the mentor is a prophet, not the final authority. If there's a prophet, he gets his information through mystical chants and drugs. Therefore, the problem isn't with Christianity itself. The problem is with the American church. (Yes, church as a whole, not churches plural.) Overall, the church in America has gone to teaching the Bible dead wrong and not living it out as they should, and that's why people hate it. But the truth is, people would still hate Christianity if it was lived out properly...just in a different way, and for different reasons. People hated Christ Himself...why wouldn't they hate Christians that act like Him?

[Catbus]

NO religion has this concept behind it. If there's a mentor/student idea about it, the mentor is a prophet, not the final authority. If there's a prophet, he gets his information through mystical chants and drugs. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shed_(deity)

[strael]

Some people tend to follow blindly what the bible says without giving much thought as to why they should believe it (homosexuality as a sin, as an example). Religious beliefs are the cause of much suffering in the world. Religion sometimes give people ways to justify their selfish or hateful actions, under the guise of "doing god's duty". I've heard some pretty hateful, idiotic, divisive things coming from people who call themselves christians, but I know better than to take these people as examples of christianity in general.

[Spartiate]

As the title says. I suppose this is more prevelent in the US than europe but it's started to become more prevenelnt here. US atheists tend to think christianty is the worst thing since sliced bread, why is this? LOL, coming from a guy who detests Islam. Islam and Christianity are far more similar than you think...

[Thatperson]

I recognise their offical similarities, but in practise they are vastly different. Who said I detest Islam? Psychedelic drugs are illegal. It's because of Christian rules No, it's because there is a hippy fantasy world, then there is a real world.

[Universal Mind]

No, it's because there is a hippy fantasy world, then there is a real world. What? How does that explain the illegality of psychedelic drugs? Why was the hippy fantasy world banned? It's because it is a competitor of the Christian fantasy world. There is a realism aspect to psychedelic experience also. It's not all fantasy. It is a bizarre mixture of hyperawareness of reality and psychosis. P.S.- There is the Christian fantasy world, and then there is the real world. However, I don't want to ban Christianity. Too many Christians aren't too tolerant of other people's ideas. That is what inspires so much hatred against it. Does that answer your question?

[The Invisible Man]

Because too many Christians give us and Jesus a bad name. They don't think hard enough before saying something.

[Speesh]

People seem to hate those who explain the same world differently. Christians who are wrapped up in their end-all, 100% correct descriptions of the world tend to hate anyone who disagree with them. In the same vein Atheists who are invested in their unconditionally correct description of the world hate those who are religious. I think the problem lies in belief.

[really]

People seem to hate those who explain the same world differently. Christians who are wrapped up in their end-all, 100% correct descriptions of the world tend to hate anyone who disagree with them. In the same vein Atheists who are invested in their unconditionally correct description of the world hate those who are religious. I think the problem lies in belief. This is often true, but the real problem is egotistical disposition that fuels their supposed exclusivity or righteousness. Christians often need to work on "hating other non-believers", while aggressive atheists need to work on getting over themselves and realize there is obviously something greater than their own mind that is beyond their comprehension. In a real stance of truth and compassion however, there is no exclusion and no hate. Also as far as I know America is one of the smartest countries in the world, while there are many American Christians and/or believers in God.

[Kraftwerk]

Because christianity is the most prominent, and its not politically incorrect to criticize. Islam is nearly as prominent, but is no longer pollitically correct to critize, hinduism and the rest are to small to be that critized. Scientology gets attention because of how friggin out there it is.

[Catbus]

It should be noted that there's a difference between hatred and criticism.

[EspadaInMyCloset]

Because of the way some people use Christianity to hate :/. It's not Christianity, but the people who are assholes and think they're always right because they are part of that religion. Meh, just my two cents.

[spacechase0]

Some of these things are pretty ridiculous. Because rednecks and republicans use it as a justification to hate other people for no reason. Last I checked, the Bible says that you should "love your neighbor as yourself" (the end of Matthew 19:19 (NIV)), which means they don't have any justification. Over here stupid people think that jesus wants them to hate gays, blacks, arabs, muslims, whatever. See above. I think most people here really started to HATE christianity when Bush said that god wanted him to invade Iraq, and when Jerry Falwell went on tv and said that god allowed 9-11 to happen because he was upset about gays, feminists, jews, and anything else that the ACLU stands for. I don't really know much about all of that. When the answer to "What would Jesus do?" changed from "Use tolerance and love" to "Beat a faggot" is when people started to look at is a backwards and detrimental. The answer never changed, it's just that people ignored it, and/or twisted words of the Bible (or used it out of context, inserted things not said (like the Gap Theory), etc). Some people tend to follow blindly what the bible says without giving much thought as to why they should believe it (homosexuality as a sin, as an example). I've thought a lot about it, and come up with many questions. Religious beliefs are the cause of much suffering in the world. Religion sometimes give people ways to justify their selfish or hateful actions, under the guise of "doing god's duty". See top of the post (under "Some of these things are pretty ridiculous"). I've heard some pretty hateful, idiotic, divisive things coming from people who call themselves christians, but I know better than to take these people as examples of christianity in general. at first part, at second part. Because religion is an institution of ignorance. All religion is bad. LOL, coming from a guy who detests Islam. Islam and Christianity are far more similar than you think... I know a few similarities, but I haven't studied Islam much, I do know that they are also very different. I don't hate all Christians, and I don't hate anybody for being a Christian[...] [...] but I'll tell you what pisses me off big time about the religion itself. Some people tell children to be at ease and be happy because there is no such thing as monsters. Others tell children that they better believe a really weird story that doesn't add up or else an invisible monster with insane powers is going to set them on fire and make them burn forever and ever. The idea horrifies a lot of adults too. That's what pisses me off more than anything else. The religion uses psychological terrorism. On top of that, the only three strip clubs in my entire metro area are together in a very tiny area of a dangerous part of town. As a result, not too many rich people go to the stip clubs any more, so high quality strippers tend to not work at them. How did that happen? Christians imposed their fucking religious nonsense in a city ordinance!!!! I saw some phenomenal clubs bite the dust as a result. I can't buy liquor on Sundays or after 10 p.m. on weeknights. Psychedelic drugs are illegal. It's because of Christian rules. It's affecting my personal business!!! It's also affecting the rights of others, like gay people and parents of public school children. Christianity grows on government and poisons it like a pest insect population. Yeah, I didn't understand half of that, mainly because my attention span started to drift away (I do have an "excuse" )... I'll re-read it a few times and reply soon. Plus, I have met countless stuck up assholes who spoke condescendingly and even viciously toward me when they found out I am an atheist. I have also had much more hostile acts than that come my way because of my religious beliefs. Those people can all jump off a cliff together. I agree that they have no reason to hate you, but I don't agree about the cliff thing. No, it's because there is a hippy fantasy world, then there is a real world. I don't really understand... What? How does that explain the illegality of psychedelic drugs? Why was the hippy fantasy world banned? It's because it is a competitor of the Christian fantasy world. There is a realism aspect to psychedelic experience also. It's not all fantasy. It is a bizarre mixture of hyperawareness of reality and psychosis. Confused again. Could you please explain. P.S.- There is the Christian fantasy world, and then there is the real world. However, I don't want to ban Christianity. Too many Christians aren't too tolerant of other people's ideas. That is what inspires so much hatred against it. Well I don't know why they aren't tolerant, but I agree that they should be. In my opinion, I'm tolerant enough (although I admit it could do more work), but I still don't like it. Because too many Christians give us and Jesus a bad name. They don't think hard enough before saying something. You know what's perfect for this? People seem to hate those who explain the same world differently. Christians who are wrapped up in their end-all, 100% correct descriptions of the world tend to hate anyone who disagree with them. In the same vein Atheists who are invested in their unconditionally correct description of the world hate those who are religious. I think the problem lies in belief. I don't 'hate' them, I just disagree (but then again, you already said the disagree part ). This is often true, but the real problem is egotistical disposition that fuels their supposed exclusivity or righteousness. Christians often need to work on "hating other non-believers", while aggressive atheists need to work on getting over themselves and realize there is obviously something greater than their own mind that is beyond their comprehension. In a real stance of truth and compassion however, there is no exclusion and no hate. Also as far as I know America is one of the smartest countries in the world, while there are many American Christians and/or believers in God. I've heard otherwise... By the way, I'm not being ignorant when I say that, I live in the US ( but I'm homeschooled, I'm smarter than the average student ). Because of the way some people use Christianity to hate :/. It's not Christianity, but the people who are assholes and think they're always right because they are part of that religion. You probably won't see me much around this section of the forum, I just saw the title of the thread and thought I'd look at it.

[ninja9578]

The answer never changed, it's just that people ignored it, and/or twisted words of the Bible (or used it out of context, inserted things not said (like the Gap Theory), etc). Oh, I know that. Jesus was a very good man, the problem is that people don't care what's in the bible or what jesus would have done, they care what the preachers tell them the bible means. Anyone with half a brain knows that it doesn't mean anything and is just a set of stories that have good moral as an example of how you should live your life. Problem is, in the US, lots of people: Don't have half of a brain. I hate christianity because people use it as a way to justify evil. Think of it this way. We hate the atomic bomb right? But by itself, it's not evil, it's just a bunch of metal, wires, plutonium, and a computer. Truman is the worst US president in history, because he used the bomb. Even though the bomb was just a tool, we still hate it.

[Tara]

Hate the player, not the game.

[Xyn]

You know, I'm atheist but I look at it this way. If the world was full of atheists crime rate would spike dramatically. If the world was full of non corrupt religeous people the world would operate better. If people want to be religious let 'em be.

[Sekhmet]

If the world was full of atheists crime rate would spike dramatically. So, you're an athiest, but you think athiests are more likely to commit crime? Explain. Actually, you don't have to because it has been repeately documented that Christians (combined with adherents of other Abrahamic religions) make up over 80% of the prision population in both North America and Europe.