Christian Stereotyping

Time and time again, anyone who has participated in a group forum, has come across other people who like to lump a said group, into a single classification. Like classifying all Christians into one vast category. Christians can be so vastly different from one another, just as different as their DNA. Maybe non-Christians do not realize that there are many points of interest, which divide Christians. As with all people from around the world there are huge differences that classify people apart from another. In some Christian churches, race is reason enough to have a different type of Christian church. Take the United Methodist Church for an example.

Currently under the Methodist ideology and philosophy there are three opposing churches of thought:

• There are the Southern Methodists who hold a more radical Christian ideology that almost reflects a Southern Baptist or an Assembly of God church members' reverence.
• Then there are the United Methodists who follow a liberal yet very traditional path of Christian practices that mimics its foundational roots, which are found in their early origins as English, Anglo-Saxons parish members.
• Lastly, there is the African-American Southern Methodist Church, which was established by black men for black families, women, and children to worship as a unit, and also to provide a safe place away from their Southern Methodist, white, oppressors.

I often read terms like "all you"- referring to Christians - being used in religious forums and chat rooms, across the Internet bandwidth. I read other groups of people such as Atheist, Agnostics, Hindus, Buddhists, etc., chastise Christians for not understanding their non-beliefs or lifestyles, in a toying manner. I also see the phrase "you Christians" being used when an accusation is made against a Christian debator participating in a forum discussion. I certainly see a lot of the same "all you Christians" phrasing, when a Christian begins preaching about their beliefs in Jesus to those, who do not believe. And, I get it. I do! I totally understand that non-believers find that uninitiated preachy-response disrepectful. Therefore, quick witted non-believers use the phrase as a quick defensive, backlash, attack to the preaching Christian's dialogue. It is really at that point of the forum thread, when other debators start voicing their damning implications that ALL Christians are "all" ignorant, "all" hate mongers, and of course "all" religious zealots. Most of time debators do not take into accountant that Christians are also vastly divided. It is just as irresponsible for non Christians to classify Christians under one umbrella. There needs to be many umbrellas.

Another important point in need of addressing is—

It is NEVER the intention of most Christians to have a "born again" status tagged on their backs. Many Christians never lose their faith, therefore they do not need to be labeled. It is quite silly really for all Christians to be lumped together as hate mongers, religious zealots and so on.

There is a need for change...

1. "You People", "All You", "These Peoples" "You Christians" and phrases bearing those same connotations, should stop and not be use. One Christian comment does NOT represent all Christian believers viewpoint. I would like to take this opportunity to ask ALL religious forum participants to consider that for once!

2. With that said, I think stereotyping Christians into a "you people" stereotype is incredibly lackadaisical.

If honest answers in a forum setting are what non-Christian forum participants seek from Christians; the please start seeking those answers fairly, and stop putting Christians (like myself) in a defensive mindset, from the very get go. Classifying Christians into one group is also sloppy thinking. So stop.