Why should we all be tarred with the same brush?

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  1. Disappearinghead profile image61
    Disappearingheadposted 12 years ago

    Just trawling about this forum and the same old accusations fly. "Christianity has caused so much evil" followed by "look at all the good Christians have done". "Christians are all bigots" followed by "those are not true Christians"

    I guess Muslims must get tired of this too. Likewise not all of those who follow no religion see themselves as being on a personnal crusade to eradicate "illogical sky god myths".

    There are Christians and there are Christians. There are Muslims and there are Muslims. There are atheists and there are atheists. If someone is bigoted, violent or believes they have reached some intellectual nirvana, they would be these things under any religious or atheist banner they chose to wave.

    Religion or no religion might change our views opinions or outlook, but these are just surface things. After 25 years I'm still essentially the same person I was in my youth and from observation of Christians, Muslims and atheists I've known I don't honestly believe that religion changes anybody.

    People are individuals.

    1. Knight6 profile image65
      Knight6posted 12 years agoin reply to this

      people are individuals yes but to say religion doesnt change any one is not 100% true all religions have their fanatics those who wish to force their beliefs on others people are only individuals as long as they dont follow any one or anything blindly
      be true to yourself that is all that counts not who you believe in or who you pray to

  2. Randy Godwin profile image62
    Randy Godwinposted 12 years ago

    If men would stop creating gods, other men would have no need to disbelieve in them

  3. Nexis19 profile image59
    Nexis19posted 12 years ago

    You all make valid points but the truth is that there will always be fanatics and devout's. I know its a cliche but Muslims are a prime example. There are Muslim extremists who twist the Qu'ran (excuse me if the spelling is incorrect) to justify violence. Suicide bombers use this twisted view to justify the deaths of innocents or as they call them "infidels". That doesn't mean that all Muslims are evil and sadistic and hate everyone who isn't Muslim. They go about their lives peacefully and do not bother anyone. And if it wasn't for the people who use their religious text to justify violence they would be left in peace. It's the same for Christianity and the child abuse. It doesn't mean all priests are perverted its just the few who are bringing down the religion. So i really don't think that we should all be tarred with the same brush just because some people use widely held beliefs to justify criminal acts.

  4. Jerami profile image58
    Jeramiposted 12 years ago

    very true  ...   to you all

      Extremists are what they are!   Take away their excuses , their religion or any thing else one.
      These individuals would find another to justify that which they desire to do.

      The air is full o excuses for doing Any thing we want to do  AND excuses for not doing anything we do not wnt to do.

       Any excuse is just that ...  an excuse, no more  no  less.

  5. lone77star profile image73
    lone77starposted 12 years ago

    Tar and feathering was a form of punishment -- painful and long-lasting. It was also a form of judgment.

    Such judgment comes from ego (selfishness, arrogance). If we are to be good to one another, we need to have humility.

    Even Randy Godwin's statement hints at such judgment. Have some men created gods? Of course they have. Did one God create everything we see? Also affirmative, but you wouldn't know that by Randy's statement. He has decided not to believe; that's his choice and we must all have the humility to accept it. But, by the same token, should not an unbeliever also show some humility? What would that hurt? His statement seems to imply that he is somehow set upon by believers and that it is his duty to do something to counter that belief.

    That kind of arrogance can be found in unbeliever and believer alike. The Nazarene teacher made it clear not to beat people over the head with the message. If they don't want it, simply move on.

    And Disappearinghead's point is so important -- that an individual can affect how outsiders view the group. One Christian with whom I talked was so happy to have been recently saved that now he could continue to do all manner of crime and not worry about his salvation. Somehow, I think he missed the boat. He needed his "get out of jail card" so desperately that nothing I said could dissuade him from his continuing to follow Mammon rather than the founder of Christianity. Such self-delusion is all too common.

    1. habee profile image93
      habeeposted 12 years agoin reply to this

      Well said. I agree that we shouldn't "beat people over the head" with our religious (or non-religious) beliefs. Each to his own.

    2. wilderness profile image93
      wildernessposted 12 years agoin reply to this

      I don't know.  "Did one God create everything we see? Also affirmative, but you wouldn't know that by Randy's statement."

      Seems to me that you and Randy have about equal levels of humility.

      When two viewpoints are that far apart, all the humility in the world won't convince either person to accept or even really understand  the other's belief.  It is just so obviously wrong.

      As Habee says, the best solution is just to keep quiet about your beliefs and quit beating over the head with it.  If we could all just learn the difference between belief and knowledge it would help a lot.

 
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