Why, when a Christian asks a forum question, the non-believers take over the thread to the point that the person who opened the thread leaves it?
I enjoy reading the posts from true believers of any religion, especially those who are trying to start a dialogue rather than convert people with different (or no) beliefs. Many of the threads started by Christians and other religionists are ridiculous assertions of "the one true faith" superior and unassailable, that I think are responded to appropriately, (with ridicule).
How did you become a Christian? Was there one spectacular moment in your life. Is it simply because you were raised as one? I find discussions of these topics to be very interesting and would like to discuss them with you.
Wow...Good questions....I became a Christian in 1970.....No I wasn't raised as a Christian....Far from it.....There was a moment in my life, that is not what I would call spectacular, but it is the reason why I became one...I was married in August 1970....Just before my 25th birthday, the guy I married took a walk, with all the money we had, left me alone with one child (from a previous relationship), and pregnant with his....His parents called me one day, and asked if I'd like to go to Church...Why not? So I went....The Preacher decided to do a Sermon on Salvation, and at the end of the sermon, I knew that that was what I wanted....
I could tell you the rest of the story, about my ex., but it's not a very good one....So I don't talk about him, period.....Thanks for asking....Peace!!
Your experience sounds similar to others I have heard. You found yourself in a terrible situation; probably wondering how you got there among other questions. Comforting answers to your questions, (especially, "what do I want?) were provided and you were drawn to the source that softened your pain.
Is that an accurate summary of your experience?
It's interesting that his parents were so instrumental in this discovery. Had they invited you to church before your seperation?
i love reading these. i am fascinated by others beliefs. all threads seem to turn into something else, i personally have been distracted by something and gone off topic. no bad intentions and i say sorry. there are sooooooo many people and views its impossable to expect no argument in such a historically controversial subject
Yes, but respectful posts should be given respectful responses.
absolutley. I am sorry if I seemed disrespectful. It was not my intention. I just meant that non religous forums sometimes turn into a mess as well. AND that people, right or wrong, will often violently defend thier beliefs. I still think its funny how so many people think beleiving in God Lord Jesus Buddha Mother Earth whatever.. is the same thing as religion.
Missed this one, Ron.
How did anyone claiming to be a Christian become a Christian is a fair question.
I guess I should add: Does anyone BECOME a Christian ? Or can anybody MAKE HIMSELF a Christian ?
The Roman Catholics say that one is a Christian once one is baptized into the church, hence the term "Christening".
So do some Protestant sects like the Episcopalians.
I used to think that I became a Christian when I "accepted" Christ as Savior back in 1973. Which is how many here think they became Christians, by walking down the aisle, repenting, and saying a silly little prayer called a sinner's prayer.
From then on, EVERYONE who was not in their church, or who did not believe the way they do (and that included me with that attitude) was NOT a Christian, an unbeliever, a sinning sinner hellbound and soon to be devil's fodder.
UNTIL, that is, I found that a Christian is one who belongs to Christ because God elected that person IN CHRIST out of pure mercy unto salvation from a fallen race and that election unto salvation not having anything to do with the person's theology, or lack of it, soteriology or lack of it, doctrines or lack of them, faith or lack of it.
I found that, in accordance with the criteria of the Bible on who is a Christian, there are millions of them walking around who do not even know they are Christians in the proper sense of the word, and millions of them who are walking around who think they are Christians because they made themselves one.
Most (not all) of the devil's "Christians" think of Christianity as a set of do's and dont's and rituals and rites.
God's Christians are those He chose in Christ from before the foundation of the world and whose names He has in His never to be erased memory which is why He will be able to say in the end,"depart from me, I never KNEW you".
With all due respects to your unbelief.
There is a complete abscense of free will in being a Christian?
Free will is a myth advanced by those who would like to have a hand in their salvation instead of allowing God to exercise His Sovereign Right to choose whom He wants saved.
The Bible asks: Can the Ethiopian change his skin, or the leopard his spots? then may ye also do good, that are accustomed to do evil. (Jeremiah 13:23), and this is even addressed to Israel, who are supposed to be God's national chosen people.
Unregenerate man's free will is just about as free as a rattlesnake attempting to fly.
That is why God Himself, in the Person of His Son Jesus Christ, had to live a sinless and perfect life in order to be the sacrifice for the sins of His people, and only His people, not mankind, sorry to disappoint those in Christendom who thinks Christ is the Savior of all mankind.
So an atheist has no choice to become a Christian?
I didn't realize the devil had his own Christians. It must be very confusing to be one. Who does the 10 point vig go to?
No, the devil does not have his own Christians. There are two kinds of people in this world. The elect and the unelect. The elect are God's children by virtue of His choice of them, not theirs of His. They were born unregenerate, and in due time will be regenerated by the Spirit.
Then there are the devil's own, the unelect. Not Christians, but little, junior satans. Many are religious, many unbelieving.
I don't understand. The last thread I saw that you started was the bible thread and you asked the question:
But you ignored any and all responses until you finally said:
Which was apparently the answer you were looking for. Ignored were all the statements that you can not possibly know this because you do not speak Hebrew, Greek, Aramaic or Latin; ignored were the references to King James and the instructions etc etc.
Pretty much everything was ignored until you said what you wanted to say.
Why, when a christain asks a forum question, does it seem they already have the answer and will not be satisfied until that is what they get?
Sorry to say, this does not constitute showing "respect for other's beliefs," nor does it endear anyone to your particular cult.
Why not just come out and preach what you want to preach in the first place?
And you are by no means alone - those of us who are here regularly see it a lot.
The question was (On my last thread) Do you read the Bible daily, once in a while, or not at all? That was a simple question, that anyone could have answered, and it would have been accepted....
Yes - your secondary questions were that. But your first question was as I quoted.
I see you have not responded to what I said other than to say that.
Does anyone really know what the bible is?
Which is the question you answered.
Don't get me wrong - I understand how frustrating it must be for you to have to pretend to respect other people's beliefs, when all you really want to do is remind us that the bible is the one true word of god.
Sorry.
So when a Christians speaks its called Preaching & Argueing
When a Non-Christian speaks its called Debate and respect..
( double standards , yes indeedy)
Its power-play for some ,cat n mouse game for others, lol something to do while ya supposedly do real work..
Hey Id love to discuss or preach some more , but I gotta answer my sons email, political science student, hmmm.!...( wish he was in Texas)
p.s After my latest hub though , there are definately crackpots on both sides of the fence...bloody nora!
I have never said I respect your opinion (or hers). Sorry, I am not such a hypocrite.
Do I respect you right to have it? No question.
Not sure why I should respect the actual opinion though. And not sure why you are stepping in to distract away from the points of the argument either..............
Oh yes. I see now. LOLOLOL
What ??
Did anyone ever tell you, you babble sometimes Mark.
Oh so you havent deemed it right for me to speak yet
What are the points oh lofty one, it will only be opinion based of course -yours
Surely you can work it out. But - if you prefer to detract from the actual discussion - that is your right I suppose. Anything to avoid the points I made I guess.
Another moment of absentmindedness, should have looked at it, before I answered Mark....And Mark...That wasn't the answer I was looking for, and I'm not even going to seek the answer anymore.....My final remark on the last thread is what I'm talking about here.....
Maybe the person who opened the thread should not let them take it over. Maybe they should ignore them?
From my Observation, it happens when a Christian or a Muslim question is asked in Forums. People do not like Religion thrown in their face or forced upon them. That's all.
I don't know if the OP of such threads leaves so much as retreats.
Why, were the atheist or other beliefs not invited? Seems to me that they leave because the posted with the sole purpose of converting, not learning.
Walking the spiritual path is difficult.Do remember all the prophets including Jesus were mocked but that didn't stop them from spreading god knowledge.Have courage and patience.
Sometimes, not always, a person will ask a question, not with the intention of getting a straight-forward black and white answer, but with the intention of just getting their point across. Usually they aren't so much questions, as their personal views disguised as a question.
In the case of the religion forum, this is kinda common. It isn't just non-believers, but other believers (not just the original poster) that continue the thread both on and off topic.
You will find that this happens in non-religious threads too. I agree with Colebabie that each individual is expressing their opinion, even if it comes across as a question. The controversies begin when one or more individuals cannot accept that the other individuals are entitled to their own opinion and feel that they must push their viewpoint until the other party(ies) accept it.
I think it is just because everyone wants to be heard. Not that everyone will agree, but people want to be heard for what they believe in. I do not think anyone means any harm. Things like that happen in the forums all the time.
True...A little respect, regardless of the beliefs go a long ways though...
True, which is more important...the people or the belief?
I have been asking this question since I joined hubpages. Who is more important people or god.
Sadly... well you can figure out the rest. Sadly, they believe that god is more important than people and they can't figure out the problem.
I was meaning that the people are more important than a belief. Sure God would top of the list, but I mean should we let what someone believes come between us? I would say no, we as people are more important than what someone believes. I don't know if I can really say this in the right way. Ok...I am saying that we shouldn't argue or get upset when we do not agree on the same thing and that I think it is more important for people to get along and get passed their differences than to let their beliefs and thoughts come between them.
Ouch, that can be answered both ways, so....I'll leave it as it should be...Unanswered....
personally, i get sick of being called a 'non-believer' just because i'm 'non-christian.'
to me, that is a double-standard. what i wouldn't call a double-standard is the fact that christians are labeled 'preachy' while non-religious folks are called 'debaters'...i think this discrepancy is perfectly apropos.
i say this due to the fact that i (non-christian) do not start religious threads inquiring 'do you think god is a stupid concept?' to follow up some time later with my own opinion that IT is. nor do i physically knock on people's doors to ask, 'have you heard the good news? the book of nietzsche tells us god is dead!'
i believe the difference is glaring and very thought-provoking, to say the least.
Very astute observation Sandra.The people part is missed the moment an assumptive thread or reply is made. I never feel comfortable with the knowledge that many of the religious posts are simply "explaining" from one book or another that they have the only truth, and the rest of humanity will be punished by their god for not belonging to their particular religion.
Yes, it seems so backwards that the words of their god said it was in man he loved... *sigh* to preach love of humanity without the love.
So earnest why would you be bothered with such a thread in the first place, if it makes you uncomfortable.
Are people not attracted to a topic , because
1/ looks interesting
2/ I might know something
3 Looks like fun
If a non believer for example started a thread on 'Evolution' for example , I might visit ,but my interest would die off , I certainly doubt I would make it a daily ritual to spar or discuss too much.
I would figure ( rightfully so) that like minded people would be discussing the topic.
I think personalities are fantastic ,and who doesnt like to be funny or smart , even occassionally sarcastic, but for it to be a habit just ruins the spirit, offends (pardon the pun) for many people.
We all have opinions and whether we like it or not, our thoughts appear on screen ,so it makes no sense to attack one another , after the event so to speak , lol
We may learn more about where they're coming from (if that's of interest to anyone) by engaging in conversation rather than belittling them from the threads with insults. There are some posters whose thought origins are of no interest to me, but I believe the OP of this thread has an interesting story to tell.
I like to read where everyone is coming from. I really learn a lot about our individuality, our needs, our thoughts on issues, our spiritual views. I like it that we are all so different and in different places in life understanding. We all learn so much from each other about what love is and is not.
I respect everyone's beliefs but just don't try to preach me.
Atheists on here always seem to get a bad rep for being rude or disrespectful, whereas religious people are merely seen as standing up for their beliefs. But in my (short) experience most of the threads that get really heated are the ones where a religious person has said something deliberately provoking or disrespectful.
There was the ridiculous 'atheism is irrational, implausible and boring.' there have been several asking why atheists do not believe in god, and today/yesterday the one about evolution being rubbish.
I cannot recall a thread started by a non-religious person saying 'Christianity is stupid' or anything like that, even though I'm sure there are plenty of hubbers who think that.
I am the grandmother of an Athiest...Even though I, and his grandfather are Christians....We have discussions (when he brings them up), and at the end of our discussion, he remains silent, or he'll say, I'm sorry Grams, but I don't believe that....Do I get upset no....It's his choice, and he is a very fine young man, who is polite, says thankyou, and he loves to volunteer in helping others when he can....Will I try to convert him? No, I don't have the power to do so, but I can, and do pray for him daily....
See, that is a good spirit. The many times I have heard of folks abandoning or smiting their children (grandchildren) for having a different belief, is really heart breaking and disturbing.
Most my family is Catholic but my aunt, of all of them, is about as sweet as they come. She doesn't judge, she says what she says and I believe she means it when she says, I love you and god bless.
And when I know that someone really loves me, even when their beliefs are different from mine, then the "holy spirit" does pass on in the sense of being loved and accepted no matter what.
You sound like an excellent grandmother. Cheers!
I am all for walking the spiritual path, a lot of it is good logic. If you have been loved in life and feel an inner confidence and feeling of "self" then you will already know the rewards of loving in your spirit and soul.I believe that no formal religion is necessary to find this part of self, it requires the painful process of self examination though, and many lack the courage for the journey. Survivor types who have a lot of psychological courage seem to be able to learn how to love as well.I find that immensely motivational.
by grinnin1 11 years ago
I'm just interested in the answer to this question. Sometimes I think we become so defensive about what we believe (I've been following some particularly nasty threads this evening) that we stop asking questions, close our minds, and forget the big picture. Belief and faith are a part of my...
by Brittany Williams 3 years ago
Atheism only means the lack of a belief in God. Why is it so hard for Christians to realize that we dismiss their religion for the same reasons that they dismiss all other religions? It doesn't make us horrible people, immoral, or mean that we are going to hell. It just means that we think the...
by TheBlondie 12 years ago
I'm an atheist, and even though I'm a generally good person (volunteer at an animal shelter, nice to people, generous, etc.), I've been told I'm going to hell simply because I don't take part in any religion. I'm really not trying to start a fight or argument, I'm really just curious- why are...
by John Hansen 6 years ago
Why are there so many questions here concerning Christian(or belief in God) vs Atheism?Is this the best platform for discussing these issues and are people really interested in the answers, or is religion vs non-religion just a controversial topic that will attract lots of debate and generate money...
by bBerean 10 years ago
I keep observing a phenomenon I don’t understand. If a person does not believe in God, does not believe in the bible as His word, does not even believe in an afterlife, why do they care so passionately if someone else does? I am not talking about the perception often espoused here, that...
by exorter 12 years ago
When my brother Jerami told me about Hub Pages I thought this would be a great place for believers of God to debate their beliefs, but I was wrong. The forums end up off subject and a place for every one to start cutting, stabbing each other. most end up downing others of different faiths. as...
Copyright © 2023 The Arena Media Brands, LLC and respective content providers on this website. HubPages® is a registered trademark of The Arena Platform, Inc. Other product and company names shown may be trademarks of their respective owners. The Arena Media Brands, LLC and respective content providers to this website may receive compensation for some links to products and services on this website.
Copyright © 2023 Maven Media Brands, LLC and respective owners.
As a user in the EEA, your approval is needed on a few things. To provide a better website experience, hubpages.com uses cookies (and other similar technologies) and may collect, process, and share personal data. Please choose which areas of our service you consent to our doing so.
For more information on managing or withdrawing consents and how we handle data, visit our Privacy Policy at: https://corp.maven.io/privacy-policy
Show DetailsNecessary | |
---|---|
HubPages Device ID | This is used to identify particular browsers or devices when the access the service, and is used for security reasons. |
Login | This is necessary to sign in to the HubPages Service. |
Google Recaptcha | This is used to prevent bots and spam. (Privacy Policy) |
Akismet | This is used to detect comment spam. (Privacy Policy) |
HubPages Google Analytics | This is used to provide data on traffic to our website, all personally identifyable data is anonymized. (Privacy Policy) |
HubPages Traffic Pixel | This is used to collect data on traffic to articles and other pages on our site. Unless you are signed in to a HubPages account, all personally identifiable information is anonymized. |
Amazon Web Services | This is a cloud services platform that we used to host our service. (Privacy Policy) |
Cloudflare | This is a cloud CDN service that we use to efficiently deliver files required for our service to operate such as javascript, cascading style sheets, images, and videos. (Privacy Policy) |
Google Hosted Libraries | Javascript software libraries such as jQuery are loaded at endpoints on the googleapis.com or gstatic.com domains, for performance and efficiency reasons. (Privacy Policy) |
Features | |
---|---|
Google Custom Search | This is feature allows you to search the site. (Privacy Policy) |
Google Maps | Some articles have Google Maps embedded in them. (Privacy Policy) |
Google Charts | This is used to display charts and graphs on articles and the author center. (Privacy Policy) |
Google AdSense Host API | This service allows you to sign up for or associate a Google AdSense account with HubPages, so that you can earn money from ads on your articles. No data is shared unless you engage with this feature. (Privacy Policy) |
Google YouTube | Some articles have YouTube videos embedded in them. (Privacy Policy) |
Vimeo | Some articles have Vimeo videos embedded in them. (Privacy Policy) |
Paypal | This is used for a registered author who enrolls in the HubPages Earnings program and requests to be paid via PayPal. No data is shared with Paypal unless you engage with this feature. (Privacy Policy) |
Facebook Login | You can use this to streamline signing up for, or signing in to your Hubpages account. No data is shared with Facebook unless you engage with this feature. (Privacy Policy) |
Maven | This supports the Maven widget and search functionality. (Privacy Policy) |
Marketing | |
---|---|
Google AdSense | This is an ad network. (Privacy Policy) |
Google DoubleClick | Google provides ad serving technology and runs an ad network. (Privacy Policy) |
Index Exchange | This is an ad network. (Privacy Policy) |
Sovrn | This is an ad network. (Privacy Policy) |
Facebook Ads | This is an ad network. (Privacy Policy) |
Amazon Unified Ad Marketplace | This is an ad network. (Privacy Policy) |
AppNexus | This is an ad network. (Privacy Policy) |
Openx | This is an ad network. (Privacy Policy) |
Rubicon Project | This is an ad network. (Privacy Policy) |
TripleLift | This is an ad network. (Privacy Policy) |
Say Media | We partner with Say Media to deliver ad campaigns on our sites. (Privacy Policy) |
Remarketing Pixels | We may use remarketing pixels from advertising networks such as Google AdWords, Bing Ads, and Facebook in order to advertise the HubPages Service to people that have visited our sites. |
Conversion Tracking Pixels | We may use conversion tracking pixels from advertising networks such as Google AdWords, Bing Ads, and Facebook in order to identify when an advertisement has successfully resulted in the desired action, such as signing up for the HubPages Service or publishing an article on the HubPages Service. |
Statistics | |
---|---|
Author Google Analytics | This is used to provide traffic data and reports to the authors of articles on the HubPages Service. (Privacy Policy) |
Comscore | ComScore is a media measurement and analytics company providing marketing data and analytics to enterprises, media and advertising agencies, and publishers. Non-consent will result in ComScore only processing obfuscated personal data. (Privacy Policy) |
Amazon Tracking Pixel | Some articles display amazon products as part of the Amazon Affiliate program, this pixel provides traffic statistics for those products (Privacy Policy) |
Clicksco | This is a data management platform studying reader behavior (Privacy Policy) |