How about folks?:D :D

I don't consider Christians anything, just other humans swimming through life trying to make sense of it. Some try to believe there is something after death, and some do believe.

It depends on how a person acts, for me. Try and force your belief on me, and I'll call you self-righteous. You are not 'better', more knowledgeable, more ethical, or more intelligent, simply because you happen to believe something with blind faith that I don't.

And I'll say that to anyone, no matter what religion.

with BLIND faith?!?
that does sound a bit self-righteous to me.

hey you know what Age i think i might have misinterpreted you...
sorry

If you have absolute and unquestioning faith in something, without proof, it's called 'blind faith'.

Hence why I used it.

And thanks for the apology.

Fundy Christian = Extreme Christian, who is...

self-righteous = "You're going to Hell, because I KNOW I'm right, and I KNOW you're wrong."

...When in fact none of us know anything for sure.

In a nutshell, self-righteous is when someone says that they KNOW they're right, or when they try to convert people. Not all Christians are like this, and I like those sorts of folks. "Live and let live" with all religion, but if someone start babbling about how I'm going to hell, or how they KNOW they're going to heaven, or that their god is the one true God, well then they're self-righteous. And then I get angry and start attacking their faith, since, well, they attacked mine.

Fanatic Bible thumpers tend ta make me a little... cross...

That's when I tell 'em ta go pray in traffic...

Originally posted by BorgHunter
Fundy Christian = Extreme Christian, who is self-righteous................In a nutshell, self-righteous is when someone says that they KNOW they're right.....or that their god is the one true God

Yep.

And that covers every person I have ever known in my entire life who identified themself as a "Christian".

They may well believe that, but they keep it to themselves. They make inwardly think atheists, gays, etc. etc. are sinners, but that's their right. It's when they start attacking them based on their religion when they are considered self-righteous. Presbyterians are generally the most likable i.e. least self-righteous Christians.

I love how you are all such experts on christianity. Since when is being christian such a bad thing? did you know this is a predominatly christian country? the way you guys make it sound you are beating bible thumepers back on your way to the grocery store everyday. Since this is a christian country, that means there are millions and millions of christians. How many times have you benn approached by christians in your life, honestly. 5, maybe 6 times, I know I never have, unless you count people who come to your door, but then again many people come to the door for many things, sometimes they are christians, sometimes they are selling candy bars. When you single out the christians as pushy door knockers but give the candy bar and salesmen a polite smile,, then I hate to tell you this, but you have a problem with it. Another thing you forget about the christians, they believe they are doing the right thing, and trying to help people. this sounds very familiar, seems the liberals, who force their social programs and crazy laws down my my throat think they are helping people too, but I dont have any need for any of their "help". you may not need religion, but many people do. Learn to deal with it and grow up.

Originally posted by Travh20
I love how you are all such experts on christianity. Since when is being christian such a bad thing? did you know this is a predominatly christian country? the way you guys make it sound you are beating bible thumepers back on your way to the grocery store everyday. Since this is a christian country, that means there are millions and millions of christians. How many times have you benn approached by christians in your life, honestly. 5, maybe 6 times, I know I never have, unless you count people who come to your door, but then again many people come to the door for many things, sometimes they are christians, sometimes they are selling candy bars. When you single out the christians as pushy door knockers but give the candy bar and salesmen a polite smile,, then I hate to tell you this, but you have a problem with it. Another thing you forget about the christians, they believe they are doing the right thing, and trying to help people. this sounds very familiar, seems the liberals, who force their social programs and crazy laws down my my throat think they are helping people too, but I dont have any need for any of their "help". you may not need religion, but many people do. Learn to deal with it and grow up.
I agree, Trav, mostly. Personally, I slam the door on any solicitor that knocks at my door, Jehova's Witness or vacuum cleaner salesman, the only exception being kiddies doing fundraisers. Then I just smile and say "I'm not interested", unless it's the Girl Scouts in which case I buy enough cookies to give the whole East Coast diabetes and heart disease. :D Keep yer damned religion AND your damned vacuums away from me, I don't want them. Which means that even those who think they're "helping" me with their religion, they can go to hell. I don't tell anyone else what to believe, what gives them the right to come on my property and convert me? The non-"helpful" Christians I like, the "helpful" ones better stay away from me or I'll start going to their houses at dinnertime with copies of The Satanist's Bible. (I'm no Satanist, but all the same it sounds funny :D)

your real funny borg, taking the satanist bible to christians houses, ya, thats real funny. Your problem is, you laugh off the christians and what they believe, but at the same time you expect thsoe same christians to "celebrate" what you believe in. you are twisted in the head borg, and need a serious reality check.

And no one is trying to convert you Borg, grow up. You have been taught to hate religion for some reason, and your reasons are shallow selfish reasons, such as someone maybe bothered you while you were relaxing at home, or someone may be put a flyer under your wiper blade. come on already. Give me some real reasons to fear christianity please, an example of how religion has ruined your life. You fear christianinty and celebrate islam. If you want a religion that WILL convert you, violently if need, it is islam, and once your there forget watching TV or having a drink, or listening to music, then you will long for the days the evil christians interupted your beer and bong session back in the good all days.

Nothing you said makes sense. You zeroed in on one sentence in my post and insulted me based off of that, and even that is taken out of context. I'm not suggesting taking the Satanist's Bible to all Christians' houses, just the annoying Jehova's Witness-type ones. Even then, I'm saying it in jest. I also don't "laugh off" what Christians believe in, and I certainly don't care one way or another what Christians think of my religion, or lack thereof, but I don't expect them to make me celebrate their religion either.

Jehova's Witnesses try to convert me regularly. I get about one a week. They haven't taken the hint yet and keep coming back.

I don't "hate" religion; I personally believe it is the "opiate of the masses", as Karl Marx once said, but I don't hate it. And my reasons for rejecting religion are not shallow or selfish, I don't know where you came up with that. Christians aren't shallow or selfish for their religious beliefs at all, neither are atheists...religion isn't about that at all!

I never said to fear Christianity, and I never said religion ruined my life. Stop putting words in my mouth, please.

Islam, Christianity, they're all the same. There are the moderates and there are the shoe-bombing extremes. I only hate the shoe-bombing extremes, of all religions, yes including extreme atheists. Haven't you seen me attacking Freethinker's arguments against religion?

Trav, you must be confusing me with Freethinker or something, because you just put quite a few words in my mouth and made up beliefs I wasn't aware that I had. Oh right, that's because I didn't believe that at all. Please.

I would have to say that I am a Bible believing Christian. I don't think that my faith is "blind" because I have spent a great deal of my life determining why I believe the way that I do.

The reason that we spend so much time trying to "convert people" I don't even like that phrase, is because the Bible calls us to do that.

However, I think many have lacked the motivation that we are supposed to have when we reach people. It is not about me cramming my religion down my throat, because if I don't sincerely demonstrate love to the very people I am trying to talk to, then I've missed the point entirely.

Although I have to agree with Age, too many "Christians" accept blind faith. They don't go check it out on their own, they just do what they're told, and then they miss the whole point.

Alot of people that use the Bible are scared into religion, do this, don't do that, you'll be in hell for eternity, etc... Religion needs come from within not taught or pushed by anyone. Teaching comes when people ask not before. It is not anyones job to go from house to house preaching.

In a nutshell, self-righteous is when someone says that they KNOW they're right, or when they try to convert people. Not all Christians are like this, and I like those sorts of folks. "Live and let live" with all religion,

I am a christian and I do not believe people who claim to be christians, but not help anyone in a spiritual sense are very much of a christian. Because it is a christian's job to interfere in your life to try and help you.

the "helpful" ones better stay away from me or I'll start going to their houses at dinnertime with copies of The Satanist's Bible. (I'm no Satanist, but all the same it sounds funny )

Come to my house I'll say come on in would you like anything to or drink. Maybe even try to get into a conversation with you about our beliefs. After you leave I'll throw away your little satanist bible and pray that God helps you.

Why do so many on this forum consider Christians self-righteous, and "fundamental Chr

It is the simple fact that the christians who do try and help others, the ones you know are christians, try to become better people in life, so they're way of helping others is much more productive and with out a spiritual sense of poison.

I am a christian and I do not believe people who claim to be christians, but not help anyone in a spiritual sense are very much of a christian. Because it is a christian's job to interfere in your life to try and help you.
I seem to recall a quote in the Bible about not preaching your beliefs. Am I mistaken?
Come to my house I'll say come on in would you like anything to or drink. Maybe even try to get into a conversation with you about our beliefs. After you leave I'll throw away your little satanist bible and pray that God helps you.
A waste of your time. According to standard Christian theology, God made everything, so he made me an atheist. So why would he change me all of a sudden?

If you are going to be a Christian then ok - but at least be 100% into it. I never got the part about - "we are Christians but we don't force it down your throat" - paraphrased means "we are cool christians don't hate us" True nobody likes those preachy Christians, but if you believe it so deeply and believe the non-believers are doomed, then you surely have a duty to be very over the top with it all and be one of those annoying people that do force it down peoples throats. Afterall you are saving them right?

As with all things - people have their little circles where it's ok to be 100% full-on when part of the group, but then they adjust when in different circles so they can fit in - ie cool christians instead of the real christians who don't sell out to fit in. I mean if you are going to be something then don't do a half ass job of it, especially when the belief is so extreme that you think everybody else is doomed unless they believe the same thing.

Of course Christian Values is a totally different thing all together. We can all be cool together by sharing some Christian Values.

God did not make you an atheist, you chose to be an atheist just as much as I chose to be a christian, BorgHunter.

Originally posted by ElementLight2
God did not make you an atheist, you chose to be an atheist just as much as I chose to be a christian, BorgHunter.
Okay, but he knows everything, right? So he knew that I would be an atheist 50,000 years ago? Why didn't he do something, you know, make a bad encounter with me and an atheist back when I was a Christian much as you are? I'm sure that might have dissuaded me, as an impressionable youth.

An athiest is not much different than a christian in terms of force of belief. To be an atheist you have a strong belief - only that belief is a belief that god doesn't exist.

I don't know how anybody can have a strong belief for or against because it's impossible to know with certainty. So each polarisation is just as miss-guided

Christians do have something of value though - atheists seems to be just a strong waste of belief that leaves them with not much of side benefit for their effort.

Okay, but he knows everything, right? So he knew that I would be an atheist 50,000 years ago? Why didn't he do something, you know, make a bad encounter with me and an atheist back when I was a Christian much as you are? I'm sure that might have dissuaded me, as an impressionable youth.

It could just be that you are one of the ones that God doesn't care about ;)

Originally posted by DrewM
An athiest is not much different than a christian in terms of force of belief. To be an atheist you have a strong belief - only that belief is a belief that god doesn't exist.
Well, actually I'm more of an agnostic atheist...semantics, really. :cool:

yeah, i've always heard atheism defined as not believing in god. i've never come right out and said "there is no god." but i do doubt that there is a god since there's no proof that there is one. so since i doubt god, then i don't believe in him, which i suppose would make me an atheist.