AIBU to ask why Christians seem to make everyone so angry?

[Bardette]

Any post involving Christians or the church seem to attract an extra level of venom from some and I wonder why?

I was told as a child that hell was a real place. I ended up deciding at 9 that any God who would purposely condemn people to eternal torment, was not a being i wanted to worship.

Clock - ah, well maybe they're praying for you.

Christians lost their teeth. If they cared about their faith just like Muslims do, we wouldn't have nonsense like "lets remove st.George's flag because it might discriminate somebody"

Grennie similar reasoning to mine (though mine was a few years later) - I could never trust any God who is unfair enough to condemn people to eternal torment for the simple lack of opportunity to even have heard of him. And trust is such an important part of most mainstream religions, to not have it has to be a deal breaker.

But don't you need to be converted to get to the good place, Errol? Or is it generally believed that it can happen if people pray for you enough, too?

I think they are praying for you to "see the light" one day, sort of have a Damascene moment all on your own.

Ah, I see, Allergic. Fair enough. But I still think it's a bit lazy to rely on a middle man when they could have a go at showing you the way themselves.

Christians don't make me angry, rather very very confused.

I simply don't get it. I'm fairly intelligent, have friends and acquaintances from as many walks of life as one might expect from having worked in a very multiracial Midlands city, I'm open minded and had the usual grounding in Christianity via C of E primary school, attendance at countless Christian weddings/christenings and festive events as a child, and yet I still simply do not understand what Christianity actually IS in the UK in 2014.

Whenever I have a conversation with a Christian about this, I usually hear words 'metaphors' 'morals' 'comfort' but nothing really cohesive that I can understand. Confusion is a frustrating state to be in, I wouldn't say it makes me angry, but uncomfortable is probably more the sensation.

"she's part of the Landover 'church' - its a parody."

Thank whatever deity you worship for that. I hate to think that people like that actually exist.

However....

The phrasing of the title of your thread is very interesting
'why Christians seem to make everyone so angry'
Talk about victim blaming! would you say you wondered why battered women make men so angry?

Pixiepotter - victim blaming, really? How on earth can you say that Christians in this country are victims; there's plenty on this thread discussing how the CofE has more rights & power than any other religion.

I suggest you think about your wording!

Slug, BOB - of course parodies are only the the shadow of the thing being parodied. Unfortunately we've all read too many threads here about kids being upset in school by visiting vicars and the like.

Pixie - please do explain how Christians in this country are in any way analogous to battered women.

I can think of a few possible analogies (e.g., people kept in their place through fear-inducement by powerful men, on the basis of at-best dubious logic), but I don't think that's what Pixie means.

does anyone else feel a bit miffed about religious friend's who don't try to convert you?

I think you might be on your own there Clock.

I'm with you, Dione - none of my religious friends have ever tried to convert me. We have had lots of profound conversations facilitated by alcohol and worked out that actually we agree on very many things. No conversion.

I have also had some lovely conversations with our local Mormons. I do find their Elders very amusing - they all look about 18 - but arguing theology and feminism with them really does while away a sunny afternoon.

Well I'm sure we're all relieved that our friends don't try and convert us :)

But it is a good point isn't it. If you really believed that the creator of the universe had told you how to survive and live forever how could you not rush into the street and tell everyone.

BOB - indeed. Not that many people who call themselves Christians behave as though they really believe it all. I don't mean the hellfire bits - I mean the parts about loving your neighbour, feeding the hungry etc etc. Its odd really... Jesus gave some fairly explicit instructions, but they didn't include any need for expensive church organs or flower rotas or stained glass ...don't get me wrong, I really do like occasionally listening to a good choir with a shaft of sunlight through those windows and the scent of lilies, I'm appreciative of 'cultural christianity' ... but all that seems to massively miss the point of the gospels. Oh well. I'm certainly not angry with any of the people involved in those delightful activities, though I'm dubious whether they deserve charitable status for them.

does anyone else feel a bit miffed about religious friends who don't try to convert you? I mean, if they really think you're facing eternal damnation while they live on in paradise, surely they should put a bit of effort in to get you there too?

Sometimes Christians are damned if they do, damned if they don't

Religious people are only human and only have so much energy. Why should they "try to convert you" if you clearly already know what Christianity is about? You can make your own effort if inclined, and your own choices. Why should it be up to them?

Or maybe they're not actually fundamentalists who think you'll be "facing eternal damnation". A lot of Christians have a more liberal outlook and focus

I see your point that more liberal positions might not think we're definitely eternally damned. But even the most liberal surely thinks it's best to be converted to be on the safe side?

I just think that if I was certain (or even 80% sure, say) that there was a deadly pandemic on the way, and I'd had the vaccine but my friends weren't that bothered, I wouldn't be able to sit back and say "oh well, their choice". I reckon I'd be badgering them day and night. And we're "only" talking about finite suffering there, not eternity...

Christians don't make me angry, I just hide when they knock at my door!

But I agree this leaves you damned if you do and damned if you don't

the rest of us are damned anyway, though. Welcome.