Christian Bashing

[silvrsnstr]

Christian Bashing, ie. saying you hate them, pity them, or calling them things they do not wish to be called goes on here alot. I think we should stop it. I origonally called out on person, but in light of all the things i have heard (and what ppl have told me), I decided to adress the matter, not the person. THought and opinions welcome.

[Wyrdsister]

It's okay, silvrsnstr; a lot of people have posted responses to Alex's thread and they've all been pretty positive about letting him know the "rules of conduct" (for a lack of another term) for MysticWicks. I'm sure he's learned a big lesson rather quickly!! :)

And Welcome to Mysticwicks Alex! I know your welcome may not have gone as smooth as one would like, but I'd like to offer you a lemonade and a place on the comfy couch chair thingy to which we are all so attached. ;) :D Trust me, you'll understand when you've been around here awhile! :)

Wyrdsister

[Myst]

Now this is better. It's important to remember that we all try to be tolerant, and not to attack anyone - even for attacking others! - but to extend friendship, courtesy, understanding, and probably lemonade :)

Welcome to the fray, Alex.

[silvrsnstr]

I do respect you opinion, and will revise my original post. Maybe change the subject to Christian Bashings.

[rantnraven]

Originally posted by silvrsnstr
It wasn't an attack, just my opinion about the rules of conduct. And BTW, Welcoem Alex. I amjelous becuase I never got offered lemonade. ;) And this was a thing to all ppl, not just Alex. Alex was an offender of the rules, and i am just letting him and other newbies know its not really a nice thing to do.

Please come sit next to me so we can talk. And, here, have some lemonade - there is more where that came from. PM me anytime.

All are welcome on this Porch and the lemonade is there for the taking.

Your brother in spirit,
Thoma

[eaglewolf]

silvrsnstr;

I have changed the thread title for you, if you want to edit your post to something more along those lines, feel free.

I will not edit your post, but will leave the choice to change it (or not) and what to say (if anything) up to you...

...the title and original purpose of this thread was a bit out of line, but a general statement about Christian bashing is a great idea.

~ew

[Mariposa De La Luna]

I shall repeat for those that may not have heard before :)

Tolerance has to start somewhere. If we can't show it to them, then how can we expect it back?

[loopy]

Originally posted by SAHM
I shall repeat for those that may not have heard before :)

Tolerance has to start somewhere. If we can't show it to them, then how can we expect it back?

Hear hear sister! :)

[Kaylara]

Originally posted by SAHM
I shall repeat for those that may not have heard before :)

Tolerance has to start somewhere. If we can't show it to them, then how can we expect it back?

Damn Skippy!

Kaylara

[Rævyn Cigány]

Holy Mother Gaea...what did I MISS????

Sheesh...ya go away for two days and the place is turned upside-down...sigh...better start reading....

BB

Rae )0(

[silvrsnstr]

Thanks for changing it :).
Christian Bashing goes on a lot here, intentional or not. I thnk that we should discuss the probs, and try and find a way to solve them.

[silvrsnstr]

thanks for the lemonade.

[evilslinkycat]

Originally posted by SAHM
I shall repeat for those that may not have heard before :)

Tolerance has to start somewhere. If we can't show it to them, then how can we expect it back?


Yep very true Sahm
:D

[rantnraven]

Originally posted by silvrsnstr
Thanks for changing it :).
Christian Bashing goes on a lot here, intentional or not. I thnk that we should discuss the probs, and try and find a way to solve them.

Yes, it does occur. Could one expect less from an "On Line Pagan Community"? I'm sure that Christian Communities are equally as bad with consideration of Pagans. However, turnabout is not always fair play.

As SAHM stated we should show tolerance to all walks of life and religion. Alex may have gotten out of hand but, that can be expected of anyone - even me :D . I am not above it - I have learned from the past, that's all. Many here have and want to share it so those around us can learn from it as well. Not saying that some have nothing to offer - they do. And we ALL can learn from each other.

Wasn't it stated in the Bible to "let he who is without sin cast the first stone"? Ner' a rock was thown. No need to cast them now.

Blessings to all, Yes, Christians too.
RnR

[Lavender]

Rae, I know how you feel...went to bed last night & found all this today. WOW!

Rant, that's a good way to make a point! Heh! :D

[EasternPriest]

Blessings to all indeed!

[rantnraven]

Originally posted by Wildchild
Rae, I know how you feel...went to bed last night & found all this today. WOW!

Rant, that's a good way to make a point! Heh! :D

That wasn't me. The system seems to have had a glitch. I went back through and deleted the extras. ;)

RnR

[Draeconin]

Originally posted by silvrsnstr
Christian Bashing, ie. saying you hate them, pity them, or calling them things they do not wish to be called goes on here alot. I think we should stop it. I origonally called out on person, but in light of all the things i have heard (and what ppl have told me), I decided to adress the matter, not the person. THought and opinions welcome.

What constitutes Christian bashing?

I agree that lumping any group of people together, especially one as large and diverse as the Christian religion, and making a generalized statement about them is likely to be wrong about many of the members of that group, but there are sub-groups about which you could make the same statement and be assured of being at least 90% correct - depending on the statement and the sub-group, of course.

So where do observations end and bashing begin?

[bloodstone20]

I think that saying that they are wrong, or saying, begone spawn of Jesus is Christian bashing.
Observation, i think, are like, Hmmmm, this group does this, and this other group says its evil.

[rantnraven]

I, personally, think that if all religions were right then, they would all be wrong. Who am I to say? Just let me practice, I will not bother you.

Dance on my grave when this body is done, not before. But know that I'll be buried at sea.

If I was wrong in this life then so be it.

RnR

[Danustouch]

Personally, I think that Christian Bashing begins when we lump all christians into one bracket, and charge them all with the same offenses. Or, when we start taking their religion apart, bit by bit, and criticizing them for those beliefs. If the poll had been worded differently...such as..

Do you think that this Article is an example of..

A)extreme religious bias
B)facts and research,
C)one persons own opinions..

etc...I may have answered it. But, the choices given in the Poll, seemed to SCREAM frustration, and anger. And in the midst of those feelings, sometimes, we lash out at whatever target is in our paths, without lashing out at the source of those feelings. IMHO...the anger someone felt, should have been directed at the author of that column, or "people who share that opinion"....but not "Christians" as a whole.

I hope I'm clear here, i'm feeling a little tired, and unclear. LOL.
What a debate to come home to!!!!!!!

[gunner]

"I hope I'm clear here, i'm feeling a little tired, and unclear. LOL."

you made good sense to me danustouch, quite clear.

[Draeconin]

Originally posted by Danustouch
Personally, I think that Christian Bashing begins when we lump all christians into one bracket, and charge them all with the same offenses. Or, when we start taking their religion apart, bit by bit, and criticizing them for those beliefs...

(snip)

I hope I'm clear here, i'm feeling a little tired, and unclear. LOL.
What a debate to come home to!!!!!!!



I actually thought the reasons stated for avoiding the poll to be quite well thought out. I was just curious as to what everyone thought "bashing" was. I've run into people who thought any comment that could be taken negatively was bashing. Perhaps I should have started another thread for that. Sorry.

[Myst]

Not all Christians are Fundies, not all Fundies are Christians. Once you start swaying from that distinction you start bashing..

(fyi, article on christianity not equalling fundamentalism at
http://www.ecauldron.com/opedfundies.php for your interest)

[Faery-Wings]

Originally posted by WillowRaven
Not all Christians are Fundies, not all Fundies are Christians. Once you start swaying from that distinction you start bashing..

(fyi, article on christianity not equalling fundamentalism at
http://www.ecauldron.com/opedfundies.php for your interest)

That was a good article. Thanks for sharing :)

Chris

[Alex]

Geesh! I cant find an appropriately sheepish emoticon...

Sorry.... I didn't realize I was off the mark, rules wise.

I am really trying to appologize sincerely, but I am finding words evasive, for once. I suppose I could go into a pages long explaination of my feelings, but that may be construed as further bashing. Suffice it to say I don't trust x-tians at all, and I have my reasons. If that is bashing, I'm sorry.

I'll try to stay off that topic here.

Blessings, and thanks for the lemonade.

Alex

[Danustouch]

We certainly are all entitled to our experiences, and our emotions. I for one, accept your apology. We all learn as we go along :)

[Wyrdsister]

Originally posted by Alex
Sorry.... I didn't realize I was off the mark, rules wise.

I am really trying to appologize sincerely, but I am finding words evasive, for once. I suppose I could go into a pages long explaination of my feelings, but that may be construed as further bashing. Suffice it to say I don't trust x-tians at all, and I have my reasons. If that is bashing, I'm sorry. I for one accept your apology, Alex. You are very new to the community and we can all slip up from time to time! 8O As I've said in other posts, you've had quite the crash course in community conduct over the past day, but I'm glad you've stuck around and I'm sure you'll add to the community!

Everyone can have bad experiences with any number of "types" of people; for you it has been with members of a Christian group. That is understandable. I guess the point of all this discussion is that we as a community see it as ethical and personally valuable to step back from the desire to instantly retaliate, to look at how we really feel, and to stop long enough to remember to be respectful. I think everyone can be reactionary (I'm certainly guilty as charged! 8O), but here in this community we have all worked hard to slow down and truly think our words through carefully before we post. There is so much that can be learned from this process!

Again, glad you've stuck it out, and stay involved! :D :D

Wyrdsister

[gunner]

chryssi, a very interesting article, "recommended reading" i'd call it, thank you.

oops! that was willowraven's post, but i got to the article from chryssi's quote post. thank you too willowraven

[EasternPriest]

Chrissy...great reference! Thank you:)

[SamuraiInBlack]

I'll admit it. I have bashed Christians in the past. Sometimes with what seemed like good reason at the moment, other times, simply because they wanted to question my beliefs in comparison to theirs.

That probably wasn't the greatest idea considering much of my family is either Christian or Catholic. My aunt being a very devout one. Most likely I will continue to bash them for one reason or another, because outside my family, Christianity has not sat well with me and it most likely never will.

I've been in Christian churches, both lively ones and dead ones. Lively meaning they actually sang and prayed like their god was going to turn them into pillars of salt if they didn't. Dead ones where even the happiest songs seemed dreary and dull, as if they were just going through the motions. To be honest with you, I have never been moved by either. I was always left with questions about the Christian God. Why this, why that.

A friend of mine brought up a couple good points for the ones who want to say that I shall go to Hell for "my sins" of being of the Craft, or a different faith entirely:

"The Christian God gave man a choice. God didn't like that choice and punished man. So if their god doesn't like it, it's his damned fault, not ours."

"If the Christian God was really as powerful as he's claimed to be then why aren't we all following him?"



I'm glad to have my aunt in a way. Despite her being devout Christian she has accepted the fact that my girlfriend follows a different faith. But it makes me wonder just how willingly she made that acceptance. She still doesn't know about me following the same path. To be truthful I wonder if she accepts it because my girlfriend makes me happy, and she'd accept my practicing of Wicca because I am her favorite nephew. I don't want to be accepted because I am family. I want to be accepted because that is my CHOICE, and one I am comfortable with.

But I digress. I know I will refrain from bashing those of a different path as much as I can. But I know that those words will be hard to stand by when someone actively disrespects my religious path out of their ignorance. Thus far, that has only been by Christians, which may have caused my 'ease' in bashing them right back. But at least I'm honest. :)

Actually, sometimes what I really bash the most is the "Go to church on Sunday and all is forgiven" Christian. These are the ones that basically do so much arrogant and ignorant crap during the week it's amazing someone hasn't gotten the sense to smack them upside the head with a rolling pin. Then they go to church on Sunday and ask their god to forgive them of their sins and then everything's alright in their world as if they already know they're forgiven. The list of sins could be longer than the combined pages of the Library of Congress doubled over. But one visit to church on Sunday and it's like "ok, you're free to go."

I had to go to school with such a person for four years, and he went out of his way to make me as well as my friends uncomfortable and very disrespected. Even worse than that is the man didn't even have any respect for women whatsoever. Even other Christians are sick of him.

[Myst]

Originally posted by gunner
chryssi, a very interesting article, "recommended reading" i'd call it, thank you.

oops! that was willowraven's post, but i got to the article from chryssi's quote post. thank you too willowraven

Well I wasn't going to mention it lol