Some sushi and a conversation with a Christian

[Nate The Great]

Growing up in a VERY Christian area, I have seen Christians basically split into TWO groups.

1. The CONSERVATIVE Christians you described above. These Christians are usually older, but there are also a growing numer of younger ones. Most of the young were either home schooled, or they NEVER go anywhere to experience anything . . . unless it involves some sort of organized Christian activity.

2. The TOLERANT Christians. These are the Christians you would be more likely to meet at a University in the Midwest. They go to frat parties (but don't drink), they go to bars (but don't drink), they have gay friends, and they even think gays have a place in Christian society (at least some of them think that). There is also a growing number of these Christians, all of whom are younger for the most part. Unfortunately, these Christians aren't nearly as passionate and vocal as the conservative Christians. The tolerant Christians are a little more like hippies, I guess.

My view is that eventually the tolerant Christians will win . . . but only because the conservatives will die off. The young conservatives will have so little knowledge of the world that they simply won't be able to exist properly in society. They will stumble all over themselves in their attempt to move society in "the right direction".

That's just my view . . . being in an extremely Christian area and all.

 

[Demonspell]

I'm also frightened of the way that politics and religion have become so permanently intertwined that it has virtually closed the door to non-Christians in politics, and I certainly hope that the tolerant Christians Nate described won't become demagogues when they get older. I feel sorry for anyone who has to sit through that nonsense, and next time go to a real Japanese restuarant.

 

[Hell Mike]

Religion and politics have always been very close

 

[MajestikMøøse]

 

[Dark One]

JK, we can have a private conversation about this sometime if you'd like. Rest assured, the whole "moral values"/Chrisitianism issue was not really a factor for me. I'm an agnostic from head to toe.

 

[spaffe]

http://www.positiveatheism.org/hist/goldman413.htm

A interesting little essay in case someone's interested or needs to kill some time. Nothing revolutionary if you've read similar stuff but it's pretty insightful and eloquent.

 

[J.]

2. The TOLERANT Christians. These are the Christians you would be more likely to meet at a University in the Midwest. They go to frat parties (but don't drink), they go to bars (but don't drink), they have gay friends, and they even think gays have a place in Christian society (at least some of them think that). There is also a growing number of these Christians, all of whom are younger for the most part. Unfortunately, these Christians aren't nearly as passionate and vocal as the conservative Christians. The tolerant Christians are a little more like hippies, I guess.

heh, I guess this is me, eh? Though, I joined a frat, drank a ton, smoked a little weed, got laid, etc. Never knew many gay people, though. If they were gay, I didn't know it.

Hell, I even voted for Kerry.

JK: If you cannot see it, it does not exist.

I don't necessarily believe this. Right now in Houston, it's cold. I can't see the "cold" when I look out my window, but I sure as hell can feel it if I walk outside. I can't see "gravity", but I know it's there since I'm not floating.

And since when is the 4th largest city in the US considered "the boonies"?

 

[NAD]

Yeah I think empiricism is a bunch of bunk. There are a lot of things that I believe in that I've never seen, and probably never will. For example I believe in ghosts, aliens, and the booger man, some of which I'll probably never see.

 

[SonOfNun]

Don't forget:

3. People who are Christians because they don't know any better. This includes people who grew up in Christian homes and never even thought about the possibility that they could be wrong or something else could exist. I've met plenty of these people who go through life calling themselves Christians, while at the same time, they lie, cheat, steal, have pre-marital sex, do drugs and whatever else. Not all of them do these things, but most are your typical follow-the-crowd sheep who know nothing of independent thought. aka The Oblivious.

 

[Ayeka]

3. People who are Christians because they don't know any better. This includes people who grew up in Christian homes and never even thought about the possibility that they could be wrong or something else could exist. I've met plenty of these people who go through life calling themselves Christians, while at the same time, they lie, cheat, steal, have pre-marital sex, do drugs and whatever else. Not all of them do these things, but most are your typical follow-the-crowd sheep who know nothing of independent thought. aka The Oblivious.

These are the ones you'll meet round here. They're generally nice enough people, but personally I can't help feeling sorry for 'em. One of my dearest friends is kind of like this...I can't imagine having to shoot her in the back of the head someday

This kind of thing popped up on FFO recently. My tuppence was that basically xtianity is irrelevant because the 'facts' have been proved to be bunk, so all you have left is Faith. When your 'faith' comes from being conditioned to think in a particular way by family/school/prison etc then it isn't really faith at all...just brainwashing. Therefore, xtianity is utterly irrelevant and unnecessary. The moral codes it gives us can easily be replaced by something called Common Sense, anyway.
I bailed the thread after four pages, two posts by me and two xtians. One of them had a tantrum over my post and the other was using circular logic, so I can't be fucked to get banned over that. Still need to prove why Kuja is a better villain than Sephiroth

It's becoming open knowledge here that xtianity is on it's way out. People are very indifferent towards it, and you can see the church regularly tearing itself to pieces in the papers argueing about gay bishops and female priests. I used to frequently rant Total Anti-Christian stuff when I was younger, but now I think I don't even have to bother
I am a bit concerned about Islam though. I even have Muslim friends ........

 

[Nate The Great]

I'm aware of the Christians that Opeth17 talked about. In fact, I'd say that is the biggest group of Christians in the USA. However, they aren't actually Christians in my view. Nonetheless, they follow the lead of, usually, group #1 that I spoke of.

Be aware that group #3 that Opeth17 spoke of CAN BE SWAYED in their beliefs.