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MarSch: 4 months ago | Last edited at 6:23PM on 1/7/2013

I wonder why is it, with most people being good-hearted, that when God is mentioned, or Jesus, why do we get so angry?

Why do we almost automatically get our hackles up and slug it out? And I'm right there in it, too, even without meaning to, or even "planning" to stay calm about it all? Maybe something so important is raised up? Funny how people just disagree on other things, but on this topic they tend to start calling names and spitting at each other. Why is that? (This could just as easily been under "Relationship" as under "religion, spirituality"...

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Answer 1

TheTrustyLepp: 4 months ago via iPhone | Last edited at 6:57PM on 1/7/2013

Because a lot of us are tired of hearing the same old preaching and damning of annoying bigoted christians all the time. Like we don't already know what they believe. I have never seen another religion so persistent with throwing their religion in everyone's face.

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Skeptikitten: 4 months ago

No doubt. No Hindu has ever knocked on my door on a Saturday morning.

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anp1215: 4 months ago

The way you have to see it is, if you knew that a storm was coming wouldn't you go out running letting as many people as possible know about the storm?

Now, if you have heard the news about the storm and want to ignore it, then just nicely let the people from that religion know that you do not want them to visit you any longer and they will leave you alone.

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Skeptikitten: 4 months ago

Except religious witnessing is more analogous to yelling fire in a venue where no fire is present.

You could simply show respect for others' right to believe as they wish by keeping your highly subjective beliefs to yourselves. You already infringe on them by giving your baseless "warnings" of nonexistent dangers.

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anp1215: 4 months ago

I respect others' right to believe what they wish, however, since I do not know what everyone believes in, I share my beliefs in the Bible and if a person tells me that they do not want to hear my beliefs then I will no longer bother them.

Through constant and thorough study I have proven to myself, not by anyone else, that what is written in the Bible is accurate. So, I do what God asks of all us, which is to follow the example his Son, Jesus, left while on Earth, which was to let everyone know about the good news of God's Kingdom (Matthew 24:14).

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Skeptikitten: 4 months ago

Yes, yes. It's apparently fine to push your beliefs on other people because an old book told you to. Got it.

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TheTrustyLepp: 4 months ago via iPhone

No one cares what you believe or if you think a god is telling you to "spread the word". Stop being annoying. You don't get to use free speech as an excuse to annoy people.

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Answer 2

TheGreatBambino: 4 months ago

I don't get angry, others have opinions and statements they are allowed to live by according to God himself. So those who get angry, are technically going against God.

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MarSch: 4 months ago

Yeah, especially those who start insinuating the other is stupid or something. Can't tell you how hard I try NOT to do that, but sometimes I fall into it.
Thanks for your response...

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Answer 3

raggweed: 4 months ago | Last edited at 6:39PM on 1/7/2013

You can't assume everyone around you worships the same things as you. Be considerate of others beliefs and no one gets mad. Freedom of religion and freedom from religion.

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bettyeckles: 4 months ago via iPhone

Hell seems to be the only big issue.

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ihavaquestion: 4 months ago

Not exactly; the Trinity has been a huge one for many years that people always seem to struggle to come to an agreement about.

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rayman23: 4 months ago via iPhone

I think I was more disappointed than angry. Eventually it grew into anger. Long story.

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Answer 6

DeepDark: 4 months ago

I don't mind people mentioning their god, or Jesus, or the Bible. What I find annoying is when they act as if ONLY their belief has any validity and that I have to be convinced to change my beliefs to match theirs.
In fact, I enjoy discussing and comparing religions, but all too often it turns into a lecture instead of a discussion.

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JamesKaeberle: 4 months ago

Jesus said you will be persecuted for my name sake. Just as He was persecuted. Therefore it should be no surprise to us.

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CalTex: 4 months ago

@James: Christians make up 85% of the population and 89% of Congress. Atheists, on the other hand, make up about 1.6% of the population with no congressional representatives. How is a majority like that being persecuted by such a small minority? That is akin to the Roman Empire being put upon by the early Christians.

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Answer 8

Skeptikitten: 4 months ago

Well, considering that outside of discussion forums "god" is usually brought up when people are pushing their beliefs on others I would think that would be self explanatory.

I don't care what people believe in if they keep it to themselves. However, I live in America where Christians try to push their beliefs onto me and into our laws, schools, and government. That affects me directly. I also happen to be a part of the group that is the most hated and mistrusted minority group in America thanks to that Christian majority. I get to listen to all manner of lies told about atheists and their beliefs, morals, and motivations constantly.

It gets irritating.

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Answer 9

TheZ: 4 months ago via iPhone

It's not the "mention" of Christian deities so much as the intolerance of differing views about them, that raises ire. A presumption that Biblical truth is infallible and all must believe it so. Free will is the bane of all religions, and it is absurd to nonbelievers that spellbound minions of false gods who have vacated logic and free thought, raise indignant words toward others who retain theirs. Comparing the history of religion to that of non-theism, it is abundantly clear which has caused greater human suffering. Therein lies the biggest stain on religion.

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ihavaquestion: 4 months ago

Because everyone's always sooo sure about their beliefs that it's hard for them to respect other beliefs that they can't relate to or comprehend, while at the same time they are usually not educated enough in the subject of their own religion to defend it properly. So when there's just a small disagreement, people just get defensive in the most immature way they can.

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Answer 11

CalTex: 4 months ago

From my perspective as an ex-Christian and ex-Baha'i, religion is a sore subject because the True Believer's identity as a person is wrapped up and fully integrated into their belief system. The devout believer's religion is literally his or her life. As such, any challenge to that belief system is seen as an attack on the believer's life, and the believer will react accordingly. From my experience, this is seen most prominently in Christians and Muslims.

From my perspective as an atheist, such challenges are simply intended as a debate without malice--that is until the believer strikes back with groundless untruths about atheists and atheism as if they are fact. That's when things really start getting personal. The problem is that once it reaches that stage, neither side is willing to concede.

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TheZ: 4 months ago via iPhone

Well said.

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Answer 12

caluvox: 4 months ago

Christians have created a relationship with their deity that runs to their core, in some cases stronger then with their loved ones in the real world. They connect their personal identity with their belief and therefore will take even the slightest amount of disrespect paid to their belief as an offense to their person or as if their child or spouse were being insulted. Even though most atheists were at one time followers, we never developed such a relationship and we see it more along the lines of a political affiliation, which is easier for most to relate to. I have noticed it is so strong that many of you reading this will be upset that I type god instead of God, but to me since I did not start a sentence with that word or recognize it as a real,existing, entity it was not grammatically correct. So that's my take on the issue. Good luck :)

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ynp.214: 4 months ago

That is my take as well. Except that I have never been religious. My mother said that I could decide for myself if I wanted a religion. She never said a word one way or the other. I went to many different churches with my friends while I was in junior high & high school. Even a few as an adult. Religion is just not for me. I've no use for it. I try my darndest to never capitalize god or christianity as I do not think it requires adulation. Sometimes auto correct gets by me with christianity.

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caluvox: 4 months ago

I was raised Catholic by my Irish mother, though I learned my logic and reasoning skills from my Protestant father. I realized very early religion was not for me but played along for my mothers sake. As you can see I treat the words as the English language dictates I should, though I have little respect for Christianity and often purposely use a small case c just to get under the skin of someone that pi$$es me off. ;)

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ynp.214: 4 months ago

I was actually christened catholic when I was a baby because of my fathers mother. But they got divorced when I was three....so it really was not ever a factor. I just always wondered why ll the baby things and cards that my mother had saved had crosses all over them. I thought they were really weird.
Not the ones with crucifixes on them, just the ornate hand-carved ones.
I do however like how artistic some of the crosses can be. But will never own one because I do not believe in what they stand for.

http://img2.etsystatic.com/000/0/5678338/il_fullxfull.130199502.jpg

http://www.exploreinspiration.com/thumb/images/products/elvin-cross.250x250.jpg

http://25.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_m4e9klF3MJ1r61fqlo1_500.jpg

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caluvox: 4 months ago

That last one was awesome. And the first one, of course the Irish can make anything look good :)

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ynp.214: 4 months ago

Yeah anything Celtic is freakin' cool! I love the last one too. But I appreciate them for the art, not their symbolism. I would feel like a hypocrite if I owned them.

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caluvox: 4 months ago

Very true. But, as I told someone that wanted to attained a bible-burning, it's still part of the human experience.

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Answer 13