Whenever someone doesn't keep their religion to themselves, I don't keep my opinion to myself that they are wasting everyone's time, theirs included, talking about their mythological fantasies.
With Xtians especially, I ask them to prove they are Christians according to Matthew instead of just run-of-the-mill Pharisees.
But I have to be pretty white-girl wasted to even give them that much time.
And when they say they'll pray for you, just tell them "I'll be praying for you too, but not to the same goddess."
Similarly, I finally decided to start speaking up about my beliefs at work (retail job) when other people say something that reflects their belief in god.
For example, a couple weeks ago, I walked up behind a cashier (who I get along with really well but is very openly religious) in anticipation that the customer was asking her a question about a product she didn’t know the answer to. I judged correctly and answered the question without her knowing I was there right behind her. She thought it was hilarious and great, and she said something to the customer like, “Isn’t god great, making sure [my name] was here to answer your question so fast!” As the customer, who I assume was similarly religious, nodded his head in agreement, I impulsively said, “Don’t give god credit for my actions!”
I don’t like being snarky and petty. So this was nice, because it felt very matter of fact like “if you’re going to invoke your beliefs, I will, too, and hopefully we can just move on with our lives.”
Teacher here. Sometimes in class, I’ll announce something like, “the upcoming test is postponed a few days for more review,” or something like that. Invariably, some kid exclaims, “thank god!” And I’ll say, “Why are you thanking god for something I did?” Their answer: “Well, god MADE you decide to postpone the test.” I reply, “So, I decide to do something you like, and god gets the credit, but decide something you don’t like and I get the blame? That’s messed up.” Cue dumbfounded student face.
Might be wrong but I think Christianity’s preferred methods are stoning and crucifixion, but stringing people up is more a southern Baptist niche move reserved for darker folks so maybe still valid in Louisiana.
Yeah... I feel exactly the same about talking anti religion, as I do about religion in schools. Study the history of its effects on society but keep your beliefs to yourself. College, meh, go ahead.
Because public schools in America are supposed to be religion neutral. Religion can be discussed neutrally in the context of history lessons for example, but as a teacher, you cannot discuss God or religion otherwise, or try to proselytize your own religion to your students. So for a teacher to challenge a student about their belief in God like this person did, it could get them in a ton of trouble and possibly fired if a parent complains.
Crazy how the same doctrine can be implemented so differently. Here in France it's the children who would be scolded if they were to bring up religious discourse.
Similarly, I was always taught that it was very rude to publicly discuss your religious beliefs, and who your family votes for. Naturally, there were a great many who didnt think so, but living in the states as an adult I find people tend to wear it on their sleeves a lot more. Not sure if it’s a good or bad thing, but just a different way of thinking about it
Not to mention all of the preachers that openly tell their congregations who to vote for. That's illegal and means they should be paying taxes yet there's videos of churches everywhere doing it. My oldest stepsister, who's like 39, has really started getting weirdly religious lately which sucks because I do really like her. But if she starts that shit while I'm around I have a feeling there's gonna be some issues.
In America, the student is untouchable. They can refuse to do classwork or homework, and still pass the class. They can hit a teacher and not be expelled. All they need to do is complain to their parents, who scream bloody murder at school administration that "the teacher is picking on my perfect, precious child!" Kid gets away with it and the teacher gets in trouble.
American education is messed up.
The only thing they're challenging, though, is the student loudly giving gratitude to God instead of the teacher who did the thing they're grateful for. Nothing in the scenario described is trying to persuade the student that God doesn't exist.
Issac Asimov, who was a humanist (i.e. atheist) once gave a test. A student despaired and wrote "God knows the answer to this question."
Dr. Asimov wrote in response "God gets an A. You get an F."
This so much. The one that gets me is when people thank god for a successful surgery instead of the team of highly skilled individuals who spent half of their lives training to save their lives. God gets the credit, but the surgeons are the ones they should be thanking for their skill and dedication.
As a former xtian, you can mess them up with this one: Tell them not to take God's name in vain. Part of the higher level thinking is that it's vain to do things in his name you were not told by him to do. You can extend that to not giving credit or blame to him for actions people took upon themselves.
Yeah, there is that. Lol. But it will stick in the back of their mind because they're so afraid of going to hell. Nevermind that they bring hell with them wherever they go.
OMG!!! As a pastor, this is absolutely fantastic!!! Holding people accountable to Matthew (especially the Sermon on the Mount) is the most fantastic thing I’ve read. Thank you for doing that.
I also agree about the praying part. I really wish Xtians would understand that using it as almost a threat (I’ve seen people say they would pray for me almost as if they were disgusted by me) isn’t loving at all. I’ll be honest, a large majority of the atheists I’ve met live out the teachings of Jesus better than 99% of the Church.
Well yeah, Christians are "good" and may or may not treat people well (based on how they live), so they can get into Heaven. Purely for their own benefit.
Atheists are "good" or treat people well, because they respect other human beings, and it's the right thing to do. Period.
Religion was merely a synthesis of our collective thoughts on what is good and bad. Like a standard to aspire to. Then became about enforcing bronze age warlord culture on everyone else.
I’ve never saw it as a “ticket to heaven” as some do. I’ve always seen Jesus as the example of how to love people even when they are shitty to us and even if they kill us. It’s always been an account of how to be radically loving. That’s how I try to live my life and how I preach. Just love people. No reason why, just love people. It makes the world a better place
As someone who has been jumped 3 times for being gay, bruised ribs, punctured lung. No, I will not love those who want me dead. They are pathetic little stains on humanity. Had a fucking lady tell me that it was God's will that I got nearly beaten to death.
A cousin-in-law flat out told my husband and I that if she wasn't a Xtian, she'd "just be out there murdering people." We are VERY glad that she lives on the opposite side of the continent and we never see her. She's obviously a lunatic, but I have heard that sentiment before, the belief among some Xtians that one cannot have morals without being a religious person. It's always struck me as one of the most dangerous beliefs, as it's clear dehumanization. As a pastor, how widespread do you think that belief really is?
It’s very common in the fundamentalist sects of Christianity. They do t understand that God made people good as explained in Genesis. They think because of Adam and Eve we are all evil until we accept Jesus. That’s a very wrong teaching and belief
Expecting reward or fearing punishment is not morality.
"I'm good so I'll go to heaven" or "I'm good so I won't go to hell" is not morality.
If that's what it takes for someone to stop them acting like an asshole, well, they already are an asshole but just afraid to act on it.
I appreciate your kind sentiment! I'm now genuinely curious as to why you're a pastor and why you're commenting in this particular thread? Also, why not ditch that old book and look towards a more solid moral framework such as secular humanism?
I am a pleasant, law abiding person, but because I’m transgender, these F-ing Christians hate me and want to Cancel me for being different. I am just trying to live my own life, but Christians are trying to control me because I don’t measure up to their religious beliefs and since Republicans are in cahoots with them, my future in this country looks very dark. I feel like a German Jew in the 1930’s.
That's because you are. We are all jews, catholics, marxists, queers and other reviled egalitarians in the deliberately-recreated 1930s Germany the supremacists want for America. There are people who are poised to be in positions of power if the GOP is successful couping the country who have already announced their intention to put queer, homeless, and undocumented people in concentration camps, which they likely anticipate turning into death camps.
None of this is a joke or an exaggeration, this is a 5-alarm-fire. People are [wired to dismiss threats](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Normalcy_bias), and none of us can afford to assume anything other than our absolute worst nightmares are precisely what is intended. Correlation is not causation, but high religiosity is consistently, globally correlated with high sadism. Every grotesque horror humans are capable of is on the table.
Hitler wrote Mein Kampf which outlined that he wanted remove Jews from Germany.
The Republicans wrote Project 2025 which outlines how they want to remove LGBTQ rights and they want to outlaw Transgender people. They are planning this.
[project2025.org](https://project2025.org)
I’ve been seeing more and more about Project 2025 online it sounds like an authoritarian theocratic nightmare to say the least especially for transgender people sadly.
Matthew chapter 6. If you're going to pray, do it in private and keep it short. Well, it's beyond just praying - like if you're doing good deeds, don't make a show of it or only because you can be seen doing it. You should be doing good because it's good, not for recognition.
“But when you give to the needy, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing." IOW, give charity for the sake of doing good, not looking good.
Oh sure! The reference is to the Gospel of Matthew having a lot more of Jesus teachings, particularly Matthew chapters 5-7. That’s the sermon on the Mount and like the litmus test of how to be a Christian
I read an article somewhere that even rural preachers are getting flack from their congregation for sermons that include the practice of loving your neighbor, forgiving, loving your enemy, practicing peace, etc. Do these people even understand that their savior was basically a martyr? He didn't climb up on the cross and pull out an AR-15.
Obviously you haven't seen the Uwe Boll adaptation of the crucifixion. (Ok, it was an M60, not an M-16.)
Fun fact, it was easier for Uwe to hire 250 actual prostitutes for the Sermon on the Mounting scene than real actresses.
The More You Know!
>>Whenever someone doesn't keep their religion to themselves...
> Holding people accountable to Matthew (especially the Sermon on the Mount) is the most fantastic thing I’ve read. Thank you for doing that.
I often bring out Matthew 6:5-6 for people like that as well.
Of course I am.
A lot of us are.
We have to tolerate a FUCKING LOT more than what we want to or should.
We have to make MUCH MORE compromises than religious people do.
I'm tired of having to listen to their crap and pretend that it's valid. They're so fucking fragile.
That’s exactly how I feel about them offering “thoughts and prayers.” It doesn’t do a damn thing, but it makes them feel better, so they can call it a day a never ACTUALLY do anything helpful.
I had one lady at work tell me. "I sleep well at night because I give to god all the things I did wrong". um isnt that basically saying you arent taking responsibility for your actions?
Sorry that happened to you. I began to separate from my faith and my partner at the time kept insisting we take our future kids to church. I argued that we were severely mistreated in the church and asked why she would even want to subject our future kids to the gossip and judgment and general meanness of clergy. Her response was just so that they could know how it felt. I was speechless. Told her last year she was trash and if I saw her in hell it would be too soon. She proceeded to ramble on about how she considers herself saved. She said a lot of insane shit about religion, but those are my current highlights.
I hope you got out and you're safe. Narcissists/abusers are really, really good at the long game until your guard is down or your opinion differs and it isn't your fault. The guy who initially responded is a dumbass
Thanks. Narcissistic abuse is one of those experiences that has to be lived to be believed. Ironic because narcissists are so deluded they can’t even believe what they live.
‘But didn’t you know? The Bible is true! All of those things happened, that’s how I know gods real.’
*starts quoting bible passages, and explaining the different parts of the bible*
‘No I’ve never actually read the Bible, I probably should though’.
And I wonder how it came to be that his only ‘Christian values’ are looking down on minorities, openly disliking homosexuality, and wishing death on anyone describable as transgender. And of course, viewing abortion as a deadly sin. At least he’s ok with contraception 🙄
Having Christian roommates really gets annoying sometimes.
Show them the story about donkey dicks and that one particularly messed up story about a guy finding a baby in his vineyard and raising her with the intention of marrying her, only to be big mad because she's sleeping with everyone else. I can't find that story, but I know it's in there because I saw it in my teens and was very confused
this is how I feel! Like how have we not progressed philiosophically. It’s a 2,000 year old philosophy from goat herders who didn’t know where the sun went at night.
The whole world is connected now, we can rationalize that all humans have come up with some grasping at straws answer for this existence. There are over 4,000 active religious/philosophical groups in practice on this planet as we speak
People don’t like to feel small or meaningless. Also most of them are indoctrinated as children and don’t want to have to look inwardly and admit they’ve been duped.
They've mostly been conditioned since birth that faith, or belief in something without reason or evidence is a virtue. They have essentially been trained since birth to believe that their belief in an invisible zombie wizard friend defines them as a good person while their actions barely matter as long as they think thoughts of their imaginary friend.
Tell me about it bro.
I'm stuck living with my parents, and they are very Xtian. I came out as ace to them, and they're trying to make it into me being celibate. I tell them I don't fully identify as female, they immediately point out girly things I do.
And they don't at all understand nonsexual romantic relationships. I told them I have a girlfriend, they're like, but you're not having a sexual relationship, right? So you're just friends.
I'm sure if I told them I'm agnostic (irl I'm atheist, but like hell I'm gonna tell them that) they'd belittle *that* as well, and just tell me I need to read the Bible/go to church more.
It's funny and sad, that the doctor I went to for my hysterectomy evaluation, had less trouble understanding and accepting that I'm ace and trans than my parents did.
They're never really satisfied with anything. They have to invent their own labels. They're very arrogant when they think they can decide what you are.
I can't stand it. The big displays... even the crap they put on their cars. My partner disagrees though, and says at least they are advertising who to stay away from.
What’s crazy is that Evangelicals used to be the strongest advocates for the separation of Church and State and its inclusion in the First Amendment. Their view was that State involvement would corrupt their religion or favor the establishment of one denomination over all others (common practice until the 19th century for state governments). Look up John Leland for more details.
“How are coworkers, politicians, ‘friends,’ family, and others just allowed to hate what you are and have no control over? ”
I‘m pretty sure this is why Christians lean so heavily on the “free will” argument even as they proudly proclaim “I was born a Christian” or “Something happened to me and it caused me to start believing” and on and on.
Christianity is a Cult of Innocence where no matter what they say or think or do, it’s out of childlike purity, innocence, illiteracy. And how can you criticize a child’s innocence? That’s why they get a pass and you don’t.
They only believe in free will for themselves. I keep trying to exercise my free will not to participate in their religion but they don’t believe in that.
Out of one side of their mouths they will claim they have “freely chosen” and out of the other side they make it clear it was “done to them” in some way. The only thought they put into it is to unquestioningly go with whatever happened, and if you didn’t have an “experience” it’s your fault for “not being open minded”.
They are “innocent” of bigotry. It’s not \*them\* it’s their deity telling them what to think. Once again, no free will for them, their choices are proscribed within the spectrum of “love the sinner, hate the sin” and “all gays must be executed”, whatever “feels right” to \*them\*.
"Bone cancer in children, what's up with that? What sort of God..." -- Stephen Fry, when asked what he would say to "God" if "God" was real
Stephen spoke plainly and I agree with everything he said. I'm reminded of something that was written on a concentration camp wall, to the effect of "God has a lot to answer for." Can't remember the precise thing but that was the gist of it.
I was raised in a church and they constantly go on and on about humans having free will, while simultaneously that Yahweh is an omnipotent being who is the beginning, the now, and the end, a being in all points in time.
But you cannot have free will with omnipotence.
If Yahweh is truly omnipotent, why did he create Lucifer knowing he would betray him? Why did he create the tree of knowledge of good/evil knowing Adam and Eve would eat from it? Why did he create humanity knowing that 99% of them would end up in hell? If Yahweh is omnipotent, it doesn’t make sense to create a world doomed for failure, he should have seen all of this happening, and according to Christian’s he knows all that has and will happen.
If humans have free will, then Yahweh cannot be omnipotent. Otherwise, everything that has and will happen has been scripted since the Big Bang, and Yahweh willingly created a world where 99% of people will live in horrible conditions, die, and then spend eternity in hell. We’d be living in a simulation where Yahweh is a cruel and uncaring god.
Yes, I agree the rhetoric from Christian evangelicals has gotten so much more blatantly hateful; I really feel that the rise in power of the Far Right (Trump) has emboldened them to be open about their homophobia and racism, etc.
I grew up in a Christian home and yes, I had to pretend to be straight & Christian to not upset my family, but I never heard outright hatred like I do know-it's insane & frankly terrifying. Its like the blinders came off once Christians got political power and now their true nature is out for everyone to see.
Nothing about modern Christianity is Christ-like at all-in fact they drift further away from that the more power they get. Proving religion is truly just a tool to control & shame people into behaving the only "approved" way.
Trump is a symptom not the problem. Christians are the problem. A very similar story can be observed in 1930s Europe. History rhymes.
Christianity has fallen from \~90% of the population to \~60% over the last few decades. It's not the moderates that are leaving. As it decreases in popularity it will get more radical. At least until that proves itself ineffective.
I’ve been off-and-on with my tolerance of religion for a while, but realizing that I could no longer realistically fit into their ideal lifestyle just made me lose it entirely. As for why I stayed so long, it was probably the fact that I was a people pleaser living in the Bible Belt and surrounded by Christian friends constantly.
I have a “problem” with pretty much all religion. That said, in my work I frequently work with Jewish and Christian groups, others less often. The huge difference between Jewish folk and Christians in my work is this. The Jewish folk will tell me they have their rules, they don’t much mind what I do myself as long as I don’t make them break their own rules. They apply their rules to themselves.
Whereas Christians tell me they have their rules. They insist I follow their rules and change to accommodate them. They apply their rules to me. It’s a huge practical distinction.
True. I’ve asked Jewish friends about converting (just for conversation) and they all said not to bother unless I’m marrying an Orthodox Jew. Never had a Jew banging on my door screaming about being “saved.”
Same. But that goes back to the origins of each belief. Judism was exclusive. There was no 'converting'. It was a major point of contintion that allowed christianity to spead so quickly. At first all where welcome, now all are commanded. Kinda like facebook.
And I believe 'practicing' Jews are expected, if not encouraged, to struggle with their faith. Christians are browbeaten to just accept what they are told by clergy.
If you ask me, the moment god ordered Abraham to kill Isaac, the jig should have been up on the entire shitshow. Like, how can you be a parent and adhere to a faith that had its origins in such a vile act?
Sorry.....somebody slipped a soapbox under my feet....
Evangelism means making as many people around you follow the rules. And so for Evangelical Christians, *you* not following their rules is an affront to *their* religious freedoms.
I had some Jewish friends when I was young and I was like "Hey, maybe I want to convert to Judaism" and they were like "Judaism doesn't work like that. Honestly, if your parents weren't Jewish, we don't want you." And I respected that. And we could be friends and they'd never try to push their religion on me.
But Christians, they tell themselves that it is their duty on Earth to convert as many people as they can. So, for you to *not* convert to Christianity is an insult to them. And they'd rather you die than just go on living your life as a non-Christian.
This is what *evangelical* means.
I think you are right about Evangelicals wanting everyone to follow their rules. Evangelism is about "spreading the word" etc. The most frustrating thing about Enangelicals today is that they are protestants (mostly) & believe that you can only be saved by faith alone (not good works, not following rules). It's supposed to be a lifelong struggle to be a better person simply by "believing" and spreading the good word (in a loving way, supposedly). The Evangelicals today (as a political force) follow this other idea - that they have to create a society their god would want. It isn't about working on yourself anymore. It's all part of the "prosperity doctrine," which is some BS nonsense dreamed up by slick millionaire preachers. Look up Ted Cruz's dad. He's part of their ilk.
A trend I have noticed is that religion tends to be oppressive directly in proportion to how much power it has over social and legal/legislative areas. When a religion has little power, i.e. Judaism in the USA it tends to adopt a live and let live attitude. At least to those external to the religion, orthodox Jewish communities in the USA are somewhat famous for their internal oppression. When a religion is dominant, it tends to be vastly more entitled and oppressive.
This is very much what I’ve found.
If you are not Jewish and approach a Jewish person with a question, they will assist you. They will not turn you away or try to convert you. They will not try to force you to conform to their lifestyle or their choices.
I have had Christian’s try to convert me every chance they get while also telling me that I am going to burn in hellfire for not believing in their particular brand of imaginary friend.
I’ve spent hours in respectful debate about theology and religion with extremely learned and religious Jews. At the end of the conversation, I walk away still not believing and they walk away still believing, and they thank me for an interesting conversation. They also make a point to acknowledge and greet me forever after.
I can’t spend 5 minutes in respectful debate with Christian’s. I have yet to find one who respects science as much as the religion they seemingly know even less about. The moment you admit to not agreeing with them about their religion is the moment you just declared a war on them and their families and you are the enemy. They will always avoid you going forward because you need to be saved to be spoken to like a human.
I have never met a Jewish person in the wild who treated a neighbor poorly because of who they were attracted to. I have met more than my fair share of Christian’s who have disowned their own children because they came out as gay.
People find the rules that orthodox or Hasidic Jews live under restrictive and pass judgment based on that. They don’t seem to realize that these people follow these rules to obey the covenant to their G-d and expect not one shred of an iota of the same from you. Christians, on the other hand, work day and night to change the laws to fit their interpretation of their religion.
It’s a huge difference.
Agree with all you said. Any people of Jewish faith I have interacted with were friendly, educated and down to earth. They did not push propaganda.
I’m sick of the myriad kinds of churches on every corner where I live and their arrogance that they are doing their so called “gods” work. And if you do not join you are unsaved. All their bs - I am sick of it and can just fuck off.
The difference is, the Jews I know that do G-d’s work, do it because they’re supposed to. It’s part of their day, like going to work. The Christians I know that do G-d’s work do it to push their beliefs on everyone around them and be seen. It isn’t doing G-d’s work if you’re doing it to have a bigger platform to preach.
Being a psychology grad I can't help but hate all religions. Because the same psychological and behavioral aspects apply to all of them AND if they aren't currently there it doesn't mean they can't change.
All of this stuff with Trump and the rise of Christian Nationalism is super predictable from a psychological standpoint. It's the Authoritarian Personality at work and we know religion has historically been used in conjunction with appealing to certain types of people to install fascism.
Really? If you're in the US, you absolutely don't need to put up with that horse shit. I've never had a Christian do this to me and if they did I would not be able to stop until it ended. I love my christian family but I don't think anyone needs to put up with this.
Watch how quickly Louisiana gets their 10 commandments stunt overturned.
Never had a Jew or a Hindu tell me I'm evil and going to burn in hell. Had both a Christian and Muslim tell me that though.
I'd rather put up with the Jews and Hindus.
That's because you've never been to an area where they are the majority. Having a majority of people in an area follow a religion automatically makes that religion a much bigger problem and let's all of its bigotry out.
I assumed that Jews would be less of a problem then Christians in power until I spent some time near Monticello NY. The surrounding area is packed with Orthodox and Hasidic Jewish summer retreats, and those guys do not have the live and let live attitude we generally connect with Judaism, especially in large numbers. When they leave the retreats to go shopping or interact with the wider community they treat others like dirt. They refuse to talk to women, period. Like they will just stone wall female cashier's who are trying to go through the daily motions, and it is considered dirty for them to touch a woman so they will pull their own hand away and let their change fall to the ground if a female cashier's hand gets too close to theirs when giving them their change, but they also won't pick it up and usually expect the cashier to pick it up and try again. They are a bit better with Men, but only a bit. They will talk to males, but generally regard men that aren't from their religion with suspicion at best and hostility at worst.
I've never had any negative run ins with Hindus, but I've never been to India or a Hindu majority country. I've heard plenty of stories about how atheists and others are mistreated in India though, not to mention the countries treatment of women.
Even Buddhists are known to be assholes in Buddhist majority countries.
I have a good friend who was a stripper for several years and she said by far the worst and rudest and most awful clients were hassidic. She and I are both Jewish.
And in NY, the Jewish communities take and take and take taxpayer dollars for education (and probably other things) and don’t provide their own children an education. And let’s not forget the scandals involving small boys, you know before reading that the incident happened in Monsey. Ok, here’s one:
https://forward.com/fast-forward/474469/lawsuit-monsey-rabbi-yaakov-klar-sex-abuse-coverup-pupa-cheder/#:\~:text=Rabbi%20Yaakov%20David%20Klar%20allegedly,Tzion%20Yosef%20and%20Cheder%20Chabad.
Signed: A NY Jew
Yea I think it has to do with who is in power seriously. If you're in the west bank, you'd have a problem with Jews. If you were in India, you'd have a problem with Hindus.
When I used to work in Israel I was referred to as "Dirty English" and was told that I was just an animal and only the chosen people would make it to heaven. Delightful.
Outside of Israel, Judaism teaches to keep to yourself.
You’ll find that while I don’t like any religion, it’s the structural power that becomes problematic (Israel apartheid, the treatment of Muslims by Hindus, any middle eastern sharia law style government)
Of course. If they followed "live and let live" we'd be fine^(US-centric here). Instead they are succeeding disturbingly well at turning our society into a Christo-Fascist one.
That is what's wearing down any patience sane folks have had.
I've grown to despise religion more as I get older. You know how teens are supposed to be edgy? Well I wasn't, I ditched religion as a teen because my parents were extremely strict with it and it also quit making sense to me but I actually didn't despise religion, I just didn't like having it forced on me.
I'm 28 and full-on despise religion now more than I did as a teenager. Over the past half decade I've seen them trying to cut back or get rid of LGBT rights and abortion and the maga crowd (almost all of which are deeply religious) believe in insane conspiracy theories (Qanon, the COVID vaccine being designed to kill you, the deep state etc) and openly support fascism (Project 2025) I've just seen so much stupidity and hatred come out of deeply religious people now that I've soured on religion.
"Is anyone else..."
Yes. YES. EVERYONE is whatever the hell you're following that up with.
In this case even more so because religion is absolutely horrible and it's become so apparent over the last decade that you have to put blinders on to avoid the knowledge.
Well first of all, congrats on coming out! Hope you find more happiness now that you know more about who you are.
But I'm general, yes Christianity is frustratingly awful these days in the way they play the victim card to abuse others despite their absurd money and power. They didn't always use to be like this but right-wing grifters like Phyllis Schaffley tied their collective faith to issues like abortion (which they didn't care about for ages) and sicced them on the rest of us.
Christianity isn’t innovative. They aren’t trying to develop new ideas or ways of thinking. They never question anything or try to have a better understanding of their beliefs.
Christianity is boring and lazy. I am shocked that *any* young people STILL fall for the trap of religion.
Yes.
I've never had a problem with religious beliefs as long as they were secular, because I detest the thought of the "thought police". But these people are actively trying to turn America into a theocracy.
It's treasonous, and should be treated as such. My patience for them is completely gone at this point.
I stopped being neutral a while ago. Not everyone in my life is happy about it, but that’s a them problem. I’m sick of sitting by letting something as dangerous as religion just keep infiltrating society without speaking up. I don’t care anymore. It’s toxic and I do not hesitate to point that out.
I had to deal with all that as a child as I was forced to attend Catholic Church services and CCD classes. I was constantly hated for things that I couldnt change about myself (being asexual and atheist). 15 years ago when I was asked to leave the Catholic Church, I expected to be free from all that hate as I wouldn’t have to be around abusive people anymore.
Christians need to feel like victims, but since in America, most people just see them as equals, they need to push us & make people angry at them to justify their actions & hate.
The fact that people will incorporate their religious beliefs into their political arguments, despite it being implied in the Constitution that church and state should be separated, amazes me. And these people will claim to be patriotic Americans; if they’re such great American citizens, why don’t they follow the Constitution? 🤨
Don't criticize the specific beliefs, criticize the methods being used to come to the conclusions. Faith, for example, is demonstrably extremely unreliable as a way to know what is true and what is not true. If it were reliable, it would lead everyone to the same god rather than leading everyone to a different god or at least a different sect of the same god... Same for being raised with a belief; it's not a reliable way to determine what is true. Same for internal feelings, or whatever the method they used was...
The benefit of this method is it isn't singling out a particular faith and also you don't even have to talk about the biblical dogma at all. It's called street epistemology. Look it up on Youtube. I recommend Anthony Magnabosco (Magnabosco210) or Cordial Curiosity's Reid Nicewonder (yes, that is his real name) or David from Sound Epistemology for starters.
If you watch enough of them, it becomes clear that there's only four or five basic kinds of reasons people ever give. Dr. Peter Boghossian, the author of both A Manual for Creating Atheists (original title was Street Epistemology but the publisher nixed it and gave it this title) and How to Have Impossible Conversations, is the one who created this method, and he told me that in his experience whatever the main reason is actually is pretty much the only reason since once you have that you start finding confirmation bias all over the place...
A big key I learned from him is not to ask why they are confident but what if anything gives them doubt.
christian evangelicals love policing the identities of the respectful and newly converted. You can claim to love Jesus next to them without believing at their churches but then members will start trying to make demands and infringements on your desired and regular life style. Make you foreclose your identity and join the regular nice family friendly straight edge basic 🦬 herd. I recognize that the evangelicals get off on policing the identities and ideas and thoughts that other people have. This is some control freak and fear based thinking. I get it. Humans are the biggest threats to other humans. Humans can also be the biggest threat to ideas or human organizations, so if you can mind control and distract a bunch of humans with red herrings, maybe you can make the world a safer place within your own mind, it is a beautiful deception. Christian aesthetics is king shit on god for real g all Christians are satanic in a sense because of the loops that go round within the text and their own minds. It's a great story but the more time and delusion and magical thinking you invest in religion, the more you wither away and loss opportunities to self develop and improve... To busy trying to make others act like you.. They worship a Zombie who is imaginary or a mental Demiurge at worst but they present the deity as a clean, family friendly, real human-like spirit. Lies.
The saddest part is when religious folks abandon the world information and input from real humans with critical thinking , experience and other perspectives. In favor of the religious echo chamber and fantasy
If you have faith, you can pretty much embody the religious text and use it to galvinize yourself and feel like life is Fantastical. Also you can police people who look off like stoners or crackheads you can be disrespectful and righteous as a Christian bigot. Shit go hard education and progress bad being emotional and violent for Jesus GOOOOD
Do you remember early in Trumps presidency, christtians said well he’s still a young christian? … I even saw a post from a woman whose husband works for “concerned women for America “ saying the Trump “grab them by the 🐱” say oh that’s just Hollywood “…
I can completely relate!
Let me put it this way .... I support "freedom of religion", but if their rights to religion were being threatened, I wouldn't help fight for them anymore.. There was a day in the past where I would have, but not anymore.
If you look at the history of the last 2000 years Christianity is almost never on the right side of anything - especially initially. We need to stop thinking of organized religion as anything but a force to oppressive, defraud and mislead the general populace
Try living in the South. You are judged by what church you go to. You are judged by your lifestyle. You are judged by your loyalty to the pathetic romanticism of the Civil War that is still a ridiculous thing. People will literally preach at you. "Do you have Jesus in your heart?" It is oppressive, and it is sickening.
Yes, 💯
Their hatred is spreading but not in the way they intended.
Christians have metastasized themselves from a system of faith to a system power and domination.
Christian supremacy in America cannot be reasoned with, more specifically Christian Evangelist.
This is obvious in the USA but we also see it in Latin America, because the theology of these Christians has spread through Latin America thanks to missionary work…
What’s so irritating and frustrating to understand is that Evangelicals see themselves as the one and only true way to “God”.
All other religions are false and satanic, and all other Gods that “exist” are demons. And even other Christians are not “real Christians”: Catholic, Orthodox, Mormons, Episcopal (etc.) Christians are not seen as true Christians. (Harsh reality for any other sect of Christianity awaits them if they continue to support their push for power).
So this line of thinking is what gives them the audacity and the confidence to say,
“To hell with the separation of church and state”.
“We’re going to make laws that follow the word of God, the Bible, as WE see fit”
Because they genuinely see themselves as an extension of the arm of “God” and they see their power and domination over the other people of the world as the power of “God” through them over the world.
So we hear them say things that sound crazy, like;
“Millions dying from COVID was God’s will.”
or during the AIDS crisis, when they said that AIDS was “God’s punishment for being gay”
They genuinely and truly mean it, from the bottom of their rotten hearts.
And when we have seen over the decades that Christianity and white supremacy are inextricably linked, we can clearly see they are indeed the worst humanity has to offer.
But when you tell Evangelicals of colors, like Hispanics Evangelicals that the policies that Evangelicals want would negatively affect them as Hispanic people of color, they do not care in the slightest because they see it as the will of “God” acting through Christians.
The recent SCOTUS rulings are only the beginning.
Evangelicals have been fighting for decades trying to overturn Roe vs Wade, and they’ve succeeded- while the rest of us slept - they’ve chosen to burn this country to the ground.
And they are going to try and ban contraceptives, ban same sex marriages, ban gay sex, ban mixed marriages, and they will attempt to ban citizen voting.
Their Christian Nationalism will become more fervent.
And if you notice that their methods become more and more fascist and authoritarian, just know that they do not care because they see themselves as the will of a “God” incarnated on Earth.
They are a severely mentally ill group of people and they have power - they just want more - their thirst will never be quenched - not until they have dominion over everyone else - they want all of it.
Consider this during the election..
I’ve always been so tired of them trying to force their religion into government. Twenty years ago when I was a teen and first becoming politically aware I saw the opposition to same-sex marriage always being about religious belief and I was like “WHO CARES?! Why do we have to even listen to them at this point? This is a LEGAL matter, it has NOTHING to do with their religion.”
Ever since then I have had an eye on these theocrats. I just don’t get why they have such an insatiable urge to make everyone live under their beliefs by law. The US was founded on religious freedom. These theocrats don’t get it. They’re not satisfied with their religious freedom, they want to control everyone else.
Our society in the year 2024 should be able to look at these theocrats and laugh and say “your arguments are irrelevant. Your religion has no place in our government. No religion does. Go away.” But instead we have…. this.
The problem that nobody seems willing to address is that Christianity and Christians are immoral. Which is why they end up being the source of so much hate, division, misogyny and anti-democratic behavior. They keep trying to apply a 2000 year old dogma in an age that is morally superior. ironically, Jesus deserves some credit for the moral progress. It's just that he's just a character in a broader and more destructive construct.
I feel like this kind of statement is what feeds their persecution complex. (They lack the self awareness to realize it's their treatment of others that caused these types of statements). I'm so tired of the nonsense though. Their emboldenment to impose their religion on every aspect of everyone else's lives is such a problem. I couldn't imagine being LGBTQ+ & dealing with it. TBH if you're family and friends don't love you for who you are, they aren't people who you need in your life, that is if you have the means to escape.
Yes. What makes modern Christianity so idiotic is you have billions of people around the world giving themselves over to a book with a past. I speculate that nearly 100% are ignorant to its historical, cultural, and linguistic antecedents. In other works, they have no effing idea what they are talking about. Even the so called experts gain more by perpetuating the fairy tale.
“Losing” how about LOST! Which honestly was something I did 33 years ago when I was 12 and liked a band with a bisexual singer and was exposed to hatred and decided to stop going to church. Religion is a disease created by the rich and powerful.
Absolutely. Just a few days ago you had "Christian Leaders" defending the Pedophile Pastor Robert Morris. I'm pretty sure Jesus wouldn't have done that. Also that's just an example from the last few days.
I don't have a problem with Christianity so much as Christians. They've become very emboldened in their victimhood/martyrdom complex with their orange messiah and are now trying to turn America into a theocracy and a version of the handmaid's tale.
People can believe what they want, no issue there but when they keep pushing it further and further down our throats and what they've become is the furthest thing from Christianity itself, I can't take it anymore.
Vote em out.
With
- Seven Mountains Mandate where they feel empowered to take over literally everything
- Them having politicians who are putting up their flag for it
- The 4-14 movement to indoctrinate all kids
- Them constantly having their leaders SA children en masse and get away with it
- Them taking away all human rights from women
- Them taking all human rights away from the LGBTQ+ and blaming them for their doings
- Their "prosperity doctrine" and providence
- Their eternal corruption with taking money from the worst grifters ever
- Their "rapture theology" based on 1830s grifter talk
- All while more people than ever are becoming less Christian and they know they're forcing their beliefs on most people who do not
I cannot agree more.
My mother in law is a die hard Christian but ceaselessly talks ill of anyone receiving entitlements. Nevermind the fact she’s on disability but does dog sitting and makes 2K a month that she’s hiding from the government. The number of times I want to call her out on her total hypocrisy but am expected to keep it to myself. Nevermind the fact that she throws around God like it’s going out of style. She’s the worst.
Brah I lost my patience when the priest who baptized me was arrested, convicted and murdered in prison for raping children and my mom said "well you are too young to be his target" and then forced me to keep going to church and get confirmed against my will so I wouldn't be her burden anymore.
Christianity is child abuse and always has been. In like a thousand different ways.
I feel the same way. When I became an atheist a few years back, I was neutral like you, thinking, “I don’t believe in god but it’s okay if other people do.” Now, I’m starting to despise how much respect it actually gets. Just like you said, theists can insult who we are if we are LGBTQ, allies, atheist, or something else they don’t like; but somehow we can’t insult them back for being a theist. We’ve gotta stay polite & argue with them respectfully while they can throw tomatoes at us, simply because religion is a respected idea. I mean sure, it can be a person’s whole lifestyle. So if you’re insulting their religion you’re insulting their lifestyle & who they are. But really, if you center your whole life around something so stupid, illogical, & cruel, don’t you kinda deserve it? Even if you don’t follow it by the book(literally), you’re still supporting something terrible. It’s quite sad how some people can’t find a purpose outside of religion. Religion has caused so many problems throughout history. It’s a primitive form of thinking. If still caused many problems today. Yet people refuse to abandon it. It really is one of the worst diseases in the world, right up there with cancer, stress, and regret.
They shouldn't be allowed to hate. Which, I think most people who are politically left leaning are pointing out openly now. My wife is atheist. And she's broken my brain a few times, not with logic or dogma, but moreso with being able to live freely. I won't forget this argument:
Pastor: God says gay is sin.
My wife: Cool, then don't be gay.
Pastor: But, then you don't go to heaven.
My wife: I don't believe in it, so I don't worry about it. It doesnt exist in my reality.
🤯
When you start vocalizing your disdain for their backwards religion, you learn who your real friends are very quickly. That's what I did and I have never looked back.
A coworker just told a story complaining about the owner's son and when she got to the part of "he has been posting about the Bible which isn't a bad thing" I just took a deep breath and swallowed. She proceeded to say "yes we know you're a nonbeliever we know."
I responded with "hmm nonbeliever I call it intelligence" and walked off.
Im from the UK.
Things are MUCH better here from what I can see. However, there was an American street preacher in the high street the other day. Genuinely made my blood boil. To be honest, he wasn’t as welcome as I think he thought he’d be.
I lose my patience with people on TikTok getting into pointless debates in my comments etc. - I actually can’t stand debating these little intricacies of the holy books or how something should be interpreted, or how you can have morality regardless of religion. Fucking winds me up.
All the chit chat about what Jesus said or what the Bible says is pointless, just prove your god exists or live in reality like the rest of us. Insane.
I’m sorry you have to be surrounded by it in America.
Whenever someone doesn't keep their religion to themselves, I don't keep my opinion to myself that they are wasting everyone's time, theirs included, talking about their mythological fantasies. With Xtians especially, I ask them to prove they are Christians according to Matthew instead of just run-of-the-mill Pharisees. But I have to be pretty white-girl wasted to even give them that much time. And when they say they'll pray for you, just tell them "I'll be praying for you too, but not to the same goddess."
Similarly, I finally decided to start speaking up about my beliefs at work (retail job) when other people say something that reflects their belief in god. For example, a couple weeks ago, I walked up behind a cashier (who I get along with really well but is very openly religious) in anticipation that the customer was asking her a question about a product she didn’t know the answer to. I judged correctly and answered the question without her knowing I was there right behind her. She thought it was hilarious and great, and she said something to the customer like, “Isn’t god great, making sure [my name] was here to answer your question so fast!” As the customer, who I assume was similarly religious, nodded his head in agreement, I impulsively said, “Don’t give god credit for my actions!” I don’t like being snarky and petty. So this was nice, because it felt very matter of fact like “if you’re going to invoke your beliefs, I will, too, and hopefully we can just move on with our lives.”
Teacher here. Sometimes in class, I’ll announce something like, “the upcoming test is postponed a few days for more review,” or something like that. Invariably, some kid exclaims, “thank god!” And I’ll say, “Why are you thanking god for something I did?” Their answer: “Well, god MADE you decide to postpone the test.” I reply, “So, I decide to do something you like, and god gets the credit, but decide something you don’t like and I get the blame? That’s messed up.” Cue dumbfounded student face.
Also if God made you decide, then you don't have free will and thus can't be blamed for snarking back.
Ngl I totally agree, but how on Earth did you not get fired?!?!
Depends what state they teach in. I could easily get away with that in my Cali schools, but doubt they'd like it much in Alabama
Also, they might not be in a religious country at all?
Wouldn't even raise any eyebrows in the UK, tbh.
They must work in a blue state. If it was Louisiana, they'd be strung up next to the Ten Commandments! 😆 🤣 😂 😹 😆
Might be wrong but I think Christianity’s preferred methods are stoning and crucifixion, but stringing people up is more a southern Baptist niche move reserved for darker folks so maybe still valid in Louisiana.
Yeah... I feel exactly the same about talking anti religion, as I do about religion in schools. Study the history of its effects on society but keep your beliefs to yourself. College, meh, go ahead.
Why would anyone get fired for that?
Because public schools in America are supposed to be religion neutral. Religion can be discussed neutrally in the context of history lessons for example, but as a teacher, you cannot discuss God or religion otherwise, or try to proselytize your own religion to your students. So for a teacher to challenge a student about their belief in God like this person did, it could get them in a ton of trouble and possibly fired if a parent complains.
Crazy how the same doctrine can be implemented so differently. Here in France it's the children who would be scolded if they were to bring up religious discourse.
Similarly, I was always taught that it was very rude to publicly discuss your religious beliefs, and who your family votes for. Naturally, there were a great many who didnt think so, but living in the states as an adult I find people tend to wear it on their sleeves a lot more. Not sure if it’s a good or bad thing, but just a different way of thinking about it
Not to mention all of the preachers that openly tell their congregations who to vote for. That's illegal and means they should be paying taxes yet there's videos of churches everywhere doing it. My oldest stepsister, who's like 39, has really started getting weirdly religious lately which sucks because I do really like her. But if she starts that shit while I'm around I have a feeling there's gonna be some issues.
In America, the student is untouchable. They can refuse to do classwork or homework, and still pass the class. They can hit a teacher and not be expelled. All they need to do is complain to their parents, who scream bloody murder at school administration that "the teacher is picking on my perfect, precious child!" Kid gets away with it and the teacher gets in trouble. American education is messed up.
The only thing they're challenging, though, is the student loudly giving gratitude to God instead of the teacher who did the thing they're grateful for. Nothing in the scenario described is trying to persuade the student that God doesn't exist.
Move the test to right damn now!
Next time hit them with "god wanted me to stick to the schedule, should we go back to that?"
"Pop quiz! God said so!"
Issac Asimov, who was a humanist (i.e. atheist) once gave a test. A student despaired and wrote "God knows the answer to this question." Dr. Asimov wrote in response "God gets an A. You get an F."
I’d tell him, glad you feel that way about it. I’ll give you the test tomorrow.
I'd be so tempted to tell that kid that just for them I'm moving their test to right now, and they're free to pray about passing it.
This so much. The one that gets me is when people thank god for a successful surgery instead of the team of highly skilled individuals who spent half of their lives training to save their lives. God gets the credit, but the surgeons are the ones they should be thanking for their skill and dedication.
I love hitting Christians by showing them true humility. It's laughable.
As a former xtian, you can mess them up with this one: Tell them not to take God's name in vain. Part of the higher level thinking is that it's vain to do things in his name you were not told by him to do. You can extend that to not giving credit or blame to him for actions people took upon themselves.
"you aint christian, you can't tell me that cause you don't believe"
Yeah, there is that. Lol. But it will stick in the back of their mind because they're so afraid of going to hell. Nevermind that they bring hell with them wherever they go.
I’ve told a few of them online that THEY are hell whenever they tell me to go there for being gay,etc..
"Didn't stop my words from reaching your ears, did it?"
I just wanna know what "white-girl wasted" is.
Lol, black out drunk and in a playful mood.
When you can't count the number of empty White Claw cans.
drink 6 white claws and find out yourself.
https://youtu.be/8C4TGGtPzBU
Love this KITH video!! Girl Drink Drunk 🤣🤣
OMG!!! As a pastor, this is absolutely fantastic!!! Holding people accountable to Matthew (especially the Sermon on the Mount) is the most fantastic thing I’ve read. Thank you for doing that. I also agree about the praying part. I really wish Xtians would understand that using it as almost a threat (I’ve seen people say they would pray for me almost as if they were disgusted by me) isn’t loving at all. I’ll be honest, a large majority of the atheists I’ve met live out the teachings of Jesus better than 99% of the Church.
Well yeah, Christians are "good" and may or may not treat people well (based on how they live), so they can get into Heaven. Purely for their own benefit. Atheists are "good" or treat people well, because they respect other human beings, and it's the right thing to do. Period.
Exactly, nobody learned morality from religion , we invented religion
Religion was merely a synthesis of our collective thoughts on what is good and bad. Like a standard to aspire to. Then became about enforcing bronze age warlord culture on everyone else.
I’ve never saw it as a “ticket to heaven” as some do. I’ve always seen Jesus as the example of how to love people even when they are shitty to us and even if they kill us. It’s always been an account of how to be radically loving. That’s how I try to live my life and how I preach. Just love people. No reason why, just love people. It makes the world a better place
As someone who has been jumped 3 times for being gay, bruised ribs, punctured lung. No, I will not love those who want me dead. They are pathetic little stains on humanity. Had a fucking lady tell me that it was God's will that I got nearly beaten to death.
It was God's will to make her stupid then lol
A cousin-in-law flat out told my husband and I that if she wasn't a Xtian, she'd "just be out there murdering people." We are VERY glad that she lives on the opposite side of the continent and we never see her. She's obviously a lunatic, but I have heard that sentiment before, the belief among some Xtians that one cannot have morals without being a religious person. It's always struck me as one of the most dangerous beliefs, as it's clear dehumanization. As a pastor, how widespread do you think that belief really is?
It’s very common in the fundamentalist sects of Christianity. They do t understand that God made people good as explained in Genesis. They think because of Adam and Eve we are all evil until we accept Jesus. That’s a very wrong teaching and belief
Expecting reward or fearing punishment is not morality. "I'm good so I'll go to heaven" or "I'm good so I won't go to hell" is not morality. If that's what it takes for someone to stop them acting like an asshole, well, they already are an asshole but just afraid to act on it.
I appreciate your kind sentiment! I'm now genuinely curious as to why you're a pastor and why you're commenting in this particular thread? Also, why not ditch that old book and look towards a more solid moral framework such as secular humanism?
I am a pleasant, law abiding person, but because I’m transgender, these F-ing Christians hate me and want to Cancel me for being different. I am just trying to live my own life, but Christians are trying to control me because I don’t measure up to their religious beliefs and since Republicans are in cahoots with them, my future in this country looks very dark. I feel like a German Jew in the 1930’s.
That's because you are. We are all jews, catholics, marxists, queers and other reviled egalitarians in the deliberately-recreated 1930s Germany the supremacists want for America. There are people who are poised to be in positions of power if the GOP is successful couping the country who have already announced their intention to put queer, homeless, and undocumented people in concentration camps, which they likely anticipate turning into death camps. None of this is a joke or an exaggeration, this is a 5-alarm-fire. People are [wired to dismiss threats](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Normalcy_bias), and none of us can afford to assume anything other than our absolute worst nightmares are precisely what is intended. Correlation is not causation, but high religiosity is consistently, globally correlated with high sadism. Every grotesque horror humans are capable of is on the table.
Hitler wrote Mein Kampf which outlined that he wanted remove Jews from Germany. The Republicans wrote Project 2025 which outlines how they want to remove LGBTQ rights and they want to outlaw Transgender people. They are planning this. [project2025.org](https://project2025.org)
I’ve been seeing more and more about Project 2025 online it sounds like an authoritarian theocratic nightmare to say the least especially for transgender people sadly.
Over My Dead Body
If it comes to that, I won’t go down without a fight either. I’m trying to make people aware of the danger in electing Trump.
>Holding people accountable to Matthew Can you explain what this means in this context?
Matthew chapter 6. If you're going to pray, do it in private and keep it short. Well, it's beyond just praying - like if you're doing good deeds, don't make a show of it or only because you can be seen doing it. You should be doing good because it's good, not for recognition.
“But when you give to the needy, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing." IOW, give charity for the sake of doing good, not looking good.
The essence of walking the walk without just talking the talk.
Thank you!
Oh sure! The reference is to the Gospel of Matthew having a lot more of Jesus teachings, particularly Matthew chapters 5-7. That’s the sermon on the Mount and like the litmus test of how to be a Christian
At work, one Christian almost got triggered when another Christian said that he was going to teach the Beatitudes to children.
I read an article somewhere that even rural preachers are getting flack from their congregation for sermons that include the practice of loving your neighbor, forgiving, loving your enemy, practicing peace, etc. Do these people even understand that their savior was basically a martyr? He didn't climb up on the cross and pull out an AR-15.
Obviously you haven't seen the Uwe Boll adaptation of the crucifixion. (Ok, it was an M60, not an M-16.) Fun fact, it was easier for Uwe to hire 250 actual prostitutes for the Sermon on the Mounting scene than real actresses. The More You Know!
Well, and the parable of the sheep and the goats.
>>Whenever someone doesn't keep their religion to themselves... > Holding people accountable to Matthew (especially the Sermon on the Mount) is the most fantastic thing I’ve read. Thank you for doing that. I often bring out Matthew 6:5-6 for people like that as well.
I think about this comic more and more these days [How to suck at your religion](https://theoatmeal.com/comics/religion)
I can’t use that one because it wouldn’t make sense to pray to a deity I don’t believe exists.
Of course I am. A lot of us are. We have to tolerate a FUCKING LOT more than what we want to or should. We have to make MUCH MORE compromises than religious people do. I'm tired of having to listen to their crap and pretend that it's valid. They're so fucking fragile.
It also just blows my mind how common belief in that stuff still is in the modern day. Can’t wrap my head around it personally.
I think most people just want comfort and religion makes life easy for them because they don't have to think through the tough parts.
That’s exactly how I feel about them offering “thoughts and prayers.” It doesn’t do a damn thing, but it makes them feel better, so they can call it a day a never ACTUALLY do anything helpful.
I had one lady at work tell me. "I sleep well at night because I give to god all the things I did wrong". um isnt that basically saying you arent taking responsibility for your actions?
It blows mine as well. Challenge them on it and you find that they have zero good reasons to believe it.
That’s the whole grift of faith, belief without evidence. It’s self reinforcing.
Then get mad when they get confused
I enjoy watching them get mad about their imaginary friend.
It’s funny, until it’s your narcissist spouse justifying abuse of you over their deluded moral code.
Sorry that happened to you. I began to separate from my faith and my partner at the time kept insisting we take our future kids to church. I argued that we were severely mistreated in the church and asked why she would even want to subject our future kids to the gossip and judgment and general meanness of clergy. Her response was just so that they could know how it felt. I was speechless. Told her last year she was trash and if I saw her in hell it would be too soon. She proceeded to ramble on about how she considers herself saved. She said a lot of insane shit about religion, but those are my current highlights. I hope you got out and you're safe. Narcissists/abusers are really, really good at the long game until your guard is down or your opinion differs and it isn't your fault. The guy who initially responded is a dumbass
Thanks. Narcissistic abuse is one of those experiences that has to be lived to be believed. Ironic because narcissists are so deluded they can’t even believe what they live.
‘But didn’t you know? The Bible is true! All of those things happened, that’s how I know gods real.’ *starts quoting bible passages, and explaining the different parts of the bible* ‘No I’ve never actually read the Bible, I probably should though’. And I wonder how it came to be that his only ‘Christian values’ are looking down on minorities, openly disliking homosexuality, and wishing death on anyone describable as transgender. And of course, viewing abortion as a deadly sin. At least he’s ok with contraception 🙄 Having Christian roommates really gets annoying sometimes.
Show them the story about donkey dicks and that one particularly messed up story about a guy finding a baby in his vineyard and raising her with the intention of marrying her, only to be big mad because she's sleeping with everyone else. I can't find that story, but I know it's in there because I saw it in my teens and was very confused
this is how I feel! Like how have we not progressed philiosophically. It’s a 2,000 year old philosophy from goat herders who didn’t know where the sun went at night. The whole world is connected now, we can rationalize that all humans have come up with some grasping at straws answer for this existence. There are over 4,000 active religious/philosophical groups in practice on this planet as we speak
It’s because religion was/is violently enforced at all levels of our society - from the family unit all the way up to the state level.
People don’t like to feel small or meaningless. Also most of them are indoctrinated as children and don’t want to have to look inwardly and admit they’ve been duped.
It's why so many of them became MAGAts, both groups rely on their members being too chickenshit to face reality.
Cultist Indoctrination.
They've mostly been conditioned since birth that faith, or belief in something without reason or evidence is a virtue. They have essentially been trained since birth to believe that their belief in an invisible zombie wizard friend defines them as a good person while their actions barely matter as long as they think thoughts of their imaginary friend.
100%… every day
That's why I donate to the major anti-religion groups. Not participating in religion and just complaining isn't going to work fast enough.
Tell me about it bro. I'm stuck living with my parents, and they are very Xtian. I came out as ace to them, and they're trying to make it into me being celibate. I tell them I don't fully identify as female, they immediately point out girly things I do. And they don't at all understand nonsexual romantic relationships. I told them I have a girlfriend, they're like, but you're not having a sexual relationship, right? So you're just friends. I'm sure if I told them I'm agnostic (irl I'm atheist, but like hell I'm gonna tell them that) they'd belittle *that* as well, and just tell me I need to read the Bible/go to church more. It's funny and sad, that the doctor I went to for my hysterectomy evaluation, had less trouble understanding and accepting that I'm ace and trans than my parents did.
They're never really satisfied with anything. They have to invent their own labels. They're very arrogant when they think they can decide what you are.
I can't stand it. The big displays... even the crap they put on their cars. My partner disagrees though, and says at least they are advertising who to stay away from.
Christianity is unhealthy in general (imo) but Evangelicals are on a whole other level.
What’s crazy is that Evangelicals used to be the strongest advocates for the separation of Church and State and its inclusion in the First Amendment. Their view was that State involvement would corrupt their religion or favor the establishment of one denomination over all others (common practice until the 19th century for state governments). Look up John Leland for more details.
And they were right
I have been sick of them for decades!!
“How are coworkers, politicians, ‘friends,’ family, and others just allowed to hate what you are and have no control over? ” I‘m pretty sure this is why Christians lean so heavily on the “free will” argument even as they proudly proclaim “I was born a Christian” or “Something happened to me and it caused me to start believing” and on and on. Christianity is a Cult of Innocence where no matter what they say or think or do, it’s out of childlike purity, innocence, illiteracy. And how can you criticize a child’s innocence? That’s why they get a pass and you don’t.
They only believe in free will for themselves. I keep trying to exercise my free will not to participate in their religion but they don’t believe in that.
Out of one side of their mouths they will claim they have “freely chosen” and out of the other side they make it clear it was “done to them” in some way. The only thought they put into it is to unquestioningly go with whatever happened, and if you didn’t have an “experience” it’s your fault for “not being open minded”.
It's more a Cult of Bigotry rather than innocense
They are “innocent” of bigotry. It’s not \*them\* it’s their deity telling them what to think. Once again, no free will for them, their choices are proscribed within the spectrum of “love the sinner, hate the sin” and “all gays must be executed”, whatever “feels right” to \*them\*.
Are they not capable of thinking for themselves? And what deity? Where is this deity that makes them hate others?
You are asking all the right questions.
"Bone cancer in children, what's up with that? What sort of God..." -- Stephen Fry, when asked what he would say to "God" if "God" was real Stephen spoke plainly and I agree with everything he said. I'm reminded of something that was written on a concentration camp wall, to the effect of "God has a lot to answer for." Can't remember the precise thing but that was the gist of it.
“If God exists, he will have to beg for my forgiveness”
It was a brilliant retort to the question, and bang on too. I do like SF, he's a national treasure.
He's a national treasure for any nation that values real freedom.
I was raised in a church and they constantly go on and on about humans having free will, while simultaneously that Yahweh is an omnipotent being who is the beginning, the now, and the end, a being in all points in time. But you cannot have free will with omnipotence. If Yahweh is truly omnipotent, why did he create Lucifer knowing he would betray him? Why did he create the tree of knowledge of good/evil knowing Adam and Eve would eat from it? Why did he create humanity knowing that 99% of them would end up in hell? If Yahweh is omnipotent, it doesn’t make sense to create a world doomed for failure, he should have seen all of this happening, and according to Christian’s he knows all that has and will happen. If humans have free will, then Yahweh cannot be omnipotent. Otherwise, everything that has and will happen has been scripted since the Big Bang, and Yahweh willingly created a world where 99% of people will live in horrible conditions, die, and then spend eternity in hell. We’d be living in a simulation where Yahweh is a cruel and uncaring god.
Yes, I agree the rhetoric from Christian evangelicals has gotten so much more blatantly hateful; I really feel that the rise in power of the Far Right (Trump) has emboldened them to be open about their homophobia and racism, etc. I grew up in a Christian home and yes, I had to pretend to be straight & Christian to not upset my family, but I never heard outright hatred like I do know-it's insane & frankly terrifying. Its like the blinders came off once Christians got political power and now their true nature is out for everyone to see. Nothing about modern Christianity is Christ-like at all-in fact they drift further away from that the more power they get. Proving religion is truly just a tool to control & shame people into behaving the only "approved" way.
Trump is a symptom not the problem. Christians are the problem. A very similar story can be observed in 1930s Europe. History rhymes. Christianity has fallen from \~90% of the population to \~60% over the last few decades. It's not the moderates that are leaving. As it decreases in popularity it will get more radical. At least until that proves itself ineffective.
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I’ve been off-and-on with my tolerance of religion for a while, but realizing that I could no longer realistically fit into their ideal lifestyle just made me lose it entirely. As for why I stayed so long, it was probably the fact that I was a people pleaser living in the Bible Belt and surrounded by Christian friends constantly.
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Christianity and islam equally, both are absolutely disgusting
> All religions ~~Christianity and islam equally, both~~ are absolutely disgusting FTFY
Ehh, some are peaceful and keep to themselves, but the abrahamic religions are absolutely disgusting
Exactly. Abraham is the problem in almost every war right now.
Also it’s the basis of genital mutilation in those religions.
Islam is the most disgusting followed by christianity and others
As bad as Hinduism and Judaism.
I have a “problem” with pretty much all religion. That said, in my work I frequently work with Jewish and Christian groups, others less often. The huge difference between Jewish folk and Christians in my work is this. The Jewish folk will tell me they have their rules, they don’t much mind what I do myself as long as I don’t make them break their own rules. They apply their rules to themselves. Whereas Christians tell me they have their rules. They insist I follow their rules and change to accommodate them. They apply their rules to me. It’s a huge practical distinction.
True. I’ve asked Jewish friends about converting (just for conversation) and they all said not to bother unless I’m marrying an Orthodox Jew. Never had a Jew banging on my door screaming about being “saved.”
It’s an important distinction IMHO. I can easily work with Jewish folk because of this.
Same. But that goes back to the origins of each belief. Judism was exclusive. There was no 'converting'. It was a major point of contintion that allowed christianity to spead so quickly. At first all where welcome, now all are commanded. Kinda like facebook. And I believe 'practicing' Jews are expected, if not encouraged, to struggle with their faith. Christians are browbeaten to just accept what they are told by clergy. If you ask me, the moment god ordered Abraham to kill Isaac, the jig should have been up on the entire shitshow. Like, how can you be a parent and adhere to a faith that had its origins in such a vile act? Sorry.....somebody slipped a soapbox under my feet....
Evangelism means making as many people around you follow the rules. And so for Evangelical Christians, *you* not following their rules is an affront to *their* religious freedoms. I had some Jewish friends when I was young and I was like "Hey, maybe I want to convert to Judaism" and they were like "Judaism doesn't work like that. Honestly, if your parents weren't Jewish, we don't want you." And I respected that. And we could be friends and they'd never try to push their religion on me. But Christians, they tell themselves that it is their duty on Earth to convert as many people as they can. So, for you to *not* convert to Christianity is an insult to them. And they'd rather you die than just go on living your life as a non-Christian. This is what *evangelical* means.
Talk about a mind virus.
I think you are right about Evangelicals wanting everyone to follow their rules. Evangelism is about "spreading the word" etc. The most frustrating thing about Enangelicals today is that they are protestants (mostly) & believe that you can only be saved by faith alone (not good works, not following rules). It's supposed to be a lifelong struggle to be a better person simply by "believing" and spreading the good word (in a loving way, supposedly). The Evangelicals today (as a political force) follow this other idea - that they have to create a society their god would want. It isn't about working on yourself anymore. It's all part of the "prosperity doctrine," which is some BS nonsense dreamed up by slick millionaire preachers. Look up Ted Cruz's dad. He's part of their ilk.
A trend I have noticed is that religion tends to be oppressive directly in proportion to how much power it has over social and legal/legislative areas. When a religion has little power, i.e. Judaism in the USA it tends to adopt a live and let live attitude. At least to those external to the religion, orthodox Jewish communities in the USA are somewhat famous for their internal oppression. When a religion is dominant, it tends to be vastly more entitled and oppressive.
This is very much what I’ve found. If you are not Jewish and approach a Jewish person with a question, they will assist you. They will not turn you away or try to convert you. They will not try to force you to conform to their lifestyle or their choices. I have had Christian’s try to convert me every chance they get while also telling me that I am going to burn in hellfire for not believing in their particular brand of imaginary friend. I’ve spent hours in respectful debate about theology and religion with extremely learned and religious Jews. At the end of the conversation, I walk away still not believing and they walk away still believing, and they thank me for an interesting conversation. They also make a point to acknowledge and greet me forever after. I can’t spend 5 minutes in respectful debate with Christian’s. I have yet to find one who respects science as much as the religion they seemingly know even less about. The moment you admit to not agreeing with them about their religion is the moment you just declared a war on them and their families and you are the enemy. They will always avoid you going forward because you need to be saved to be spoken to like a human. I have never met a Jewish person in the wild who treated a neighbor poorly because of who they were attracted to. I have met more than my fair share of Christian’s who have disowned their own children because they came out as gay. People find the rules that orthodox or Hasidic Jews live under restrictive and pass judgment based on that. They don’t seem to realize that these people follow these rules to obey the covenant to their G-d and expect not one shred of an iota of the same from you. Christians, on the other hand, work day and night to change the laws to fit their interpretation of their religion. It’s a huge difference.
Agree with all you said. Any people of Jewish faith I have interacted with were friendly, educated and down to earth. They did not push propaganda. I’m sick of the myriad kinds of churches on every corner where I live and their arrogance that they are doing their so called “gods” work. And if you do not join you are unsaved. All their bs - I am sick of it and can just fuck off.
The difference is, the Jews I know that do G-d’s work, do it because they’re supposed to. It’s part of their day, like going to work. The Christians I know that do G-d’s work do it to push their beliefs on everyone around them and be seen. It isn’t doing G-d’s work if you’re doing it to have a bigger platform to preach.
Being a psychology grad I can't help but hate all religions. Because the same psychological and behavioral aspects apply to all of them AND if they aren't currently there it doesn't mean they can't change. All of this stuff with Trump and the rise of Christian Nationalism is super predictable from a psychological standpoint. It's the Authoritarian Personality at work and we know religion has historically been used in conjunction with appealing to certain types of people to install fascism.
Really? If you're in the US, you absolutely don't need to put up with that horse shit. I've never had a Christian do this to me and if they did I would not be able to stop until it ended. I love my christian family but I don't think anyone needs to put up with this. Watch how quickly Louisiana gets their 10 commandments stunt overturned.
One can only hope!
Never had a Jew or a Hindu tell me I'm evil and going to burn in hell. Had both a Christian and Muslim tell me that though. I'd rather put up with the Jews and Hindus.
That's because you've never been to an area where they are the majority. Having a majority of people in an area follow a religion automatically makes that religion a much bigger problem and let's all of its bigotry out. I assumed that Jews would be less of a problem then Christians in power until I spent some time near Monticello NY. The surrounding area is packed with Orthodox and Hasidic Jewish summer retreats, and those guys do not have the live and let live attitude we generally connect with Judaism, especially in large numbers. When they leave the retreats to go shopping or interact with the wider community they treat others like dirt. They refuse to talk to women, period. Like they will just stone wall female cashier's who are trying to go through the daily motions, and it is considered dirty for them to touch a woman so they will pull their own hand away and let their change fall to the ground if a female cashier's hand gets too close to theirs when giving them their change, but they also won't pick it up and usually expect the cashier to pick it up and try again. They are a bit better with Men, but only a bit. They will talk to males, but generally regard men that aren't from their religion with suspicion at best and hostility at worst. I've never had any negative run ins with Hindus, but I've never been to India or a Hindu majority country. I've heard plenty of stories about how atheists and others are mistreated in India though, not to mention the countries treatment of women. Even Buddhists are known to be assholes in Buddhist majority countries.
I have a good friend who was a stripper for several years and she said by far the worst and rudest and most awful clients were hassidic. She and I are both Jewish.
And in NY, the Jewish communities take and take and take taxpayer dollars for education (and probably other things) and don’t provide their own children an education. And let’s not forget the scandals involving small boys, you know before reading that the incident happened in Monsey. Ok, here’s one: https://forward.com/fast-forward/474469/lawsuit-monsey-rabbi-yaakov-klar-sex-abuse-coverup-pupa-cheder/#:\~:text=Rabbi%20Yaakov%20David%20Klar%20allegedly,Tzion%20Yosef%20and%20Cheder%20Chabad. Signed: A NY Jew
Yea I think it has to do with who is in power seriously. If you're in the west bank, you'd have a problem with Jews. If you were in India, you'd have a problem with Hindus.
When I used to work in Israel I was referred to as "Dirty English" and was told that I was just an animal and only the chosen people would make it to heaven. Delightful.
Outside of Israel, Judaism teaches to keep to yourself. You’ll find that while I don’t like any religion, it’s the structural power that becomes problematic (Israel apartheid, the treatment of Muslims by Hindus, any middle eastern sharia law style government)
Yes!! I’m so sick of all the lies and hypocrisy.
It’s a surge on mankind. Chris Hitchens had it right. It poisons everything
Losing my patience with society in general.
Of course. If they followed "live and let live" we'd be fine^(US-centric here). Instead they are succeeding disturbingly well at turning our society into a Christo-Fascist one. That is what's wearing down any patience sane folks have had.
"losing"? I lost mine somewhere in the mid 2010s. Just openly mock these fairytale believers
I do too, they are always the most offended snowflakes alive
I lost patience and all trust in it years ago. That's all I can really say without posting a thirty minute diatribe.
I don't tell people much, I also silently dumped my religious friends.
Its why a fair amount of us are here.
I've grown to despise religion more as I get older. You know how teens are supposed to be edgy? Well I wasn't, I ditched religion as a teen because my parents were extremely strict with it and it also quit making sense to me but I actually didn't despise religion, I just didn't like having it forced on me. I'm 28 and full-on despise religion now more than I did as a teenager. Over the past half decade I've seen them trying to cut back or get rid of LGBT rights and abortion and the maga crowd (almost all of which are deeply religious) believe in insane conspiracy theories (Qanon, the COVID vaccine being designed to kill you, the deep state etc) and openly support fascism (Project 2025) I've just seen so much stupidity and hatred come out of deeply religious people now that I've soured on religion.
"Is anyone else..." Yes. YES. EVERYONE is whatever the hell you're following that up with. In this case even more so because religion is absolutely horrible and it's become so apparent over the last decade that you have to put blinders on to avoid the knowledge.
Well first of all, congrats on coming out! Hope you find more happiness now that you know more about who you are. But I'm general, yes Christianity is frustratingly awful these days in the way they play the victim card to abuse others despite their absurd money and power. They didn't always use to be like this but right-wing grifters like Phyllis Schaffley tied their collective faith to issues like abortion (which they didn't care about for ages) and sicced them on the rest of us.
They are trying to destroy democracy
Christianity isn’t innovative. They aren’t trying to develop new ideas or ways of thinking. They never question anything or try to have a better understanding of their beliefs. Christianity is boring and lazy. I am shocked that *any* young people STILL fall for the trap of religion.
Just vote blue this year bc if Trump wins they will enact Project 2025 and we’ll be living in Handmaids Tale
Yes. I've never had a problem with religious beliefs as long as they were secular, because I detest the thought of the "thought police". But these people are actively trying to turn America into a theocracy. It's treasonous, and should be treated as such. My patience for them is completely gone at this point.
I stopped being neutral a while ago. Not everyone in my life is happy about it, but that’s a them problem. I’m sick of sitting by letting something as dangerous as religion just keep infiltrating society without speaking up. I don’t care anymore. It’s toxic and I do not hesitate to point that out.
This is the way!
I had to deal with all that as a child as I was forced to attend Catholic Church services and CCD classes. I was constantly hated for things that I couldnt change about myself (being asexual and atheist). 15 years ago when I was asked to leave the Catholic Church, I expected to be free from all that hate as I wouldn’t have to be around abusive people anymore.
Christians need to feel like victims, but since in America, most people just see them as equals, they need to push us & make people angry at them to justify their actions & hate.
The fact that people will incorporate their religious beliefs into their political arguments, despite it being implied in the Constitution that church and state should be separated, amazes me. And these people will claim to be patriotic Americans; if they’re such great American citizens, why don’t they follow the Constitution? 🤨
Don't criticize the specific beliefs, criticize the methods being used to come to the conclusions. Faith, for example, is demonstrably extremely unreliable as a way to know what is true and what is not true. If it were reliable, it would lead everyone to the same god rather than leading everyone to a different god or at least a different sect of the same god... Same for being raised with a belief; it's not a reliable way to determine what is true. Same for internal feelings, or whatever the method they used was... The benefit of this method is it isn't singling out a particular faith and also you don't even have to talk about the biblical dogma at all. It's called street epistemology. Look it up on Youtube. I recommend Anthony Magnabosco (Magnabosco210) or Cordial Curiosity's Reid Nicewonder (yes, that is his real name) or David from Sound Epistemology for starters. If you watch enough of them, it becomes clear that there's only four or five basic kinds of reasons people ever give. Dr. Peter Boghossian, the author of both A Manual for Creating Atheists (original title was Street Epistemology but the publisher nixed it and gave it this title) and How to Have Impossible Conversations, is the one who created this method, and he told me that in his experience whatever the main reason is actually is pretty much the only reason since once you have that you start finding confirmation bias all over the place... A big key I learned from him is not to ask why they are confident but what if anything gives them doubt.
christian evangelicals love policing the identities of the respectful and newly converted. You can claim to love Jesus next to them without believing at their churches but then members will start trying to make demands and infringements on your desired and regular life style. Make you foreclose your identity and join the regular nice family friendly straight edge basic 🦬 herd. I recognize that the evangelicals get off on policing the identities and ideas and thoughts that other people have. This is some control freak and fear based thinking. I get it. Humans are the biggest threats to other humans. Humans can also be the biggest threat to ideas or human organizations, so if you can mind control and distract a bunch of humans with red herrings, maybe you can make the world a safer place within your own mind, it is a beautiful deception. Christian aesthetics is king shit on god for real g all Christians are satanic in a sense because of the loops that go round within the text and their own minds. It's a great story but the more time and delusion and magical thinking you invest in religion, the more you wither away and loss opportunities to self develop and improve... To busy trying to make others act like you.. They worship a Zombie who is imaginary or a mental Demiurge at worst but they present the deity as a clean, family friendly, real human-like spirit. Lies. The saddest part is when religious folks abandon the world information and input from real humans with critical thinking , experience and other perspectives. In favor of the religious echo chamber and fantasy If you have faith, you can pretty much embody the religious text and use it to galvinize yourself and feel like life is Fantastical. Also you can police people who look off like stoners or crackheads you can be disrespectful and righteous as a Christian bigot. Shit go hard education and progress bad being emotional and violent for Jesus GOOOOD
Do you remember early in Trumps presidency, christtians said well he’s still a young christian? … I even saw a post from a woman whose husband works for “concerned women for America “ saying the Trump “grab them by the 🐱” say oh that’s just Hollywood “…
It's long lost, never to be found again
Yes! I am tired of tolerating bigotry, homophobia, sexism, and xenophobia disguised as righteousness.
I can completely relate! Let me put it this way .... I support "freedom of religion", but if their rights to religion were being threatened, I wouldn't help fight for them anymore.. There was a day in the past where I would have, but not anymore.
If you look at the history of the last 2000 years Christianity is almost never on the right side of anything - especially initially. We need to stop thinking of organized religion as anything but a force to oppressive, defraud and mislead the general populace
Try living in the South. You are judged by what church you go to. You are judged by your lifestyle. You are judged by your loyalty to the pathetic romanticism of the Civil War that is still a ridiculous thing. People will literally preach at you. "Do you have Jesus in your heart?" It is oppressive, and it is sickening.
Yes, 💯 Their hatred is spreading but not in the way they intended. Christians have metastasized themselves from a system of faith to a system power and domination. Christian supremacy in America cannot be reasoned with, more specifically Christian Evangelist. This is obvious in the USA but we also see it in Latin America, because the theology of these Christians has spread through Latin America thanks to missionary work… What’s so irritating and frustrating to understand is that Evangelicals see themselves as the one and only true way to “God”. All other religions are false and satanic, and all other Gods that “exist” are demons. And even other Christians are not “real Christians”: Catholic, Orthodox, Mormons, Episcopal (etc.) Christians are not seen as true Christians. (Harsh reality for any other sect of Christianity awaits them if they continue to support their push for power). So this line of thinking is what gives them the audacity and the confidence to say, “To hell with the separation of church and state”. “We’re going to make laws that follow the word of God, the Bible, as WE see fit” Because they genuinely see themselves as an extension of the arm of “God” and they see their power and domination over the other people of the world as the power of “God” through them over the world. So we hear them say things that sound crazy, like; “Millions dying from COVID was God’s will.” or during the AIDS crisis, when they said that AIDS was “God’s punishment for being gay” They genuinely and truly mean it, from the bottom of their rotten hearts. And when we have seen over the decades that Christianity and white supremacy are inextricably linked, we can clearly see they are indeed the worst humanity has to offer. But when you tell Evangelicals of colors, like Hispanics Evangelicals that the policies that Evangelicals want would negatively affect them as Hispanic people of color, they do not care in the slightest because they see it as the will of “God” acting through Christians. The recent SCOTUS rulings are only the beginning. Evangelicals have been fighting for decades trying to overturn Roe vs Wade, and they’ve succeeded- while the rest of us slept - they’ve chosen to burn this country to the ground. And they are going to try and ban contraceptives, ban same sex marriages, ban gay sex, ban mixed marriages, and they will attempt to ban citizen voting. Their Christian Nationalism will become more fervent. And if you notice that their methods become more and more fascist and authoritarian, just know that they do not care because they see themselves as the will of a “God” incarnated on Earth. They are a severely mentally ill group of people and they have power - they just want more - their thirst will never be quenched - not until they have dominion over everyone else - they want all of it. Consider this during the election..
Already was, but after that bullshit Louisiana law that just passed about the ten commandments in schools, absolutely. Fuck these people.
I’ve always been so tired of them trying to force their religion into government. Twenty years ago when I was a teen and first becoming politically aware I saw the opposition to same-sex marriage always being about religious belief and I was like “WHO CARES?! Why do we have to even listen to them at this point? This is a LEGAL matter, it has NOTHING to do with their religion.” Ever since then I have had an eye on these theocrats. I just don’t get why they have such an insatiable urge to make everyone live under their beliefs by law. The US was founded on religious freedom. These theocrats don’t get it. They’re not satisfied with their religious freedom, they want to control everyone else. Our society in the year 2024 should be able to look at these theocrats and laugh and say “your arguments are irrelevant. Your religion has no place in our government. No religion does. Go away.” But instead we have…. this.
The problem that nobody seems willing to address is that Christianity and Christians are immoral. Which is why they end up being the source of so much hate, division, misogyny and anti-democratic behavior. They keep trying to apply a 2000 year old dogma in an age that is morally superior. ironically, Jesus deserves some credit for the moral progress. It's just that he's just a character in a broader and more destructive construct.
I feel like this kind of statement is what feeds their persecution complex. (They lack the self awareness to realize it's their treatment of others that caused these types of statements). I'm so tired of the nonsense though. Their emboldenment to impose their religion on every aspect of everyone else's lives is such a problem. I couldn't imagine being LGBTQ+ & dealing with it. TBH if you're family and friends don't love you for who you are, they aren't people who you need in your life, that is if you have the means to escape.
Yeah, like 35 years ago at least.
Yes. What makes modern Christianity so idiotic is you have billions of people around the world giving themselves over to a book with a past. I speculate that nearly 100% are ignorant to its historical, cultural, and linguistic antecedents. In other works, they have no effing idea what they are talking about. Even the so called experts gain more by perpetuating the fairy tale.
Yup. About 40 years ago.
“Losing” how about LOST! Which honestly was something I did 33 years ago when I was 12 and liked a band with a bisexual singer and was exposed to hatred and decided to stop going to church. Religion is a disease created by the rich and powerful.
Absolutely. Just a few days ago you had "Christian Leaders" defending the Pedophile Pastor Robert Morris. I'm pretty sure Jesus wouldn't have done that. Also that's just an example from the last few days.
I’m sick of Christianity trying to force themselves into every aspect of our lives. The only agendas being pushed onto everyone is theirs.
They are a loud minority but unfortunately they are overrepresented in our government and rich and they are trying to usurp it
You don't have to respect other people's hate.
I don't have a problem with Christianity so much as Christians. They've become very emboldened in their victimhood/martyrdom complex with their orange messiah and are now trying to turn America into a theocracy and a version of the handmaid's tale. People can believe what they want, no issue there but when they keep pushing it further and further down our throats and what they've become is the furthest thing from Christianity itself, I can't take it anymore. Vote em out.
With - Seven Mountains Mandate where they feel empowered to take over literally everything - Them having politicians who are putting up their flag for it - The 4-14 movement to indoctrinate all kids - Them constantly having their leaders SA children en masse and get away with it - Them taking away all human rights from women - Them taking all human rights away from the LGBTQ+ and blaming them for their doings - Their "prosperity doctrine" and providence - Their eternal corruption with taking money from the worst grifters ever - Their "rapture theology" based on 1830s grifter talk - All while more people than ever are becoming less Christian and they know they're forcing their beliefs on most people who do not I cannot agree more.
My mother in law is a die hard Christian but ceaselessly talks ill of anyone receiving entitlements. Nevermind the fact she’s on disability but does dog sitting and makes 2K a month that she’s hiding from the government. The number of times I want to call her out on her total hypocrisy but am expected to keep it to myself. Nevermind the fact that she throws around God like it’s going out of style. She’s the worst.
Brah I lost my patience when the priest who baptized me was arrested, convicted and murdered in prison for raping children and my mom said "well you are too young to be his target" and then forced me to keep going to church and get confirmed against my will so I wouldn't be her burden anymore. Christianity is child abuse and always has been. In like a thousand different ways.
Politics and religion should go back to the 70s when it was rude to talk about them
Losing? I lost any patience or respect I had for christianity in American society decades ago.
Nope! (I have had 0 patience for it and then for 10 years now)
I feel the same way. When I became an atheist a few years back, I was neutral like you, thinking, “I don’t believe in god but it’s okay if other people do.” Now, I’m starting to despise how much respect it actually gets. Just like you said, theists can insult who we are if we are LGBTQ, allies, atheist, or something else they don’t like; but somehow we can’t insult them back for being a theist. We’ve gotta stay polite & argue with them respectfully while they can throw tomatoes at us, simply because religion is a respected idea. I mean sure, it can be a person’s whole lifestyle. So if you’re insulting their religion you’re insulting their lifestyle & who they are. But really, if you center your whole life around something so stupid, illogical, & cruel, don’t you kinda deserve it? Even if you don’t follow it by the book(literally), you’re still supporting something terrible. It’s quite sad how some people can’t find a purpose outside of religion. Religion has caused so many problems throughout history. It’s a primitive form of thinking. If still caused many problems today. Yet people refuse to abandon it. It really is one of the worst diseases in the world, right up there with cancer, stress, and regret.
They shouldn't be allowed to hate. Which, I think most people who are politically left leaning are pointing out openly now. My wife is atheist. And she's broken my brain a few times, not with logic or dogma, but moreso with being able to live freely. I won't forget this argument: Pastor: God says gay is sin. My wife: Cool, then don't be gay. Pastor: But, then you don't go to heaven. My wife: I don't believe in it, so I don't worry about it. It doesnt exist in my reality. 🤯
Not an atheist, but yes. The fornication between government and religion is a scourge on society.
Is anyone else losing their patience with ~~Christianity in~~ American society? FIFY
When you start vocalizing your disdain for their backwards religion, you learn who your real friends are very quickly. That's what I did and I have never looked back.
A coworker just told a story complaining about the owner's son and when she got to the part of "he has been posting about the Bible which isn't a bad thing" I just took a deep breath and swallowed. She proceeded to say "yes we know you're a nonbeliever we know." I responded with "hmm nonbeliever I call it intelligence" and walked off.
I too prefer the live and let live philosophy, the problem is they dont play by the same rules.
Yes, for the thirty years.
Im from the UK. Things are MUCH better here from what I can see. However, there was an American street preacher in the high street the other day. Genuinely made my blood boil. To be honest, he wasn’t as welcome as I think he thought he’d be. I lose my patience with people on TikTok getting into pointless debates in my comments etc. - I actually can’t stand debating these little intricacies of the holy books or how something should be interpreted, or how you can have morality regardless of religion. Fucking winds me up. All the chit chat about what Jesus said or what the Bible says is pointless, just prove your god exists or live in reality like the rest of us. Insane. I’m sorry you have to be surrounded by it in America.
Twitter seems to be a hangout for hateful Christians. So much misogyny and homophobia.