Seriously. I have many Christian friends, though I am not one, and I am an avid supporter of them in their faith.
Soon as a politician (or friend or whoever) wants to shove it down my throat? Nope, not OK. It's not because they're a Christian either, it's because they're jerks who want to run my life for me, and their beliefs happen to make that an unhappy proposition.
What you're describing is a big part of why I'm so angry at that camp. Many people can't tell the difference between Christians and "Jerks in the name of Christ." The jerks make it that much harder for the rest of us.
Yeah .. *sigh* I think it's really unfortunate what those types have done to the name of the religion among those who aren't a part of it. Ditto people like Dawkins, who want to convince the world that atheists (many of whom have meanwhile quietly taken up the "agnostic" label) are rabid Christianity-haters.
I've been the unfortunate recipient of similar sorts of "collateral damage arguments" in other areas so I can sympathize. There's actually been considerable backlash lately (speaking of religion) among pagans, who no longer even call themselves that because the word has become so loaded by all the crazies, out there doing crazy things in the (very) public spotlight. Then you have the other crazies who are so angry at the first type of crazies that they give the rest a reputation for angry-snark and touchiness, too. Meanwhile the rest of us just want to practice our spirituality peacefully.
It's some friends here in town. They're saying things in times and places where it's not easy to respond. Then it was a "funny" my grandfather sent me, mild, but not funny and feeding on the same ideas from the other side. But I know I've seen LJ comments recently-ish where I/we should have called the author out.
Most of all, it's some of the cartoons & bumper stickers that try to make being mean into funny.
I am sorry to make an unpopular post, and I am certainly against any hatered (besides Cheney. I find it hard not to hate him. But since he hates me (otherwise, why does he try to kill me?), I guess that's not as bad
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If someone said, "Jews are greedy" would that be racism, or hating based on the choice to be a Jew?
Similarly, many of the people who are anit-homosexual justify their hatred by saying that it's a choice the homosexuals made.
Now think about the last time you heard someone say something about Christians being stupid, or uneducated, or irrational, or the ever so condescending misguided. The problem is, that there are groups of Christians out there who are all of these things and jerks on top of it, but those labels no more apply to all Christians than the label gangster applies to all black people, or the label terrorist applies to all Muslims. When you malign the larger group on the actions/characteristics of a few, you've crossed the line.
As for your final point, there may be a sect of Christians out there somewhere that believes in collective guilt for sins, but I've never heard of them. Christianity is a very personal religion. The only sins you're responsible for are your own.
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Soon as a politician (or friend or whoever) wants to shove it down my throat? Nope, not OK. It's not because they're a Christian either, it's because they're jerks who want to run my life for me, and their beliefs happen to make that an unhappy proposition.
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I've been the unfortunate recipient of similar sorts of "collateral damage arguments" in other areas so I can sympathize. There's actually been considerable backlash lately (speaking of religion) among pagans, who no longer even call themselves that because the word has become so loaded by all the crazies, out there doing crazy things in the (very) public spotlight. Then you have the other crazies who are so angry at the first type of crazies that they give the rest a reputation for angry-snark and touchiness, too. Meanwhile the rest of us just want to practice our spirituality peacefully.
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It's some friends here in town. They're saying things in times and places where it's not easy to respond. Then it was a "funny" my grandfather sent me, mild, but not funny and feeding on the same ideas from the other side. But I know I've seen LJ comments recently-ish where I/we should have called the author out.
Most of all, it's some of the cartoons & bumper stickers that try to make being mean into funny.
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Similarly, many of the people who are anit-homosexual justify their hatred by saying that it's a choice the homosexuals made.
Now think about the last time you heard someone say something about Christians being stupid, or uneducated, or irrational, or the ever so condescending misguided. The problem is, that there are groups of Christians out there who are all of these things and jerks on top of it, but those labels no more apply to all Christians than the label gangster applies to all black people, or the label terrorist applies to all Muslims. When you malign the larger group on the actions/characteristics of a few, you've crossed the line.
As for your final point, there may be a sect of Christians out there somewhere that believes in collective guilt for sins, but I've never heard of them. Christianity is a very personal religion. The only sins you're responsible for are your own.
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