Okay, time to deal with this situation. I am sick and tired of people assuming I'm some kind of brainwashed idiot because I actually believe in a higher power. Even worse than that, I'm a christian. So people assume things about me, they assume I can't think for myself, or I allow some old book to dictate my morals and how I live. So let's just take a look at what you say about me shall we?
1. Christians are Brainwashing People
Ok this one can be broken down even further, but let's take it as it is for now. Someone once kept telling me that they knew a child who learned how to pray before he learned to write, and how wrong that was. They viewed it as a form of brainwashing. They didn't realize that I was one of those kids, so every single time they said it, they were kind of calling me dumb. But here's the thing, a small child doesn't care about the theological implications of prayer. Here's what a small child knows about prayer: they close their eyes and put their hands together and talk to some guy the grown ups call God in the same way that they would talk to a parent or teacher. So basically it's talking with eyes closed and hands together. Tell me, what average child do you know that can write fluently before they can talk? (yes, I know there are special cases, that's why I included average) Is this a form of brainwashing? I don't think so. Heck, it wasn't until middle school I even once began to consider the staggering theology of prayer.
The other point someone brought up to me is missionaries... They viewed them as people who went out into the world and ridiculed everyone for believing differently than they do, (we'll cover that one later) Once that was done, they forced them to believe christian doctrine all in the name of spreading the word. I honestly don't know how this happened... Yes there are missionaries who go to these parts of the world to spread christianity, but not in this way. They go and provide teaching in a way of thinking these people have never even been exposed to before. I remember the first time I found out about this religion called Buddhism. I was blown away, I had never encountered a religion quite like it before, and its main ideas influenced my own beliefs. Did it turn me against my current religion? No. But just finding out about it and its different views made me adjust my own (another point we'll cover later).
2. Christians Believe They are Superior to Everyone Else
Ok... there is a HUGE amount of irony in this one. Yes there are christians who believe this about themselves. But not all do. In fact, I would argue most don't feel this one bit. They might view themselves as being right, but somehow the good ones also recognize that doesn't necessarily make the rest wrong... I believe my religion is true, but I also do not believe the others are necessarily false... But a lot of times this was said to me was just dripping in irony it took all I could to not laugh in their face. "All christians are arrogant and prejudiced against me for not believing as they do." Ok... I want you to just take a good long look at that statement. It drips with as much idiocy as a line of a Star Wars prequel... "Only a sith deals in absolutes." The only way for you to escape that idiocy is if you personally know every single christian in the universe. Otherwise you are the prejudiced idiot. It gets better when I ask them what their specific problem is with christians. "They're just dumb."
3. Christian Morals are Wrong
WHOA!!! Aren't we full of ourselves to say this outright. Ok, first, I will agree that many of mainstream christian views on several moral issues are questionable at best, just plain wrong at worst, but I won't say this about ALL their beliefs. One person came after me stating that I was a moron because I belonged to a church that refused to marry homosexuals. Yes, it is true that the United Methodist Church currently does not allow this... but that's not permanent. I still believe that this will pass. In fact, some annual conferences are already trying to change this, so it's on its way. Remember there was a time when churches refused to marry blacks and whites, but also when America refused to allow it. Did that mean that everyone who felt differently was not, or should not be, an American? No, it meant that we had to steer the country to a moral outcome. This is how most churches arrive finally at their moral decisions, through reason. In fact, reason is one of the four pillars of methodism, (as I'm sure you've heard me say before). Now some don't see reason, some only go off the Bible. But this extreme group should not be used to judge the whole of the religion any more than some extremists who crash planes into buildings.
4. The Bible
Ok... this one's a biggie. One book can spout so much love and compassion, but also hate and destruction. This thing is a symbol that seems to derail everything. Now let's get one thing out of the way. I believe that what The Bible represents is far more important than the item itself. Like the flag, it's just a thing. The flag is cloth and dye, and the bible is paper and ink. What it represents is far more moving and powerful. But like any powerful object, it all comes down to how it's used.
Some use the Bible as science. This is ridiculous. I've heard people spout off how the christians are idiots because they believe the world is only a few thousand years old because the Bible says so. Except most christians know better. I know some christians who believe the fossils of the dinosaurs were put there by the devil to trick us into disbelieving the Bible. This is not what the majority believe. We know the world is much, much, MUCH older. We know there used to be giant lizards roaming the earth. In fact, as I've stated before, there are two separate creation stories in Genesis. Could it be that we should take the creation story with some degree of symbolism? Heck, could it also be that it was written in a time when there wasn't much scientific discovery going on? Context ruins everything doesn't it?
Some christians devote their whole moral identity to the teaching of the Bible. The only problem is that well... that's impossible. The Bible contradicts itself quite often. In fact, Jesus begins to preach that the letter of the law is not as important as people think. A woman is about to be stoned for adultery, in accordance with the law, but Jesus cleverly states "let he who is without sin cast the first stone." I believe you can sum up Jesus's message with three words: love, tolerance, and forgiveness. Yet the old testament is filled with violence and bloodshed. This is why most christians take the scripture and run it through their own filter of reason. You'd be surprised how many christians aren't so blinded by the book as you think.
Ok I know this one is long, and I know a lot of you are probably mad at me, but you know what? I don't care. There are SO many other things I could (should) have put on here, but I just wanted to point out something. I don't judge you for believing differently than I do. In fact, I believe that through the peaceful and intelligent discussion of our differences, we can truly grow. But most people turn it into a "I must convince you to believe as I do, or mock you when you don't change" kind of person. So please judge me as an individual. I know it seems like I'm making several generalizations about people saying these about christians, but I am trying to remain gender neutral, and attacking the logic behind the statements, not the people making them. If you must comment, be warned that if you degrade your comments into mindless trolling or hate, I will delete the post, and perhaps remove you as a friend. I don't need more mindless hate in my life.
No comments:
Post a Comment