Before I begin on my generalized views of Christianity, I'd like to point out a couple of things first:
• I was born and raised Roman Catholic
• Most in my family are Roman Catholic or of another Christian schism
• Not all of those who follow Christianity are from the same cookie-cutter
• Everybody is entitled to their own beliefs and points of views, even if I disagree with them.
Now, the only issue I have towards Christians, besides their short-sighted views towards homosexuality, sex before marriage, abortion, same sex marriages, etc..... is how the generalized community of Christians feel it is their right and duty to shove their views down everybody else's throats as if somehow they're un-questionably right above all others.
I have my views, I'll express my views, and I'll even defend my views when I see fit..... but I stop short of threatening or otherwise pressuring everybody else to adopt my views or face some sort of punishment.
If your views are truly the right views, then you shouldn't have to threaten anybody to accept them, they'd just accept them through common sense and what makes sense to them. The moment you have to state someone is going to hell, or they'll suffer some horrible outcome because they don't agree with you, is the first clue that your view is wrong/flawed.
When you have to threaten people to accept your views as absolute, you already lost the debate imo.
One of the things I remember growing up in the RC church, was that Jesus said something along the lines of not going out and enforcing your view on others who may not agree, instead, let them come to you.
That doesn't seem to be done now a days and it seems most who follow the faith tend to think it's their "God Given" right to dictate their beliefs and values on everybody they pass on the street and if nobody follows suit, damn them to hell and act as God's own judge on who gets into heaven and who goes to hell.
Last I checked, that was for God to do, not mere mortals.
Jehovah's Witnesses seem to take this to another level. Rather then letting those interested come to them, they go door to friggin door, pimping out their religion like a vacuum cleaner.
Basically in a nutshell, the thing I hate about religion/Christians in general, is that they force their views onto others as if it is their duty to convert everybody to their beliefs, based on words in a book that were revised countless times and written hundreds of years after Jesus apparently existed, based on stories passed down over the years by word of mouth, in which that book seems to have multiple contradictions and double standards.
Plus the fact that most of what Christians take for granted in their religion have been hawked from previous religions that are now called mythologies (Greek/Roman, Egyptian, etc.)
If people want to believe that stuff, all the power to them, but I see no justification to force or threaten others to believe in the same thing, no justification to start wars in the name of said religion, no justification in rounding up people of different cultures and beliefs and force them to adopt to these beliefs, regardless if some think its for their own good.
CDNBear mentioned he is native and is left handed... thus got a lot of crap over it.... it's not exactly the same thing, but I had bright red, curly hair, freckles and also left handed, which seemed to be all related to evilness, so to a degree, I can see the position he is coming from.
Besides the fact that there was a priest whom worked at my church growing up who later was charged for child molestation in the church he transfered to after mine, plus the countless others around the world whom have been transfered, protected, covered up by the RC Church, even to this day..... I think it's beyond hypocritical for these people to be in a position to dictate to us what is right and wrong in the world.
Even today in the news, the RC Church is trying to blame homosexuality for the millions around the world who have been molested by priests during their youth:
Homosexuality to blame for sex abuse: Vatican cardinal
Homosexuality to blame for sex abuse: Vatican cardinal - CTV News
^ First off, how does homosexuality explain pedophilia, and secondly, how does homosexuality explain the abused girls? (It wasn't just boys who were abused)
Thirdly, they claim it has nothing to do with celibacy.... yet since their homosexuality claim is baseless and pretty stupid since it doesn't cover the abused females over the years around the world.... my view is that priests target children because they're flat out gullible and easy to manipulate through their faith. It's easy to scare the crap out of a kid by threatening that they'll go to hell if they tell anybody about their little secret.... or tell them that it's their fault.... or tell them it'll embarrass their parents, or even make their family get kicked out of the church and community if they tell.
^ Try doing that to an adult and see what results you get...... you'd get stabbed in your holy eyeball and kicked down a flight of stairs.
Retracting a bit, as I said, I have no issue in what people wish to believe, but don't force others to believe in what you believe.... let them come to you on their own.
With all of the above and them some, nobody has the right to force their views as being absolutely right above all others regardless..... and when it comes to Christianity, they have even less right then most based on their own actions over the centuries.
I'll admit, there might be some hypocrisy in what I say above, just by me expressing my views and how I did, but at least I accept it and at least I'm not telling everybody here to believe what I believe or face eternal damnation and suffering if they don't.
I was asked, therefore I answered.
Once again, believe what you wish to believe, but don't shove your crap down my throat with threats and constant harassment.
And to backtrack once more:
• Not all of those who follow Christianity are from the same cookie-cutter