Nonchristian vs Antichristian

There's a big difference

Published on February 15, 2006 By JillUser In Religion

I think everyone who doesn't consider themselves christian has gotten accused of being antichristian at one time or another. I have gotten accused many times. Ironically the accusers are people with some sort of martyr complex who assume that they will be persecuted for being christian. They take issue with me in anticipation of my taking issue with them.

I am not denying that there are plenty of people on the planet who actually are antichristian. I just find it odd when I or some of the kindest people I know have been labeled as such. It isn't a 'you're either with me or against me' subject.

I am also perplexed as to why so many christians can't fathom anyone believing in God without believing Jesus is his son. I can understand why they can believe in Jesus not because it makes sense to me but because I am open minded and realize that other people have different experiences in life than what I have experienced in my own. Those experiences help form how we see the world and how we fit in it. If you see only your path, your way as being the only way, then you are not open minded.

Comments (Page 2)

Gideon MacLeish

on Feb 15, 2006

As long as there are different religius beliefs there is the knowledge that we can't all be right. Of course noone would ever believe they were the ones that had it wrong.

I hesitate to bring this up, but here's something completely relevant to this thought. There is, in certain apocryphal texts, a legend that says that Satan, when he established dominion over the earth, began with the proclamation "Thou shalt have no other gods before me". (if someone a little better versed in this wants to chime in, feel free). While I don't believe in the veracity of that tradition, it's certainly food for thought.

Leauki

on Feb 15, 2006

I think that my Christian way is the only way to "heaven"...does that make me not open minded? I don't think so. I think every religion has that belief...

The Jewish religion specifically says that non-Jews can go to heaven (or new earth or whatever you want to call it) if they are good people. The laws of the Bible apply only to Jews. A Jew has to follow them to go to heaven, a non-Jew does not.

Islam believes that Christians and Jews will go to heaven as well as Muslims, except that the seventh level of heaven is for Muslims only. All Jews born before Muhammed are technically "Muslims" according to Islam. (No, that has NOTHING to do with today's violent Islam.)

Are you open-minded? Perhaps you are not open-minded enough. If you were, would you not have verified what the other two Abrahamic religions have to say about the matter before you announce that every religion has the belief that it is the only way to heaven?

I am no expert on theology, but one thing I know is that G-d is no nitpicker. He doesn't care about the precise rituals or beliefs, if you are a good person.

I do not only believe this, I actually know it; because G-d is by definition perfect and a nitpicker is not.

Gideon MacLeish

on Feb 15, 2006

If you will be rewarded for persecution, why not create situations wherein you can interpret others' negative reactions to you as persecution of you for your faith? And of course, there are some Christians who like to view themselves as martyrs...See? They did it to Jesus, now they're doing it to me! That kind of thing.

Like someone once said in rebuttal to the claims of the guy who used to sit in the end zone of NFL games with the rainbow wig and a "John 3:16" sign: "no, we're not persecuting you for your faith, we're persecuting you because you're a NUT"

(interesting update: that particular individual proved, indeed, to be a nut...and a dangerous one at that, when, several years ago he was arrested after taking a hostage and proclaiming the impending end of the world...and that is NOT an urban legend. I'll see if I can find the link for you tomorrow).

JillUser

on Feb 15, 2006

Good one!

JillUser

on Feb 15, 2006

am no expert on theology, but one thing I know is that G-d is no nitpicker. He doesn't care about the precise rituals or beliefs, if you are a good person.

I appreciate and tend to share that belief. Whenever I express that belief I get "Well how do you know you are a 'good person'?"

KarmaGirl

on Feb 15, 2006

Saying Jesus was white, well them was fightin words!

Was he "white"? I always picture him with the skin tone of, say, somebody from the Middle East. Not "white" nor "Black". If he was from the Middle East, why would he be "white"?

Noone's perfect and noone has the answeres. If they claim to be perfect, it is just a testament to how imperfect they are.

Very true.

Texas Wahine

on Feb 15, 2006

Ain't that the truth.

While there are things in the Bible that don't seem "right" to me ("There is a way that seems right to a man, but in the end it leads to death"...haha, isn't it weird that Bible verses just pop into my head?), I'm not offended by the Bible.

What some (and I won't even say many) Christians don't understand is that what people bristle at is not the message but THEM...their mannerisms, their personality, the aggressive and sometimes even hateful way they express their views.

The Bible doesn't bother me. I actually read it from time to time because some passages are very beautiful, and I think it provides some useful instruction. What I lack is faith, and that can't be forced or faked.

Leauki

on Feb 15, 2006

I appreciate and tend to share that belief. Whenever I express that belief I get "Well how do you know you are a 'good person'?"

I am sure you will be told at the end. Or notice it. Or you won't.

It's not something you need to have spelled out for you.

When I see a small dog, I don't kick it. Everything else is sort of based on that principle.

Dynosoar

on Feb 15, 2006

This all goes back to the Deism article of a few weeks ago...
Leauki brought up a good point, the Abrahamic religions are all-inclusive, and living a moral, ethical life is the key to heaven, Not adherence to any particular ceremonial activity or denominational mandate.

***Plug*** see my "I wonder...." article, basically SSDD

shadesofgrey

on Feb 15, 2006

It's statements like THAT (equating the resurrection with Santa Claus) that explain why I have nothing to do with the DNC, ben. And it is ironic because, in a thread where tolerance was pretty much the rule, you had to show exactly what an anti-Christian IS. You are the textbook definition of a hypocrite when you state that you become antiwhatever when someone thinks they are better than everyone else simply because of their beliefs, when the first sentence of your response clearly expresses your own perception of superior knowledge.

For a nonbeliever, there is a similarity between the resurrection and santa claus--they don't believe that either are real. I'm not sure how it is intolerant to state a belief. BenUser's point stands--it's when you think that your way is the only way that it gets annoying. Gid, you failed to give any credit to the notion that to some people the Jesus of the Bible is make believe. No where did BenUser state that he was better than anyone else--on the contrary, I think you just proved Jill's point quite clearly. BenUser is Nonchristian, but nothing he wrote (on this thread) suggests that he is anti-Christian.

I think Tova was dead on when she discussed the hypersensitivity that is always part of conversations about religion.

Tova7

on Feb 15, 2006

I don't see Jesus as white when I picture him in my head.....dark eyes, dark hair...dark skin, like someone from the middle east would look.

Karma I was making a point that some people can be offended at even the most basic reference to God when it conflicts with their own.

Adventure-Dude

on Feb 15, 2006

think that my Christian way is the only way to "heaven"...

This reminds me of a joke.

DISCLAIMER this joke depicts a negative attitude of Church of Christ members.

A guy dies and goes to Heaven. Peter greets him and gives him a personal tour of Heaven. They walked into a large building. The first room they come to there were many people chanting Peter says, "these are the Catholics." The two continued on til they came to a second room. In this room people were jumping around, dancing, shaking on the floor. Peter says, "these are the Pentecostals." They continued on down the hall. Before they reached the third room Peter begins to tip toe. The new guy follows Peter's lead. When they came to this third room full of people Peter whispers in a quiet voice, "Shhh these are the Church of Christ they think their the only ones here."

END OF JOKE

For the most part I think many different denominations can be plugged in as the punch line. Overall I think it gets my point across.

MarcieMoo

on Feb 15, 2006

I do not believe in the other two "Abrahamic religions". They have nothing to do with my Christianity, other than the fact that Judaism shares the first five books of the bible with us."Christ" is the core of my faith. Neither Judaism nor Islam want anything to do with my Christ.

I'm not God. It's not my job to decide who gets heaven and who gets hell. God might, and the end of it all, cover up his mouth with laughter in his eyes and say "Ha ha...joke's on you, fools! Y'all are gettin' in!" Can I say whether Jews or Muslims are getting into heaven? No. I have my belief, but I don't have the say-so at the end of it all. Perhaps YOU should take yourself down a couple of notches. You do NOT know it all.

I believe in Christ, and I believe in God, but now, I can't possibly know everything about Him. And, neither can you nor anyone else.

Leauki

on Feb 15, 2006

I don't see Jesus as white when I picture him in my head.....dark eyes, dark hair...dark skin, like someone from the middle east would look.

I think he looked Jewish.

I do not believe in the other two "Abrahamic religions".

Nothing to do with what I said. I was talking about learning about other religions before you make statements about them. You don't have to believe in Judaism to know what it is. And you don't have to believe that Muhammed is a prophet to know what he said.

sushiK

on Feb 15, 2006

It's funny, I'm sure I have been pegged as 'AntiChristian' as few times in my life by different people, but it was never done on purpose.

I think alot of non-christian or even non-religious minded people are in a situation like where we are in now with Muslims and the cartoon character. I think at times there might be a 'Cultural expansion' between non-Christ'ies and Christrians.

A lot of us are rolling our eyes at the muslim world wondering why they are getting all worked up. I have the same look alot of times when christians are getting all worked up over an 'Anti-Christian' remark someone said. I simple can not relate most times to waht they are digging at.

There are some really foriegn ideas to me when it comes to Religion
+ Praying to someone
+ Loving Christ/God/Whatever more than your kids
+ Trusting a book to guide your life
ect...

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