this is a serious question. i am a 14 yr old roman catholic and i want to know why people are picking on my religion,calling it the anti-christ, etc. \nPlease explain what you or others have against in w/o totally insulting my beliefs, or getting into the priests molesting children, unless thats ur only problem, in which case u shouldn't even answer if it is.
206750
They present themselves as PRETTY BIG TARGETS sometimes.
659774
Those words are not of God and not of Christ. A Christian who says those things is not acting as a Christian should. These are deceptions of the devil and are based on hatred.\n\nYou, I see from many of your posts, are grappling with these questions. But you post them as if they were insults or jokes. I see through that. You are partly consumed by a temptation to persecute Christians. You are partly ruled by this and have no control over it. And it bothers you. But your resolution is a false one, in that you believe Christians are at the root of this lack of inner control. It feeds the flames and you relinquish more self-mastery as time passes.\n\nThe proof is that at this moment you are probably saying this is stupid and you will try to ignore it. Ignorance is your tool to continue the persecution. As long as you refuse to understand what Christianity teaches then you can continue to mock it with half-sincere questions based out of your inner conflicts.\n\nIt is not Christians you have a problem with. It is yourself. But go ahead and scoff and continue on in the path of slavery to your emotions.
106043
Call it what you want, catholics do venerate Mary, and the bible never says to do this. this is not an attack on Catholic church, but there is too much emphasis on ritual, the rosary and the saints can do nothing for your soul, that is dependent on you believing and accepting Christ, reading the bible and worshiping in spirit and in truth, which the catholic church does not do because they are so hung up on ritual. Isaiah speaks about how much God dislikes ritual, though it has it's place, it should not shift the focus away from God, which it does and God does not like that. Hey why don't you do a proper search before you swallow your doctrine whole, you might find that the catholic church really has alot of un-truths.
274120
Children should not be exposed to religion. When this is done they wind up being brainwashed and following whatever they were raised with. Considering there are so many choices I'd say that is a bit stifling. It definitely something that should be approached with mature mind. \n\nI know people that were raised Catholic. As adults they are no longer Catholic yet they still have guilt left over from when they were. That right there shows how powerful these things are on the mind of a child. How do you erase years and years of this stuff?\n\nOf course if they didn't brainwash them at a young age they wouldn't have so many followers now would they?
155595
A good and fair question my friend! It's hard to defend all that has been said by Judeao-Christian faiths, but I would assume that most of the time like Catholics they are just doing what they were told, not what they read. Or they are reading the Bible as a tool of judgment against others instead of against their own beliefs. I'm sorry if a Judeao-Christian was offensive and I thank you for not being rude or mean about it! Jesus said," I did not come to abolish the Law(old testament) but to fulfill it." so it falls on us to follow His example of fulfilling the Law as close as we can. The Old testament is just as important to God as when He first designed it. I hope this helps you and others. God bless.
224996
I know how you feel. It's disheartening, and doesn't seem fair. Some of the attacks seem completely groundless, once you really look at the claims of Jesus.\n\nSome people have had bad experiences with Christians, so everything is filtered through that. They've never been exposed to people really living out of faith and loving others, they've just gotten the negative hypocritical behavior.\n\nSome listen to Christians: There are many CHristians who approach their faith negatively. ("Do not touch! Do not taste! Do not speak!" says Paul, I think, right before he says this is ridiculous, for restrictions do not have the power to save.) We treat the world as an enemy and attack it for what we believe it does wrong -- then get surprised when it views us negatively. Christians are very negative sometimes, so Christianity is attacked as such.\n\nThe other big reason is simply because they really don't want to understand your viewpoint. It's more convenient for them to attack Christianity because they won't actually have to think through their own lives and compare, maybe even make a change. Everyone is like this: It's easier to talk over someone than to listen, easier to attack than taking wounds, easier to blame someone else besides ourselves.\n\nChristians sometimes get a raw deal because people don't want to take the risk of truly thinking through the claims of the faith and comparing their own philosophy to it, then perhaps being forced to make decisions they don't want to make. Pride and self-comfort is an issue.\n\nHang in there. You're on the right track -- Jesus didn't just atone for sin, he was a very tangible representation of how much God truly loved us -- and you're willing to speak up in a kind way about it. That's good stuff.
367573
That's quite a generalization. I have friends of many different faiths, including plenty of non-Christians. Lots of atheists, too. I don't win friends by behaving like a condescending jerk. I don't force my Catholic faith on anyone. If they choose to believe, that's great; if they don't, that's their business. At any rate, I'm not quite sure how that warrants a charge of being condescending. And people from many different groups can be condescending. It's not confined to Christians alone.
3833
Are you talking about Cristians or churchians?  Are you refering to people who go to church or people who have become born-again?  I'm a born again christian and I've experienced predudice on this point more than once.  I've heard people ridicule my religion as being a bunch of bloodthirsty, power hungry, hypocrites as they continue to refer to things like the spanish inquisition and the witch hunts as evidence of this conjecture while failing to acknowledge that it was the catholic church that carried these out and not the modern born-agains.  No christian today was alive back then and no one today was responsable.  All the people who instituted those things are now dead, yet people who make a religious choice are being held responsable, at least coloquially and are being seen as a monstourous and demonized collective rather than as individuals who deserve fair treatment.  \nHave you ever been told to shut the f**k up for defending something you believe in after it was being venemously attacked by your peers?  Have you ever been told that mentioning something you believe in is politically incorrect?  Have you had to watch the central figure of your religious holidays be ripped out of the context of them?  Christmas and Easter are christian holidays and mention of the one that they honor, Jesus, is considered politically incorrect.   Have you ever gotten a dirty look for what you are?\n Yes, many people in congress and the presidents are christian, however it seems that you choose to see this fact over the fact that they are individuals attempting to run a country.  As far as other racial battles, perhaps it's not that bad yet, but it can get that bad.  No racial or cultural preduduce ever happens all at once.  It usually takes time to build up.  However, if someone were to be sitting at a coffee shop and express loudly that s/he hated black people, they'd get stomped for being a bigot.  Take that same situation and have that person loudly expressing their hate for christians and you have people joining in.  It's not only seen as ok, but it's often approved of even though it's still bigotry.  Generalizing and entire group of people under one label and perpetuatig a demonized steriotype for that group is always the same thing, no matter who you do it to.
313296
I don't think that anyone would report you for being a religous fanatic or a zelot.  Your UN-christian attitude toward people that don't see things exactly the way that you do, is probably exactly why "heathens" pick on you, or at least seem to single you out.\n\nStudy the Book, read the words and the meanings, before you get all jerked out of shape.  \n\nYou are setting a bad example for Christianity, with your bad attitiude, thoughts, and words.\n\nFind a website where people share your views, then ask all the questions you want.  I am sure that you will get answers more in line with your questions.
254274
I can't tell you exactly why that is. I am a Christian, and when I say Christian I mean I am a born again believer in Christ, and I see it in my church a lot. I don't think i do it tho. Most of us are taught to deffend our religion. I guess some of us just take it too far. Others just don't know how to handle it. If you want to ask some questions I would like to answer them. I don't get deffensive real easily like a lot of others do. I have a lot of friends that have different beliefs than me so I'm used to being around different religions and lifestyles. But like I said if you have questions and want answers I can't promise u that I would know all of them but I could answer as many as possible from a biblical standpoint.
382607
i ponder this same question-kinda like, why are they on my catholic forum trying to shoot down anything that anyone says?? it doesnt make sense. it's almost as if they need to prove to THEMSELVES that "there is no God". i think that they are not completely certain that THEY believe this. they need as much supporting evidence that will make their claim a "fact". i think it shows nothing more than insecurity about their views. but that is just my two cents. there's no need to argue about something if you "know" you are "right", correct?\n\n\nalso, great job on striking some nerves! i see that some are still capable of being civil when this issue arises, while others just prove themselves to be babbling morons. i love it..
247358
Josh, I can understand your reaction and plea. It's sort of like having a bunch of mosquitos buggin' you and you can't get away from them, and you don't have any "RAID". Religious arguments are useless. Many Christians are trying to do God's work for him, rather than just focusing on their own walk with God, and letting God do his own work. They get pushy in their zeal to get everybody "saved". Some of them mean well, but some are really not mentally or spiritually well, and they'll give RELIGIOUS answers to everthing, including NON RELIGIOUS questions. I know that you can delete your own answer to a question, but sometimes I think it would be a good idea if people asking a question could delete answers that offended them. That way the pushy ones (and other people who give offensive answers)would get their answers deleted quite often, and they would soon learn that what they were doing wasn't appreciated and wasn't doing any good. And it would filter the answers for other readers who want to read relevant answers and cast a vote etc. You might want to suggest that to Yahoo. By the way, I am a Christian too.
333064
Personally, I am not a Christian nor do I believe in the same creator, Lord as you do. I do however have the modesty and decency to respect your choice in Religion and the civility not to insult it. \n\nPeople who poke fun at the Christian faith, and generalize all Christians into one category, whether it be "stupid" "idiot" "imbecile" or as a recent post stated, "retarded" are only proving to be close-minded. People who insult the Christian faith are people who cannot see a situation from a different perspective, and understand the stance of another.\n\nWhere as one might not believe it to be true, they don't feel a need to respect it, proving only ignorance and barbarity. \n\nI don't believe in your Religion, but I do respect it, and the people who choose to believe in the Christian faith. I see you are very strong willed, and set on your Religion. Such a security is very admirable, and more people should have such an honest devout opinion about nonstereotyping, and freedom as you. \n\nI bid you a good night. \n<3 Ashlee
275153
I am not Catholic (used to be as a kid-but now I know better)\nI learned a lot from the answers posted.\n\nI was just curious of the answers because I've always resented that catholic is catholic and EVERYTHING ELSE is protestant.\n\nI think thats highly self righteous of catholicism and overplays the validity (altho false) of catholicism. History and numbers of followers do not validate a false religion. \nFurther, from the pope on down, I believe they know the truth which they withhold from their followers. If they loved their followers they would tell them the truth.\nThey love the money. As I recall, it was a 365 days a year's worth of envelops given to followers, with bogus celebratory days noted on each envelop.\nYou realize my concerns for catholic people is that they are being led to the slaughter.\nThe pope is the only Catholic who can answer that charge. No followers of Catholicism can answer with absolute knowledge.\nCatholic or Protestant? Thats pretty lofty.
311037
You know, I get the impression that many of your questions in this catagory are simply meant to provoke others for your amusement in their answers. \nI'm not attacking your beliefs--and I say beliefs because I've seen that it takes as much faith to be an athiest as it does a Christian. \nIf you have a genuine purpose to asking these questions other than laughing at the people who take them seriously, I'd like to know... actually I'd be pretty interested.\nthanks,\nJB
263003
Unfortunately, the majority of people in this forum who question the Christian faith design their "questions" to be extremely inflammatory - they're looking for the reaction, to offend; not for a reasonable dialogue. Not everyone excells at letting such things roll off their back.\n\naddition: see some of the above responses to your question to see what I mean
594982
Those who chose to ignore it are not following the Christian faith.  And most of us do not ignore it.\n\nhttp://www.catholiccharitiesusa.org/