Are all Christians Masochists or is that just the Protestants?
488971
no matter what anyone says sounds like your mind is made up\nthe only thing Ican say is do your research,If you beleive in evulotion the chances of people being so perfect (two arms legs eyes we are not cyclops here)is so slim of a chance. why haven't they found fossils of messed up people. You are the one who decides for you. But I can pick more holes in the evulotion thought then the bible.Jesus did say one must be born again to enter the gates of heaven.RESEARCH both notions. then decide
382495
i don't hate all christians. i love some. i hate what a lot of christians do in the name of their religion. \n\nbtw- we are not in darkness- you arrogant a-hole. as a matter of fact some of us are rather ENLIGHTENED!\n\nbut its a good question to get a conversation going...
171030
not all christians say that i think it is just Cathlics
1081791
I'm catholic, and I don't believe that there is only one answer for everything.\n\nAssuming you're speaking about Catholic dogma - not everything the church teaches is considered "dogma":  only those items which are utterly critical to our faith (one god, jesus is his son, etc.)\n\nwhen you get to the idea of (for example) salvation though good work vs. through faith, you're completely out of he realm of dogma, although it was one of the critical points in he early division of protestants vs. catholics.\n\nMost of the overlap between Protestants and R. Catholics is not dogma. \n\nAnd, there are other churches who are not protestant, but who aren't Roman Catholic either (specifially the Orthodox churches).
181495
There are alot of confused people in this world. Catholicism IS a Christian denomination, just as Protestant, Lutheran, Methodist, Baptist, etc. are.
604874
Yes it does sound like christians are shooting themselves in the foot. its quite amusing. I also think that on some subconciese level that the guilt fear and shame inside them darkens thier hearts until they are unaware they are doing anything wrong or believing anything wrong/.;
222890
You are confusing some Christians with all Christians.\nMany churches and Christian sects are inclusive and have gay clergy and gay parishnoners. \nAs a Christian myself, I put tons of emphasis on my sexuality. I love sex, I celebrate it. My belief if God had not wanted me to experience physical pleasure he would not have provided me with such a cool responsive body. Also as a Christian I support loving relationships whether that relationship is between two women, two men, or a man and a woman. The key being loving relationships.\nPlease do not confuse, true Christ loving Christians with haters. Christ loving Christians love all their neighbours.
609367
Jesus died for all sinners. \nEven non-beleivers who judge people like you.\n\nBut I do agree with you. I do think many Christians are actuially turning people away from Christianity by being too pushy, and judgemental of other people. They are following the Church, and not what Jesus Christ actuially taught. Not to JUDGE.
803910
I know that John Bunyan, the author of Pilgrim's Progress, and John Milton, the author of Paradise Lost were puritans. \n\nBy protestants I understand all Christians who are neither catholics nor Orthodox. So all the divisions you mention belong to protestants.\n\nSorry I couldn't help with all parts of your question.
854805
Not all Protestants said ugly things about the pope.  I make it a point to never say anything about Catholics, I'm Southern Baptist. Guess you taught me a lesson, huh?
340304
Christian fundamentalists think that they're right and that everyone else is wrong. Also, they believe that the Bible calls on them to save everyone else from eternal damnation, so they'll use any means possible, no matter how intrusive it may be, to achieve this. If anything, though, their efforts usually seem to have the opposite effect.
815122
Some Christians do...it's the hardcore ones that are not willing to believe in anything except that which they believe gives glory to god...not all Christians are that hardcore...what the hardcore Christians are asking for is eminently impractical and chaotic...I think they are mostly after your hard earned...some people who would call themselves christian have more open minds...I don't think the founders of these religions wanted anyone to be miserable and look at life so two dimensionally...
476721
Well hon, it depends on the religion. Unfortunately, I grew up in a VERY strict Christian evangelical faith which pronounced all other religions "evil" and from "Satan" and the followers of them either "decieved" or deliberately wicked. They even believed Christian sects outside THEIR particular sect were also from the devil and you either convert or condemn them. They were very anti-Roman Catholic (which is so silly because Roman Catholicism GAVE all of Christianity the bible as we know it today. It was the early RC church that sat down and decided which bible books will make up the canon. It was the early RC church that structured Christianity as we know it or else we'd be following the gospels of Phillip, Judas etc. which were left out of the bible) \n\n\nFortunately for me, I was a bright, independent thinking person even as a child and I lived in a part of the world where it was IMPOSSIBLE not to interact with people of all different faiths- Jews, muslims, hindus even different Christian sects. Going to school I made friends (against my parent's wishes) with others of a different faith. I discovered they were not evil but kind, loving, intelligent well adjusted with good families and in so many ways HAPPIER than I. In fact, my life was a mess (even as a "saved" Christian) compared to some of my friends. I suffered from depression, I was molested by a church member etc. My non-church member friends even treated me BETTER than people I knew in my church. When I began to question my religion and condemn some of what I saw and refuse to participate any more my parents kicked me out. Guess who opened their homes and hearts to me? Yes my non-evangelical Christian friends and they did so UNCONDITIONALLY. NEVER was I asked to join their religion! NEVER was kindness used by my non-Christian friends as a means to get me to convert. Because I used this tactic (as I was taught in church, we used to "Lovebomb" unbelievers until you break their defences and then begin slowly indoctrinating them.) to win unblievers over, I expected at any moment for my non-evangelical Christian friends to shove a Bhagvand Gita in my face or invite me to their Sunday Mass or try to start some kind of bible study with me. It NEVER came. There was NO AGENDA, just concern and compassion for me as a person FIRST. I cannot tell you how REFERESHING that is!\n\nIt got me to thinking: "Is God such a vengeful, unloving being that he will forver torment these wonderful people in some firey afterlife just because they are not Chrsitians or intereprest the bible EXACTLY like they do in MY church?" I could not believe in a God like that and I STILL don't. I believe it is WE humans who are hung up on the technicalities and colours of how we approach God but God is not limited to OUR perceptions or OUR precepts. \n\nI commend faiths that are very welcoming and respectful of other faiths. For example they support Interfaith fellowship like, Jewish/Christian meetings etc. I also find Hinduism to be a very open religion and I have enjoyed speaking with pundits and attending the puja's (prayers) of my Hindu friends. I enjoy being able to learn and experience the teachings of different religions and it has made my life AND my relationship with God and my fellowman a far richer experience. I am more HUMBLE now because I am realising I DO NOT KNOW EVERYTHING! Not even after studying the bible and reading it more than 100 times. I am MUCH happier without the "Holier Than Thou" Christian attitude because it is just a fake ego builder when the truth is your life is just as screwed up (sometimes more so) as anyone else Christian or not, and you are not excused from having to work to improve yourself everyday. It is LIBERATING not to feel obligated to either convert or condemn others all the time but to look at their hearts and their actions, treating them as you would like to be treated.
1139644
Since Catholicism is neither idoltry nor paganism no one went to hell if people only go to hell based on that alone.  There is also not "one Protestant religion" but many different groups.  Some which use more Dogma dervived from Catholicism than others.  \n\nAlso if you needed to be protestant to go to heaven then God should have really considered those people in remote parts of the world who never heard of Christ nor had any means to.  \n\nThankfully Catholicism believe those who live a life that is fair and just will go to heaven even if they are not part of the christian religion.
1114258
Granted, Christians have their problems but, they're not alone. Different sects have different outlooks all designed to support their particular belief system. I don't think they're any worse than other religions and not as bad as some. Muslims, Shite and Sunni, have a major war on in some parts of the world killing each other at an astounding rate. As far as the pedophiles you mentioned they're not all Catholic, Presbyterians had a little problem with that too especially at the turn of the century when they were involved with the American Indian schools. As you stated there is absolutely no excuse for that sort of behavior. Some religions  here promote marriage to children and by our standards are pedophiles and have been prosecuted as a consequence of that belief.\n To sum up a longer than intended reply, the problem with religion, Christians, Muslims, Jews, Hindus etc..is that people are involved. In any society you have a certain percentage of misfits and that same percentage is present in the religion as it is in all aspects of any society.
848804
I keep saying it's jealousy. We have the Mother the Father loves best. The Blessed Virgin Mary. Just like Josephs brothers were jealous of him our brothers and sisters in Christ are jealous of us and the wonderful things the Lord has given to us. If they only understood though that those that have been given much, much is expected, they would not say the things they do because many a Catholic offers up their pain and suffering and death not only for their own sins but, as a member of the Body of Christ -- the sins of these people who deny they are Christian. Didn't St. Paul say "I make up in my body's suffering for what is lacking in the suffering of Christ?". And also Romans 8:17\n\nFor other denominations Holy Communion is just a symbol but, not for Catholics because our Magisterium has the ordination to consecrate the bread and wine into his ACTUAL Body, Blood, Soul, and Divinity. Didn't Joseph tell his brothers that he wanted Benjamin left with him and didn't Jesus say he wanted John to remain forever? This is the same thing. John the youngest brother of Jesus who stood beneath the cross with Mary Jesus Mother-- just like the Catholics do at every Mass. The other denominations looked on from a distance it says but, the Catholics are there!!
279335
Ever since Martin Luther split with the Roman Catholic church over the priactice of selling indulgences, there has been some level of rancor between Protestants and Roman Catholics, sometimes even leading to violent confrontations.  Protestants founded the US, and discrimination against Catholics existed in the US until early in the 20th Century.\n\nHowever, thanks to the promotion of a doctrine of ecumenism (religious equality) promoted by Pope John XXIII and Vatican II, and the growing realization among Protestants that Christians are simply followers of Christ (that's actually the original definition of the word), things have for the most part calmed down.  \n\nCatholics follow Christ as much as Protestants.  There are a large number of Protestant denominations, and I cannot speak for all of them, but in my experience as a Baptist pastor, and from what I have seen from most other Protestant churches, I would say the ansmwer is "Yes", Protestants do consider Catholics as fellow Christians.