why is it, that even when you ask a simple question, like "does god get angry?" christians still can't agree?
494518
All Christians interpret the Bible differently because it is so convoluted and contradictory.  They pick and choose which verses suit their own personal interests regardless of what anyone else thinks.  If the same one God was speaking the same words to everyone, then they should all have the same answer.  Clearly that isn't happening!  People are just using the bible as a weapon for their own gain.
186142
I think it's a matter of choice.  We Christians choose to turn any question and give an answer that will somehow reflect our belief in Christ.  Your choice is to read the answers and decide whether or not you like the answer.  What you choose will not offend us; but we believe that every action that every single person in this world makes, is written in a big book in Heaven.  And we want to make every opportunity count by telling people about God in one way/shape/form or another.  If you want to be preached at, go to church.  We are simply giving our God and Bible based opinions.
675857
I asked a similar question a few weeks ago.\nI think that the answer is that they've forgotten that being a Christian means to be Christ-like.  The only people Jesus ever got angry with were the moneychangers who were in the temple.  (Look out all ye preachers who get rich off of your parishioners...televangelists better take cover...)\nWhat I learned (in Catholic school, believe it or not) is that we are not to hit people in the head with our religion, but to live a good and happy life, b ased on the teachings of Jesus, and just show people by example how great it is to be a Christian.  \nJesus never said to get angry with those who  disagree with you, or with whom you disagree; He said, "Love your neighbor  as yourself".\n\nRight on, Rainchaser77!!!!
754179
I have trouble trying to tell people on Answers! my beliefs, even after they ask about them.\n\nMost often it is Christians. They ask a question, then I answer it honestly and they either report me to Yahoo, or they send me email, saying that I'm going to Hell and I don't belong in their world.\n\nI never say anything specificlly to offend people, I, along with most others on Answers just answer truthfully.\n\nI don't think my statements are taken out of context, however, I just think that they don't like to hear the Truth!!
888524
It is *mankind* that portrays God as angry and threatening.  He has no reason to be angry or to threaten.  He has left us to our own devices to choose and suffer the consequences of a bad decision so we will learn.  When we make bad decisions, and suffer because of it, many blame God.  It's just silly!
1088216
You see how angry Christians get when you call the Bible "fairy tales"?  The reason they get so angry is because you are attacking the very foundation of their lives, and their perception of their entire world.\n\nThey have never considered an existence without a belief in these fairy tales.  And for you to call them this, is a stoning offense.\n\nThat's why they still believe them.  They have been brainwashed since birth to give credence to the bible.  And no matter how ridiculous these beliefs may be, they won't dare question it, and will react quite angrily to anyone who does.  And I think in most cases, insulting their intelligence actually has the opposite effect you would desire.\n\nInstead, I would simply post non-offensive questions that they will have to think about to answer.  That's all you can do.  Get them thinking.  Because they won't listen to what you or I tell them.  They'll have to open their own eyes first.
1004231
Perhaps they are angry because they feel like they are not part of the inheritance and resent your confidence that you are. It's not good to judge others but it is natural  I guess, in the fallen world. I have moments of doubt too. It's not easy to love your enemy, especially when you don't want any enemies. If they say you are ignorant, remember, judge not for as you judge you will be judged. Remember also that wisdom appears foolish to a fool. It is not our place to convert. Maybe that has to do with the resentment. I don't know, but I think your delicate manner is a good example of kindness in the face of adversity. You are tolerant and in my opinion a good embassador for Christianity, if you are a Christian. Oh, and YES!,  you do make sense.
1151753
You are correct in your thinking Jim,  when you get to a certain level of understanding here it is no longer possible to exchange ideas.  Both sides understand each other and both sides understand that they are directly opposed to each other..  What is there to exchange?  One can start bashing or belittleing, but once you come to the understanding then the real talking is over..  Christians can interact with other christians or debate new people that come on the forum but the old timers have done that.  The same for the evolutionists, they know the old timers and only some new christian can be debated..  \nI would boil it down to  BIBLE IS TRUTH CAMP  & EVOLUTION IS TRUTH CAMP  \nNot much left to debate..\nI see others trying to promote a middle ground, but once your mind is made up (on either side) then no middle ground is possible.  So anyway you are correct.
802578
A lot of people get touchy when they are trying to show you their truth and you make a valid or logical point that doesn't fall in line with their beliefs. They are too stubborn or too afraid to admit there may be other possibilities because they have been conditioned to believe that you are damned to hell if you question any part of their particular religious doctrine. Therefore, if you don't take their word for it even if they can't show or prove they are right, the only way they can fight you is to shut you up or get rid of you so you would have less chances to influence anyone else to question what they deem to be the ultimate truth.
1039247
Its easy, they've been indoctrinated to believe these things from birth, and almost nothing, including logic, will tear them from the oppression of their ideas of how the world works.\n\nThe older a christian, the harder it will be to change their mind\n\n-Nick
690240
I read it....plus when you ask Questions about Jesus or God, what do you expect? Christians not to quote the Bible? Do you expect people not to defend themselves?\nChristians beleive in the word of God. \nSo the will stand by that word.\n\nWhen I post a question, that is not even about Atheism, Atheists post their opinion anyway, and it dosent bother me, I still read their contrbution and often apreciate it, when it is constructive. Everybody is entitled to their opinion whatever it may be.
908316
The problem is that everyone IS arguing about RELIGION. Ok first of all yes I am Christian in that I follow Christ, but I don't claim a sect (e.g. Baptist, Pentacostal, etc...), and I'm not going to force my beliefs on anyone. The thing most people (especially "religious" people) don't get is that it is not about being religious, it is about haveing a relationship with the loveing God who created you. Most people choose a religion, (or choose not to) based on the structure that they like, or the rules they are willing to follow, or just because it is how they were raised, but think about it really, if you do believe in a God, whatever you may call him, then it only makes sense to ask HIM how he wants you to live, not your church. Believe me, if you ask he WILL answer you.
985926
I think it does sharpen your beliefs when someone challenges them. Sometimes the anger that people show is insecurity in what they believe. They don't know how to answer a question someone asks them and so they lash out at the person for even asking.  When people ask what I believe it also helps me to examine what I believe and creates a dialog between the two of us.
560222
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
803671
Atheist here, and yes, I have indeed tried to see the other side of the arguement.\n\nI was raised Lutheran from infancy, so I've got 20+ years of Christian teachings under my belt. Went to church services and Sunday School weekly. With my family not going was NOT an option. I also own a Bible as a result of Sunday School attendance. New Revised Standard Version(NRSV), not a King James or any other version, but it's a Bible nonetheless. And yes, I have read it. The most recent time was this summer.\n\nSo there's no way that I'm unqualified to speak on religious matters as far as Christianity's concerned.\n\nWhen I answer questions on here or the rare times I'm able to speak with someone personally about religion and not end up in a fight over it, I try to see their side of the arguement, provided they haven't jumped right into insults and "You're wrong" and "You're going to burn in Hell" sort of crap right off the bat. Unfortunately, a lot of people where I live do just that, so you can see why it's rare I'm able to speak civilly with people in my hometown about religion.\n\nWhen it comes to insults and bigotry, I don't even bother. I walk away from people who talk like that to me in person and on YA, if I see questions I feel are biased or worse, I don't even bother to answer them. If a person's honest and polite, I'm all too happy to answer. If a person's just being an obnoxious jerk, I don't even waste my bandwidth.\n\nWith polite people, I do try to see their side of the arguement, especially when I do already understand Christianity. When it comes to other religions I'm not as familiar with, even though I might not fully understand them, I try to, and I do defend other religions as I know that religion itself isn't a bad thing. No truly bad religions, just bad followers.\n\nYes, I have even defended Christianity more than once. I defended it just a few minutes ago with the question I answered just before this one about the whole church and state and prayer in school issue. A lot of Christians think they don't have the right to pray in a public school, but I've looked into that myself for the last ten years.\n\nJust because it was decided in 1963 that it wasn't right and constitutional to require kids to recite a prayer(from my mother, it sounds like it was usually the Lord's Prayer, at least when she was young. Seeing as how the ruling was made long before I was born, I can't say if that was standard or just what my mother's school did), doesn't mean Christianity is "banned". Christian kids can freely pray or read the Bible or hold Bible clubs(if they allow things like photography clubs, they can allow Bible and other religious clubs as well) or invite another classmate to join them for services.\n\nI might be an atheist and I might not want my own children to have to recite the Lord's Prayer or any prayer in school, doesn't mean I won't stand up for the rights of Christians and anyone else who's religious to have their beliefs at school, or when holding office, or whatever. Just because you step into a public place, doesn't mean you have to leave your beliefs at home. All it means is that you have to be aware and respectful of others and that goes for everyone.\n\nI was raised Christian and had my own beliefs(and eventually nonbelief as I was sort of paganistic for a time before I turned to atheism) stepped on and treated as if I was undeserving before. My own family has unfortunately taken to this sort of behavior from time to time. It's happened to me way too many times, so I'm not about to do it to anyone else.\n\nI have gone to church, I've read the Bible, I've studied church and state matters and tried to learn about and understand other religions for some time. I've had painful personal experiences when it comes to my beliefs being stepped on.
1015431
Most non-Christians have a problem with these inane and facile questions and answers given by hard-line, dogmatic Christians on such subjects as belief, origin, creation vs. evolution, etc...\n\nFor the Bible-thumping Christian, it doesn't matter what one says or how one says it;\n...if it goes against Scripture --- then THEY ARE WRONG!\n\nFundamentalist Christians fail to understand that The Bible is little more than a collection of imaginary causes and effects, and it distresses them intensely when you point it out to them.\n\nThat's why I seldom even try to make a point with them anymore:  It's like beating a Savior to death, only to see him resurrected and beaten to death again, and again, and again;...it gets old after a while.\n\n"The Christian conception of God…- is one of the most corrupt conceptions of God arrived at on earth.: perhaps it even represents the low-water mark in the descending development of the God type. God degenerated to the contradiction of life, instead of being its transfiguration and eternal Yes! In God a declaration of hostility towards life, nature, the will to life! God the formula for every calumny of ‘this world’, for every lie about ‘the next world’! In God nothingness defied, the will to nothingness sanctified!..."\n- Nietzsche
935055
how about instead of possibly risking someones anger and turn off to the christian life, you stay quiet and just pray... trying to tell someone to be christian and bombarding them with information gets you nowhere but in a huge rant war, you should just pray... and God will take care of the rest.. and when a person wants to know things, answer their questions to the best of your ability.... don't push it on them, have faith in OGd that He will show them the way when the time is right.... all in GOd's time my friend in Christ, all in God's good time