Don't waste your time trying to have a conversation with the people here who think Christians are more evil than Muslims or that people who believe in a god are all backwards and ignorant. They will completely ignore all the good that people do in the name of Christianity.

Yes, people have done bad things in the name of Christianity. IMO - in recent decades/centuries they have done a lot more good. There are many, many - faith based organizations that do good for millions of people all across the world - but the people around here will ignore or dismiss that and point out the crazy lady they know.

I have an aunt and uncle who gave up everything and moved to the jungles of Belize to become missionaries and help the people there. They gave up all the comforts we find in America to help people in the name of Christ. Yet the hateful idiots here would classify them as crazy. It says more about the people here than my aunt and uncle. <<Also meant to add that they stayed there for over 20 years. They now have a bed and breakfast and assist a lot of charitable organizations who try to help the people of the area.

I don't consider myself a Christian and my beliefs now tend to lean toward atheistic, but I was involved in church for close to 40 years and saw a lot of good people who were quietly doing good things. I also saw a lot of organized activities that were designed to help people. Some of the people in this forum disgust me with their ignorant hatred for Christians.

Maybe she meant that she is a page 3 girl:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Page_3


.

And I thought it meant she was lightning in the sack

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Jim
"In dog beers, I've only had one"
http://www.shakercolonial.com/
Creating custom made furnishing to your requirements

I'm trying to limit it more and more to one comment. I've learned as I get older that it is seldom you will persuade anyone of anything with words. From Norman McLean (A River Runs Through It) " Seldom is the right advice given at the right time and more seldom still is the receiver of that advice ready to receive it." Or something like that. In our community if you look at the boards of the YMCA, Hospital, family health team a lot of them are quiet Christians. What I find somewhat fascinating is for a group that professes to not believe in God they sure seem to be interested in talking about Christians. Another interesting thing I have discovered talking to Muslims is that they are more okay with Christians and Jews than they are with secular folks. This sounds counter intuitive given the hard time the Jews have in the Middle East but I think part of that is that they are visible and in the neighbourhood.

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They constantly try to escape from the darkness outside and within
Dreaming of systems so perfect that no one will need to be good T.S. Eliot

Ignorant hatred of Christians? Hyperbole.

I doubt many people here hate Christians per se, as I would imagine most of the people you refer to have many Christian friends. I think where agnostics and atheists have problems is when those of faith, and it could be any faith, try to impose their views on others, or are judgemental of those who don't share their beliefs. To me, that is the height of arrogance: to believe that your chosen (and utterly unproven) god is the "correct" god and that your eternal soul will be lost etc. for not sharing that belief.

So yes, by all means quietly serve your God, and if that inspires you do sell all your possessions and work in an orphanage in Malawi then I will quietly applaud you.

I don't think anyone here is labelling Christians as bad or evil. I just think those that believe God is speaking directly to them to be horribly misguided. I'm sure many of those people are nice, and caring, and do a lot of good with their lives.

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Long Chile was a silly place.

What are you saying is hyperbole? The ignorant part or the hatred part?


I've been hanging around here for probably 10 years now. I've seen plenty of hatred for Christians over that time. Even in this thread someone called them America's Taliban.

All while clinging to the religion of Atheism. It would be interesting to search for the same peoples comments on Islam after a group goes on a killing spree, treat women like dogs or rape little boys. But by God how dare those evil Christians travel to help the most downtrodden people on the earth or say "bless you" when you sneeze.

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~
"You lie!" The Prophet Joe Wilson

Since it was my post I guess I'll respond. First of all, I was just relating a similar story I was aware of about missionaries seemingly not doing their intended work. I do not think Christians are evil. I think the vast majority of Christians who take it seriously are good people. I would guess most missionaries and Christian charities are doing good work. Hope that clears up any misunderstanding.

Well I think it depends in large part on what "god" is telling you to do.

I always wonder when people say God talks to them and guides them do they mean literally, as in they hear a voice in their head that appears to be coming from elsewhere (i.e. like a schizophrenic) or do they simply mean they "feel" guided by God.

Thanks for the response. I don't have a problem with anyone rationally questioning the actions of anyone else. That's what we do around here, and I think a lot of stimulating conversation comes from it. Everything and everyone should be fair game.

The part that gets tiring (and not saying you are guilty of it) is the - "A christian somewhere did something stupid/bad" followed by everyone expressing their hatred or disdain for christians.

To answer your question about "hearing God". I imagine you can find many different answers. I can relay an experience where I thought I heard from God. When I was going to college I was very active in church (before and after too). I was also a somewhat talented singer. One night I was praying and I asked God/god what he wanted me to do with my singing. Immediately several things came into my mind. "Bring awareness to the victims of sexual and child abuse. Tell them that it was not their fault, that they are not alone, and that there is healing in God". The next day I told three friends about my experience.

The next night our church had a singer at our church. I had never heard of her at the time, but she been a somewhat well known country singer at one time. During her concert she would occasionally share some things between songs. At one point she talked about victims of sexual abuse and said that she thought God wanted them to know three things. They were the exact three things that I had thought I had heard from God/god the night before.

In my mind, that was confirmation that I had heard directly from God/god the night before. I had never heard of the woman and didn't even know she was coming to our church. It isn't like I was aware of some platform that she was raising awareness of.

So, to answer a bit more succinctly. I think (for some) people don't hear an actual voice in their head, but have thoughts or ideas that suddenly appear in their mind and they attribute it to God/god speaking to them.