Christian Extremism is Right There [Read first post]

Jamie Stick wrote: A big part of my frustration and impetus for making the original post is that there seems to be an unwillingness to acknowledge there is a problem...

I have been clearly in the "Dear God, please save me from Your Followers" camp since I was 13. I've been actively preaching against this sort of behavior among people who share my faith for twenty solid years. I don't think I'm making a dent, but I refuse to let things like this just get hand-waved. It's one of the reasons I have no clout in the Christian church in America; I'm too Christ-like to be Christian in some small ways. It's frustrating. I feel like an orphan in my own faith.

Senan wrote: Is the problem that Christianity specifically has a grip on institutions in America and this pushes out or silences other voices?

Yes.

Is it that Christianity in America has been twisted into something not Christian by some groups?

Yes.

Is it that we should allow everyone equal voice and access regardless of their affiliations and this isn't happening?

Yes.

Is it an issue of separating church and state, more specifically the state favoring Christianity over other faiths?

Yes.

Is it that people had extreme reactions to a group with different ideas than theirs by threatening violence?

Yes.

I don NOT hate religion. I am an atheist.
I DO hate terrorism

Goken wrote: Just not to blame the group. As I said, those individuals should be prosecuted for something.

If we pander to people feelings and spend time arguing over the exact phrasing, are we accomplishing anything? Go back and read the original post again. I specifically addressed this preemptively because I knew someone would come along and detract from the main point with this complaint.

*starts having flashbacks to people telling me not to get so uptight over phrasing in other contexts*

steamboat28 wrote:

Senan wrote: Is the problem that Christianity specifically has a grip on institutions in America and this pushes out or silences other voices?

Yes.

Is it that Christianity in America has been twisted into something not Christian by some groups?

Yes.

Is it that we should allow everyone equal voice and access regardless of their affiliations and this isn't happening?

Yes.

Is it an issue of separating church and state, more specifically the state favoring Christianity over other faiths?

Yes.

Is it that people had extreme reactions to a group with different ideas than theirs by threatening violence?

Yes.

Thank you for the great reading material and examples, Steam. We've got a lot of work to do...

@steamboat28

Dude. Don't pick a fight against the Dawkinator. You won't win.

I know a lot of Christians like the ones Jaime points out in her original post. I know a lot more that aren't like that.

I don't know a single black person that has this "White Privilege" narrative in their vocabulary the way that most of my left leaning WHITE friends do. It makes me wonder if Greater-Nashville and military people are simply immune to believing races are out to get each other, or if I am extremely lucky to have that amongst my friends list.

These demographics are everywhere though. We see the vocal people more often than we do the non-vocal, because vocal people get noticed.

Silas Mercury wrote: @steamboat28
Dude. Don't pick a fight against the Dawkinator. You won't win.

...Who wants to tell Silas?

@steamboat28 tell me what

steamboat28 wrote:

Silas Mercury wrote: @steamboat28
Dude. Don't pick a fight against the Dawkinator. You won't win.

...Who wants to tell Silas?

not even gonna lie, this made me giggle xD