Do all Christians deserve my wrath?
Offline ...my aunt and uncle come to mind, 2 devout Christians I've known, loved, and respected for 33 years. They go to some sort of church on Sunday to pray to some sort of "god". They have a few crosses on the walls. They ask their 2 teenage kids to attend services with them (it's optional). On occasion I join them for dinner and they ask (through implication only) that I bow my head in silence as they pray before we eat. I do. Why?
They've never preached to me. Even when I was a self centered, foul mouthed, hateful, teenage punk, they never preached. They only showed love, understanding, tolerance, and even friendship, but not a word about "God" or "Jesus" was ever spoke.
I'm a lot older now. My aunt, my uncle, and I can relate. We've great conversations about all sorts of wonderful things, terrible things, awesome things, and trivial things. One thing that never comes up is "God". Call it mutual respect.
But when I visit my aunt and uncle and dinner is served, I bow and I keep my mouth shut while they pray. I think they've earned that much.
If all Christians were like them I wouldn't be here. Unfortunately....
- Login to post comments
I'm with you there. I also have a lot of relatives who are nonintrusive Christians. I wish that they could be free of religious nonsense, but they probably wish that I could be "saved" by accepting Christ (again). But they don't act like assholes about it, so I respect their household traditions when I'm there and am quiet and respectful when they pray. I think they know I'm not praying along, but just being quiet. I think that's probably enough for them.
I see no problem with this type of religious person continuing to practice their traditions. It's the ones who want to change others, or who want to make society conform to their beliefs, that piss me off and make me want to scream.
Maybe some day my nice Christian relatives will free up their heads, too.
If you are in a Christian's home, I think you should at least outwardly respect their beliefs. I won't bow my head or close my eyes, but I certainly am not going to mock their prayers. I'll even hold hands if they ask.
At the 2006 Beyond Belief symposium (or whatever it was), Sam Harris said that we don't need to become boorish, lurching at everyone who wears a cross necklace and engaging them in "rational" debate. There's a time and a place. I'm still very much learning that. <--Boy am I EVER!
(This week I'm not feeling very charitable toward Christians because I've been "punished" by a Christian friend for daring to speak of problems with Christianity. *not-so-silently stewing*)
Books on atheism, purchases on Amazon support the Rational Response Squad server.