Is "Christianity" offensive?

[canadiyank]

Reading through some of the recent threads, I was just wondering. Do you yourself see Christianity as another path, or something that is offensive, most likely because of that actions of "Christians"?

I'm Christian, and I get offended by "Christianity" lots of times! Especially when people talk of the "religious right" (which always assumes Judeo-Christian) that I definitely do not align myself with. Or when I see actions that are so against our doctrine of love.

I see a lot of Christian stereotypes being thrown around here - the stereotypes are too often true, unfortunately!! But I do try my best not to offend and to just post what *I* believe is truth.

Just wondering what your take is, either from personal experience or hearsay...please don't flame, I truly desire your opinion.

[lotusdebi]

*

[Free Thinker]

This question is hard to answer. I deconverted from Christianity a little over a year ago. I guess I was offended by what the Bible has to say regarding those who have never been taught it, and by all of the violence ect. that God caused in the OT. I am totally disenchanted by those Christians who teach that God is a God of Love. That is the Doctrine of Jesus and Paul, not the OT Jehovah God. I have studied the history of the Bible, and find it to just not be true. Most Christians I know have never really questioned the Bibles validity, or reseached other religions, ect. What I find most offensive is Christians who act as if they are better that everyone else because they are Christians. I guess what I am saying is that to me, the entire doctrine of Christianity, along with any other fundamentalist religion is offensive, and goes against what I believe.

[asherah]

I find many of the tenets of Christianity offensive, yes.
I find many of the practices of fundamentalist and/or evangelical Christians to be offensive as well.

I am close to many Christians however, who have a couple things in common:

Respect for other religions
The knowledge that others came before them and respect for that..
No need to try to convert (or "save") others..
No underlying belief that the rest of us are going to hell.

I have one friend in particular who calls herself an "esoteric" Christian.. and though she follows Jesus, many of her beliefs and ways of worship are close to my own Paganism.

But yes, to answer your question, there is much about Christianity that I find offensive. It wouldn't be a big deal, I would just say live and let live.. except that it is the majority religion in this country, so I am always having to have it in my face.

[Deirdre]

I am not offended by Christianity.

However, I do believe that Christianity as well as all the other major religions of the world are directly responsible for much of what I view as wrong in the world: violence, fear, hatred, dominance, etc. All of these *problems* are at their core a spiritual problem, not a political or economic one.

I believe that all organized religions need to undergo major transformations and unless this happens we will destroy this planet and all the people on it.

~Deirdre

[AnnaReilly]

I'm in kind of a weird place...

I still think of myself as a Christian, yet Christianity as an organized religion often offends me! : That doesn't make much sense but I'll try to explain... I believe in the Bible, but I do NOT believe in many people's interpretation of it. And I won't even go into the stuff that isn't even IN the Bible that has become part of the Religion.

I get offended when other people ASSUME that I believe the same thing as them and dictate my actions accordingly. For example my mom will tell me "As a Christian, the Bible says you should..." but I interpret things differently and she can't understand that. I get really offended at the "This is the ONLY way" attitude and the way that a lot of Christian leaders seem to believe that they have the inside scoop on how to interepret the Bible. Not to mention all of the horrible autrocities that have been committed in the name of Christianity.

I am really reluctant to call myself a Christian because that name has been defiled in so many ways.

[yoga]

I don't think Christianity can be offensive. It's just a religion. However, Christians are another matter. I am not personally offended by them, but, I understand those that are.

I am offended by many things that go on and have occurred in this world, but I've stopped blaming certain groups. I recognize that we are all individuals and capable of making our own choices, so I'm no longer saying to myself, such-and-such group did this or that. I think that lumping individuals together and claiming to dislike the actions of the group relieves the individuals of most of the responsibility. It becomes something "the Christians" did instead of something Jane Doe did, leaving Jane Doe to basically be exempt on many levels, b/c she's only a part of the whole.

[AdinaL]

Christianity does not offend me. It is a religion, just like all the rest and we all have the ability to choose what we believe.

What is done in the NAME of Christianity offends me. The religion being used to hurt, persecute, other, alienate, shame, control others and as a justification for these acts offends me.

My kids will learn about Christianity just like they will learn about Judaism, Hinduism, Buddhism, Jainism, Islam, and anything else I can possibly teach them about.

[ladylee]

I also am not offended by Christianity or Christians. I'm new age in my beliefs, and I live in an area dominated by Seventh Day Adventists, and I respect them very much. And it's not that I'm offended, but I am aware of individuals who are rigid in their thinking and prefer not to associate with them-be they Christian, Pagan, atheist, or anything.

[Meiri]

While I disagree with many of the tenets of Christianity, I am no more offended by its existence than I am by any other religion whose tenets I disagree with.

I am often offended by actions or statements of individual Christians, but I'm also often inspired by actions or statements of individual Christians.

Abuse of any particular religion to justify hatred and harm to others and the Earth is offensive IMO.