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That is actually a very judgmental thing to say. Maybe he likes you because you come here to accuse Christians. You and him have that in common, so you are in the same "team".
I like her and other liberal Christians because they exhibit character traits sorely lacking in fundies: compassion, common sense, intelligence and tolerance.
I like her and other liberal Christians because they exhibit character traits sorely lacking in fundies: compassion, common sense, intelligence and tolerance.
Falsely accusing others is not exactly a compassionate and tolerant thing to do. But I guess you just proved my point. You celebrate intolerance when it is targeted against Christians.
That is actually a very judgmental thing to say. Maybe he likes you because you come here to accuse Christians. You and him have that in common, so you are in the same "team".
I don't come here to accuse Christians. That's a ridiculous statement. I am Christian. I come here to discuss religion and spirituality.
But yes, I acknowledge that I am judgmental of other Christians who misuse Christianity to exclude and harm other people. I am pretty damn sure that's not what Jesus taught us, and as Christianity is what I follow, I especially react to seeing it misrepresented more than I would a spiritual path of which I am not a part.
I struggle with some of the arguments I've gotten into with fundamentalists. I have chosen to avoid conversations with those whose posts deteriorate into nothing but bible-verse quotefests. I will not engage anymore because I found myself saying things I regret. I also appreciate posters like L8 and Pleroo who as people formerly caught in the snare of fundamentalism explain the thought process behind it, which helped me understand that maybe some truly just don't get it and are not just being nasty for nastiness' sake, as appears on the surface.
There are a few here, though, that I am still not convinced don't use their bible literalism to hide their dark side. It's a Catch-22. What is more important, standing up for those who have been on the receiving end of unkindness masked as Christianity, or trying to be more tolerant of those who may not understand how unkind they really are? Or DO they not really understand? My response is, most often, to stand for those who are being harmed more than those doing the harming.
TroutDude is not a Christian, but his outlook is the same as mine as far people using religion to exclude and harm, so if that puts us on the same "team", then so be it.
Falsely accusing others is not exactly a compassionate and tolerant thing to do. But I guess you just proved my point. You celebrate intolerance when it is targeted against Christians.
Yes, I am completely intolerant of intolerance. Especially when exhibited by hypocritical fundies.
I'm thinking about the Christian bakers who refused to bake wedding cakes for same-sex weddings and the clerk who refused to issue the marriage certificate to a same-sex couple.
And what exactly is a sincerely held religious belief with regard to this topic?
Thanks and God bless.
Most Christian religions believe that marriage is between a man and woman. Many of us do not feel that strongly about it, and that it is between the gay couple and God, but some do. Those that do have a right to their feelings. Why are the feelings of the Christian Right less important?
My feeling is, why isn’t a legal union enough for gay people, or a secular marriage ceremony? They aren’t happy unless they are rubbing the noses of the hard core Christians in it.
I don’t have a dog in the fight, so I just stay out of it.
Falsely accusing others is not exactly a compassionate and tolerant thing to do. But I guess you just proved my point. You celebrate intolerance when it is targeted against Christians.
the personality traits of a fundy theist.
Quote:
(1) Dualistic Thinking: Fundamentalists are inclined to divide the world into clear binary categories. You are either good or bad, right or wrong, with us or against us. There is little room for nuance, qualification, and probabilities in the mind of the fundamentalist.
(2) Paranoia: Fundamentalists tend to have deep feelings of suspicion, bordering on rage, directed towards those who fall on the wrong side of the dualistic dividing lines. This paranoia is usually brought to the surface in a group context.
(3) Apocalypticism: An obsession with the ultimate ends for society and humanity. Usually has two components. First, the desire to witness or bring about the demise of the present form of existence; and second, the desire to participate in a new beginning.
(4) Charismatic Leadership: Fundamentalist groups are often founded by charismatic leader(s). Followers tend to be devoted to these leaders. A cult of leadership often arises.
(5) Totalised Conversion Experience: If the fundamentalist enters the group from the outside (either from another ideology or from a state of apathy), then they become totally immersed and committed to the fundamentalist viewpoint.
From the first essay in The Fundamentalist Mindset: Psychological Perspectives on Religion, Violence, and History;
Charles B. Strozier is Professor of History and Criminal Justice at the City University of New York, John Jay College, and a practicing psychoanalyst.
David M. Terman is a psychiatrist and psychoanalyst and Director of the Chicago Institute for Psychoanalysis.
James W. Jones is Professor of Religion and adjunct Professor of Clinical Psychology at Rutgers University.
Katharine A. Boyd is a doctoral student at John Jay College, City University of New York.
From an Amazon review of the book:
The psychosocial factors which lead to Fundamentalism
By Ronald W. Maronon
Quote:
Although this is probably a somewhat difficult read for most casual readers, I found it to be engrossing. Having worked in the field of Mental Health for most of my career, this series of essays pinpoints the psychopathology behind the large number of minions who are attracted to this type of movement. They, for the most part, are not highly educated, were raised in an authoritarian environment, seek continual approval from persons that they deem more informed and charismatic than themselves and have an extreme feeling of hopelessness and dispair[sic]when it actively comes to dealing with the secular environment around them. The apocalyse is an important concept that they hold onto because it not only creates an "us" against "them" mentality which adds to their 'rightiousness'[sic] but provides for them an forecoming event whereby their dedication to this religious cause will be rewarded and the persons that they struggled with in life will meet their doomed fate of hell and damnation. Without saying, this is a very frightening and dogmatic group of people who, while they have been with us throughout the ages, offer a severe challange[sic] to the democratic countries in which they reside.
The last portion of the book sets aside the concerns of present-day literalists and reviews the past history of other fundamentalistic cults and their effect on society. Nazism, the French Revolution and the Hindi-Muslim conflicts in India all follow the patterns that were previously described in this text.
I strongly advise all Mental Health professionals and those who are actively involved with the actions of this sect to read this book thoroughly. One cannot deal with nor overcome an obstacle before one has a solid understanding of its cause. This series of essays provides that understanding.
Bottom line, Finn--your religion scares people--not just about the religion--but about you and every other fundamentalist.
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