Fear Of Religion
there's a thread here that talks about how some people fear atheists, but I was wondering about people that fear others who believe in god.
It just seems like some people I know who don't ballivo in god get all tense and annoyed even if someone just mentions anything about religion - even the smallest thing and I was wondering why. For instance I was listening to cheval at school one day and my friend started listening and was like "hey these guys are pretty good. Can you burn it for me?" And I said sure. But a week later she heard from someone that they were Christian and told me that she didn't like them anymore? I don't get it Either you like them or you don't. Why should it matter if they're christian or not. It's not like all all religions go around trying to convert everyone. We're not all like that. lol
Has anyone else noticed anything like this?
They don't want to have to answer to the Truth. They want to keep doing what they like to do. To admit you need Jesus is to admit that you have a problem. And this world is all about being independent, self-sufficient, celebrating the scum and holding it up high as culture.
I think people are intimidated by those who they perceive as being more religious than they are. I think, they are afraid the person who is more religious than they are will look at them as less than they and also maybe will judge them for their behavior.
People are also afraid you might tell them what they are doing is wrong. We don't like to be judged.
I have found this to be true with weight loss as well. I would go on a diet to lose a few pounds and members of my family that weigh significantly more than I do would be very critical of me for it. I think they thought, "if she thinks she needs to lose weight, what must she think of me?" In fact, I wasn't thinking anything about their weight, but this seems to be how it works.
With religion, often people are doing things they know are wrong. They try to justify the behavior rather than just say, I know according to such and such religion this would be wrong, but eitiher I don't care or I don't believe, they need to criticize the person who does believe it.
Edited: tenaheff on 11th Mar, 2004 - 9:57pm
I guess I fall some where inbetween an Agnostic and Atheists. Myself I do not fear a person from any religion or beleif system. I htink its sad for it to fall eather way, we all can learn somthing from one another. Ive meet people I would not truest my gold fish with that are religious and also have been around a Hardcore Atheist that I would trust with a baby. To me close mindendness is "the root of all evil".
As with your music example thow, I might understand.
Maybe the person only heard the music and did not understand what they where saying and once they found out it was somthing that did not sit with them they desided against it. I would asume if you heard somehting that sounds very good to you but the lyrics had to do with devil worshipping you would no long what to here it.
Or
They are could not handle what he next person would think of them if they know it was a christian band/group.
Question, does this person now look at you differently ?
I agree 100% with Tena's response. Most people are afraid because they may think others will look at them different, this happens between religious people too where the ones that try to their best are being judged for being 'too good', they focus on these kind of people when the problem is themselves and issues that need to be resolved.
QUOTE |
Ive meet people i would not truest my gold fish with that are religious and also have been around a Hardcore Atheist that i would trust with a baby. |
Alright, I am one of those people that shy away at the mention of god, or more accurately, I shy away from the person who mentions god at me. I have my own reasons for not believing in god as he/she is commonly conceptualized, but this is not the correct place to bring any of that up so I will try to just say why I do what I do.
This feeling I have right now has something to do with it. I feel that I am walking on egg shells and there are a dozen eyes on me waiting for me to slip. If I do not word everything I say carefully I will be pounced upon. (I am not saying that you all are like this, in fact you have all treated me with utmost respect, but nor am I saying that my fear is unjustified; one never knows who will take offense and to what).
Hmm, read the above paragraph again. Do you see how I backed off from the statement that I felt I would be pounced on, and then reasserted it? This is how I feel I have to speak when dealing with people of deeply rooted religious beliefs. I am not near as careful in anything else I say. But why is this?
Well, when I speak to a person of religion and start hearing the word of god I feel like they are trying to change me- convert me. The problem is, I like the way I am, I'm not scared; I'm not afraid, and just like other people I like to believe that I'm a moral person.
Another factor is religious people tend to speak about scripture. I haven't read the scripture like I assume religious people have, so to have a conversation on those grounds is to be drawn into foreign terrain where I am ill equipped. My default stance when I don't know what I'm talking about is to stand silently and nod my head to the speaker who knows more. I don't like the stupid feeling I get when I have nothing to contribute to a conversation, but nor do I want to spend the necessary time it takes to familiarize myself with scripture- I shouldn't have to.
Around campus there are also preachers that come out shouting on campus about how if you cuss, or have sex outside of wedlock, or if you do not except Jesus into your heart you will go to hell. These are not the norm I realize, but they certainly do not help matters.
I believe funbikerchick summed up my argument nicely --People do not like to be judged and I'm a people too!-- If it were not for her post I am not sure I would have posted here at all.
-Unferth
QUOTE (sanctificatn @ 10-Mar 04, 9:11 PM) |
They don't want to have to answer to the Truth. They want to keep doing what they like to do. To admit you need Jesus is to admit that you have a problem. And this world is all about being independent, self-sufficient, celebrating the scum and holding it up high as culture. |