US marines in hot water over Christian coins in Iraq

[chri'stina 190]

They have the same right to give out literature as anyone engaged in advertising is my point. It may be irritating but it's not offensive. At least, my definition of offensive is very different.

As for why do they need to? They need to because it's part and parcel of who they are. Being a christian requires you to spread the word of your salvation. How they go about that is up to them I guess. Indeed, were they to simply live out life in the image of their saviour that might indeed negate the need to drop written tracts. However, it's not for me to say what version of advertising to employ.

I understand why they "need" to do it! It's one of the reasons I find Christianity one of the more loathsome religions. Seeing a picture of the prophet is not offensive to me, but it obviously is to millions of Muslims. You don't have to be offended for their actions to be offensive to me and others. It's subjective. You dig?

If someone tries to convert me with some small minded claptrap about Jesus, they feel superior to me. Christians are still humans, and from what I've seen, most of them don't seem to be above human nature.

But don't you feel superior to them? Seems like it.

Edited June 3, 2008 by stina&suj

[Jenn! 918]

I am not religious and consider myself agnostic, I guess. If someone kindly hands me a pamphlet, I accept it, maybe take a look, and then toss it - no problems. However, if someone tells me that I have no morals and I am a terrible person who will be going to hell because I'm not a believer, then I am hurt. I don't believe in hell, but it would still offend me. Not sure I can explain why though.

[chri'stina 190]

Just wanted to add...

I don't want to get into another debate right now really about my beliefs or etc, and I think I've been clear with how I feel with all this stuff.

I respect ppl's right not to believe what I do. I won't insult you as a person. We might disagree on lots of things but I don't think anyone is stupid or inferior to me. I have never called anyone stupid for not agreeing with my beliefs. If you feel like I treat you as inferior because you don't believe what I do, it's not intended and I don't think I act superior at all. I don't call people insulting names who aren't Christians.

What bothers me is when Christians or really any ppl who believe in God get called weak minded, stupid, ignorant, etc. I guess I shouldn't let it bother me but I don't understand the need to be insulting towards people who don't believe what you do and then expect people to respect what you are saying about your own beliefs. (want to make it clears this part is just addressed to people who say those insults)

Edited June 3, 2008 by stina&suj

[PlatyPius 5]

While I do detest being preached to, my main problem is with the mere annoyance of it all. I would bet that there are fewer than 5 people in the US who have have never heard of Christianity. So telling people about it is kinda stupid. And annoying. Think of it this way... Would you like to walk into a store and have 93 sales associates ask you, in succession, if there is anything you need? As you walk through the store, even more associates come out, follow you around, and ask you the same question. You drive home, but they've followed you there, too, knocking on your door at all hours of the day asking you if you've found what you're looking for. Would you enjoy that much?

Over the course of my life so far, I can guarantee that I have been "solicited" by Jesus salespeople at LEAST 1000 times. No, I am not exaggerating. Even my new boss has tried it on me already. I had a woman sing hymns *at* me while I was eating at a restaurant near Franklin Indiana. Seriously... she stood at the end of my table and sang for like 15 minutes. Why? My friend and I were wearing pentagram necklaces (being Pagan, and all...) She explained in detail how we were going to burn in hell. The management did nothing. We eventually left the money for our meal on the table and left; never to return.

Yes, I have a bit of an "issue" with Christianity - mainly its followers.

Edited June 3, 2008 by PlatyPius

[chri'stina 190]

Larry, I would be annoyed too...if that makes any sense, even though I am a Christian. I know singing a hymn to people wearing pentagrams is not going to do anything but annoy them. IMO that's not the way to be a Christian. There are things in the Christian world I have issue with as well. I am not going to say my way is the only way of course, but I don't agree with everything that goes on in churches. Actually we don't officially go to church right now. We did, but my dad moved who was the pastor and a lot of churches turn me off because they talk so much about money around here. I went to a Christian school that was really strict and needed to lighten up IMO. (I went there by my own choice b/c I had fun friends there, so it ended being fun to complain together about our school,heh). Ya know one of the "all rock music is bad, even Christian rock music" type of places. Still I won't insult people who hold that stringent of opinions, but respectfully disagree with them. I then went to a different Christian school later on which was much more laid back and fun. Again, by my own choice really. I wasn't forced to go to Christian school, and we couldn't really afford it-someone anonymously paid for us during those years. Otherwise I would have gone to public school, which I didn't want to. Anyway...I don't know what my point is really. lol.

[Jenn! 918]

Your point is that not all Christians are the same.

But you know what they say about "bad apples". It can be hard not to generalize after bad experiences, I guess.

[Peikko 1,575]

I am not religious and consider myself agnostic, I guess. If someone kindly hands me a pamphlet, I accept it, maybe take a look, and then toss it - no problems. However, if someone tells me that I have no morals and I am a terrible person who will be going to hell because I'm not a believer, then I am hurt. I don't believe in hell, but it would still offend me. Not sure I can explain why though.

It's an interesting dilema. It's probably not so much the idea that you might be going to hell, but the thought that someone sees fit to make a value judgement on you as a person based on nothing more than the fact that you don't believe in the same things they do. Of course, there are religious people that base their moral evaluations on a person's sexual experiences as well, equally spurious in my opinion. This is probably one of the more silly ideas that religion has come up with if one looks at it in purely logical terms but it does give some a feeling of moral superiority which it seems some people need to feel in order to validate their own lives.

[Cassie 8]

Just wanted to add...

I don't want to get into another debate right now really about my beliefs or etc, and I think I've been clear with how I feel with all this stuff.

I respect ppl's right not to believe what I do. I won't insult you as a person. We might disagree on lots of things but I don't think anyone is stupid or inferior to me. I have never called anyone stupid for not agreeing with my beliefs. If you feel like I treat you as inferior because you don't believe what I do, it's not intended and I don't think I act superior at all. I don't call people insulting names who aren't Christians.

What bothers me is when Christians or really any ppl who believe in God get called weak minded, stupid, ignorant, etc. I guess I shouldn't let it bother me but I don't understand the need to be insulting towards people who don't believe what you do and then expect people to respect what you are saying about your own beliefs. (want to make it clears this part is just addressed to people who say those insults)

That's my main complaint too.

And Platy, FWIW, I'd get annoyed at that too.

[rclouse 0]

Back to the point...

In a normal situation some person travelling in a non-Xtian country passing out coins proselytizing his Xtianity wouldn't be worthy of outrage in that country. If they are, I'd oint out their faith must not be very strong if someone just saying they're wrong is that much of a threat. But in this situation you have a representative of an occupying force doing the proselytizing. So yeah, the Marine was a doofus for passing out Xtian coins and should keep his religion to himself while doing his job. Or even when not.

As for potentially offensive pictures of Jesus:

/hotlinked

[Peikko 1,575]

I think some of the reason for that can be seen as being the huge discrapancy between the things that a particular religious belief is supposed to stand for and the reality of the way those who profess to have that religious belief lead their lives. It's all very well to justify this with a 'well, it's because we are just human with all the faults and proclivaties that that entails' but sometimes it just gets rather wearing when not only do these people self justify their own inadequacies, but at the same time make some rather damning judgements about people who may in fact lead more 'moral and ethical' lives without god. Makes you think sometimes.

[Cassie 8]

I think some of the reason for that can be seen as being the huge discrapancy between the things that a particular religious belief is supposed to stand for and the reality of the way those who profess to have that religious belief lead their lives. It's all very well to justify this with a 'well, it's because we are just human with all the faults and proclivaties that that entails' but sometimes it just gets rather wearing when not only do these people self justify their own inadequacies, but at the same time make some rather damning judgements about people who may in fact lead more 'moral and ethical' lives without god. Makes you think sometimes.

Agreed, hence the verse about not pointing out the splinter in someone's eye while you have a plank in your own.

[Peikko 1,575]

There's the thing, I do have respect for those who do live humble but awe inspiring lives. No matter what way you slice it, and what rationale people present for doing so, people who spend most of their time trying to ensure that other's have a better life are just awesome.

[Teacher Mark 53]

It's like handing out garlic to vampires

:rofl: