Some Christians Are Not Narrow Minded And Intolerant

[DemocratSinceBirth]

I go to a United Church Of Christ near my home. There are gay couples, straight couples, African American couples, and single men and women and lots of children. I have a lot on my mind. Who doesn't? In this economy. I left a message for the pastor and she called me back immediately to set up a meeting. We chatted for about an hour and one half. I have spent time in counseling and this was more helpful. We are doing it again this Wednesday.

To me being a Christian is about loving one neighbor as oneself. As the Bible said "But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness,temperance: against such there is no law."

and "A new commandment I give unto you: that ye love one another, as I have loved you, that ye also love one another."


PEACE
DSB

[JerseygirlCT]

1. Yup. I agree. nt

[BlooInBloo]

2. I agree that there are a few good apples in the barrel of shitty appleness.

[yewberry]

3. True that.

We're Uni-Uni, and the congregations we've been part of have always been open-hearted and terrific.

My husband's gram is a member of a much more conservative church, and she's possibly the most loving, non-judgmental, giving person I've ever known. I wish everyone had someone like her to help them to be the best people they can be.

[MADem]

4. That's quite true. I have a cousin who goes to one of those

Hodge-Podge churches, not UCC, but one of those "We Are The World" type outfits where anyone can join so long as they aren't a jerk.

All of her friends, many who call themselves "Christian," are lovely and quite open-minded.

[JDPriestly]

5. Jesus was tolerant and taught tolerance.

A lot of people don't realize this, but the Good Samaritan in the story of the Good Samaritan was not recognized as a Jew by the Jews of Jesus' times. The Samaritans as I understand it limited their religion to the books of what Christians call the Bible to the first books that state the laws, or the Laws. You can check out the story of the Samaritans for yourself. Jesus encouraged tolerance and preached a message of love and non-violence.

[mitchtv]

6. Some are not, you are right

too bad they have allowed the other type to co opt the religion (most sects)

[and-justice-for-all]

7. We know some are not Narrow Minded And Intolerant..

that is why you are here.

But the large percentage are in fact Narrow Minded And Intolerant.

[DemocratSinceBirth]

8. I Am A Christian, A Democrat, And A Liberal

I don't see how they are mutually exclusive. They shouldn't be.

The right wing doesn't own God or Jesus.

[Warpy]

13. The bigots aren't the majority. They're just organized and loud.

Most people I know are Christian, with a few Jews and Muslims and Navajo folks here and there.

They dislike the bullies as much as I do.

The sad thing is that the bigots and bullies are shaming all Christians to the point that young believers often don't self identify as Christians.

If the mainstream religious were finally to stand up against the Dispensationalist heresy and the bullies who cling to it to justify the worst in humanity, that might change. Christian solidarity with these people is an illusion and it's time for the mainstream to realize it.

[kestrel91316]

34. Organized and loud minority. You hit the nail on the head!

[Peacetrain]

9. I knew there was just something about you I liked..

:hi:... UCC here also

[DemocratSinceBirth]

10. I Go To A Lot Of Churches

What distinguishes the UCC is their "open and affirming policy"...

I love talking to the pastor because she has a religious and secular education. Where else could I talk about Freud, Jung, and Jesus.

[undeterred]

11. The nature of God is inclusive.

[boppers]

12. Some people in the KKK are loving and caring individuals.

Some Nazi's are quite kind to others.

Turns out that every rule has exceptions.

[spoony]

14. Nice.

You stay classy, boppers.

[BlooInBloo]

17. It was a sharp way of putting a good point (rimshot)...

If you have to make the statement soooo logically weak "not *every* christian is an asshole", for example, you've already lost the game.

It's due to an implicit recognition of that, that the "it's just a few bad apples" crowd exists.


Now to the present: another trick is to whine about the linguistic delivery device of the point, rather than the point itself.

[spoony]

21. Wow, a mind reader

First of all, congratulations on probably your longest post ever. It was almost a paragraph, if you pieced it together. Now, if you were intellectually honest you'd acknowledge that you have no idea if the poster--unless they're your sock puppet--actually meant something other than what it overtly says. As for the OP, such tautologies are not stated out of nowhere; they are responses to ongoing and unfair broad-brush attacks against particular religions and their followers. So it would seem that, like obvious statements during, say, sensitivity training, such simplicity and starkness IS necessary. It may not be in normal society, but here it is, because for whatever reason people like you think that anonymity makes it perfectly acceptable to let your inner bigot out. Now you have a problem with a response to that? Tough. Take your scorn and loathing to one of the handful of forums here where such bashing won't be answered.

[BlooInBloo]

25. Nah - it's nowhere near my longest. And I'm only a mind reader in the sense that...

I am a competent speaker of English.

[spoony]

28. Yeah, there's the limp one-liner we all know.

To be fair, I'm sure you're busy putting out dissent fires somewhere else. Maybe someone doesn't think Obama's puppy is the cutest ever or some such heresy. Anyway thanks for that in-depth rebuttal. It reaffirms the need for simplicity and brevity like that in the OP. See you next time.

[BlooInBloo]

29. Hell, *I* don't even think the dog is all that cute.

[boppers]

32. Bloo, I'd simply add the following:

A man was being chased by a tiger, and ran off a cliff. He grabbed a vine and looked down, only to see another tiger below him.

With a tiger above, and a tiger below, he noticed a strawberry growing out of the cliff.

The strawberry was delicious.

[BlooInBloo]

33. Hey! I said "competent", not "godlike"!

:rofl:

[dsc]

40. Your hypocrisy knows no bounds

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=221&topic_id=140150&mesg_id=140154

Go ahead and try to explain the difference here I would love to see it. You were appalled when a BLACK LESBIAN quoted Malcom X but this is just dandy.

[boppers]

19. Huh, can't tell what you mean by that.

Part of the "message" of christ is that people should not be vilified because of the groups they are close to, even if they are part of one of the most vilified groups in society.

[uppityperson]

20. Some DUers are loving and caring individuals.

Some are assholes

[cali]

42. and some posts here are breathtakingly stupid

yours is high on that list. oh, and it's also beneath contempt. Comparing christians as a whole to KKKers and Nazis is beyond the pale. but mostly, it's the stupidity reflected in your post that grabs my attention. congrats on the most moronic poll of the day- so far.

[elmaji]

15. Not any of those where I live

[DemocratSinceBirth]

16. Maybe Close

http://www.ucc.org/lgbt/

[cali]

45. and that's the vast majority of churches where I live

liberal congregations outnumber conservative ones here.

[KG]

18. fundy/evangelic/promisekeeper has become the public face of xtianity in this country.

and narrow mindedness and intolerance is what is preached from the mega-churches and xtian TV channels.

[Badgerman]

22. I agree some are not..some have no mind at all! n/t

[spoony]

23. Another class act. nt

[AntiFascist]

24. Islam should also bring a message of peace...

but you wouldn't know that with the religious regime of Iran attempting to stir feelings of anger and hatred toward outsiders. Not that I'm particularly Islamic in practice, but I think this thread could add a more universal message.

[DemocratSinceBirth]

37. I Had A Muslim Girlfriend From Malaysia

Muslims believe that Jews, Christians, and Muslims are brothers and all "People Of The Book"

Any religion, movement, group can be hijacked or distorted by fanatics.

To me Christ is love, assurance, understanding, compassion, and tolerance...

[sarcasmo]

26. I will give you some, but Many of I have encountered are very intolerant.

Including my wife's family which is full of intolerant christians.

[DebbieCDC]

27. Absolutely right

My ex-mother-in-law is a liberal progressive woman, very involved in her church, does all kinds of good works and charity, thinks ill of no one and asks for no recognition for anything. Demostrates and lives by true "christian" values. We need more like her and less -- FAR less -- of the screaming "look at me how christian I am" types.

[LatteLibertine]

30. Of course that is true

and they aren't the ones causing the problems.

[sarcasmo]

47. Then they should be speaking up more.

[CBR]

31. This is the truth. nt

[etherealtruth]

35. Of course many (and likely a majority) of Christians are not

... there is just a very strong, organized group of deranged "Christians." sadly, this group gets the majority of the media attention ... I presume because their message stirs controversy. How interesting is peace, love and tolerance?

[Cleita]

36. Your church is probably what Christ had in mind, although he was trying

to reform Judaism, not start a new religion.

[TexasObserver]

38. If by "some" you mean a small minority of them, then YES, that's true.

There are some good churches, but they are far, far outnumbered by those who spew hatred and bigotry.

There are some Republicans who are not narrow minded and intolerant. That doesn't mean I give the GOP a pass for being the party of bigotry.

Christianity has some members who are decent people, but the vast majority of such adherents are bigoted, have hateful prejudices, and rationalize killing and discrimination. From the Pope, to Pat Robertson, to Rick What's His Face, it's one great big hatefest, except for pockets of sanity here and there.

[SidDithers]

39. Some people are not narrow minded and intolerant...

and some people are.

Christians are just people. They're no more special, or insightful, or wicked, or crazy than anyone else.

Sid

[tjwash]

41. It builds character.

It does tend to suck at times, that we UCCer's constantly draw the ire of the broadbrush "fuck all Christianity" crowds on the one hand, and the wrath of the "you are not real Christians, you all deserve to burn at the stake" dickheads from the more conservative churches.

Like my gramps used to say...it builds character. The UCC church does have a lot of that.

[DemocratSinceBirth]

46. I Attend A Lot Of Different Churches

The UCC is only different in that they are "forers" and not "againsters". They still preach the "Good News"...

[RandomThoughts]

43. I agree its about love and kindness,

not the bad stuff, violence anger or hate.

[shadowknows69]

44. I would have to hopefully agree.

My mother is definitely not one. My new therapist seems to be good too. Very well versed in her field of psyciatry and familiar, not ignorant, of other religions and spiritual paths. My aunt has always been the epitome of the charitable Christian.

Christians I still don't trust or understand much. Followers of the philosophies of Jesus, I'm a big fan of.

[NMMNG]

48. OMG

Christians who actually follow that Jesus guy? Who'd of thunk it?