h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

Was reading over the thread about cloning there and came accross a couple of posts which I found pretty ignorant and insulting about the Catholic religion, and it got me to thinking that, to me anyway, it has become very fashionable to take pot shots at Christianity. It is politically incorrect to say anything about Judaism, and many Asian religions seem to be more "in fashion" at the moment.

so basically I was wondering if anybody else has noticed any increase in Christianity bashing the last few years.

I have and as an atheist i am outrages, cuz everyone will blame it on my choice (which is already based enough) but i think some of the critisism come unjustly from the US priest scandals and people like Jerry Falwell, and I myself try not to judge cristians based on these people.

RMF

P.S. what thread?

i think the cloning thread being refered to is F19585?thread=233016

that thread is a bit long, i was wondering about the post so i could just read the immediate vicinity, not the entir convo.

It's not just in the U.S. that there's scandal with the priests, cover ups galore in Ireland. But with all the people being investigated for child porn (pete townsend, a number of M.P.s, those cops is Soham) and child sex abuse (Mattie Kelly, Gardai here) it is obvious that is just the sick few pervert priests and ministers, and not the majority, and it is no reason to have a go at people's religions.

i think someone made some comments about catholicism on the last page of the thread, and there may be others earlier.

Actually, regarding h2g2, the comments about Catholicism as a whole I have seen I suspect would be considered most offensive by people of that particular faith came from someone claiming to be a born-again Christian.

Personally, as an atheist I'm more bothered about people's behaviour then their personal beliefs (except where those beliefs apparently require someone imposing their faith on other people.) There are good and bad people of all religions, and of no religion.

As an atheist, I have to admit I'm puzzled by people who seem otherwise logical who still have a strong faith, but as a realist, I have to accept that (fro whnatever reason) there are many beleivers who don't see any inconsistency in their own world-view, and as long as they are happy and behave decently to people who disagree think differently, I don't see the need to go out of my way to upset them.

Some people think otherwise, but I think most people here are very tolerant of other opinions, though obviously those who are less so are more noticable.

and also I think a lot of the things being said against christianity aren't against the beliefs but the practices- christian missionaries irritate me, and also some people can react to the supposed moral superiority some christians try to claim.

Maybe particularly with Catholicism, most thinking people draw distictions between the organisation of the church, the failings of some officials, the religion itself, and the actual beleivers, though negative comments can often tend towards generalisations.

"so basically I was wondering if anybody else has noticed any increase in Christianity bashing the last few years."

I don't think I can remember a time without Christianity bashing. It seems like the political correctness rules don't apply to certain areas. I've noticed that it's open season if you fall into the catagories:

white, christian, male, native english speaker etc...

there has never been a time where a group has not been bashed, except for the time before their creation.

RMF: Post 343

I don't think there's any particular "Christianity bashing" going on; it's just that Christianity used to be treated with with a great delecacy and respect, dating back to the times of the inquisition when anyone who badmouthed the church would be forced to admit to a litany of sins before being scourged and killed by agents of the Catholic church. Nowadays the Christian church is treated with the same respect (or rather, lack thereof) as any other religion, and they just aren't used to it.

(This has taken over 25 minutes to post because of "Server error 500"s... Karma? )

well where r you peet i got that too for a little bit it was midnight Greenich, that could be when the server resets itself

Good point they aren't used to it.

Site didn't go down for me. (North East of good ol' Angleterre)

RMF A V, I'm in Aberdeen... I e-mailed the BBC's web support team to report it...

I don't think that Christianity Bashing is anymore prelevant today than it has been in the past. What may be misconscrued as "bashing" may in fact be the more open debate today as to how Christianity fits into the world as a whole. Meaning it's ideological philosophy vs those wishing to challenge said philosophy. Haveing said this, however, I am very offended my Christian Fundementalists trying to ram their beliefs down my throat and those fundamentalists being unwilling to listen to, or debate, those opinions who differ from their own. There is such a person here on h2g2. Religion has always been a taboo sort of topic amongst people who don't want to offend or make waves in conversation but in my circle of friends it is very much open for debate. I'm an agnostic, loving, giving, and open minded individual who is destined to enter my next life knowing that I am a good person who has made some sort of mark in this world and will continue to do so in my next re-incarnated life experience. Fundementalist philosophy clearly dismisses my beliefs beleiving that I am condemned to Purgatory. How narrow and closed minded can one get?.

Ok
(Still a bit confused about the geography of britian as they don't teach it in ohio)

RMF

Aberdeen is in the North of Scotland, which is the uppermost part of the British mainland.

See now your just taunting me, I know where Scotland is.

I wonder how long it will be untlii siad person( Who i beleive has a P and a J in his name will pop up...