Why do I find Evangelical Christians irritating?

[DunderMifflin]

VeGans are only awesome if they do it for health reasons, moral vegans are terrible.

[sologdin]

depends on whether it's an ethic of animal rights or an ethic of the food chain, yes?  the former involves enslavement & genocide of non-humans and the latter concerns market-genocide of human persons.  awesome!

 

Larry, say it ain't so!  i'd hate to purge you in the imminent fruitarian revolution.

[DunderMifflin]

3 minutes ago, sologdin said:

depends on whether it's an ethic of animal rights or an ethic of the food chain, yes?  the former involves enslavement & genocide of non-humans and the latter concerns market-genocide of human persons.  awesome!

Plant life gets deemed lower form either way.

[Dr. Pepper]

Most evangelical christians I know are treat their faith as though it's a performance, which I find particularly annoying.  It's all theater to them.  

[all swedes are racist]

Scot, I have to say, everyone in this thread is wrong. Ignore them. What you are, in truth, experiencing is the jittery spasms of a long asleep soul finally awakening, and casting its bleary gaze toward the dawning light of antithesism. Don't fight it, don't curl up back under the covers of false belief and groan "just ten more minutes, then I'll get up". I say get up face the new day, and drink deeply the fresh ground full city roast of true spiritual enlightenment. 

Join me, tread the less travelled left-hand path. Cut your flesh and throw off the shackles of a tyrannical god. Strike the chains of the katechon! Punch God in the face!

its the only reasonable interpretation 

[ThinkerX]

Younger souls require certainty in how the world works and their place in it. 

Give them a few incarnations.

 

[James Arryn]

I'm not religious, but if I were I expect it would bleed over into everything. I mean, you think you have the answer to ALL the ontological questions. You've identified life as an audition for perpetual pain or pleasure. It's not just a big deal, it's THE big deal. Why the fuck would you let decorum keep that to Sunday mornings or w/e? 

[maarsen]

Scot, I understand your complaint. As an atheist, I never mention it to anyone unless asked. Showboating  in any form just annoys me to no end. Depending  on initial premises,  any system of beliefs, or non belief, has unanswerable questions. Talking loudly about them never helps and just shows your level of ignorance. 

[Starkess]

I would add that, while in large part I agree with the "annoying people are annoying" argument, there is a specific element to evangelical Christians. It's right there in the name--by definition, evangelical Christians consider it their duty/calling/whatever to evangelize. It is a huge part of the teachings. So not only do you have people who are convinced they have found the One True Path (same as any overly enthusiastic vegan/crossfitter/whoever), but you have a lot of indoctrination that they are only on the One True Path if they are actively bringing others onto that path.

[James Arryn]

8 minutes ago, Starkess said:

I would add that, while in large part I agree with the "annoying people are annoying" argument, there is a specific element to evangelical Christians. It's right there in the name--by definition, evangelical Christians consider it their duty/calling/whatever to evangelize. It is a huge part of the teachings. So not only do you have people who are convinced they have found the One True Path (same as any overly enthusiastic vegan/crossfitter/whoever), but you have a lot of indoctrination that they are only on the One True Path if they are actively bringing others onto that path.

Again, though...if you accept the basic premise of God and eternal judgment where the world is just an entry exam, it makes total sense to try and 'save' as many people as you can. 

[Castel]

10 minutes ago, James Arryn said:

Again, though...if you accept the basic premise of God and eternal judgment where the world is just an entry exam, it makes total sense to try and 'save' as many people as you can. 

Cause God likes politeness?

[Kalbear]

1 hour ago, Castel said:

Cause God likes politeness?

Cause if you truly believe that the alternative to believing in God is eternal damnation and suffering, the most important thing you could ever do in your entire life is to save one person from said suffering. 

[Ser Scot A Ellison]

6 hours ago, James Arryn said:

Again, though...if you accept the basic premise of God and eternal judgment where the world is just an entry exam, it makes total sense to try and 'save' as many people as you can. 

James,

The counter is that I find that sort of aggressive evangalism extremely off putting and self-aggrandizing.  As such I think it turns more people off than it converts and thus (under the evangelical paradigm) makes little sense. 

I also don't believe in conversion from fear.  I find "Pascal's wager" to be cynical in the extreme.

[zelticgar]

Scot, I'd like to give you a 2016 GenChat "Profiles in Courage" award. It takes a lot of bravery to state what you knew would be an extremely unpopular position among the hive members. Your willingness to go against the popular view is to be commended! 

[Castel]

5 hours ago, Kalbear said:

Cause if you truly believe that the alternative to believing in God is eternal damnation and suffering, the most important thing you could ever do in your entire life is to save one person from said suffering. 

Oh, I get the logic, I was being a bit glib is all.

I can't say I have a big logical problem with the argument (it can at least be considered a rational decision, even if you don't think it's the most effective) it's just...at this point my take is: even if it is religious people being inconsistent...it's a nice gift horse innit?

 

 

[Ser Scot A Ellison]

27 minutes ago, zelticgar said:

Scot, I'd like to give you a 2016 GenChat "Profiles in Courage" award. It takes a lot of bravery to state what you knew would be an extremely unpopular position among the hive members. Your willingness to go against the popular view is to be commended! 

Zelt,

Thanks but I have to decline.  The worst part about my irritation at Evangelical practices is that my irritation smacks of pride.  It is the same thing I find irritating about Evangelical practices and habits.  I'm humble-bragging about how much better I am than they are.  What I'm trying to remember is this prayer and it's really difficult:

O Lord and Master of my life,
take from me the spirit of sloth, despondency,
lust of power, and idle talk;

But grant rather
the spirit of chastity, humility, patience, and love
to thy servant.

Yea, O Lord and King,
grant me to see my own transgressions,
and not to judge my brother;
for blessed art Thou unto the ages of ages.

 

 

 

 

[Free Northman Reborn]

15 hours ago, Ser Scot A Ellison said:

I'm Christian.  I don't wear my faith on my sleeve but I'm in church every sunday and not infrequently there for vespers on Wednesday and Saturday nights.  I have a child involved with a Christian Debate league that is largely made up of evangelical Christians.  Many of the are Young Earth Creationists as I discovered last year when the subject of the age of the universe came up in the course of a normal conversation (I didn't raise the issue). 

Why do I find Evangelicals so irriatating?  They're like fingers down a chalkboard.  My child really enjoys debate and this group in particular so I'm gritting my teeth and volunteering as a judge. 

What is wrong with me that I want to scream everytime I hear someone recommending that we "pray" before we finalize a debate ballot or invoking Christ's name at every opportunity in normal coversation.  Why, given that I am also Christian, is this so irritating to me?  I think it's easier for me to hang out with atheists who think I'm a religous nutjob than it is to spend time with Evangelicals.  Why is this?

Thanks.

 

Because, and sorry if this hits a bit close to home, (but you did ask), you appear to be a follower of Christian traditions and values, without necessarily being a believer in the truth of the Christian gospel as communicated in the Bible.

For example, I've heard some Anglicans call themselves Christians, while still expressing doubts over some of Christianity's core beliefs, such as the Virgin birth, whether those who aren't Christians are destined for Hell, and sometimes even whether God exists in the first place.

Now, don't get me wrong. No one can or should dictate whether someone should believe in something or not. But in my view it becomes a bit pointless calling yourself a Christian if you don't believe in some very significant cornerstones of the Christian faith.

Rather call yourself a follower of some of Christianity's values then, because that is a much more accurate reflection of the true state of affairs.

[zelticgar]

26 minutes ago, Ser Scot A Ellison said:

Zelt,

Thanks but I have to decline.  The worst part about my irritation at Evangelical practices is that my irritation smacks of pride.  It is the same thing I find irritating about Evangelical practices and habits.  I'm humble-bragging about how much better I am than they are.  What I'm trying to remember is this prayer and it's really difficult:

 

 

Evangelicals are easy fodder in this forum but you could replace that population with many other religious or social groups and get differing reactions depending on whether one defines these groups as "in power" or "oppressed".

I'm surrounded by Catholics but it is pretty rare that anyone is in my face about it so I get the differences that you are dealing with but I have to be honest, my first reaction was an immediate feeling that the post was extremely hypocritical. It is a good sign that you are self aware enough to realize this and will work on it. I don't envy people of faith who maintain contact with organized religion in these times. I've found it much easier to abandon the church and hang my hat on the idea that I hold belief in some form of higher power but I personally don't participate in organized religion.  

[Ser Scot A Ellison]

51 minutes ago, zelticgar said:

Evangelicals are easy fodder in this forum but you could replace that population with many other religious or social groups and get differing reactions depending on whether one defines these groups as "in power" or "oppressed".

I'm surrounded by Catholics but it is pretty rare that anyone is in my face about it so I get the differences that you are dealing with but I have to be honest, my first reaction was an immediate feeling that the post was extremely hypocritical. It is a good sign that you are self aware enough to realize this and will work on it. I don't envy people of faith who maintain contact with organized religion in these times. I've found it much easier to abandon the church and hang my hat on the idea that I hold belief in some form of higher power but I personally don't participate in organized religion.

Zelt,

Thank you.  It is the hypocrisy of my irritation that I'm attempting to remedy and fight against.  I'm seeking to be more gracious to everyone.

[Castel]

41 minutes ago, Ser Scot A Ellison said:

Zelt,

Thank you.  It is the hypocrisy of my irritation that I'm attempting to remedy and fight against.  I'm seeking to be more gracious to everyone.

Yes.Or...is your further public self-criticism itself another display of "humble-bragging" and performative humility? 

Hm...maybe the most humble thing is...to not be humble.