a positive note on Christianity

Sometimes I worry I'm being too negative on the subject of religion. I accept that some good DOES come of religion, but I think too many negatives have to be accepted in the process.

But as a counter to my last post about people using sex as a recruitment tool for a religion that works to prevent sex, I present a story about the ONE example of an attempt at recruitment that I didn't find offensive.

The individual in question was a classmate. We had gotten together outside of class and were chatting, and somehow had gotten onto the deep subjects like the sense of meaning or direction for our lives.
At the time I was feeling a definite lack of direction. I mentioned that and he brought up how Jesus was his personal direction, and suggested I could consider that for myself.

"Oh no, what have I gotten myself into?" I thought, suddenly worried I was going to have to fend off a raving Christian.

Nope. That was it. I expressed a lack of interest in that particular direction, and that was that.

I have to appreciate what happened there. This was a certain type of Christian, a type I've actually grown fond of. He was very quiet, very soft spoken. He was a nice guy. I'm certain he believed in his own life path, his faith was clearly working out well for him, and he was offering it to me in hopes that it would help me as well. I saw no attempt at manipulation, no indoctrination.

It's because of people like him that I write this. I have no wish to spit in the face of those who use their religion for GOOD. I mean real good, not the campaign of hot button topic intolerance being promoted all too often by the religious voices of the nation's airwaves today.


My criticism of Christianity (and other religions as well) is in the evil that is done in its name. It isn't as simple as it being done by people who aren't "true Christians", the public voice of Christianity is conspicuously silent on such matters, as if they're reluctant to criticize their own.
Until I see today's trendy religious bigotry publicly denounced by ALL levels of Christianity, and see a program of peace, tolerance, and humility pushed as the number one priority, I will continue to be critical of Christianity.


Freedom of religion is something I actually, believe it or not, do believe in. It's just that too many have come to believe "freedom of religion" means "freedom to impose my religion on everyone else". If you choose to worship in your own way, in the privacy of your own home (or church, or whatever), and do not hurt others, then it's no concern of mine. If your faith compels you to go out into the world to try to make it a better place then welcome to civilized society.
If however your faith compels you to go out and force your views, no matter how bigoted or anti social, on others, then that's where we have a problem. If you're unable to tell the difference between improving the world and forcing your religious bigotry on it, then, again, we have a problem.