There seems to be alot of people on mylot who call themselves Christians...

I so agree with you here. I can't believe how many of them claim to have read the bible while others say things like..."I was doing my daily bible reading". It seems that these folk have superior notions about themselves and their faith and maybe even their relationship with their God. I struggle with knowing what to believe and I don't think I have been blessed with "faith" so I search for answers in what others discuss. I'm more inclined to believe in paganism and become a friend to animals and the earth and worship mother nature because that's what makes sense to me. I grew up in a catholic family where the emphasis was on being criticised for my sins and failures and faults and made to suffer guilt and punishment....rather than knowing God's love. The people here who profess to be Christians don't seem to understand the doctrines any more than I do... I find that funny but sad too.

It all depends on what you call abuse. If they are calling you names like you stupid == (although in the Bible it refers to atheists or those who say in their heart there is no God, as fools) then that is wrong. The trouble is that many non-Christians do not believe anything the Bible says, since they do not want to hear examples and even if someone found the tomb of David in Jerusalem along with the scrolls of the Torah plus the psalms he wrote, they would not believe. Calling people horrible names is not right, and no Christian would do that. Asking why you do not believe, and telling an atheist that the only way he will believe there is a God is if Zeus or Thor came down the street, struck thunderbolts, turned his wife into a snake, or suddenly raised his hands and showered him with gold, is not abuse. It is telling them the truth.

I've noticed the same things that you have. I get the feeling sometimes that what Jesus taught was far different than we these modern day Christians are teaching. I feel the Bible has been interpreted in so many different ways, who knows what the origial teachings were any more. Christianity has "morphed" into something else altogether, it just dosn't seem to propagate peace and love for all, only for fellow Christians. If I don't want to be a "Christian" like they are, then I'm damned to hell for eternity. Somehow I doubt Jesus taught these things. He was all about love and tolerance and acceptance, kindness and mercy. He embodied humility and compassion. I just don't see these qualities in alot of Christians I've met. I don't trust any religions, either. Anyway, the truth about God cannot be found in any organized religion. It's found within our hearts, and our sincere desires to find Him, and understand Him.

And that's the problem with organized religion as a whole. It doesn't matter which religion it is. Just imagine what a Christian versus Muslim debate must look like or worse yet a Christian versus Wiccan debate. There are a lot of good people in all religions but the most outspoken ones also seem to be the rudest to others. I have been attacked by so called Christians and I've never even declared a religion or religious beliefs openly on this site.

Don't lose heart, snowberries. All Christians aren't that way. But I agree; some Christians don't show much 'Jesus' in their lives and it does turn non-Christians off. Wish it wasn't that way, but they are humans and sometimes act like it.

Christians and not for me is same, is only like guide for everyone in this life to know bad or good. Only some of persons too fanatic of religion or their expression too motivated to discuss the discussion.

I seen it too, but I seen it coming from both sides. I'm not a christian, but I don't think you can judge a whole religion based on what a few people do on here. That would be a very judgemental thing to do and not fair to all the good christians out there who are trying to quietly and peacefully follow their religion. After all, no organization, including religious ones, are perfect.

If you always look on people as representative of one religion, then you will always be dissapointed because you will expect too much on human being who are way from perfect. Finding weaknesses and bad in people is always easy because in nature, we are living in sin. We want to do good but in turn, we are hurting other people's feeling. You said it yourself that many people on mylot who call themselves Christians but they don't act like one, so actually you know that Christians is good, but many people who call themselves one do not do what they are taught to do in Christian. So I am asking you this question: why don't you try to be a Christian who really act like one? You'll find that it is a long journey process and sometimes you'll feel that it's hard to do but worth to try.