# Christian Insularity In America **URL:** \ **Category:** The BBQ Pit\ **Created:** [February 10, 2004, 2:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/christian-insularity-in-america/228371 "2004-02-10T02:17:06Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 17\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Ryle\_Dup](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/5f9b8f/32.png) [@Ryle\_Dup](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ryle_Dup)\ **Post date:** [February 10, 2004, 8:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/christian-insularity-in-america/228371/21 "2004-02-10T08:37:23Z")
Can’t we all just be _equally_ intolerant of eachothers beliefs? What happened to good old fashioned unjustified blind hatred? ---
**Author:** ![kung\_fu\_lola](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/f4b2a3/32.png) [@kung\_fu\_lola](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kung_fu_lola)\ **Post date:** [February 10, 2004, 8:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/christian-insularity-in-america/228371/22 "2004-02-10T08:42:33Z")
I agree with the OP 100%. I am so insanely offended by > [@](#): > > As for you not wanting any potential customers being offended or confused, I would hope that the confusion would be solved by them talking with a believer and finding out more about Jesus. Those who may be offended, I will pray for. that I can feel a tightness in my chest. That kind of condescension and self-righteousness just makes me outraged. I have seen it more than once at the Straight Dope, and both **Eve** and **gobear** have commented on it in the past, and probably will again. As for Canada, not to say nothing bad happens here, but we tend to lean more towards tolerance than supremacy. From what I have seen from 23 years of living here and 11 years of following current events, our Xians seem almost reluctant to whip out the; “A secular society is a sinful society” adage. We show much more respect for SOCAS than Americans show in public. To the people who are asking; “Is it about Xians or Americans?” It’s about people who are both, and the audacious ways they have adopted. Duh. ---
**Author:** ![elmwood](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/elmwood/32/3060_2.png) [@elmwood](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elmwood)\ **Post date:** [February 10, 2004, 11:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/christian-insularity-in-america/228371/23 "2004-02-10T11:50:19Z")
I’m glad to be back in the gritty, grey Great Lakes region, where I don’t have to worry so much about Fundies. Instead, it’s old-school pre-Vatican II Catholics who think I’m going to Purgatory. At least they leave me alone. Too bad the cute Jewish girls in Beachwood won’t give me the time of day. Apparently, having a Jewish father isn’t enough. ☹ ---
**Author:** ![Liberal](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/848f3c/32.png) [@Liberal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Liberal)\ **Post date:** [February 10, 2004, 11:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/christian-insularity-in-america/228371/24 "2004-02-10T11:57:37Z")
> [@](#): > > I am so insanely offended by [being prayed for] that I can feel a tightness in my chest. … As for Canada, not to say nothing bad happens here, but we tend to lean more towards tolerance than supremacy. Lordy, if tolerance brings on heart attacks, maybe you should go for the supremacy. ---
**Author:** ![Odinoneeye](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/97f17d/32.png) [@Odinoneeye](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Odinoneeye)\ **Post date:** [February 10, 2004, 12:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/christian-insularity-in-america/228371/25 "2004-02-10T12:14:23Z")
> [@](#): > > If I was on that plane I would have looked at all the idiots with their hands up and said “Did you hear that? It was the voice of your LORD! This is a test of your faith. Well… jump out the fucking door, you freakin’ dipshits, and see if your savior catches your dumb asses before you hit the motherfucking ground.” Actually, according to a witness intereviewed on [CNN.com](http://CNN.com), no one raised their hand. I find the extreme religious intolerence in this country is growing, but not yet universal. Having a President who is “born again” and constantly speaks out for his religion isn’t helping matters. I do see it cropping up in odd places. Growing up, the only problem anyone ever had with Halloween was worry about people putting things in the candy. While this fear is still there, now I know people who find the holiday offensive against God. My brother-in-law is now one of these born-again Christians. Apparantly being a born-again Christian forbids you to talk about sex, but allows you to be a racist. Not sure how that works. What he doesn’t realize is that not many people are going to listen to his advice on morals when he’s busy talking about “those God damn niggers” ---
**Author:** ![CheekyMonkey613](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/e480ec/32.png) [@CheekyMonkey613](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CheekyMonkey613)\ **Post date:** [February 10, 2004, 2:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/christian-insularity-in-america/228371/26 "2004-02-10T14:03:35Z")
> [@MelCthefirst](#): > > Um, BTW ‘atheism’ is not a religion, that’s the point. No belief in a greater being. Grew up atheist, found out that most people have some belief in a greater being, even if they don’t accept the surrounding religious trimmings. So us minority group people need to be a little more understanding and tolerant, as long as people around us and not offensive about their religion. MelC, I realize that atheism by its own definition is not a religion. I listed it with religions because I feel that atheists are treated the same way as people of non-Christian religions, in this context. Sorry if we got our lines crossed there. > [@coven](#): > > And from [this](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=237675&page=5&pp=50&highlight) thread > Now, IANAChristian, but that seems like a funny way of respecting their beliefs… Coven, you’re absolutely right. Touché. I apologize if anyone was offended by me using Jesus Christ’s name while swearing. I’ll definitely keep it in mind. Thanks for pointing it out. ---
**Author:** ![Liberal](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/848f3c/32.png) [@Liberal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Liberal)\ **Post date:** [February 10, 2004, 2:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/christian-insularity-in-america/228371/27 "2004-02-10T14:07:09Z")
Thank you! 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Angel\_Heart](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/5e9695/32.png) [@Angel\_Heart](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Angel_Heart)\ **Post date:** [February 10, 2004, 3:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/christian-insularity-in-america/228371/28 "2004-02-10T15:29:23Z")
> [@Miller](#): > > I wish I lived in Canada. Must be nice up there, seeing how there’s no such thing as religious bigotry, racism, homophobia, or nationalism. Everyone up there’s just united in joyous brotherhood and happiness and fluffy bunnies and rainbows and pretty, pretty flowers. Three words: Meech Lake Accords. Living in Montreál, I assumed **CheekyMonkey** would be familiar with the Quebec Separatist movement. That said, I’m surprised at some of the Christian bashing in this thread :mad: .You can’t judge a group by how 2% of its members act. ---
**Author:** ![CheekyMonkey613](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/e480ec/32.png) [@CheekyMonkey613](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CheekyMonkey613)\ **Post date:** [February 10, 2004, 3:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/christian-insularity-in-america/228371/29 "2004-02-10T15:44:57Z")
“Living in Montreál, I assumed CheekyMonkey would be familiar with the Quebec Separatist movement.” You assumed correctly! I’m quite familiar with it. I could go on ad nauseum about it. So could most Quebecers, I imagine. The 1980 and 1995 referenda were quite formative in my years growing up here. Horror stories of the FLQ terrorists and the October Crisis are even more shocking. I’m quite happy that the movement seems to be dying down and the Liberal party has won the most recent provincial election. That being said, WTF does that have to do with the OP? Secondly, I would like to clear up a misconception here. If I understand correctly, some Christians are getting the feeling that the pit is against Christians as a whole. This is entirely false. The pit is against a specific breed of Christians who are pretentious, over-bearing, proselytizing, insular jackasses. ---
**Author:** ![Grey](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/b782af/32.png) [@Grey](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Grey)\ **Post date:** [February 10, 2004, 4:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/christian-insularity-in-america/228371/30 "2004-02-10T16:46:49Z")
And American. Just in case the horse you love to flog has slipped your mind. ---
**Author:** ![CheekyMonkey613](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/e480ec/32.png) [@CheekyMonkey613](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CheekyMonkey613)\ **Post date:** [February 10, 2004, 5:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/christian-insularity-in-america/228371/31 "2004-02-10T17:22:17Z")
> [@Grey](#): > > And American. Just in case the horse you love to flog has slipped your mind. Right. As is obvious in the title. ---
**Author:** ![Grey](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/b782af/32.png) [@Grey](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Grey)\ **Post date:** [February 10, 2004, 5:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/christian-insularity-in-america/228371/32 "2004-02-10T17:33:47Z")
Oh, well then so long as we’re abusing _American_ christians I suppose that’s ok. :rolleyes: ---
**Author:** ![CheekyMonkey613](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/e480ec/32.png) [@CheekyMonkey613](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CheekyMonkey613)\ **Post date:** [February 10, 2004, 5:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/christian-insularity-in-america/228371/33 "2004-02-10T17:40:42Z")
If I noticed the prevalence somewhere else, I would have written the rant accordingly. ---
**Author:** ![beajerry](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/7bcc69/32.png) [@beajerry](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/beajerry)\ **Post date:** [February 10, 2004, 6:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/christian-insularity-in-america/228371/34 "2004-02-10T18:24:15Z")
Perhaps you saw the 60Minutes story on Sunday about the religious right movement in america. Very disturbing, and only reinforces my perception that they have too much to do with our government. I keep thinking of them as crazy fringe people, but these stories make them out to be more of a majority. I only see that in the media, not in my day-to-day experiences with people. But then, you see the Left Behind books doing so well and people talking about how ‘real’ a depiction that is, or the guy on 60Minutes who is absolutely serious in saying that the Rapture will happen at any time now, and you wonder how…how…how…HOW THE FUCK can they be like that!!! It’s like listening to Osama bin Laden talk. Only they are here, in America! Is there not an island we can send them to where they can stare at heaven all day and wait for it? Or at least kill eachother to get there first? I thought God died in the 20th century? Why are these people still around? ---
**Author:** ![Cyros](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/a698b9/32.png) [@Cyros](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cyros)\ **Post date:** [February 11, 2004, 5:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/christian-insularity-in-america/228371/35 "2004-02-11T05:31:36Z")
> [@Angel Heart](#): > > Three words: Meech Lake Accords. Ah, but 73% of Maritimers preferred the Honda Civic. ---
**Author:** ![kung\_fu\_lola](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/f4b2a3/32.png) [@kung\_fu\_lola](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kung_fu_lola)\ **Post date:** [February 11, 2004, 5:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/christian-insularity-in-america/228371/36 "2004-02-11T05:37:52Z")
> [@Libertarian](#): > > Lordy, if tolerance brings on heart attacks, maybe you should go for the supremacy. It’s not the praying that gets me, it’s the _condescension_. And what’s up with Libertarians For Life, anyway? I want to know from an expert. ---
**Author:** ![Achren](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/898d66/32.png) [@Achren](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Achren)\ **Post date:** [February 11, 2004, 6:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/christian-insularity-in-america/228371/37 "2004-02-11T06:13:34Z")
> [@Odinoneeye](#): > > Having a President who is “born again” and constantly speaks out for his religion isn’t helping matters. strange…I’m a Christian and feel the same way - GWB doesn’t help us any. (Then again, I’d be happy if those in office wouldn’t claim any religion publicly) Those Left Behind books are hideous. _shudder_ I have an atheist friend who swears and says, “Zeus!” It’s fun to be with her when she does it before a crowd. 😃 You’d think people knew nothing of their gods/goddesses Greek history. I’ve never felt like most Americans were Christians. I did have the good fortune of having non-Christians as friends when I was really young, so maybe that helped. (My best friend was Muslim…go figure) [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/christian-insularity-in-america/228371.md?page=1)