I’m putting this question here because it’s about religion, and the question probably doesn’t have an absolute answer.
Why does it seem like most Christian people are mean, ignorant, and/or rude? As a side question why do many Christians ask if you’re a “church goer”? (Personally, I think the last question is rude–on par with me asking whether you practice sex in missionary position.)
I base my assumptions on my own experiences and on my discussions with people of other religions and other atheists. Specifically I find that the rude ones are the old-religion suburbanites, but this interesting quality is in no way class or culturally unique. Although I have observed that new immigrants who accept the Christian doctrines don’t seem to have these qualities. Do they suppress it?
Or am I totally off base and really Christians have the same distribution of rudeness as other subcultures? Or perhaps, because there’s so many Christians, the chance that I meet a rude Christian is much higher by default?
I’d think it would be a double-effect of the size of Christianity.
To say that Christianity does not emphasize rudeness is a misnomer at best; to love one’s neighbors means to be meek and humble, and ergo, not rude. Therefore, a true-believing, worshipping, filled-with-God’s-glory Christian should not be rude (exception- those who feel the need to spread the good word at any cost, even if it means running you down and reading the Bible to you while you’re pinned under the wheels of their car).
However, Christianity is large, and it is established. By that latter category I mean that it is an accepted, mainstream religion; which means that many people who go to church do so out of habit or social standing rather than any interest in the actual worship or devoting one’s life to meekness. Ergo, Christianity has a much higher percentage of ‘sort-of-believers’- the kind who would call themselves Christian while not actually doing anything of a Christian nature- than other religions which are newer to this country and therefore more filled with ecstatic converts who try to adhere to the message of their religion.
End result? These ‘sort-of-believers’ are a large portion of the Christian population, and as Christians are a large portion of America’s population, these 's-o-b’s (pun intended? your guess is as good as mine) are a large part of the population. Even were all athiests and agnostics rude assholes, the s.o.b.s would still outnumber them.
Of course, others will probably argue that anyone so rude isn’t actually a true Christian; I would probably agree with that.
To paraphrase John, there is a correlation between rudeness and humans.
One reason that some people in the U.S. may think Christians tend to be ruder than other religions is that Christians are in a majority here. It is much easier to be rude and part of a majority. I would guess that the percentage of rude people in all the major religions is pretty similar.
I’d say it has something to do with Christian being the majority in this country. Atheists and Buddists and Wiccan (and Jews and Muslums for that matter) can’t go around assuming everybody else agrees with them, or that anybody who doesn’t is a weirdo. Being in the dominant group breeds comlacency, and smugness about other peoples beliefs. Not that Christian necessarliy do, or that Atheists etc. don’t, but it’s easier for Christian, like it’s easier for Muslims in Muslim countries and Hindus in Hindu countries etc.
I’d also say it has something to do with being American. For example the French, who we think of a rude (and I am American, not French, despite the French name) are appaled at the way American will ask relative strangers personal questions. Like “Are you a church goer?” I’m betting a lot of Christain immigrant are put off by questions like that, too.
On the other hand, a lot of ancient Roman pagans wrote about how rude the Christains were, in a totally different culture, when they were still in the minority. So maybe they can’t help it.
Just to narrow it down slightly, I notice that most of the Catholics I know seemed to be very rude and arrogant.
I was raised a Catholic but now I am going through a peroid of agnosticism. The two main reasons for this change of heart is (a) I’m just not sure about the whole organised religion thing and (b) Every single person, and I mean almost without exception, at the local Catholic Church is rude, patronising, small minded and mean. However I’ve been to a protestant Church a few times and there has been a real sense of warmth and community amongst the parishoners.
I have no real idea why this is and Catholics are a minority in England so it can’t be because they feel overly confident that others are more likely to share their beliefs than others. It really is quite puzzling.
ummmm… Every single parishioner at your local Catholic parish is rude?
My guess is that something else is going on, here. Your profile says England. Are you a visitor or an inhabitant? Where is this parish? What are the cultural differences between the Catholics in that parish and their neighbors? Is it an Irish enclave? An expatriate-American business community? Are they long-time native Brits?
I have certainly known my fair share of rude Christians and rude Catholics, but nothing like what you are describing.