# I say "Christianity" What's the first thing you think of? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [August 30, 2012, 10:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-say-christianity-whats-the-first-thing-you-think-of/633128 "2012-08-30T10:37:10Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Namkcalb](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/c89c15/32.png) [@Namkcalb](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Namkcalb)\ **Post date:** [August 30, 2012, 10:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-say-christianity-whats-the-first-thing-you-think-of/633128/1 "2012-08-30T10:37:10Z")
I say “Christianity” What’s the first thing you think of? What’s the very first thing that springs to mind when you think of Christianity? Or has you-know-what coloured your first impressions of it? This is a sequel to the surprisingly popular “[I say “Islam”](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=640629)” thread. ---
**Author:** ![MrDibble](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mrdibble/32/114_2.png) [@MrDibble](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MrDibble)\ **Post date:** [August 30, 2012, 10:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-say-christianity-whats-the-first-thing-you-think-of/633128/2 "2012-08-30T10:41:07Z")
Jesus ---
**Author:** ![JKellyMap](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jkellymap/32/15880_2.png) [@JKellyMap](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JKellyMap)\ **Post date:** [August 30, 2012, 10:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-say-christianity-whats-the-first-thing-you-think-of/633128/3 "2012-08-30T10:43:58Z")
Great music. Bach, Charpentier, Alfonso “El Sabio”, Britten…heck, “I’m Workin’ on a Buildin’”. I’m agnostic, and sympathize with Der Trihs when he makes his point about all religions encompassing ignorance and causing harm (though I also think he’s wrong to ignore any distinctions among religions in these regards), but bad stuff isn’t the first thing that comes to my mind when I hear the word “Christianity”. It is the second thing, though. ---
**Author:** ![Snerky\_Snerk](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/6bbea6/32.png) [@Snerky\_Snerk](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Snerky_Snerk)\ **Post date:** [August 30, 2012, 10:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-say-christianity-whats-the-first-thing-you-think-of/633128/4 "2012-08-30T10:49:46Z")
The image of Jesus on the cross. ---
**Author:** ![WhyNot](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/c77e96/32.png) [@WhyNot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WhyNot)\ **Post date:** [August 30, 2012, 10:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-say-christianity-whats-the-first-thing-you-think-of/633128/5 "2012-08-30T10:58:36Z")
Art. Paintings of saints, specifically. Then music. And then hate, corruption, greed and a very very sad Jesus. ---
**Author:** ![Chief\_Pedant](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/a6a055/32.png) [@Chief\_Pedant](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chief_Pedant)\ **Post date:** [August 30, 2012, 10:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-say-christianity-whats-the-first-thing-you-think-of/633128/6 "2012-08-30T10:59:20Z")
John 10:10 I have come that they may have abundant life. Then Der Trihs. ---
**Author:** ![Smapti](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/smapti/32/17938_2.png) [@Smapti](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Smapti)\ **Post date:** [August 30, 2012, 11:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-say-christianity-whats-the-first-thing-you-think-of/633128/7 "2012-08-30T11:02:13Z")
The cross. ---
**Author:** ![truthSeeker2](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/7cd45c/32.png) [@truthSeeker2](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/truthSeeker2)\ **Post date:** [August 30, 2012, 11:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-say-christianity-whats-the-first-thing-you-think-of/633128/8 "2012-08-30T11:10:38Z")
Few things: 1. Jesus 2. Another religion which is not Islam. Same as saying that another religion with which I have no issues. 3. The liberal west 4. Cakes!! A Christian colleague of mine goes to his town every Christmas and brings back delicious home made cakes to office which everyone loves. ---
**Author:** ![TruCelt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/trucelt/32/523_2.png) [@TruCelt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TruCelt)\ **Post date:** [August 30, 2012, 11:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-say-christianity-whats-the-first-thing-you-think-of/633128/9 "2012-08-30T11:31:40Z")
> [@Snerky\_Snerk](#): > > The image of Jesus on the cross. Yep, me too. ---
**Author:** ![MegaBee](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f0a364/32.png) [@MegaBee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MegaBee)\ **Post date:** [August 30, 2012, 11:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-say-christianity-whats-the-first-thing-you-think-of/633128/10 "2012-08-30T11:45:29Z")
Fundamentalism ---
**Author:** ![Gyrate](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gyrate/32/3588_2.png) [@Gyrate](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gyrate)\ **Post date:** [August 30, 2012, 11:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-say-christianity-whats-the-first-thing-you-think-of/633128/11 "2012-08-30T11:48:53Z")
The great monolithic entity that is the Christian religion in Western civilization. Which is to say that when you say “Christianity” I think of Christianity, or at least the Western Church versions. ---
**Author:** ![willthekittensurvive](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/91b2a8/32.png) [@willthekittensurvive](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/willthekittensurvive)\ **Post date:** [August 30, 2012, 12:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-say-christianity-whats-the-first-thing-you-think-of/633128/12 "2012-08-30T12:04:24Z")
Der Trihs ---
**Author:** ![Der\_Trihs](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/der_trihs/32/233_2.png) [@Der\_Trihs](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Der_Trihs)\ **Post date:** [August 30, 2012, 12:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-say-christianity-whats-the-first-thing-you-think-of/633128/13 "2012-08-30T12:06:53Z")
Crosses and old angry white men. ---
**Author:** ![Meatros](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/b4bc9f/32.png) [@Meatros](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Meatros)\ **Post date:** [August 30, 2012, 12:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-say-christianity-whats-the-first-thing-you-think-of/633128/14 "2012-08-30T12:16:08Z")
Oddly enough, when I read the title the very first thing that popped into my mind is the church in NYC with the Gothic architecture. That’s not much to go on, I realize, but I’ve only been to NY something like 5 times and I think I’ve seen this Church 1 or 2 times - I’ve never been in it at all. I don’t even know what type of Christianity the people in it practice. That’s the very first thing that popped into my mind. Weird. Outside of that, my friends, family, and some discussions I’ve had on the topic come to mind. ---
**Author:** ![ShibbOleth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/848f3c/32.png) [@ShibbOleth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ShibbOleth)\ **Post date:** [August 30, 2012, 12:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-say-christianity-whats-the-first-thing-you-think-of/633128/15 "2012-08-30T12:23:53Z")
Lions ---
**Author:** ![Johnny\_Bravo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnny_bravo/32/493_2.png) [@Johnny\_Bravo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_Bravo)\ **Post date:** [August 30, 2012, 12:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-say-christianity-whats-the-first-thing-you-think-of/633128/16 "2012-08-30T12:28:16Z")
> [@Namkcalb](#): > > This is a sequel to the surprisingly popular “[I say “Islam”](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=640629)” thread. Since you said it in a thread on the SDMB, the first thing I thought of was that thread. ---
**Author:** ![Gagundathar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/a183cd/32.png) [@Gagundathar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gagundathar)\ **Post date:** [August 30, 2012, 12:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-say-christianity-whats-the-first-thing-you-think-of/633128/17 "2012-08-30T12:31:16Z")
I grew up United Methodist \. The first thing that came to my mind when I read the topic was this: > [@](#): > > I am 12. I am looking up at the stylized cross above the pulpit and choir. > I see the geometry of the woodwork and see an order within it. Rather abstract, I know. I was a weird kid. ---
**Author:** ![StusBlues](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/dc4da7/32.png) [@StusBlues](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/StusBlues)\ **Post date:** [August 30, 2012, 12:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-say-christianity-whats-the-first-thing-you-think-of/633128/18 "2012-08-30T12:41:54Z")
Without reading any of the previous responses: The dominant cultural and religious paradigm of Europe and the Americas. ---
**Author:** ![JKellyMap](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jkellymap/32/15880_2.png) [@JKellyMap](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JKellyMap)\ **Post date:** [August 30, 2012, 12:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-say-christianity-whats-the-first-thing-you-think-of/633128/19 "2012-08-30T12:43:06Z")
> [@Meatros](#): > > Oddly enough, when I read the title the very first thing that popped into my mind is the church in NYC with the Gothic architecture. Probably St. Patrick’s Cathedral, in the heart of midtown Manhattan. It’s Catholic. There’s another gorgeous Gothic church a couple blocks away – St. Thomas – that’s Episcopalian. And another – Fifth Avenue Presbyterian – that’s Mormon (kidding!). The biggest one is far, far uptown, in Harlem, really – St. John the Divine – and I think it’s Catholic. It won’t be finished until 2800 or thereabouts. I doubt that’s the one you’re thinking of. If you took the Circle Line, or drove down the Henry Hudson Parkway, you would have noticed the impressively tall, and very Gothic, Riverside Church. It’s where William Sloane Coffin preached against the Vientnam War, and for civil rights, etc. Not sure which Protestant sect it represents. Anyway, thanks for the reminder that great ARCHITECTURE is a Christian legacy as much as great music. (Other religions have produced great architecture as well, obviously.) ETA: Turns out St. John the Divine is Episcopalian, and Riverside is “multidenominational.” ---
**Author:** ![TonySinclair](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/49beb7/32.png) [@TonySinclair](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TonySinclair)\ **Post date:** [August 30, 2012, 12:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-say-christianity-whats-the-first-thing-you-think-of/633128/20 "2012-08-30T12:43:55Z")
First thing I think of is I really don’t want to get entangled in another thread about religion. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-say-christianity-whats-the-first-thing-you-think-of/633128.md?page=2)