Why Christians can't respect other's opinion?

[Vincent]

I've met plenty of decent Christians who respect my beliefs. I've even been friends with multiple theists (at the time I graduated high school I was the only atheist in my group of friends). I tell them I don't believe in God. They say "oh okay" and the topic is rarely broached again. 

So respectful people are out there! Unfortunately though, there are individuals who spoil the bunch. Many individuals, actually. When I told my cousin and his friends that I was atheist, they looked at me like I had just said I murdered Jesus, and proceeded to gain up on me. When I told my sister, she was devastated and said that I had "hardened my heart" or some silly shit like that. My coworker told me that God would send me to hell on the Day of Judgment. 

But the thing is, Christians such as those don't understand that they're being annoying. Because the way they see it, we've damned ourselves to hell. And they think that "warning" us or trying to convince us otherwise without evidence will save us. They see it as their noble Christian duty to "help us toward salvation". That's why they'll preach to you and bother you with their beliefs. 

Or that's my view of their actions, anyhow.

[Kaninchen]

So I wonder - what's that thing that makes believers to try to brainwash us?

Perhaps a lot of it is a need some Christians have to convince themselves over and over again in the drama of selling Jesus to everybody else (and their version of Jesus to other Christians), a kind of repetitive personal passion play. 

I think that's also one of the reasons why so many of them are drawn to the mechanistic/clockwork 'evidence' apologetics.

[Spooky]

Because any opinions that don't align with christian's point of view are wrong, and the holder of said wrong opinions are going to hell. If the christian doesn't aggressively attack the blasphemer, they have personally failed his or her gawd. This is not acceptable, and could potentially land said believer themselves in trouble.

Cause god is a dick? And they're following that example?

[loganonekenobi]

Well, except you, for my 31 years of life I haven't met a believer who would keep it quiet about that. In my country, I mean. I don't know what things are like with theists in the world cuz I've only been in Thessaloniki for a short period of time and I've never been anywhere else to have a chance to meet a theist.

---

I agree, first try being polite and explaining you're thoroughly uninterested. Then be more firm and demand they leave you alone. If that doesn't work, I suppose report to the police, their church, or else freak them out by pretending to be posessed by the devil or something. I've heard people doing that before and it works. If they don't respect you being polite, they are asking for it.

Hahahahahahahahaha, I'm gonna try that idea with "being possessed" - it should be fun!

I've tried to be polite but it almost never works. And it surely doesn't work at all when there are more believers around. As if... the other believers somehow bring courage to the problematic ones.

once I knew someone that was quite into telling me that I should be christian. I told him "I wore the army uniform and went to war to kill people that would take the freedoms of America. I will kill you too if you try to take mine." I wouldn't recomend this tactic be done since this is supposudly "mental instability....blah...blah...blah" but on the plus side he never spoke to me about Jesus again.

[Athene]

I suppose there could be many reasons why. Some Christians honestly feel compelled to witness to non-believers as a divine duty.They truly believe they are having a positive impact on those who are lost.
Some Christian theists need constant validation/confirmation because they harbor doubts......kind of like woman who constantly asks "Am I pretty?" Non-believers make them uncomfortable, because this sort of Christian sees the holes in the biblical narrative and it scares him or her. To them it's better to  non-believers on board, than sittin' around doing fine without Jesus.
I honestly think the rest of them just love the sound of their own damn voice. Seriously.

[Minimalist]

They can't help themselves.  The first Greco-Roman writer to take serious note of xtians, Celsus, said:

"Christians, needless to say, utterly detest one another; they slander each other constantly with the vilest forms of abuse, and cannot come to any sort of agreement in their teaching. Each sect brands its own, fills the head of its own with deceitful nonsense...".

Celsus  c 180 AD

It seems to be in their blood to be obnoxious.

[Whateverist]

So how do you demonstrate your love for the person who insulted you?  Do you apologize for being a loser?  Do you buy him a steak dinner?  Do you agree with his insults about you to show that you are an agreeable person?

I just try to continue to treat them with kindness and respect. Doesn't mean I have to agree with them, or apologize if I did nothing wrong, or buy them anything. I just don't insult them back, and continue to treat them well.

Btw, I fail miserably at this plenty of times. Above is just what I believe I should try to do, not how I always act, unfortunately.

Cath-y, I wonder how much it matters to you that there is a god in charge, judgement and all that in terms of how you treat people.  Do you think you'd give up your practical philosophy if you became disenchanted with the dogma?  I don't think you would.  Why would you?

[Whateverist]

You know the title of this thread could also have been:

"Why is it some people can't respect the opinions of others?"

And you know there are plenty of we atheists who aren't all that respectful of people who don't share our opinions. But more broadly, why should that be? What assumptions do people share who disrespect the opinions of others, regardless of religious status?

Sometimes it seems to come down to a lack of respect for the other person's right to choose for themselves. This sucks hairy balls when preachy apologists come around proselytizing. But when we assume the beliefs of theists are mistaken regardless of their motivations in holding them, aren't we being just as arrogant? I know I hate it when I'm told what an atheist believes by someone who isn't one. Wouldn't want to make the same mistake in reverse. It really is a question of respect for the autonomy of others to choose for themselves based on their life experience.

Okay, I'll give up the soap box now to the next blow hard.

[SamS]

I can't vouch for your personal experiences at churches, many of which I can safely say should be avoided.
"Beware of false prophets, which come to you in sheep's clothing, but inwardly they are ravening wolves. Ye shall know them by their fruits [works]" (Matthew 7:15-16)

Please understand, Christians who stand preaching on street corners and public areas are doing so because they care about you and your salvation. Doing good deeds and helping others is all fine and dandy, but it will not lead to the conversion of others. The Bible says, "So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God" (Romans 10:17). Soulwinning is not a guideline, it is a commandment, "Go ye therefore, and teach all nations... Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you" (Matthew 29:19,20). Whenever you see someone proselytizing, it's because they absolutely care; most Christians do nothing, yet, "How then shall they call on him in whom they have not believed? and how shall they believe in him of whom they have not heard? and how shall they hear without a preacher?" (Romans 10:14).

Biblically, we are literally "pulling them out of the fire" (Jude 23). If you saw a blind man walking towards the edge of a cliff, wouldn't you run over and pull him back, shake him, do whatever it takes to keep him from his destination? That's the mindset we have. Yes, we know many people don't like it. Some hate it, in fact, "And ye shall be hated of all men for my name's sake" (Mark 13:13). The common evangelizing Christian doesn't have a theology degree or public relations experience, which is why some may seem to be aggressive or are using cliche phrases. Still, the Bible isn't difficult to understand if you have a childlike wisdom; it becomes difficult when you introduce man's useless philosophy (Bible's words, not mine - Col 2:8). There were scoffers in those days too, "How long, ye simple ones, will ye love simplicity? and the scorners delight in their scorning, and fools hate knowledge?" (Psalm 1:22). "Simple ones" refers to people who don't have a care in the world for God. God is asking, "When will you start to take the truth seriously...?"

I respect the right to choose, but we're here hoping you choose our side.

[Napoléon]

Please understand, Christians who stand preaching on street corners and public areas are doing so because they care about you and your salvation.

They do it because they're fucking nuts.