(April 5, 2017 at 10:57 am)Faith No More Wrote:(April 5, 2017 at 9:12 am)SteveII Wrote: 9. Appreciates that suffering is part of faithfulness to Jesus.
This another one that bugs, because it's really just a way for Christians to cope with a mindless universe that has no concern for their well-being. I mean, we're talking about the supposed creator of everything, right? He could have designed the universe so that making toast got you closer to Jesus, but instead, he supposedly made suffering a holy thing.
Christian: I just lost my five year-old to cancer, and I'm struggling to get on with my life.
Jesus: Good...Good...
I'm less put off by Christians coping with an indifferent universe through their beliefs than I am by those Christians who go looking for reasons to feel persecuted and "suffer" for Jesus because of those beliefs.
Of course, there was -- and still is -- real persecution and martyrdom for Christians in many parts of the world. As a liberal atheist in good standing, I oppose that in all cases. But these thin-skinned, whiny American Christians who mistake ridicule, indifference, or a simple adherence to the 1st Amendment for persecution are beneath contempt. If they are so into spiritual theater, there are plenty of places they can go to experience the real thing. Or they can stick around, enjoy the fruits of secular government, practice their faith, and otherwise leave us the fuck alone.
