I was raised in an Irish Catholic house. My father was easily as bigoted and dogmatic, about everything, as the most extreme Christian I've seen here. I left home at 18, and went to work interstate. I returned fora few months before I was conscripted, and lived at home for 6 months after I was discharged. My father and I established an uneasy truce, which lasted for the rest of his life. We did not talk about religion or politics.
My mother, at 92, remains a devout Catholic. ( acutely aware of and terribly distressed about the child abuse scandals) Mum and I have always been close. A major reason is that she is what I call a small 'c' Christian ' She has always given witness to her faith the way she has lived; a kind and compassionate person, who has quietly helped dozens of people in her lifetime.
In contrast to my mother, I consider the majority of the alleged Christians on this forum "big C" Christians. They carry their faith on their sleeve, always ready to convert others, always willing to tel you, aggressively, what they are against. They are be happy to show you how much they know about scripture, but in doing so, reveal how little they actually understand.. I have heard little of their attitudes towards love, compassion, acceptance or forgiveness, about being' other centred' which is implicit in the teachings of Jesus.
With the single exception of Tacky, I have found this little group to be ignorant, bigoted and hateful. That explains, but does not justify my intolerance of them.----as far as I'm concerned, the moral qualities implicit in practising christians are merely the moral values of a good person. Christianity has no monopoly on common decency. I consider myself as not an especially bad person, rather than an especially good one.
My mother, at 92, remains a devout Catholic. ( acutely aware of and terribly distressed about the child abuse scandals) Mum and I have always been close. A major reason is that she is what I call a small 'c' Christian ' She has always given witness to her faith the way she has lived; a kind and compassionate person, who has quietly helped dozens of people in her lifetime.
In contrast to my mother, I consider the majority of the alleged Christians on this forum "big C" Christians. They carry their faith on their sleeve, always ready to convert others, always willing to tel you, aggressively, what they are against. They are be happy to show you how much they know about scripture, but in doing so, reveal how little they actually understand.. I have heard little of their attitudes towards love, compassion, acceptance or forgiveness, about being' other centred' which is implicit in the teachings of Jesus.
With the single exception of Tacky, I have found this little group to be ignorant, bigoted and hateful. That explains, but does not justify my intolerance of them.----as far as I'm concerned, the moral qualities implicit in practising christians are merely the moral values of a good person. Christianity has no monopoly on common decency. I consider myself as not an especially bad person, rather than an especially good one.
