Do Christians not realize how pretentious they can be?

[Anonymous]

[blueonblack22]

Most people seek out Christianity because they are flawed (and they know it) not the opposite.

Not say we can’t be hypocrites. But there is a difference of someone bible thumping someone else for their sins vs. someone who goes to church, prays, confessed their sins but still has their struggles. I know I am far from perfect myself.

Jesus warned about pretentiousness by the way:

“Why do you look at the speck of sawdust in your brother’s eye and pay no attention to the plank in your own eye? How can you say to your brother, ‘Let me take the speck out of your eye,’ when all the time there is a plank in your own eye? You hypocrite, first take the plank out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck from your brother’s eye.”

Matthew 7:3-5

Anyway I think this Christian “pretentiousness” used to be far worse decades ago. There was a time that identifying as “a Christian” was beneficial for social optics in western society. So that opened the door to lots for fake people and sociopaths to go around identifying as “Christian”. Jesus hates people like that by way.

But what’s changed in recent years with the uprising of atheism (and now anti theism). In fact it’s now more socially acceptable and “cool” to identify as an atheist in woke modern culture.

That doesn’t there still aren’t pretentious Christians out there. But I think your are fixating on a few isolated bad examples.

Most Christians nowadays are more likely to be true believers given there is less and less social benefit for fake people out there to identify as Christian.

[OlderAndWiser]

Christians are flawed humans and most of us do not pretend that we are better than others. I know Christians who are alcoholics and drug addicts, criminals, hypocrites, who have cheated on their spouses, who are cheap and miserly, etc. My church is FULL of sinners. . . not a single non-sinner in the house! The goal of Christianity is not to become perfect but to believe and be forgiven.

Of course, I also know agnostics and atheists who are alcoholics and drug addicts, criminals, hypocrites, who have cheated on their spouses, who are cheap and miserly, etc. Some of them, apart from their obvious flaws, are good moral people. And some of them are quite condescending, assuming that all Christians are ignorant sheep with a cult mentality.

[Daniela1982]

As it is said, Christians are not perfect, and never will be. What they are is forgiven. If they had to be perfect and do great deeds for humanity, then they would be in trouble. They aren't going to Heaven by what they do, but by God's Grace.

[Asker]

Wow the hateful girl is being nice today

[Daniela1982]

There is a lot of hate on this site if you never noticed, mostly brought on by fake anon pink accounts who ask stupid questions. 🤣😂

[Asker]

And people who have no respect for anyone they don't inherently agree with :)

[Daniela1982]

That depends on what each believes, because only one view can be correct. We can't always have our cake and eat it too.

[Asker]

Very true. But hateful comments are rarely correct because it comes from a place of malice

[Daniela1982]

That can be a valid point too. That would be a good thing for that person to work on. 😞

[TheRealPepperPotts]

A lot of them have no idea. It's a culture. If you are in the culture, you don't realize how truly weird certain things are. Christians often aren't aware how arrogant saying "I'm so blessed" sounds, or "God has a reason" (for someone else's pain). They are so used to using thought-terminating cliches that it seldom occurs to them to consider how it might come across to someone not accustomed to it. A lot of Christians are schooled in pity, but not empathy. The environment of it tends to be a fear-based, defensive one (just watch any Christian apologetics video to see what I mean).

That being said, I am a strong Christian. But I'm not going to sugarcoat what is happening in the evangelical church and its members. I could go on, but I'll leave it at that. :)

[fonduegirl]

All religions act that way lmao. They can hurt your feelings but don't hurt theirs

[jennifer_bloom]

I more honest than wasabi horseradish. Everyone knows you are the one that is least honest out of us 2.

[Asker]

You blocked me because I pointed out that your mysterious stalker doesn't exist. It's a lie. So yeah you're totally more honest. (Sarcasm)

[lightbulb27]

Some do, a lot don't. It's more the personality. They can be VERY overbearing.

They forget how the early Christians and Christ were. He rarely shoved it in peoples faces. He did a few times, other times, just walked away. People are willing to tune in or they aren't.

I am one, but I don't think I'm over the top. I've experienced those and they are too much. Find people more to your temperment and maturity. I've found often those pretntious boistrous ones have other screws loose and need to "take the log out of their own eyes first" issue.

[strateguy632]

Pretty ignorant, he flipped the tables in the temple. That was more in your face than the "in your face" atheist parade.
Atheism are overbearing on helpless human fetuses.
And overbearing what i am allowed to say to be politically correct that is overbearing.
You don't lose anything if i saw "the n word. "

[lightbulb27]

@strateguy632 yes, that's one example. And calling the religious elders "white washed tombs". He was correct though, they were... he spoke the truth and they weren't listening. that was his fathers house, you don't do that... another insult. Does that mean it's ok to get emotional in times of core values and for what is true... I suspect so.
questions wasn't about athiests.
have you experienced "overbearing" Christians?

[Anonymous]

There are some Christians that are but the ones that are didn't really understand Jesus's message. Most people that find most Christians pretentious simply misunderstand Christians. I did before I became one. Because nobody likes somebody to claim to have all the answers. This is why for example whenever I engage a nonbeliever about the afterlife I always tell them I don't know what happens anymore than you do. I just trust that God's word is good. Because that is faith in a nutshell. And I didn't come upon that faith overnight. It's taken me many years to grow to this point.

[nolabels]

Do critics of Christianity realize how pretentious they can be?

[Asker]

Of course we do, but that's not what's being discussed right now.

[Asker]

So, can you answer the question?

[nolabels]

Although I don't particularly care for the way that this question was worded, which is okay, I know that the wording of questions can be tricky, it did prompt my original response.

I answered a question with a question.
My bad.
I could have taken the time to think about the subject and originally responded in the manner below.

I commend you for your admitting to non-Christian pretentiousness.
Of course, you can only speak for yourself in that regard.
The world must answer that question for themselves as individuals.
My original response was poorly chosen as a way of grouping non-Christians.
Again, my bad.

I also commend you for calmly inviting further discourse with me.

The question as put forth is in regard to a very large group of people composed of individuals.

Though there are many different Christian organizations, my view is that true Christians are all too aware of many of their own failings.
Some failings, unfortunately, are not seen by us in many cases.
Chalk that up to the "human condition".
One of the main messages of Christianity is that we are all flawed and that Christ's sacrifice has redeemed the sins of believers, with the hope that following Christ will lead to those people becoming more Christ-like.

Are there people who knowingly, but falsely, use Christianity as a means to their own selfish ends?
Sure, just as much as any other human being might use any worldly devices to further their worldly desires.
Anyone who wants to can call themselves Christians.
It's what is truly within their hearts as to whether they truly are Christians or not.

All humans can be and are prone to pretentiousness, Christian or otherwise.

Does this response sit better with you?
I hope that it does.

Cheers to you.

[SugarSugarplum]

Still. We're a LOT better than vegans.

[mandyfire98]

Not a lot better but you do have crossfit people beat. Now that's a cult!!!

[Asker]

Oh god crossfit 🤮

[Telekinetic-Potato]

Lmao

[Maybe_Maybe_not]

I need to invoke Christian !

[ProbablyClueless]

Well, of course you know the typical answer about groups of people: some realize it and some don't. Self awareness is tough for a lot of people, regardless of their faith.

[nawtee_me]

The thing is that we as Christians are commissioned to spread the gospel, not to spread gossip or condemnation. We are all sinners and deserve our place in hell. Only by the grace of God and what Jesus did on the cross keeps us out of hell.

[Anonymous]

not more than liberals who virtue signal about social justice causes in the name of equality, fairness and freedom while doing the complete opposite

[onedarkcloud]

And do people not realize how pretentious they are? Muslim, Jew, Christian, Buddhist, Jane and Agnostic.

[Anonymous]

Most don't and even more don't care. That's just an inherent part of religion.

[BLP11520]

Many Christians don’t understand Jesus and what he did during his time on earth. I love people as best I can

[beefcakebradybatson]

Yes, but they don't care. They think non-Christians Philistinic savages.

[CupcakeTheDestroyer]

They do but usually don’t care

[Makeushiver]

No one realizes how pretentious they can be.

[LiamJHayden]

Which ones in which ways?

[Anonymous]

I guess they don't :P

[Deserter2]

Ik what you mean