Attitudes

It's an interesting sensation, being scared and saddened at the same time. But it happens to me quite regularly. I also feel vaguely uncomfortable. The thing that does it is absolutes. Well, sometimes, in certain situations.
Truthfully, it's not absolutes in general, it's more a matter of attitudes that go along with those absolutes. And when it really scares/saddens me is when the person who is being so absolute is a Christian.
Something I've observed in my years of life, brief though they may be, is that many Christians seem to have become so extreme in their beliefs that they leave no room for anything else. There is no tolerance in them whatsoever. And the worst part is the insufferable smugness that comes through when they speak. It's like they not only believe in something, they believe that their view is the only right view, and that everyone else believes the same way. That really makes me uncomfortable.
I'm not going to say that there are no absolutes, because there are. Heck, you can believe things as absolutely as you want, I don't really care. What makes me shudder, as I said, is the attitude that often comes with it. The phrase I hate the most is 'I don't see how anyone can believe (fill in blank)'. That phrase is evidence of a closed mind, and a closed-minded Christian is a dangerous thing. I'm not saying that everyone who says that is completely set in their ways an intolerant of everything, but I am saying that it is an attitude that is easy to fall into and hard to climb out of. I know because I have been there myself many times.
Some people may not think that saying such a thing would be too much of a problem, especially if it is in the context of a group of people who are in agreement. Again, I point it back to the attitude. The phrase itself is meaningless on its own, until you add the context and attitude, and that's when trouble hits. Plus, I would add, it may be entirely possible that everyone with you doesn't share your belief or ideas on whatever topic is being discussed. At that point, you've probably just offended them.
There's also this: by dismissing the belief, you dismiss the person. Imagine yourself in a group of people who are talking, and you are an ardent believer in God. Suddenly, one of them speaks up and says "I can't believe that people believe in God. That just doesn't make any sense, there is no logic to that." You are no longer comfortable in the group, and in fact you're a little mad. Maybe you don't say anything right then, but a week later that person comes up to you and tries to tell you about the fabulous new Amway products that are available. Two weeks ago, you may have listened, and maybe ten years from now you would have been one of the Amway millionaires. Now, though, you won't listen. This guy has no respect for you or what you believe, so why would you listen to him.
Now flip the coin. I know that most of the people who read this are Christian, so I will approach it from this angle. A group of people sitting around having a meal. One of them, someone who professes a personal relationship with Jesus Christ, speaks up and says "I can't believe that anyone would ever follow Islam." He goes on to explain why, but the Muslim guy at the end of the table doesn't hear a word he says. Later, that same Christian goes to a mosque to have a healthy debate about Christianity and Islam, and that same Muslim is there. No matter how eloquent that Christian is, no matter how truthful what he has to say may be, there is no way in hell that the Muslim man is going to even give it any consideration. Everything he believes in had just been dismissed out of hand, and that meant he was completely dismissed out of hand. Any chance of any sort of good relationship has been tossed out into the night, where there will be wailing and gnashing of teeth.
What gets me even more is the smugness that seems to resonate from so many Christians. It's an attitude of superiority that just sets my teeth on edge. It's not just relating to other religions either. It's in everything. It's the attitude that leads prominent Christian figures to sit back and say that events like 9/11 or hurricane Katrina are evidence of God's judgement. That just goes beyond intolerant to the downright offensive. Even if it were true, coming on TV and telling all of the grieving people that their loved ones deserved to die would be the completely wrong thing to do. How does that show love or comfort or peace or understanding or, dare I say it, grace?
I look back at my life and my attitudes, and it makes me sad because I spent many years with those attitudes, and it really drove a wedge between me and God, and between me and people in general that I am still trying to fully remove. It's amazing how long a wrong attitude can affect a person.
There's more to be said on this subject. Stay tooned.