When Christians Asked People to Describe God in Three Words, the Plan Backfired

[davidthegnome]

26. Hmm.

A whole lot of those words could be used to describe any number of people, religious or secular. Me, I'm on the fence regarding the whole god issue, agnostic, or gnostic, or whatever the right word is when you basically believe that "I don't know, you don't know, there's no real way of knowing for sure, so I'm not sure either way."

I have known some really wonderful Christians (usually not the evangelical type) who would give you the shirts off their backs if you had a need. Sure, some of them would do this because they believed good deeds would get them into heaven... but others, for much the same reasons I would. The golden rule. Some times I think we forget that "Christianity" is not a bad thing. The Christ of the bible I think, was very much like we here strive to be. Generous, compassionate, forgiving, loving - peaceful. One of my favorite bible stories when I was younger was the one about him knocking over the money-lenders table.

I think this looks like a (poor) flashy attempt to insult certain people and their intelligence. Yeah, there are plenty of stupid so called Christians, plenty that have the wrong ideas about just about everything. Yet I have known many of great integrity, compassion, intelligence and even wisdom. I was lucky to witness many good examples of "good Christianity" growing up. Priests who weren't just priests, but decent men too. Strong women who, while not believing the bull shit dogma or swallowing the whole doctrine, had faith in humanity as great as their faith in a higher power.

I won't say yes or no, and it doesn't matter to me as much as what I do in this life. What I leave behind me, the kindness and compassion I either give or receive in this world, regardless of whether there is another afterwards. I will say though, that if we of the Agnostic or atheist persuasion wish to be respected or treated with tolerance and/or compassion by the religious, then it would be good if we gave them the same consideration.

All kinds of terrible things have been done in the name of God... but good things too. Charity, chiefly among them - and when you have benefited from that charity, or when your family has, it makes it much more difficult to turn your nose at ALL Christians. This broad brush generalization approach is, frankly, inaccurate and kind of stupid.

Three words? I don't know.

Neither do any of the rest of us.. but for those that are convinced they do, I will offer them respect and compassion as long as they offer me the same. Your list of words above... I would say, pertains more to humanity overall than any specific group.