Comparing Religion to Bad Diets

[gremcint]

Ok there's always talk about how churchgoers can be bad people too. When confronted or commented on the person is defended saying that they are a good person because they go to church (other religious practice).

Here's my opinion on why this happens, it's the same mentality people have with diets and not understanding why they aren't healthier.


Some people think that diets don't work, and they don't on their own. They help but it's a lifestyle changing needed, eating more broccoli doesn't do much if you sit on your but all day playing video games. Running half an hour and then saying you've burnt enough calories to have that chocolate cake when you get home now means you've canceled out what you just did. You need to start from the ground up and do it all, it's not that you can't have some chocolate but you need to realize that there is an effect and you need to cut back.

How does this relate. People think that because they go to church once a week that means they are a good person, no being a good person is a lifestyle just as much as is being healthy. Being a good person one day a week doesn't mean you are a good person. Being a good person means being a good person. It doesn't mean you can't still have chocolate be a little selfish but it has to be the minority not the majority.

Now this also makes the assumption that going to church helps make someone a better person and that's a whole other thread, further replace church with donating or helping with charity or something.

I think I got my point across, but I'm not sure.

[TheHuckster]

That's a good way to put it, and I agree there are a lot of people who do this sort of thing. And it's exactly the kind of hypocrisy Jesus condemned in his teachings. In fact, there are many similar teachings zealot and fundamentalist Christians routinely ignore, including the "pray in secret" and "don't make a big egotistic display of your faith" teachings.

[HYHYBT]

Going to church doesn't make a person a Christian, and neither one makes a person good.

Much more often lately, though, I see the claim turned around the other way, so this seems like a good time to point out that neither of those makes a person BAD either.

[smileyeagle1021]

I'm reminded of the old saying "simply going to church makes you as much of a Christian as standing in a garage makes you a car." Which, I add my twist to, simply being a Christian doesn't ensure you are a good person any more than simply owning a car ensures you can drive.

[Hyena Dandy]

In my experience, owning a car is a much more accurate measure of driving ability than calling yourself Christian is a measure of not-being-a-dick ability.

[Rageaholic]

Going to church doesn't make a person a Christian, and neither one makes a person good.

Much more often lately, though, I see the claim turned around the other way, so this seems like a good time to point out that neither of those makes a person BAD either.

Pretty much this.

I've always hated super religious people who act like dicks, but think they are better because they follow all their church rules. Or worse, hide behind the this veil of righteousness to hurt others.

On the other hand, I hate the holier than thou people who think they're rebelling against the church, but are really forcing their own version of Christianity down everyones throat. They talk about how 99% of people aren't really Christians and are going to hell. But they apparently are part of the 1% who are heaven bound. It's one thing to rail against hypocritics (like the OP did), but to say they're going to hell is extreme.

[fireheart17]

Pretty much this.

I've always hated super religious people who act like dicks, but think they are better because they follow all their church rules. Or worse, hide behind the this veil of righteousness to hurt others.

On the other hand, I hate the holier than thou people who think they're rebelling against the church, but are really forcing their own version of Christianity down everyones throat. They talk about how 99% of people aren't really Christians and are going to hell. But they apparently are part of the 1% who are heaven bound. It's one thing to rail against hypocritics (like the OP did), but to say they're going to hell is extreme.

I can think of a good example of this. I've mentioned them before, known as the "Rundle Mall Preachers." Short version is that they believe that they're better than anyone else because they follow only the New Testament and not the Old Testament, they're spreading the word of God out in public and they are attacking other churches.
Their more recent attack was against the Paradise Community church and they pissed off the owners.

[Panacea]

I absolutely would agree that going to church is not what makes one a good Christian. You can't go to church one day of the week and act like an asshat the other six days and expect God to be pleased with you.

Being a good Christian is being a good person, a good member of your community, and having a good relationship with God.

Make a scene and abusing other people to try and force them to adopt "your" style of Christianity isn't going to win over anyone, including God. Faith is something one accepts by choice, not force.

The loudmouths with the signs, truly they have received their reward.