I can't help but notice that most of the folks that visit this site are of a common type. That is the type of religious Christian that is usually male, usually quite aggressive and antagonistic toward others, and very 'legalistic'. The kind of persons for whom God, religion, life, people; everything is about being right or wrong. And they MUST be in the right, or see themselves as being in the right, at all times. Their religion is all and pretty much only about righteousness. Even to the exclusion of love, forgiveness, kindness, generosity, justice, unity, and reason. And it makes me curious about how and why these folks are so obsessed with the idea of righteousness. And especially with the idea of their own righteousness.
Were they raised in some horribly authoritarian environment where they were constantly threatened with dire consequences for any instance in which they could be found "wrong"? Were they brainwashed somewhere along the line to believe that God is some sort of unrelenting punisher of any and all human flaws and failures? Are they victims of this kind of religiously couched child abuse? Or is there some sort of internal psychosis that drives these people to have to see themselves as morally and ethically superior to everyone around them? Sort of like Donald Trump's narcissistic personality disorder?
I realize none of these people are going to be able to answer or speak to this question on this thread. As they will not be able to acknowledge their own thoughts and behaviors in this light. But there are a few of you that have been coming here for quite a long time, and that are not of this 'type' of religious Christian. (I'm sure it applies to people of other religions, too, but they are not likely to be tolerated for long, here, so I'm focusing on those that are.) And I am curious about what you think of this kind of dogmatic, blinding bluster, as a religious expression. Why you think it happens? And how do you, personally, respond to it. I do see some of you attempting to debate with these folks but that would appear to be totally ineffective. Like trying to debate Donald Trump. Once the need to be right usurps both fact and reason there really is no point to debating them with facts or reason, anymore. And what else is there?
Also, I don't 'dislike" these people nor see a need to change their point of view, necessarily. They are who they are and I appreciate them for that. I believe we humans are what we are supposed to be, and that includes our many foibles and idiosincracies. But they tend to leave us with no meaningful way of engaging with them. And no real way of even understanding why they've come to be on the path they're on. Maybe it's just none of my/our business, but I am a naturally curious soul. Especially when it comes to the various ways we humans come to see ourselves in relation to the world.
