As a Christian I do believe in God but basically my faith has in many ways made me a kinder and more accepting person but whenever I wear my cross necklace to school no one wants to talk to me. I’m happy having friends of every faith (or lack of) and I just don’t understand why I put my necklace on and they suddenly think I’m mean. I know a lot of harm has been done by people who took the lines “Go out and make disiples of every nation” the wrong way hence the saying “for as long as there has been one true God there’s been killing in his name” How to I approach them and show them otherwise?
Posted: April 22nd 2010
Dave Hitt www
This reminds me of a very old joke:
Patient: Dr. it hurts when I do this.
Doctor: Then don’t do that!
You have no control over other people’s reactions. You can only observe them and decide if you want to make a change or not.
People react to all kinds of things. If you wear a t-shirt with an 80’s hair metal band on it they’re going to make different assumptions than if you were wearing a Grateful Dead t-shirt. If you wear a purple Mohawk people will react differently than they would to a buzz cut.
I react the same way Bitbutter does to people wearing crosses. The bigger they are the more I react. And yes, sometimes I’m wrong and discover they’re perfectly nice folks who aren’t all that interested in converting me. But not often.
If you don’t like the reactions to wearing a cross (or anything else), take the doctor’s advice, and don’t do that.
Posted: May 23rd 2010
SmartLX www
If you really have to wear the cross, engage people on other subjects besides religion. Be a conversationalist, rather than the missionary people think you’re going to be when you approach them.
Faith is a barrier when people don’t have it in common, or even if they have different amounts of it. You’ve got to be able to connect to people on other levels, and they need to know that you’re willing to.
Posted: April 27th 2010
Eric_PK
It’s been a long time since I was in school, but I think you may be misinterpreting the reaction you are getting.
Back in my day the guys/girls who wore crosses to school were viewed as not cool/not interested in having fun/stuck on god/etc. Which was, at least, in some sense true – they tended to have a narrower viewpoint than the rest of the group.
I’ll also note that the vast majority of the people in my school considered themselves to be christian.
The answer to your question is simple. Stop wearing your cross to school. When you say it you’re saying, “My religion is important enough to me that I feel the need to display it to everybody”.
If you don’t think that’s an option, then perhaps you’re less open-minded than you think you are.
Posted: April 26th 2010
bitbutter www
You may consider how important is it to you that you wear your religious symbol in public view (instead of for instance under your shirt/jumper).
I’m sure that prejudices among atheists will vary depending on where in the world they live. I can only tell you about my prejudices. My first impression of person will be less favorable if they’re prominently wearing a Christian symbol. Based on past experience, that 'look’ increases, in my mind, the likelihood that the wearer will try to 'save’ me. It also decreases the likelihood, in my mind, that this is a person who is used to thinking critically.
Of course my first impressions might be (and have been) wrong. But a Christian’s chances of having the kind of conversation that could lead to friendship, at least with me, are improved if they’re not wearing a prominent crucifix.
Posted: April 25th 2010
logicel
Your humanity is what is important to atheists, not your Christianity. If you are consistently friendly and open, your cross necklace (unless it actually has Christ being tortured on it and/or is big) will be ignored for the most part.
I doubt many atheists would take issue with your personal recognition that Christianity works for you and that you see it having a positive influence in your life. But acceptance of that aspect does not signify that atheists are interested in pursuing Christianity any further.
If you really are given a psychological, ethical, and mental boost by your Christian beliefs, why is it even necessary to sport a cross?
I live in a truly secular society, France, where no ostentatious religious symbols are allowed in state schools. Religious symbols, despite your regarding your particular interpretation of Christianity as not being divisive, are divisive for the most part.
The common denominator here is humanity, not Christianity. Emphasize that, and no atheist will have a problem. Why not get a necklace made up with a H (for human)?
Posted: April 23rd 2010