If you could change behaviors of Christians in general, how would you change them and why?

I would reinforce in them that Jesus COMMANDED them to be humble and meek.

I would remind them that they are to ALWAYS, not SOMETIMES, turn the other cheek.

If someone insults their worldview, they should be polite and say "I understand why you feel that way. But it brings me joy. If you'd ever like to join my religion, feel free to ask me about it."

In essence, I would instruct Christians to read their own bible, and see that the hateful, bigoted, and agressive behavior they display here, and many other places throughout the world, goes DIRECTLY AGAINST their own messiah's instructions.

I would tone down the fundamentalism, most of the greatest attrocities of this world started with the seed of fundamentalism. Crusades, Inquisition, Witch hunts, Holocaust, 9/11, Iran/Isreali issues . It seems that Christians- without even realizing they are doing it- are walking the same path of evil.

Belief < Fundamentalism < Intolerance < Slaughter

Edit: A fundamentalist mentality is one that believes their particular scripture should be interpreted as literal and free from error as it is the Word of God. To my mind these are the types of persons who say things such as:

Death to the nonbelivers

Choose Christ or burn in Hell

Pagans are devil worshippers

Atheists are satanic

God hates Fags

Lying for Jesus is OK

Killing nonbelievers is what God wants us to do

How do we stop these godless atheists from ruining our country?

- I could go on, (yes I've seen all of these on this and other boards) but I think you see where this is going.

All these things are born of evil premisses- judgement, jealuosy, rage, insecurity, pride, and fear. One cannot be a moral person (Christian, Jewish, Islamic, otherwise) when starting from a point of evil; As evil begats evil- no matter how you care to spin it.

What I find strange is Christian fundamentalists start off with a premise (I don't like _____ people) and then look to the Bible for justification of what they don't like/don't understand.

Throwing the Golden Rule zealously to the wind in the process. The amazing part is that one can find biblical justification for anything- dragons, war, communism, etc. And if your newer bible (mine dates to before 1900) doesn't have unicorns, dragons, and satyrs in it- doesn't that mean it was altered by the hand of Man to be more reflective of the times? If altered once by man then it raises the possibility of having been altered before in the last 2000 years-translation errors are still errors in the inerrant Bible.

I was Methodist growing up and have been a Deist for some time now. Having left the Church because of fundamentalists reading their own bigotry into biblical passages. Born again types who feel they are the 'chosen' ones for having gone through a human ritual to be saved- this idea I think is a symbolic mockery of God's creation (as if He didn't do it right the first time). Biblical contradictions and the idea of god acting like a human child throwing tantrums didn't help either.

One thing that can never be forged, revised, or rewritten- is the miracle of Creation that we see right in front of us every day

Kudos to you for listening with an open mind! :) Sorry it's long!

Rewrite their bible to be less judgemental. Take out the bad parts about stoning children and keeping slaves, etc. Maybe "Thou shalt not kill unless people are threatening your life or the lives of your loved ones." They need a New New Testament.

We need to love more... And reject this world, follow Jesus more, sorry, I'm rambling, but there is a lot that we all gotta work on as Christians... But it's worth it in the end...

I'd have them stop sending missionaries to foreign countries to brainwash poor people in the guise of doing "charity work".

I'd have them keep the good Lord to themselves.

if I asked them to stop proselytizing to me, they will & never bring it up again.