Just curious. Because everyone I know that is vocally claiming to be Christian, is also among the most judgemental and intolerant people that I know.
One of them once said to me, "If you don't hate the world and hate yourself, you're not really a Christian."
I thought that Jesus was Love, and that "Love your neighbors as you love yourself", and that if you love AND hate, a house divided cannot stand.
IOW, I do not believe that Jesus would have considered those people to be Christians. But doesn't that just make ME judgemental and hateful? Thus the paradox.
There are many many diferent kinds of Christians. Catholic, Baptist, Calvinist, etc. And they all beleive that they have the correct view on Christanity.
The truth is the bible can be interpereted in any way that suits your view. Just like the person who told you: "If you don't hate the world and hate yourself, you're not really a Christian." Was he/ she a fundemental baptist Christian? I was raised Catholic and I'd never give you that type of response. I live in South Jersey and religion hardly ever comes up. People in my area just don't care. Its only the hardcore evangelicals who tend to be very agressive.
When the person said that you need to hate the world and yourself or else you're not a Christian is probably refering to Luke 14:26 “If anyone comes to me, and does not hate his own father and mother and wife and children and brothers and sisters, yes, and even his own life, he cannot be my disciple." Does that sound like love to you?
The reality about Jesus according to historical scholars (non-Christian) is Jesus was an apocalyptic preacher. He preached that the end times were going to happen in his lifetime. Apocalypticism and prophecies of the end times was a very big deal in Jewish religion around this time. This is exactly what Jesus preached. The end times never happened. Even Paul, 20 plus years later, expected the end to come during his lifetime. He was telling people to not get married, and to not have children. Marriage and having children are meaningless when the end of the world is neigh.