>why can't christian groups be taken as seriously as
>other groups?

Because of the stigma initiated upon us throughout history and presently throughout the media, essentially. But the stigma initiated from a seed(the first National Enquire) planted after Jesus Christ was resurrected. Certain pharasees culminated together and fictitiously schemed "cover it up... make 'em seem like crazy, passionate lunatics":

Matthew 28:11-15 "11As the women were on their way into the city, some of the men who had been guarding the tomb went to the leading priests and told them what had happened. 12A meeting of all the religious leaders was called, and they decided to bribe the soldiers. 13They told the soldiers, "You must say, `Jesus' disciples came during the night while we were sleeping, and they stole his body.' 14If the governor hears about it, we'll stand up for you and everything will be all right." 15So the guards accepted the bribe and said what they were told to say. Their story spread widely among the Jews, and they still tell it today."

And from this, we now have this over-abiding, Eeyore cloud of *socio-doubt, which breeds 'well are we lunatics?' i.e. self-doubt*.

We can't be taken serious because of the stigma which has caused nominal Christians to doubt their own faith in the pressence of onlookers that snicker, gibb and mock.

I know this is deep but the only way this seed, that was planted so long ago, can be aleviated is when followers of Christ start being martyred in America; the most influential nation as of right now, as far as media coverage. I know it's going on in 3rd world countries but when the church in America begans to be persecuted and begans to suffer for righteousness sake, then people will begin to take followers of Christ serious again.

I say again because large amounts of Christians were martyred, who lived in and during the Roman empire. The American empire is nothing but a modern-day Roman empire. Entertainment! Yep, it was valued #1 then in Rome and it's valued #1 now in America. Men brutally killing men unmercifully will become a national, prime time source of entertainment again with the whole fam sitting around the widescreen screaming "thumbs down!". It's a process. First, "I don't want God! i.e. autonomy, then pessimism then apathy then finally suicidal anarchy.

Pristine, family-friendly reality t.v. was the catalyst but as you can see it has regressed into a vile, whoremonger pit filled with venomous, savvy snakes (I mean businessmen) who'll sell their own prostrate to innovatively scheme the next reality show. It's become a sic and twisted avant-garde movement. But as King Solomon said "nothing's new under the sun... what's been done before will be done again".