i've noticed something about christians

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reborn_pagan

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okay as alot of you already know im pagan, but thats not what im here to talk about right now and this is something that i want to get off of my chest…

latley i’ve noticed that theres been more tolernce for other religions and i’m all for religion of any kind. But latley i’ve noticed that christians get stuck with the short end of the stick sometimes, because for example jewish people dont get arrested for speaking hebrew or wearing some kind of outfit, nor do you see hindi’s getting a lawsue for having a statue of there idol on the store counter (very sterotypical i know and im sorry)…but god forbid, no pun intended…that a catholic whips out a rosery and says a hail-mary, then they get in trouble and are told they can’t pray in public if there christian…and on a joking point i’m sure that soon we wont even be able to say hail-mary in football soon
 
I’m an archaeologist and it has always been very upsetting to me that my collegues make no attept to disguise their disgust for Christianity, while at the same time speaking as reverently as possible about any other type of (or lack of) religion.

I was once scolded by someone and accused of being intolerant for relating an episode of the “Simpsons” where Homer disguised himself as the elephant-headed Hindu diety Ganesh.

It’s cool to be anti-Christian in intellectual circles.😦
 
A woman I once knew told me, “I don’t need that religion stuff, I have a master’s degree”. 😦
 
You are quite right that there is a blantant double standard in the West, which attacks Christian symbols left and right while at the same time falling all over itself to be “tolerant” of, in particular, Islam and Neopaganism.

The reason is because the elites of the West are trying to rewrite and deny their own history, and that history is shot through and through with Christianity. It is, I believe, a suicidal impulse, to go along with the immigration and low birthrate suicides which the West is also actively pursuing.

Yes, we live in interesting times…
 
catsrus said:
A woman I once knew told me, “I don’t need that religion stuff, I have a master’s degree”. 😦
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She probably had her tongue in her cheek while saying it 😉 I’ll pray that that was the case anyway.
 
LilyM said:
She probably had her tongue in her cheek while saying it 😉 I’ll pray that that was the case anyway.
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No, I have heard much the same - they mean “That religion stuff is only for the very stupid - and look how clever I am!”
 
I once heard at a fundraiser for a politician a business owner said that Church was for the poor to feel better about themselves.

“The poor fools”

I think he only had one whiskey on the rocks at that point, it got worse after the fourth one.
 
yeah this i’ve came to relize with just using common sense that its not just minority religions that get picked on…and now i feel like such an idiot because i thought that, now i understand abit more about catholics and there way of life and i respect them for bieng so devout in there beilifes. but i dont know maybe soon in out lifetime we’ll see abit more true respect and peace with others despite there religion
 
Peterdiago said:
No, I have heard much the same - they mean “That religion stuff is only for the very stupid - and look how clever I am!”
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When I was an atheist, (I was Confirmed in 2005) that was exactly how I thought. In fact, that attitude is required for an atheist to maintain atheism.

As a former atheist, I can confirm that Christianity is the specific target of popular attack, particularly by organizations like the ACLU. An attack which excludes all other religions. I know, I supported these organizations; gave them money, specifically help them attack the Christian Church. (Of course, now that I am Catholic, I do no such thing and greatly regret what I did.)

While some deny it, others justify this unfair treatment claiming that Christianity’s preceived predominance in the West requires that it not be permited to dominate. Thus to target it exclusivly is fair. This is the same reasoning used to justify hiring or admitting to college unqualified non-whites in America over qualified white people, or gender discrimination against men. An attempt to “even” the scales. While they claim this, it is a disingenuous claim. The intent is not to even the scales, but to destroy the the Church. By suppressing Christinaity, not only do they keep it out of the public eye, but they give it’s other enemies, the other religions, free or even enhanced opportunities to attack it, without allowing the Church to defend itself.

Of course, when Christians complain, there is denial all around. Christians are told to “quit imagining things.” or are ignored altogether. In fact, in public debates, the quickest way to get ignored or excluded (or in my town, thrown out!) is to introduce a Christian perspective, however obliquely.

Additionally, due to great thinkers like St. Thomas Aquinas and St. Augustine, Christian, Catholic in particular, theology, being quite intellectually sound, disturbs many of its detractors, hence the many falsehoods and distortions surrounding it.
 
reborn_pagan said:
yeah this i’ve came to relize with just using common sense that its not just minority religions that get picked on…and now i feel like such an idiot because i thought that, now i understand abit more about catholics and there way of life and i respect them for bieng so devout in there beilifes. but i dont know maybe soon in out lifetime we’ll see abit more true respect and peace with others despite there religion
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I can tell you could be a candidate for conversion very soon.
 
Although I don’t know very many people who are like this, one of my best friends is an atheist, and he respects my religion more than some of my non-Catholic Christian friends do. He is a great person, and his respect of my beliefs makes me respect him more than I do many other people.
 
VociMike said:
You are quite right that there is a blantant double standard in the West, which attacks Christian symbols left and right while at the same time falling all over itself to be “tolerant” of, in particular, Islam and Neopaganism.
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If Christian symbols were being * replaced* with symbols of those other religions, you might have a case. To expect that the symbols (and followers) of other religions and those of Christianity be given equal treatment under the law is not an attack.
 
KarenNC said:
If Christian symbols were being * replaced* with symbols of those other religions, you might have a case. To expect that the symbols (and followers) of other religions and those of Christianity be given equal treatment under the law is not an attack.
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But that is not what is happening - Christianity is under a very subtle attack. While we have the same protection under the law as Islam etc., we do not enjoy that in real life. The Da Vinci Code is published, it is a best-seller. A few cartoons are drawn, it is a cause for riots and apolgies.

Maybe if Catholics started burning down embassies or Dan Brown’s house?
 
reborn_pagan said:
latley i’ve noticed that theres been more tolernce for other religions and i’m all for religion of any kind. But latley i’ve noticed that christians get stuck with the short end of the stick sometimes, because for example jewish people dont get arrested for speaking hebrew or wearing some kind of outfit, nor do you see hindi’s getting a lawsue for having a statue of there idol on the store counter (very sterotypical i know and im sorry)…but god forbid, no pun intended…that a catholic whips out a rosery and says a hail-mary, then they get in trouble and are told they can’t pray in public if there christian…and on a joking point i’m sure that soon we wont even be able to say hail-mary in football soon
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Sorry, reborn, I think you are oversimplifying and overstating the case. What is being forbidden is for Christians to be able to require everyone else present to be an active participant in a specifically Christian religious ritual (prayer, for example) or to meet a “test of faith” when in a governmental setting (government meeting, court of law, publicly funded school, publicly funded assistance program, etc). There are no laws against individual practice of ** any** religion, nor against being allowed to have a religon-specific store, school, organization, etc. One simply cannot accept federal funds while requiring participating in a ritual specific to a particular religion.

What is being sought is simply equal treatment and protection under the law for you and me (and all other non-Christians) as for a Christian. Things like knowing we won’t have our children taken away from us in a custody case simply for our religion. To be able to affirm rather than swear on a text that is not sacred to us in court. To not be able to be fired simply because our employer finds out we aren’t Christian. To not have a kindergartner make the choice between adhering to the teachings of his family and go stand in the hall alone while a prayer is said in his class or to pray to a god that he does not follow. To not be denied federal assistance if needed at a social service agency because the only one in our area is run by a Christian organization that requires a statement of faith or attendance at their religious services to receive assistance. To have our clergy be able to perform legal weddings. To have our buildings and organizations be given the same tax-exempt status as those of other religions. To have the symbol of our religion put on our gravestone (as is allowed for other religions) if we are veterans and buried in a veterans’ cemetery.

Simply put, Christians are not oppressed in this country. There are plenty of areas in the world and periods of history where they may be (or have been), just as with other religions. America isn’t one of them.

For the record, I don’t think that Neopagans are hugely oppressed here either, but in some instances and areas it isn’t for lack of trying. However, there are lots of areas for education and improvement–full equality has yet to be reached.
 
KarenNC said:
Sorry, reborn, I think you are oversimplifying and overstating the case. What is being forbidden is for Christians to be able to require everyone else present to be an active participant in a specifically Christian religious ritual (prayer, for example) or to meet a “test of faith” when in a governmental setting (government meeting, court of law, publicly funded school, publicly funded assistance program, etc). There are no laws against individual practice of ** any** religion, nor against being allowed to have a religon-specific store, school, organization, etc. One simply cannot accept federal funds while requiring participating in a ritual specific to a particular religion.

What is being sought is simply equal treatment and protection under the law for you and me (and all other non-Christians) as for a Christian. Things like knowing we won’t have our children taken away from us in a custody case simply for our religion. To be able to affirm rather than swear on a text that is not sacred to us in court. To not be able to be fired simply because our employer finds out we aren’t Christian. To not have a kindergartner make the choice between adhering to the teachings of his family and go stand in the hall alone while a prayer is said in his class or to pray to a god that he does not follow. To not be denied federal assistance if needed at a social service agency because the only one in our area is run by a Christian organization that requires a statement of faith or attendance at their religious services to receive assistance. To have our clergy be able to perform legal weddings. To have our buildings and organizations be given the same tax-exempt status as those of other religions. To have the symbol of our religion put on our gravestone (as is allowed for other religions) if we are veterans and buried in a veterans’ cemetery.

Simply put, Christians are not oppressed in this country. There are plenty of areas in the world and periods of history where they may be (or have been), just as with other religions. America isn’t one of them.

For the record, I don’t think that Neopagans are hugely oppressed here either, but in some instances and areas it isn’t for lack of trying. However, there are lots of areas for education and improvement–full equality has yet to be reached.
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Wrong. Wrong. Wrong.

You can put up a Menorah at an airport, but not a Nativity Scene. Public schools teach the essence of Islam, but not Christianity.

To say Christians in America and Canada are not oppresed is demonstrably false. There is tremendous discrimination in public life. At public hearings in the large city near where I live, you will the microphone taken from you if you even hint you are a Christian.

White people said Black people were not really oppressed in the 1950’s and 60’s in this country. That was false then. What you said about Christians not being oppressed is false now.
 
. . . but maybe he’s not talking about government services but about the general society in which we swim. I think he’s right.

I also suspect there’s going to be increasing heat on Christians since the media elites, Hollywood, liberal pundits, the opinion-makers and tastemakers, however you may term them, have decided to promote homosexual marriage and similar disturbing ideas. . . and Christianity is apparently opposed to this slate of social engineering plans.

For my part, it wouldn’t bother me whit if the local Jews had a menorah at City Hall.
 
KarenNC said:
If Christian symbols were being * replaced* with symbols of those other religions, you might have a case. To expect that the symbols (and followers) of other religions and those of Christianity be given equal treatment under the law is not an attack.
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Try this thought experiment. One person has a Christian symbol or image in his work cubicle. Another person has an Islamic symbol or image. Which do you think management (public or private) would tend to surpress, and which do you think they would tend to ignore?

I know there were cases in public schools after 9/11 of what might be called “Islamic sensitivity training”. Such public school-sponsored religiously-oriented classes would never be allowed regarding Christianity.
 
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