The phrase/idiom "to have a come to Jesus meeting"

[DynamoKev]

Prompted by something else.

www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=come+to+jesus&r=f

I had never heard this phrase, but others were dismissively asserting that it's commonly understood - so unscientific survey time -

YABU - I have heard this/understand it/use it
YANBU - I have not heard thsi before

I've heard the phrase but appear to have assumed the wrong meaning for it

I'm not sure I'd say it's "disrespectful" - it's a phrase that has obviously originated within Christian culture. Like Road To Damascus, Prodigal Son, Good Samaritan, the Sheep and the Goats, or (as PP noted) Epiphany.

{ Florrie wasn't sure about the thirty pieces of silver reference. It was New Testament, and New Testament was blasphemy. It was like the difference between "oh God" (which nobody minded) and "oh Christ" (which Florrie had never held with). }

I'd never heard of it before yesterday. I have teens so probably better than average with slang but this one has passed us by

Very much an American phrase. I first heard it about 40 years ago (based on my age, may have heard it earlier and not know it).

A come to jesus moment is a bit like a lightbulb moment. You've realised the problem, what to change to fix it etc.

A come to jesus meeting is literally a meeting to give you the chance to have a come to jesus or lightbulb moment.

I’ve heard of it. I don’t think it’s a young person thing (am very late 30s).

I’m English, not American. But I know Americans and people from a variety of places. Maybe it’s about how wide one’s social circle is?

Ones

Social

I know plenty of North Americans. But not through work so if it's used as office jargon I won't have heard it.

It's a US phrase to me. I know the meaning. Jesus take the wheel is another. I watch Real Housewives of Atlanta & that's one of their favourites.

Never heard of it and wouldn't have been able to guess what it meant without looking it up

Yes, I've heard of it before - more often a "come to Jesus moment" but I've heard the meeting one as well. I think it's very American, I don't know that I'd expect non-USians to use it. I don't think of it as offensive to Christians, the people I've seen/heard use it are generally older Christian ladies from the States.

I haven't heard it before as an idiom. I am a Christian and, like pp upthread find it offensive (as well as exclamations of God!; JC! and the like, which make me wince and recoil). I wish people wouldn't. JC was never heard as an expletive in public, at least, until about 1970 from my experience.

Someone in an office I used to work in complained she felt offended if people said "oh god" and explained her feeling offended because she was a Christian. Why she assumed we were referring to the Christian god when there are hundreds out there I do not know.

I can't see a bite but I have known the phrase for years and thought it was in common use. I would understand it as meaning that "an intervention" was needed in someone's life by a group of friends (or possibly wronged parties) to exert peer pressure to change a problematic behaviour.

Bite/vote!

I've heard "have a come to Jesus moment" and it means the same thing as an epiphany. I have not heard "come to Jesus meeting".

@bridgetreilly

Yes, it's disrespectful to Christians, but so is a LOT of everyday English. Every time someone says 'Jesus' or 'Jesus Christ' or 'for Pete's sake', for example, it's disrespectful to Christians. Generally, most people don't seem to mind being disrespectful to Christians.

I’m not religious but did once ask mnhq who’s oh my f.c.ing (written out in full) was acceptable when if you substituted another deity it wouldn’t be. They couldn’t really answer.

I think the previous trendy phrase was 'stage an intervention'. Which pissed people off because they were offended by the connection to addiction.

In my experience it’s a very common thing to say but I’m American so.