Using God/Christ in negative threads

[Tigertalk]

Hi all, I’m a long time mumsnetter but finding it hard to read constant threads (as a Christian) that use phrases starting with ‘ for G*d’s sake ( insert some nasty phrase about something) . We don’t accept racist or phobic language so why is it okay to use God, Jesus, Christ etc in these contexts? It’s really uncomfortable to read constantly 🙁

And this is why I have no time or respect for Christianity or those who wear their Christianity on their sleeve like the OP.

Forced conversions and appalling treatment of women and children. This is just the latest in a long list of modern Christian abuse.

www.washingtonpost.com/world/more-than-200-bodies-found-at-indigenous-school-in-canada/2021/05/29/62755ad8-c07e-11eb-922a-c40c9774bc48_story.html

I am an atheist. I do se ‘good god’/‘good lord’ As an exclamatory phrase. I’ve always assumed that would not be majorly offensive. Bit like ‘heavens above’. Maybe I’m wrong. What about ‘for god’s sake’ ?

Flowers500 you seem really angry, I hope you’re okay flowers

I find that so passive aggressive it makes my teeth itch!

I find it offensive that you want people to change just because you are offended OP. You don’t get to change people because your religion says arbitrary words are offensive. Your attitude basically sums up what’s wrong with a religion such as Christianity.

mistakes have been made ha yeah! If the Conservative party was a religion you still endorse them. You’re still part of them and therefore part of the problem. If my boxing club was accused of abusing children, I couldn’t get out of there fast enough. But yeah, you do you with your mistakes and the whole divide and conquer thing.

@pear6782 I think we do this as we are not particularly religious in this country unlike other countries where you can be put to death for blasphemy-and thank goodness we are. There is a long history of using oaths and in medieval times it was incredibly offensive to say god-hence my goodness to express surprise, zounds the same and all sorts of other oaths to cover up the word god. Personally I think we should live and let live-I find some religious beliefs incredibly offensive yet would never dream of commenting to people who express them how offended I feel. Each to their own. And if God is real, I highly doubt they would be offended by some petty blasphemy, unlike real racism, sexism and homophobia rife in religious societies.

[quote LadyPoison]And this is why I have no time or respect for Christianity or those who wear their Christianity on their sleeve like the OP.

Forced conversions and appalling treatment of women and children. This is just the latest in a long list of modern Christian abuse.

www.washingtonpost.com/world/more-than-200-bodies-found-at-indigenous-school-in-canada/2021/05/29/62755ad8-c07e-11eb-922a-c40c9774bc48_story.html[/quote]
@Tigertalk isn’t offended by those things though. Only the use of made up blasphemy.

@SpindleWhorl

Does it bother 'recent Christians' more than those of us brought up from babyhood as Christians, I wonder?

I had a religious upbringing, focused very much around church, faith and good deeds, and I haven't got a problem with people expostulating 'god' & 'jesus'.

I've got more of a problem with any attempts to curtail freedom of expression, and with the chilling effect of deeming things that offend one to be 'phobic' or 'non-crime hate incidents'.

There's too much censorship and thought-policing, especially of women. Personally I think we don't need more, on a website mainly for women.

well said

@Jumpingintosummer

Flowers500 you seem really angry, I hope you’re okay flowers

I find that so passive aggressive it makes my teeth itch!

Yes I’m sorry for that. I’m not immune from getting pissed off! I found what flowers wrote angry and offensive.

@Freecuthbert

So many awful atrocities committed in the name of religion and I'm really meant to care about blasphemy?

On point.

The word "god" doesnt universally refer to the Christian "God".

I can accept that using phrases like "jesus christ" are specific to the Christian religion and should be used with more care to avoid offence.

But "god" is a generic term for an idol etc and its common vernacular to use phrases like "for god's sake" or "good god". I think Christian's need to remember people aren't talking about their specific "God" etc. If people were saying "For Yahweh's sake" I think you'd have more if an argument.

OP I find your referral to the atrocities committed as mistakes offensive. Really really minimising the terrible things that have happened and continue to happen in the name of religion, but you choose to get your back up about people saying OMG. This I just can't understand.

Don’t compare this with racism or homophobia. You clearly have very delicate sensibilities if this offends you.

Non-issue IMO... and I say that as someone who identifies as a Christian.

Also the UK really isn't a "Christian country". The percentage of practising Christians is declining rapidly.

@KevinTheGoat agree 100%. I wish blasphemy was all we had to worry about as Jews...

If you have a strong faith then it should not matter a jot what non-believers think or not think. This isn't a Christian site you don't get to mod the language - render unto Caesar what is Caesar's.

And anyway any offence has an inbuilt punishment according to your beliefs.

Matthew 12:36 ESV / 222
I tell you, on the day of judgment people will give account for every careless word they speak,

@phoenixrosehere

Um.. How does saying for God Sakes compare to racist and phobic language?

If similar phrases were used with the names of other Deities all hell would break loose though.

@Freecuthbert

OP I find your referral to the atrocities committed as mistakes offensive. Really really minimising the terrible things that have happened and continue to happen in the name of religion, but you choose to get your back up about people saying OMG. This I just can't understand.

Apologies heinous crimes. @NoIDontWatchLoveIsland god is just about ok - as you say it’s generic but God means ‘the God’ .

I'm an atheist and at one point I did strive not to use religious terms of speech, the problem is that when you actually look into it so much of our speech is tied to Christianity as PPs have detailed, that it incredibly hard not to.

I believe Jesus was a person, I think his story, acceptance and kindness to everyone is something everyone should follow. But it was all corrupted 2000 years ago at the counsel of Nicea (sp?) and since then has been nothing but contradiction and hypocrisy.

Modern Christianity is so far removed from Jesus it itself is blastphemy.

OP I can not stress to you enough how offensive you have been on this post on so many levels. And not just to one person, whole areas of society. What are you going to do about it?

Please stop trying to censor others in the name of religion. It’s caused enough issues.

I’m sure 98% of people who have read this thread will carry on the same but if a few rethink, that would be good.

Why? Why should others change to suit you? Why do you think others should be educated into your way of thinking?

If anything his thread just reminds me why I am an avowed (!) atheist and how I loathe faith-based value systems and social precepts.

@HappyHappyHippocampus I don’t understand? I’ve said I find people linking expletives to Christian words uncomfortable. I used the reference to homophobia and racism to illustrate that that rightly isn’t tolerated. Why can’t people generally just have awareness that saying certain things offend a group of people and try not to do those things. Some of the things written by pp on here are really awful and uncalled for .
There’s no need to mock others beliefs and make fun of them - some people are deliberately using the phrasing again to mock me/ others. Nothing short of bullying.
It wouldn’t be tolerated in the work place so why is it ok here?
If I’ve offended anyone it’s not my intention. I just wanted to bring this to light, in case people genuinely weren’t aware that this could be offensive