People are fine with being disrespectful to Christians

[Flymetothezoom]

At a church playgroup. The people who run it are very devout Christians. I am taken aback, by the number of parents, who thought it was appropriate to bring their kids to the church dressed for Halloween. Kids are dressed as witches, goblins, skeletons, creepy pumpkins etc..
The church holds a light party every year on Halloween and is very clear that they do not endorse Halloween.

The WBC Church compartisons started when a poster said atheists being rude to Christians online was the same as the WBC picketing funerals. Which is very unfair.

Slight tangent but are they still around? I haven't heard much about them since the head honcho guy died.

Looked it up earlier and it said there was about 70 of them

That may be true but I’ve only studied the impact of Christianity and not the others. The number of countries that has Christianity introduced right before their people were enslaved or around the same time is very telling.
I’ll look into the impact of the others but I suspect theirs will be nowhere near.

A lot have left. One of the main people Megan Roper (I think) did a Ted Talk about why she left which was very interesting. I’d like Louis Theroux to return again. It’s always interesting when he goes but I don’t think he is welcome anymore.

@OneTC of course, but to deny they are Christian is not correct. They are extreme but their views are based on their extreme interpretation of the same religious scripture as other Christians. If we readily accept the Taliban are Muslim for example, the same is true of the WBC and Christianity.

@HikingforScenery

I thought that the justification in the eyes of the authorities (who ordered the colonisation and enslaving of people) was that the indigenous peoples on these lands were godless. The Church intervened by saying that they could bring people to God, etc in order to protect them.

I understand to some that this might seem naive but if you look at the colonisation of Africa, Ethiopia (first civilisation) was never truly colonised by a European power as it was deemed of the faith.

Would a Christian mind if they’re compared to WBC picketing funerals, if they’re confident and know they’re not that type of Christian?
Christians are not a homogenous group, same as Muslims, Jewish people, Buddhists, those choose to work at the same company, etc.

History from the view of many enslaved countries was that missionaries came and converted indigenous people to Christianity, teaching them things like ‘slaves obey your masters’, ‘when someone slaps you on the right cheek, turn over the left, ‘God will fight your battles’, etc so you need not fight.
I’ll put this topic on my list as topics to study more on.

I think that’s partly why some of civil rights activities renounced Christianity and turned to Islam.

Christianity was used as justification for enslaving those who were seen as lesser beings. It provided justification for atrocities like apartheid.

They were on a mission and could’ve used any religion, I imagine.

I’ve just had a quick Google and apparently slavery in Ethiopia ended in 1942. Mind blown!

@HikingforScenery

Oh yes, I agree - it was a convenient way to steal land basically but I would say the Church followed the authorities rather than the Church was the instigator of it (which is often the criticism).

I mean, the priest gets skewered by a church spire and the film ends with the antichrist being smug as shit, having won.

It was also shown as part of a road trip that’s been put on to celebrate Halloween, which suggests this particular church doesn’t have too much of an issue with it.

Slavery didn't end in Saudi Arabia til 1963. Actually , has it ever ended?

@Abhannmor it hasn’t ended in the UK. There’s newspapers reports today of Albanian women trafficked to be sex slaves in the UK.

I'm a Christian and very confident I'm not that type of Christian. I support lgbtqa+ rights, pro choice, feminist and they'd definitely not let me in the door lol! But yes I would be offended because that's like saying all Muslims are comparable to terrorists when they aren't and I see their practice as a harmful manipulation of the faith I have. I'm sure they'd feel the same about me but no I don't want to be compared to them when I live my life very differently just because I come under the umbrella of Christian - I think that's getting closer to stereotyping people and I'd rather you bothered to get to know me and what I stand for as an individual. Its like when people assume as a Christian I won't drink, will vote in a particular way or must be against certain people. It'd offensive because it doesn't represent me and you're making assumptions about me and therfore speaking for me.

In fact I would say that's the crux of the issue and why this thread got so derailed because op initially assumed that the members of the host church must have been offended, when actually it came to light that she was the one who was offended and had proceeded to speak on their behalf (and in a way that suggested speaking on the behalf of other Christians) prompting a discussion over this being inappropriate because faith is so individual and a wide spectrum.

The WBC Church compartisons started when a poster said atheists being rude to Christians online was the same as the WBC picketing funerals. Which is very unfair.

I don't think that was actually what was said

However, it was an opinion.

If people think it's unfair, that's their problem surely?

Let's just spout any old offensive rubbish hey because it's just 'somebody else's problem' if they don't like it - massive eye roll.

This is a Christian All Souls tradition. The same ppl who celebrated Halloween / Samhain would observe this tradition the following night. I think most people can get on with both.

👏👏👏

I think the difficulty with the line "if they think it's unfair, that's their problem surely?" Is that it allows the person making the offensive comment to take absolutely no responsibility for what they say and how that affects someone. And it means that the person who was offended should just put up and shut up. I know there's a lot of talk these days about people being 'easily offended' but I hear that used all the time in context of isms like sexism, racism, homophobia etc also closely followed by 'sure can you not take a joke?' We all need to be accountable for what we say and do and how our words and actions impact on other people if we want to live in a tolerant and respectful society and it goes both ways. And usually that involves listening to other people. If someone is telling you your words hurt them then it's your job to own that listen and learn regardless of what your belief system or value system is.

@cw112
I think it all depends what is meant by 'offensive'.

It's very subjective.

From what I've seen some people make a career out of 'being offended'.

I'm sure a lot of these posters wouldn't be so bold in the wild.

I mean, organised religion and churches is kind of the exact opposite of being 'an individual'.

@Vincitveritas I’m very happy to discuss the effects of organised religion on society in person, particularly to those who try and sell it me at my door (exclusively JW or Mormons) or in the street (normally baptists or Muslims) or as is most frequent over the extended family dinner table. I am particularly happy to discuss my views with people who are anti-choice and anti-women’s rights. Although I admit there is not much room for that in my circle of friends so I have to keep that joy for my step family over dinner who like to discuss how ungodly everything from yoga to LGBT people to Francis at church are on a regular basis 🙄

Well, when I'm in the wild and I'm accosted by 'wild' Christians telling my DD that she is going to hell I will be bold as fuck.

@pointythings Please do, they give the rest of us a bad name!

@TheWurst That comment was aimed at the people who read the thread title about being disrespectful to Christians and thought they would come on here and do just that. Defending your beliefs is one thing, attacking someone else for theirs is unacceptable.