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.

@Vincitveritas no worries, I'll throw in some extra for you next time. I have a lot of time for you - you debate and disagree respectfully. I can imagine us whiling away a few hours in a nice coffeeshop, setting the world to rights, disagreeing on many things and enjoying some really good debate.

@Vincitveritas - I agree with what you say in general but I think where one persons beliefs are a direct attack on my own freedoms then I will directly criticise their beliefs. For example - if someone said (and I know this isn’t what the OP said) according to my beliefs I don’t celebrate Halloween as I think it celebrates darkness, fine, don’t agree but meh. If they say no one should dress in Halloween costumes because it offends me and they are all going to hell. Not ok. As I said previously I have been called a baby killer (I am pretty sure by Powderandpaints) on a thread about abortion rights. I will attack their belief about that until the cows come home.

This thread is thought provoking, for me anyway. I'm a Catholic, don't really like things like spiritualism or ouija boards but each to their own. I've just thought about it and I loved The Omen, saw it when it first came out, the original not the remake. I've also recently discovered Lucifer and I love it. I think I might need to go to confession and have a chat with the priest. Or maybe I'll just accept it's entertainment and I'm not likely to rush off to LA to join in with devilishness with Lucifer Morningstar, tempting as Tom Ellis is.

@pointythings Thank you and what a lovely image, that sounds lovely.😊

@TheWurst And that would be fair enough.

I'm a bit shocked at some of the things people have said about the Baptist Church. I used to take one of my children to an activity at a Baptist Church and occasionally we would go to a service where the children were involved. I found it a very friendly inviting church and the minister was nice. Is that not normal? They were nothing like the WBC, which I've only seen on Louis Theroux but that was enough.

There's many different types of Baptist. I'd say the more defining part of the WBC is their Calvinism and belief in predestination

@ancientgran - The WBC are baptists taken to the utmost extreme. They do not represent your average baptist.

My own personal experience of your standard UK Home Counties baptist churches are friendly and smiley on the surface but once you are more involved quite judgemental with some nasty internal politics underneath. One church I attended as a child/teen fell apart after two people wanted to go on mission together and were accused of wanting to have an affair with each other. Somehow it was the pastor’s fault and the board of elders sacked him and there was a schism, no loving or forgiving there. Yes I know NABALT, but that is my experience of them.

I have also yet to come across any Baptist organisation that doesn’t run events with the main aim of recruitment. I have also had professional experience of a large Baptist charity who stated their main aim was poverty relief but would only visit countries where 15% or less of the population was Christian as it wasn’t worth it for evangelising purposes otherwise. They also played nasty if any bequests were left to them in a will. Forcing quick sales of deceased houses/contesting wills that had been changed to lower their bequest.

@ancientgran my mother was a Baptist in the Netherlands. She was born RC but left the church because of the issue of Original Sin, which was a concept she could not accept. Her Baptist group were a bunch of socially progressive and thoroughly decent people. Mind you the RC in the Netherlands are also a troublesome bunch much plagued with disagreement, with some Bishops much in conflict with Rome because of their social attitudes. As a result I don't tend to judge a book by its cover - I listen to what people say and then gauge whether or not I want them in my life, faith or none.

@ancientgran I have some experience with Baptist churches and I found they are, on the whole, very friendly and welcoming. Like with any group of people there are a few bad apples. I stopped attending one as the lead pastor seemed to be on a bit of a power trip. He also told a young woman at a youth social event she was vain for highlighting her hair! As I've said before the WBC is not representative of most Baptists, thankfully.

Thank you all for the feedback. I supposed I shouldn't be surprised how things vary. I've generally attended Mass with very progressive priest but we had one arrive who was very fire and brimstone. It is funny how people can take something and interpret it in the own way.

The nuns who taught me also had a mission in the Congo, the Congo was a very violent place in the late 50s early 60s and nuns were actually in a lot of danger. They used to write to us from the mission. We were always lectured about how lucky and privileged we were, we were definitely a sad disappointment and it really felt like working with us was the booby prize. It was a bit harsh, some of the kids came from very dysfunctional homes, some would disappear for months at a time when they were sent to open air schools where their bruises healed and they were well fed and clean. When they were well enough they were sent back to their homes and the cycle started again. I feel very sad when I look back and see what miserable lives some of them had.

Might remind them of the 50,000 people they executed for witchcraft - don’t want anyone to feel uncomfortable though.

Honestly, I think bigoted and moralistic people will always find a way. They sometimes use religion, they sometimes don't. Same goes for kind, caring and progressive people.

Very very true

Yes the antichrist won against those were not ‘holy’ enough to be lifted up into the heavens before the antichrist’s rule. That’s what some churches teach- if you miss the second coming/The Rapture, you’re toast and the Antichrist will rule the world and do what he wants with anyone left behind.
Some churches show as part of teaching ‘The Rapture’.

@Nolongerteaching you’re probably right on that.

Right on the money

That’s the norm for Baptists I’ve come across. The WBC ones are very unfamiliar to me.

There is current persecution of Christians in places where they are in the minority. Some are killed just for converting.
Of course other religions are currently persecuted too( Islam comes to mind).

The two religions that 'come to mind' as being persecuted for you are the two biggest religions in the world, by FAR, taking up 45% of the world's population and the majority of the countries in the world, and the most aggressive, proselytising religions, with centuries of murdering and torturing those who refuse to convert to them.

Wow.

@ReneBumsWombats "Honestly, I think bigoted and moralistic people will always find a way."

True, and they are usually atheists or socialists (or both).

Beware their mantra which is "we have ways & means of making you equal "(whether you like it or not !)

@BloodAndFire - Indeed, it’s actually 55% just to make your point further! I am aware of course of Coptic Christians and Uighurs in China as examples of persecuted groups from larger religions but often people who say “Christianity is the most persecuted religion” are talking about predominantly white western countries and I have to roll my eyes.

@Straightalking - hahahahahahaha what absolute bullshite

Don't mind* *@Straightalking , I've come across her on other threads about religion and the bee is definitely in the bonnet when it comes to atheism and socialism.

@HikingforScenery I'm choosing to ignore your comment about Baptists. 🙃Having seen The Omen I can confirm it isn't based on scripture. You're confusing the rapture with the second coming of Christ. Christan eschatology is a fascinating subject, I recommend looking into it.

What’s up with twisting posters’ words?
Did I say Christians come to my mind when it comes to persecution? I countered with Christians currently are persecuted in some countries where they are in the minority- China, Iraq, India, Pakistan, etc etc.

Yes, Islam came to mind because I know women who have had their head coverings removed forcibly in the street in this country or spat at because they’re Muslim. I wasn’t sat down rating current persecution.

Which religion comes to mind for you as currently persecuted?