To wish people would stop saying 'Jesus' all the bloody time

[Sortyourlifeout]

I can't read a thread on here without someone saying "Jesus Christ" or "Jesus wept" or similar.

I'm not a prude AT all and I have no issue with people swearing but as a Christian I find it highly offensive when people throw Jesus' name round in a negative way, without a thought for others' feelings and religions.

Most people wouldn't dream of using words that were offensive to other religions so why is it acceptable when it's 'Jesus?'.

This is a genuine message to ask people to PLEASE think before they post/speak.

https://www.myjewishlearning.com/article/ancient-jewish-marriage/

I had no idea as a teen that some Jews had contracts for a celebate marriage.

The Apostles were Jewish so understood how marriage worked.

Every Christian I've ever met picks and chooses which parts of the Bible to follow.

Now you know what "Bible studies" are ...

Most agree that the "rules" set out in the old Testament simply reflect the laws and customs of the time.

Most. but not all. And - as noted upthread - even the bible itself tells you that's not really cricket. It should be all or none. But then as I pointed out, you are dealing with a translation of a translation of a translation of an idiom of a culture of a time that no longer exists.

Also, I find it slightly worrying that some people seem to need some scary supernatural being to tell them to be nice to other people, rather than connect with their own conscience and do it because it makes the world a bearable place.

You can legally crack on with secular progress, changing laws on polygamy and multiple people listed as parents on a birth certificate of motherless surrogate babies.

Not quite sure what that means, to be honest. Are you working on a sermon ? You may need to add some fancy dress to keep some peoples attention.

I'm not sure you're furthering your cause here like you think you are @SpeedSnap

That's not a problem for me. You crack on.

I've mentioned upthread that I am a churchgoer, albeit in a different church from the one I was brought up in. I understand what Bible studies are!

I don't agree that people should follow all or none of the Bible. I believe that religion is personal. People can follow the teachings of Jesus while ignoring those bits that don't hold water for them. E.g. I'm not going to kill anyone who mentions conversion in my presence.

The point I'm making is that it's very possible, and I would argue it's perfectly okay, to be a Christian and ignore the minutiae of the Bible that aren't relevant now, or to you personally. Such as blaspheming.

Bloody hell, fucking Christ.

Aren't some of the core valued of your religion supposed to be love, grace, humility, forgiveness and patience @SpeedSnap?

Maybe an idea to reflect on whether you're actually living up to those with the way you speak to people.

You can't possibly read back your posts on here and be happy that they reflect those values...

😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂

You can't simultaneously say religion is a lie and then hold Christians to higher standards.

@MinervaSaidThar

You can't simultaneously say religion is a lie and then hold Christians to higher standards.

Luckily, that isn't what I'm doing.

I'm asking why someone Christian doesn't hold themself to the standards they claim to believe in.

Take OP. She believes that to say 'Jesus Christ' / 'oh my god' etc is wrong. I don't believe it's wrong. I can point out the hypocrisy in her judging others (who don't believe) for using those phrases when she (who does believe) admits to using one of them and has done so elsewhere on the site. Im not required to agree with her that the phrases concept are wrong in order to point out that hypocrisy.

No, flipping fucking Atheism, it's NOT a wind-up! For some parents, religious observance for their child is important and not doing it would be neglect.

You absolutely are holding her to higher standards. She is not answerable to you and your interpretation as an atheist. You don't get to have an opinion on someone's observance of their own religion insofar as it doesn't affect you.

I don't agree that people should follow all or none of the Bible. I believe that religion is personal. People can follow the teachings of Jesus while ignoring those bits that don't hold water for them. E.g. I'm not going to kill anyone who mentions conversion in my presence.

It is also entirely possible to follow the teachings of Jesus without believing in them or the bible anyway. By al means, claim you are being nice to people because an old book tells you to, rather than because it makes you feel good. But it doesn't really sell your critical thinking to me.

People who burned witches actually used their bibles to literally fan the flames. There were artisans who peddled bible holders that allowed you to fan your bible to the middle and hold it at arms length so as to ensure the flames took hold quickly.

OK, I may have made that last bit up. Which seemed appropriate in this thread.

What is the point of this post?

There are some really really good examples of why I'm pleased to be an atheist going on here. Astounding.

@MysteriesOfTheOrganism

Or maybe MN could start a new trend? Perhaps I'll start saying "Penis beaker" or "Naice ham!" Anyone care to join me

I quite often mutter "Penis fucking beaker" when reading some of the posts on here, but it's more an expression of regret than surprise.

@MinervaSaidThar

You absolutely are holding her to higher standards. She is not answerable to you and your interpretation as an atheist. You don't get to have an opinion on someone's observance of their own religion insofar as it doesn't affect you.

Can you just take a little step back for a minute and see that this doesn't make any sense? I can understand that it must be unsettling when your faith and beliefs are challenged, but this really doesn't stack up does it?

OP is asking people to not do what she admits to doing, because she finds it offensive. It's the very definition of holding others to higher standards than you can acheive yourself, surely?

Because Christanity is irrelevant to most people. Be thankful you live in a society with free speech because the alternative is a lot worse.

OP is asking people to not do what she admits to doing, because she finds it offensive. It's the very definition of holding others to higher standards than you can acheive yourself, surely?

Quite. But that's not unheard of in organised religion, so really it's on brand.

But have a think why they don't, Christianity was for a very long time the predominant UK religion. When I was a kid, i wouldn't have known the words Mohammed, Allah etc to be able to use them to blaspheme. There was no one of another faith at my school .You use the words you hear from people, who in turn are using the words they heard from people going way back. It's like when the sound goes on a Teams call and we will say ooh you are going Norman Collier there Jane - guaranteed a lot of people saying it will not know who he is but will know that's the thing you say when someone's sound breaks up.

It's like you feeling guilty about saying oh my god - you are projecting that it's "your" god. The Quran will tell you "there is no god but Allah".. So, if you are saying OMG in front of a Muslim you are using that god as a swear word. And when my Muslim colleague says god, well presumably she is blaspheming against her god.

It's all a but daily mail though isn't it - like those bollocks stories about Nativities being banned.

In real life I do my best not to swear in public, purely out of courtesy. However, I'll be damned if I'm going to let myself be censored on an anonymous forum. That said, I tend to go for FFS rather than anything religion related.

The problem lies within the structure, doctrine and institutions of Christianity )and almost all religions) though.
for many centuries Christianity has underpinned the whole structure of western society. It continues to affect everyone to different degrees in western society today. Some people disagree with the amount of its continuing influence. Christianity remains, amongst other things political. It is forced on people to some extent everyday. Many people have had appalling incidents related to the church.

The more Christian belief declines it seems the more aggressively evangelical its followers become (this happens in the death throes of an Empire- in this case Christendom). If people realised spirituality was a personal thing, no two people will be alike, there would probably be a lot more tolerance.

if you look at the last 2000 years of European history, Christianity had been a steady force for good. But my God have many many evil acts been perpetrated in its name.

Being evangelical perpetuates that aggression, it is thinking you have the right to try and infiltrate a person with your personal beliefs and threaten eternal damnation if they don’t join your tribe.

You absolutely are holding her to higher standards.

You don't seem to understand that I'm asking her about her standards, which is not the same as holding her to mine.

Let's take another example of this. If a man believes women should do all the cooking, cleaning and childcare and says that's because he's 'traditional' but expects his partner to work full time, has sex with her despite not being married and doesn't ever want to get married, does that mean I can't call him a sexist hypocrite for picking and choosing which 'traditions' he supports? Do I have to agree with him that women should do all the cooking, cleaning and childcare before I'm allowed to point out the hypocrisy?

She is not answerable to you and your interpretation as an atheist. You don't get to have an opinion on someone's observance of their own religion insofar as it doesn't affect you.

What an odd and again hypocritical stance to take in defence of posters who believe that their observance of her own religion should directly control the language of other people who don't share their beliefs.

So atheists can't have an opinion on Christians observing their beliefs, but Christians can have an opinion on atheists observing their beliefs? Does that really make sense to you?

I believe OP and others who share her beliefs absolutely have the right to their opinion, it just differs from mine and I also find their opinion hypocritical. I have the right to that opinion.

I believe religious people who don't believe in gay marriage have the right to that opinion. I personally find it homophobic and wrong, but they have the right to believe it.

You have just outright said you don't believe I should even 'get to have an opinion' on someone else's beliefs if I don't agree with those beliefs. It makes zero sense and is very controlling and entitled as a point of view.