Question for the Christians

[hiddenhome]

Just wonderin' 'n' musin' like. Do you ever get fed up or feel uncomfortable with the amount of blasphemy on the main boards? I've been noticing it more and more recently. I don't know why people think that this isn't offensive or unpleasant. I don't think they'd do it to other religions Makes me wonder why people are so vehemently anti Christian, then keep making these references. Also, can't understand why people can't equate a religious person's love for God to an atheist's love for their family and children. They wouldn't like to be insulted over their love for their dcs, but quite happily take the pee and dish it out to the faith people. Sometimes they're even hostile and aggressive about it. I find the boards quite slack liberally minded, but don't know why they don't extend this liberalism to everyone. If you truly choose equality, doesn't it mean that the equality should extend to those you don't agree with and even actively dislike?

I know we're supposed to take it as part of being a Christian, but was just wondering how others felt really.

[madhairday]

I don't know hidden. The blasphemy thing I kind of just see and get past. I could go on other websites where there is less swearing and blasphemy and it is all nice and fluffy but I chose mumsnet for a reason. I like the gritty reality and honesty of it, and that includes people using these words/phrases often, and that's OK, it's up to them in a way. I find it more offensive if it's people who are Christians saying this stuff tbh - why do I have any right to tell people what kind of language to use? Saying that, people can be deliberately offensive and provocative - most of the time however it's just conversation.

The whole imaginary friend and Christians-are-thickos thing - hmmm. At first, in my early mumsnet days, I did get a little shocked and prickly about it all, but I soon decided this was daft. If they want to say this stuff, again, it's up to them - free country and all that. I don't think we know persecution in this country - dh has just returned from Sudan and believe me they know the meaning of the word far more than we do, and somebody calling us idiots or believers in Spaghetti Monsters comes nowhere close - so in this light, it really goes over my head now. I'm happy to engage in discussion and debate, and confess to smiling a little when I see certain posts of this nature (nothing new under the sun, and all that).

I think posting on this site means we need a certain level of live and let live and I'm happy to do that whilst retaining my own faith and my own certainty. Maybe I should be more bothered - I don' know.

[seeker]

"seeker I haven't said anything about being persecuted. I wouldn't want special privileges either."

Interesting. Do you think not wanting people to blaspheme is asking for special privileges?

[ethelb]

Not wanting people to do something is not asking for a privilege. It is having an opinion.

[hiddenhome]

No, not special privileges, just some common courtesy would be nice. They wouldn't go around saying fg mohammed or s** krishna out of respect.

[alemci]

I think you some make a fair points Hidden Home.

[MrsMcCave]

I am genuinely curious how a Christian can square blasphemy with whichever-commandment-it-is that says dont. Surely this is one the bible is very specific on?

[ethelb]

do not take the lord's name in vain.

It is one of the ten commandments.

[seeker]

"No, not special privileges, just some common courtesy would be nice. They wouldn't go around saying fg mohammed or s krishna out of respect."

Well, my swear words come from my heritage, and that happens to be a Christian one. If I came from an Islamic or Buddhist background and those were the swear words of that culture, I would use them.

[hiddenhome]

So, people are happy to use parts of their Christian heritage when it suits them? I would sooner they rejected it wholesale than use it as offensive language

[seeker]

Absolutely. I said I do try not to blaspheme. But if I do, it's because those are the words that are part of my mental furniture. Mohammed isn't. It's nothing to do with me having more respect for Islam.

[DoubleGlazing]

Agree hiddenhome. It's usually the same people who tell Christians off for "picking and choosing", too!

[VegimalStyle]

I call for an immediate ban on the use of the words;
Gadzooks
Gosh
Zounds
Egad
Jeepers
Jinkies

All blasphemous. Ban this sick filth.

[ethelb]

@vegimal what point are you trying to make exactly. who has tried to 'ban' words on here?

[hiddenhome]

I think Vegimal is being sarcastic, which is exactly the type of response I'm referring to. I suppose they never fail to come up with the goods. They're nothing if not reliable in that respect

[ethelb]

oh does she think she sounds uber trendy as she is giving all those god botherers a 'taste of their own medicine'?

oooooh. all makes sense now.

Seeing things that aren't there, that's a prime trait of those religious nutters isn't it @vegimal

[philbee]

Culture is not religion. Our culture is predominantly Christian in Britain and there's no way to give that up, it's done. It's misguided to say we've only chosen part of it, none of us chose any of it but it's there and there's no escaping it. Christians have chosen to take on the part that has, thankfully from my pov, become culturally optional.

I say 'oh my god!' without believing in god. It's just words to me, but I wouldn't say it around Christian friends because I know it offends them because those words have other significance. There's a fair amount that's depressing and offensive in the public realm, but there's not much you can do except to point out examples as you come across them.

[startail]

I'm an atheist and pretty strident at times, but I don't like OMG and Jesus Christ being used as expletives.

Certainly it causes needless offence to some older Christians and probably younger ones too.

We wouldn't blaspheme against other faiths, so why is it clever to do it against Christianity? I can only think it's rather childish rebellion because people feel a little bit guilty at not following the faith they culturally belong to.

However, little I believe in god, I'm still conditioned to the behaviours and morals of a Christian country.

[startail]

philobee Xposted
You say it far better than me.

[DoubleGlazing]

Thank you startail, that's a thoughtful and considerate post :)

[GlendragonParade]

Although I'm an atheist I think it's valid to use words (should I choose to) which are simply part of my culture and language.

And I absolutely reserve the right to, having sat through hundreds of hours of enforced Christianity at school.

[seeker]

I think I would only be picking andnchoosing bits of religion whenni said "oh my God!"!if I was actually appalling to God when I said it. I'm not. 8'm just, qs I said, using a word that's a bit of my mental furniture. I am happy to let Christians gt on with their lives so long as they don't intrude their blifsninto mine. Which, in my opinion, happens far too often"

[hiddenhome]

I'm sorry to hear that you're being hassled by Christians seeker

[seeker]

I'm not being hassled by individual Christians. But I object to compulsory Christianity in schools, to the automatic Chirstian presence in the House of Lords and therefore in law and policy making which has caused problems for example in schientific research. I an very worried about the rise of the Christian right in America and I am concerned that what happens in America is inclined to cross the Atlantic. And that's just for starters!

[LineRunner]

Christian heritage is very long, varied, complex and culturally informed, though. A significant part of the NT is about the conroversy in the early church with allowing non-Jews to become Christians, for example. Are modern Christians always aware of this part of the Bible and Christian history?

[greencolorpack]

I don't like it. On the internet, I have a famous atheist guy on my friends list and he occasionally says "Christ I only wish..." and to him it's obviously a dirty word, a word to use for emphasis, nothing more. I compose replies like "I wish you wouldn't blaspheme"... I write them out and then delete them cos he will be annoyed, all his other followers will be annoyed, and I'm not really engaging positively with him on any level... on the other hand, my Facebook wall is MY Facebook wall, why should I read blasphemy on it? It's like having a pretty garden and finding someone has pissed all over it. To me. So I'm conflicted. And he's not my "friend", I'm not that tragic as to think I'm friends with a famous person. So I feel I exist in an insecure place as a tolerated religious person, tolerable for as long as I don't tell off blasphemy.

In real life I also don't like it but I have a lovely friend who happens to blaspheme a lot and I just try and ignore it. I lead by example ie I hardly swear myself.

I'm probably a hypocrite when it comes to blasphemy, I love Frank Zappa's "Valley Girl" which is full of "Oh my God!" and Chemical Brothers "Do it Again", "Oh my God what have I done? All I wanted was a little fun" and I quote these quite happily. But I hate/resent people saying "Christ!" or "Jesus Christ!" cos it's like they're posturing idiots trying to sound cool by turning Jesus's name into a dirty word. It's like people smoking to look cool, it's not big, not clever and I'm not impressed. Jesus is my friend, it's horrible to hear someone you love's name being used as a swearword. I'd much rather people said "Fuck it!" The F word don't bother me in the slightest.