Do you get verbally attacked for being Christian?

[mygreatauntgriselda]

Does anyone else feel peer pressure not to be Christian (or at least not to mention it for fear of ridicule) or get verbally attacked for being a Christian?

I often feel I might be ridiculed so keep a low profile about it at social events, unless I am with other Christians. If I do mention it in conversation, I often get a very aggressive response.

On Friday I was out with some friends I have known on average 20 years each. Conversation turned to the Gaza conflict. One friend then started "ranting" about how all wars are caused by religion (a gross over simplification IMHO - wars are complex and involve disutes over rights, territory, resources etc).

She then started "ranting" about how faith shools are the root of all evil and I found myself being verbally lynched by four women, who had all had a glass or two, about the fact that I am Catholic and our children attend a Catholic school.

These were very PC fiends who wouldn't dream of making blanket statements about people from other faiths but felt fine about being very insulting about Christians.

Has this happened to anyone else - how did you react? I argued my corner but am feeling that I do not want to see any of these "friends" again if they have so little respect for my views, beliefs or feelings.

Sexuality has been controlled - as have most other aspects of women's lives - but how has their fertility been controlled?

The control of fertility is aided by religious observance, such as waiting until marriage, marital fidelity etc. In Jewish culture perhaps things like ritual bathing (not too sure of the details here). But I don't see how Mary's conception (via sexual intercourse) has anything to do with mysogenistic control of fertility.

Control of fertility, tum, would be achieved by abstinence from sexual intercourse - either before marriage or for specific days during the monthly cycle.

Yes, Mary was conceived by sexual intercourse. The difference is that everyone apart from her is born with original sin but God (because he chose her before she was born) did not give her the stain of original sin.

Oh I gotcha now.

So control of fertility through means that the woman isn't actually in control of herself. I have always thought of that as controlling sexuality. And had always thought that marriage was introduced as a way of "taming" men and forcing them to take responsibility as much as controlling women.

noonki and OP in answer to your question as to why its ok to have a go at christianity in the west, I think I can answer that...

as an atheist from an atheist family I have been surrounded by christianity at school from a young age, as have my poor kids. They have no say in it. I have had to sing hymns and pray over and over and now I am older, listen to grace before meals in big events, when all I want to do is tell them to stop the twaddle. But I can't cos this is a christian country, and hence I have to undo the nonsense spouted to my own kids. So hence the anger and propensity to 'have a moan' when the oppertunity arises!!

The "not heard of Phil Collins" thing is very odd. I don't listen to modern religious music but I've heard of, say, Graham Kendrick.

UQD who??? now you're showing off

Original Sin is just a metaphor for mortality. I think. [runs]

Well done UQD, I hadn't heard of him before I got involved with church. She was a bit odd all round though - seemed to be proud of being so isolated from "normality" when Christianity says we should be engaging with people, not keeping ourselves separate.

I don't listen to Graham Kendrick - I'd sooner have Faure, or that beautiful Allegri Miserere...

Well, actually, AMIS, me too - but I was just trying to think of "the Phil Collins of the happy-clappy world"!

But we are called to holiness, AMIS. We don't have to be the same as everyone else to mix with them. We are called to be Christians in the world, but not to be part of it (can't remember the right quote).

"the Phil Collins of the happy-clappy world"

He'll be putting that on his resume, no doubt, poor bugger

Why ?

many thanks for all your comments - the discussion has evolved into a much more interesting debate than my original points LOL!

And I have learnt a lot about the immaculate concption!!

Scienceteacher - I haven't relly developed my arguement "for" 'cos I don't feel I should have to expain my beliefs, which are really some of my deepest and most private thoughts, to people - I don't thrust my opionions down people's throats, which I why I was taken aback by the attack. I don't aggressively interrogate Muslims about "Why do you believe in Allah then???" so am taken aback when people do that to me

namtaken: "FWIW, I find that catholics are the last lot of people left in the West that people feel it's OK to bash. I've never once seen a thread bashing Muslims on MN. Or jews. Why do people think it's OK to catholic bash." Totally agree and also think there i an element of anti-Irish racism sill around...the friends in question friends are all middle aged, very left wing childless women who work in the public sector (i.e. PC trained). They wouldn't dream of attacking a Muslim or Jew in the way they attacked me, for their beliefs or for sending their children to faith school.

I take on board the point about people feeling surrounded by Christianity etc and feeling entitled to have a pop (I really do) but as an Irish/Italian catholic I have never felt part of a majority christian homogenous population - I grew up during 1970's when Irish catholics suffered lot of racism and felt quit estranged fro mainstream protestant society.

I have often felt moved to have a rant abouta current issue but have held my tongue (e.g. held my tongue with Jewish Israeli-linked friends about Gaza) because I feel it would be insensitve to launch a verbal rant when it might offend or hurt someone. I feel a bit taken a back that my friends never considered my feelings I guess.

It makes me think maybe they don't understand my lifestyle and have very little respect for my views/feelings.

Allegri Miserere... is my fave piece of miserable music

Why all the faces - have I missed a post as I whizzed through 'tiwxt getting kids to bed and puttng washing on?

scienceteacher, why are you ?

My point was to Rev and is follwoing on from a previous/current convo on another thread

Thinking about the 'people only criticise christians' thing I don't really think that is true. There have been lots of threads for example about the treatment of women in islam. Also ones about the stated intention of forcing the UK to submit to Sharia law.

There are plenty of things I disagree with about islam (issuing death threats to citizens of another country goes high on my list) and of course as far as I am concerned Allah is no more real than Jehovah, Siva, Thor or Jesus. Essentially muslims are the same to me as christians or jews. They are subdivisions of 'religous' just like methodist, catholic, jehovah's witnesses, mormons etc.

The main reason christianity comes up is (as has been said) that christianity affects me directly. My country is partly ruled by a church and our leaders run to ask an archbishop's opinion on just about everything.

If religion was just something that happened between religious people it wouldn't be a problem for me.

onager - I think you have hit the nail on the head with your last sentence.

I do find it ironic that Prof. Dawkins is continually criticised for commenting on theology without a degree in the subject (as if that were necessary), when at the same time the church feels it can comment on science all the time (given that science is the study of the Universe and everything in it)...