"The birth of a man who thinks he is God isn't such a rare event"

[IwantToRetire]

This quote from Zoe Fairbairns novel Benefits^, used to be available as a Christmas Card, raising money for a women's group.
https://zoefairbairns.co.uk/benefits/

In one of my earliest proper jobs I quoted this in a staff circular, and the next thing I knew I was in the middle of a complaints process.

I wonder if today I would be criticised for "hate speech" for quoting that?

^ I have to admit I am not sure I ever read the book, but looking at the summary it seems that in some ways not much has changed for women.

Great quote! I’m not familiar with the book but I’m definitely going to quote this 😂

It's been doing the rounds for a long time, along with 'Three wise men??'
And yes I think these days it would be considered sexist and anti-men.

The subtlety of a group using humour against another group that uses power and sometimes violence against them has been lost somewhere along the way..
men are victims too, and all that.

I wouldn't use it in public anymore, but it can still be enjoyed in appropriate company

Well, I’d probably have thrown something at you (churchgoer), but I wouldn’t have initiated a complaints procedure. It’s definitely in the ‘terrible taste and borderline offensive’ genre of Christmas cards, though.

My favourite Christmas card was a traditional Christmas nativity scene with the caption ‘It’s a girl!’

I think I was quite young, and not in a "bubble" in the way we use the word now, but didn't really take into account that others wouldn't think like me, what a clever and truthful think to say.

I think I got away with just having to make a public apology for anyone offended by what had been shared as a light hearted joke for the festive season.

Would I do that now?

I am not sure anyone got the implicit rudeness about men, it was more that I had been irreligious.

And yes, I would be more cautious now.

So in advance, apologise to anyone who finds it lacking in respect to a religion they believe in.

Thanks, this made me laugh @IwantToRetire

I'm religious and don't like the joke but see it's humour.

I think sharing it in a work context was hugely naive, even years ago. No one should feel the butt of others jokes in the workplace.

I'd probably use it. Why not? I use the phrase 'beyond the pale' - by which I (see my surname) I identify the Normans and the French (and probably the Russians?) as being uncivilised (ref to pale that proteted the Normans against the much more civilised Irish, the pale of Calais - self-explanatory - and the pale (i.e. fence) the Russians used to exclude Jews). I think the person who was not born tomorrow (probably August birth) would agree with the phrase 'The birth of a man who thinks he is God isn't such a rare event' - he was notably interested in and supported women.
May use it in next year's Christmas cards. How is it sexist? It's true.

Love this. Were any of the world faiths started by women?

I’m going to read that book, thanks

I'm a Christian. I see the point. Jesus would agree with it, I think, since he was no misogynist. He'd also condemn the men who think they are God, of course (again, because he was/is not a misogynist) because they are committing the sin of pride (hubris, arrogance); pointing it out is a Christian duty.
Women did found Christianity (re: 'it's a girl') since they bankrolled JC and were leaders of early churches (thinking of Chloe of Corinth here, but there were others).

Anyone ever dated one? I did. He seriously thought he might be the second coming. He grew out of it, mostly, but still has a massive ego.

You still know him?

No.

Women were absolutely replaced in Christianity. We went from having a divine female earth diety (in pretty much every pre civilisation culture) to the implementation of a male sky god where women's inferiority was sanctified so much that woman was made from man (who of course was made in 'God's own image), and worse then, woman was blamed as the reason for all sin in the world.

In nature it's the female that brings life into the world. Unless God is a giant seahorse, the idea of him being a man is just ridiculous. Unless you look at it through the lens of patriarchal propoganda.

Of course in the time of Jesus, the idea of men who were gods wasn’t a joke - it was not only quite common in Greek and Roman thought (what we’d now call mythology) but it was state policy!

Biblical historian Bart Ehrman has written quite a bit on the subject, here’s a taste including an inscription about Julius Caesar which provides interesting context for the development of the Christian narrative.

https://ehrmanblog.org/the-god-julius-caesar/

At one point I started waiting for the hints in the novels by men that they thought themselves divine.

I do know him, but we aren't firends, don't socialise. He has set himself up as a sort of guru. I'd forgotten he thought he might be the son of god until reading this thread.

I’ve never come across this phrase and I love it.

merry Boxing Day!

When I was young, the joke was that he was meant to be born in London, but they couldn’t find three wise men and a virgin.

Earth goddesses were not especially female friendly, as ditto female gods (only look at Athene, siding with a man accused of murdering his mother). I spoke of Jesus, not some of his followers who were misogynists (St Paul, looking at you, here). There are women all over the gospels despite the male authors trying to keep them out (and all over the OT and Apocrypha as well).
Adam is guilty of sin since he did what Eve suggested and it is the fall of man he engenders. Eve was misled by the Serpent into tempting Adam.
In giving birth to Jesus (the Word made flesh) Mary removed the stain of Eve's fall and her son crushes the serpent beneath his heal. By his cruxifiction Jesus makes null Adam's choice and redeems all humanity, who no longer are separated from God (who has no sex and is as often personified by a female as by a male - e.g. the Holy Spirit is referred to with female pronouns).