Religion

MineralMan

(149,597 posts)

11. The problem with that is that people self-define their religious affiliations.

Thu Apr 4, 2019, 02:21 PM

Apr 2019

If someone tells me he or she is a Christian, I have no choice but to accept that self-labeling.

Now, one can be a loving, kind Christian or a bigoted, vindictive Christian, but the label is up to the individual.

Some Christians are fine examples of the teaching supposed to have come from Jesus a couple thousand years ago. Others don't follow those teachings at all, really. But the label isn't mine to bestow or take away. The Christian is the one who calls him or herself that. Who am I, an atheist, to naysay someone's label?

Even Jesus was supposed to have said not to judge others. So, I don't judge people's labels for themselves. It's just another piece of information that is relatively meaningless without observation of that person's behavior.

I think we all know Christians at both ends of the Christ-like spectrum, and all across that spectrum. We have other labels we can apply - more descriptive labels that aren't generic like "Christian."

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Texas Senate Passes Religious Liberty Bill to Shield Lawyers Who Reject LGBTQ Clients [View all] trotsky Apr 2019 OP

In short, they miss Jim Crow. muntrv Apr 2019 #1

Cowards. Firestorm49 Apr 2019 #2

Now to turn that around WhiteTara Apr 2019 #3

Why put the word "Christian" in quotes? nt. Mariana Apr 2019 #5

Because there are Christians and then WhiteTara Apr 2019 #8

I'm with you on boycotting them Mariana Apr 2019 #9

+1 n/t trotsky Apr 2019 #10

just the kind that would make Jesus ashamed of them. demigoddess Apr 2019 #23

That may make them lousy Christians. Mariana Apr 2019 #24

Not really christians. Jesus said if you love him, you must follow his teachings. Karadeniz Apr 2019 #26

So, you've determined that these people are non-Christians. Mariana Apr 2019 #27

pretenders. demigoddess Apr 2019 #28

They are non-Christians [i]pretending[/i] to be Christians. Mariana Apr 2019 #29

no, they 'think' they are Christians. But they don't want to follow the demigoddess Apr 2019 #30

Which rules? Act_of_Reparation Apr 2019 #32

How do you figure out what the rules are? Mariana Apr 2019 #34

I would say that 'Thou shalt not kill" is one rule demigoddess Apr 2019 #36

But is it an absolute rule? trotsky Apr 2019 #37

If somebody disagrees with you about one rule, are they still xian? Pope George Ringo II Apr 2019 #38

This is what's been lost when Christianity went from simple small groups to a state Karadeniz Apr 2019 #39

The problem with that is that people self-define their religious affiliations. MineralMan Apr 2019 #11

When it's in quotes, it's not generic WhiteTara Apr 2019 #16

I suppose. However, I think I understand the intent there. MineralMan Apr 2019 #17

The quote implies they aren't really Christians. Mariana Apr 2019 #18

read history. There was a time when being a Christian was not enough demigoddess Apr 2019 #31

My point is that I'm not a Christian. MineralMan Apr 2019 #33

"Almost every christian church I have attended said they were right and everyone else was wrong." trotsky Apr 2019 #35

And similarly they also want to 'protect' the poor put-upon Christian healthcare/dr./nurses. CurtEastPoint Apr 2019 #4

Well, I wouldn't have an attorney who disagreed with me on a basic MineralMan Apr 2019 #6

Replace "LGBTQ" with "Black." MineralMan Apr 2019 #7

Black Lordquinton Apr 2019 #12

You are probably correct. MineralMan Apr 2019 #13

Someone tried a counter argument Lordquinton Apr 2019 #14

Infuriating, isn't it? MineralMan Apr 2019 #15

And you were right to drop out of the conversation. MineralMan Apr 2019 #19

It was elsewhere Lordquinton Apr 2019 #20

For many, disagreement is counted as persecution. MineralMan Apr 2019 #21

What's the line? Lordquinton Apr 2019 #22

Next thing you know,.. Permanut Apr 2019 #25