Right, this “not a real Christian” bullshit that Christians use to brush away the hateful people and teachings within your religion.
Own up to these people, they’re your fellow Christians no matter how much you claim they aren’t. Own them and fix them, instead of sweeping them under the rug and claiming they aren’t real
If they have to tell you they are Christian, they are not. If they have to tell you they are honest, they are not. If the have to tell you that they don’t watch porn, they do.
There’s no Christian stamp of approval. Your are the religion you say you are
Ok but also if you think that being a good person is correlated with being a Christian that’s also a problem. I’m a heretical apostate to Christianity but I act more in line with the teachings of Jesus than many Christians. Does that make me more Christian than them despite me having different gods? Or is it just that they’re bad at following the rules of their religion? I think it’s the latter. I think most if not all religious traditions place some weight on and expectations around being halfway decent, and Mike Johnson is a shitty person. He’d be shitty in any religion.
I see a lot of Christians say that they should “show you’re a Christian instead of saying it”, but like how about just be a good person and I won’t infer your religion off of it
Or is it just that they’re bad at following the rules of their religion?
The problem is that this basically can’t be the case, because all the rules are made up pretty much ad hoc and everyone can just justify whatever interpretation cause the holy spirit told them that was the right way, and they’re more in touch with god than you, yadda yadda.
Definitions of who is and isn’t a shitty person is also kind of up in the air. This guy definitely is, but the christian who’s been brainwashed into believing that gay people are sinners as a matter of the rules of the universe by their god? I dunno. Plot twist, though, this guy and the brainwashed guy are the same guy. YMMV depending on whether or not you believe it’s intent, or action, that specifically causes harm, though, cause lots of people can walk around thinking that and never attain positions of power like what this guy has, even if they might end up performing the same given the role.
I’m not given to thinking that all of christianity is bad or whatever, that would be throwing out the baby with the bathwater. But I’ve been raised in the religion, I’ve seen a lot of it, and there’s a much, much higher proportion of what people would call “fake” christians, in proportion to the ones that are nice and accepting and whatever. I dunno if they’re fake, at that point, just by sheer numbers, just by the fact that that’s what exists in the common consciousness as a “christian” way more than some nice dude.
If they’re not following the teachings of the founder of the religion, they’re not part of the religion. It’s not the No True Scotsman fallacy, because being a part of the religion requires them to do something (repent and love others) which they refuse to do.
Incidentally, I’d love to “fix them,” but they don’t think that I’m a Christian because I don’t worship Trump.
That’s very nice, but we’ve still got to contend with the reality that an entire political party in the US is using Christianity as an excuse to do horrifically evil shit, and a sizeable contingent of everyday people who also claim the label are in support of that. As an outside observer and not a Christian myself, it seems like a semantic distinction that ultimately misses the forest for the trees.
Yes, we do have to contend with that. And one thing they are counting on is that the excuse of Christianity carries with it a benefit of the doubt that they can trade on extensively with the “middle ground” Christians who are only supporting them because of the assumption of shared faith. But if we (meaning Christians who see the hypocrisy in their claims) can draw a sharp line of distinction between the two, perhaps we can prove that it was all a sham and turn the middle ground against them as well.
being a part of the religion requires them to do something (repent and love others)
By your definition, but there are plenty of people who seem to have other definitions, enough that he is publicly labeled as a Christian. It would seem the strict biblical definition of who is a Christian does not apply, like many other biblical rules, such as not wearing clothing of mixed fabrics.
You’re not going to convince non Christians he’s not one you with denial alone. You can either own him and better him, or suffer the changing public perception of your religion.
By your definition, but there are plenty of people who seem to have other definitions, enough that he is publicly labeled as a Christian.
It’s not my definition. It’s explicitly the founder’s definition. There’s not really any room for interpretation in “by this they will know you’re my disciples: if you love one another.” Not loving? Not Christian.
It would seem the strict biblical definition of who is a Christian does not apply, like many other biblical rules, such as not wearing clothing of mixed fabrics.
Maybe not for them, but words mean things, and I’m not going to accept their redefinition of a term that applies to me.
You’re not going to convince non Christians he’s not one you with denial alone.
I’m really not sure what the other option is, but I’m not trying to convince non-Christians that he’s not a Christian. I’m trying to convince other Christians that he isn’t.
You can either own him and better him,
Love to, but he (and those like him) doesn’t believe I’m a Christian, because I’m not a Republican. So they won’t listen to people like me. Excommunication and public repudiation is a badge of honor to them. About the best I can do is try to say to other Christians, as loudly as I can and with as much Scripture as possible, that he’s a heretic.
or suffer the changing public perception of your religion.
I totally grant that we haven’t done much to change that perception in recent years, and I’m far from trying to demand (or assume) that it should change overnight.
Right, this “not a real Christian” bullshit that Christians use to brush away the hateful people and teachings within your religion.
You literally are acting against the teachings of Christ if you act like Johnson, which is the entire point of the op-ed you didn’t read.
He isn’t “sweeping them under the rug” but rather calling them out as heretics, and calling out Christians to do the same.
Before writing a big emotional response like this, I’d recommend reading the linked content.
I have mixed feelings about that instinct. Calling out and distancing from the religious hypocrites is a Jesus thing to do. But also when non Christians fear Christians they need to understand why we feel that way and many Christians don’t seem to understand that I’m even scared of Christianity at it’s best.
So in short, do they just disavow or do they adamantly oppose as well? If they do the latter I’m happy they do the former, but I’ve seen far too many think the former is enough before they start shit talking atheists
and fix them
Maybe you should set an example and “fix” all the edgelord atheists.
Atheism isn’t a religion, it’s the absence of it. I can’t fix them because they’re not a group or club. Also, they don’t follow a book with a god that tells them to “take the dust out of your own eye first”, Christians do. So maybe follow your own teachings, instead of trying to impose them on others
Atheism isn’t a religion, but it’s a belief system, and edgy atheists who pick fights for no reason are indeed annoying.
And “Christian” isn’t a homogeneous group – it’s also something anyone can claim membership of. By itself the label doesn’t tell you if someone is a good person or an asshole.
Apart from “this person believes Jesus Christ was real” it doesn’t tell you anything.
Atheism isn’t a religion,
Good thing you told us - it wouldn’t be obvious otherwise.
not a group or club.
The whiny ones sure do seem like they desperately want their own club.
“take the dust out of your own eye first”
Oh, I don’t know… dust in the eye can be a pretty uncomfortable thing.
your own teachings,
They’re not mine.
