Dexter Posted December 18, 2018 Share Posted December 18, 2018 This is more a rant than a question so I am putting it here. But what is the deal with the persecution complex? It is baked to deeply into Christianity that to go through life without having been persecuted means that you were a bad Christian. Everyone in the church wants to convert the world but yet could not live in a world where everyone is converted because then there would be no one left to persecute them. Perhaps one of the most eye opening things for me when I was still amidst my Christian walk was the rare instance when someone would ask me how, precisely, I was more persecuted than they. This was once asked to me by an atheist and of course my default reaction was that he has the support of all the world (because I was the one against the world) so it was laughably absurd that an atheist could ever be persecuted. He then asked me how exactly I think it would go if he ran for public office on that platform. And of course I saw right away the arguments of most people asking how they could trust someone who believes in nothing (and even that argument as was beginning to see was fallacious). But persecution is a right of passage. It's a barrier of entry. You MUST be persecuted or you are no follower of Christ. How sad for Christianity, then, that it became so powerful. People scream persecution as the smallest things but I feel that in their hearts, even they know it's not really true. As I listen to my aunt gravely tell tales of children being throw in prison for praying in schools, I notice that she does literally nothing about it and the very next day posts about her blessings. "God Bless America and the Freedom of those who have fallen in defense of our country!" ((As a momentary aside in respects to my friend Guan who died in a freak accident while on active duty, fuck off with your blessings. It wasn't for your god that he served.)) I see my mother comparing news articles about how the government ordered some ridiculous number of rail cars and that some chain manufacturer was involved and concluding that the government was going to put Christians in rail cars and ship us off to camps. "Just like Hitler!" My pointing out that she was getting lost in the imagery and that rail would be an absolutely abysmal logistical solution in the US fell upon deaf ears. Even at work, my boss is an active Christian and he is always hesitant around me, the gay atheist. When a co-worker's mother died, my boss bought a card for the department to sign but before he handed it out to anyone, he cautiously asked me if it was offensive. The card just had some general 'sorry for your loss' platitudes and a verse from Isiah on it. My co-worker is an active church-goer. I asked how it could possibly be considered offensive (unless my co-worker was not a Christian) and my boss was just fearful that the existence of a scripture verse on anything at work would get him into trouble. There is also a Caroling Choir at work who go around in the middle of the day (when they should be working) singing hymns and carols. And the Christians in my lab are shocked whenever they sing a carol that has the word "Christmas" or "Jesus" in it. Persecution is baked in. "Facebook is trying to take down this Christian Flag! Share immediately" "What the public schools don't want your kids to hear." "It's not against the law to say Merry Christmas." "Keep Christ in Christmas!" To Christians in the United States. You are NOT persecuted. If you want to genuinely understand persecution, reach out to North Korean missionary C.Y. Kim. He'll educate you on the true reaches of persecution. 1 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
midniterider Posted December 18, 2018 Share Posted December 18, 2018 Being told "No thanks" to someone's religious advances is not persecution. 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MOHO Posted December 18, 2018 Share Posted December 18, 2018 I see the persecution/"Satan is out to get us" thing each and every day, @Dexter. The progressive/socialists in office, or attempting to attain office, are examples of Satan trying to tear down America because we are the Xitan leaders of the world. (Never mind that he Vatican is in Rome). Just folks thinking socialism is good for everyone. Satan: NO. Girls kissing on the opening skit for the Macy's day parade is an example of Satan trying to desensitize us to smut. Misguided, yes. Satan: SHEESH. Members of Congress trying to dig dirt on Trump and prosecute him is obviously Satan trying to take the man out because his a "CHRISTIAN"!. Some see it as a legitimate process for removing someone with whom they disagree from office while others really feel there is corruption here. Satan...again no. This behavior really makes me uncomfortable in that these are grown adults spewing this crap - not 8 year olds. It makes me wonder what other irrational behavior they are capable of. As far as the "YOU must be persecuted or you will go to Hell!" message - I heard pastor asshat say this one time back when I used to attend Mrs. MOHO's church. The fundies I encounter daily behold the events I listed above as close enough to personal persecution. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dexter Posted December 18, 2018 Author Share Posted December 18, 2018 52 minutes ago, MOHO said: Members of Congress trying to dig dirt on Trump and prosecute him is obviously Satan trying to take the man out because his a "CHRISTIAN"!. Oh god, this. I’m sorry but when the hell did Trump become Christian? This is a rhetorical question but one I want to ask my former church friends so much. Ok, if you are one who loosely qualifies Christianity then perhaps that is a fair label. But just a couple years ago if you asked anyone in my church if he was a Christian they would have said absolutely not! Now he’s a righteous warrior of god??? Am I the only one whose intelligence feels genuinely insulted when Trump speaks of god? 1 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MOHO Posted December 18, 2018 Share Posted December 18, 2018 1 hour ago, Dexter said: when the hell did Trump become Christian? When he put his hat in the ring, my friend. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
midniterider Posted December 18, 2018 Share Posted December 18, 2018 To be a Christian you would have to 'worship' Jesus, not think you ARE Jesus. 4 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
midniterider Posted December 18, 2018 Share Posted December 18, 2018 Bill Clinton: Sex pervert with Monica Lewinsky Trump: Victimized by Stormy Daniels 4 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Geezer Posted December 18, 2018 Share Posted December 18, 2018 The victim card, the race card, & the persecution card are all too often played for money, or to obtain or achieve something that cannot be obtained by more difficult means; like hard work for example. Life ain’t fair thus the need for victims to level the playing field. That is not to deny there are legitimate victims and it is sometimes difficult to identify the real victims from the players. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
1989 Posted December 20, 2018 Share Posted December 20, 2018 I remember Andrew Wommack saying on his TV show that criticism was a form of persecution for the Christian. Of course, he claims to be persecuted by other Christians that don't agree with his interpretation of the Bible, between raising people from the dead and curing cancer and stuff. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
☆ Tsathoggua9 ☆ Posted December 20, 2018 Share Posted December 20, 2018 11 hours ago, 1989 said: I remember Andrew Wommack saying on his TV show that criticism was a form of persecution for the Christian. Of course, he claims to be persecuted by other Christians that don't agree with his interpretation of the Bible, between raising people from the dead and curing cancer and stuff. Are you saying that this guy, Andrew Wommack, claimed to be able to raise people from the dead? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
1989 Posted December 21, 2018 Share Posted December 21, 2018 21 hours ago, Tsathoggua9 said: Are you saying that this guy, Andrew Wommack, claimed to be able to raise people from the dead? Yep. Specifically his son and wife. He also claims to have performed supernatural regenerations and other outlandish stuff. He's also said that if you have enough and the right kind of faith you can beat cancer and any other number of things. It's crazy. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
☆ Tsathoggua9 ☆ Posted December 21, 2018 Share Posted December 21, 2018 2 hours ago, 1989 said: Yep. Specifically his son and wife. He also claims to have performed supernatural regenerations and other outlandish stuff. He's also said that if you have enough and the right kind of faith you can beat cancer and any other number of things. It's crazy. Oh boy, that's nuts! Extra-special blend of crazy-sauce, for sure. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
★ Citsonga ★ Posted December 22, 2018 Share Posted December 22, 2018 13 hours ago, 1989 said: He's also said that if you have enough and the right kind of faith you can beat cancer and any other number of things. It's crazy We'll see how good his faith is once he dies. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Aries256 Posted December 31, 2018 Share Posted December 31, 2018 They make up ways to be persecuted then whine about it. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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