"He's a good Christian"

[older]

This is peanuts on the scale of life’s annoyances, but I just have to complain a little about the insertion of “he’s a good Christian” into conversations where a person’s religion is of no consequence to the subject at hand.

 

Most recently I was chatting with my next-door neighbor. They are big-time fundies; he’s considering going to a seminary. But the conversation was about some changes he’s doing to his property including a new electrical panel. I asked him if he was going to use an electrician I had sent to him a few years back, and he said no, that he had a friend who was a licensed electrician and would do the job at a good price. But in the middle of that explanation, my neighbor had to insert “he’s a good Christian” in the middle of a sentence. How does his religion affect is ability as an electrician?

 

I had a similar experience at a wedding reception a few weeks ago. Granted, it was a fundie wedding, but as I sat at a table with some people I didn’t know and will never see again, this woman was talking about someone and twice the phrase “good Christian” was inserted completely out of context into a sentence. The subject at hand had absolutely nothing to do with religion.

 

It’s easy to think up snarky comments to make about why the person’s religion is important to the discussion, but that wouldn’t accomplish anything so I’ll just endure it and come here to complain once in a while. (Grumble, grumble.) So thanks for reading this.

[◊ Weezer ◊]

Oh, but we need to point out all these GOOD Christians.  LOL, there are so few of them!

 

But seriously, I have had the same experience.  

[★ Citsonga ★]

I guess they have to specify "good Christian" because just saying "Christian" doesn't automatically mean good.

 

[TheRedneckProfessor]

And Jesus said unto him, "Why callest thou me good? none is good, save one, that is, God."  Luke 18:19

[florduh]

Meaningless phrase.

 

[Geezer]

I see businesses note, in their advertisements, that they are owned and operated by Christians. They realize many Christians prefer to do business with other Christians because, in their mind, they are more honest and trustworthy. That doesn’t mean they are, of course, or that they are actually competent.
 

Cults prefer to do business with other cult members.   

 

 

[◊ Weezer ◊]

1 hour ago, Geezer said:

 

Cults prefer to do business with other cult members.   

 

 

My father made an interesting comment after he retired.   He was a church of christ elder, a building contractor, built 2 buildings we worshipped in, and did lots of work for church members.   One day he told me he came to dread doing work for church members.  Said he had more trouble working for them than anyone else.  He just could not understand why that was so.  And in my experience I now avoid doing business with businesses who use the Christian "flag" to attract people.  If that is all they have to attract people, they may not be very good at what they do.

[older]

8 hours ago, Weezer said:

Said he had more trouble working for them than anyone else.

   

Probably because they were expecting a discount. My neighbor mentioned in our chat that he was getting a good price. 

 

I've had some rather poor service from alleged Christians over the years, so I wouldn't give the fish logo in the shop window any more credit than I'd give to anyone else. Trust but verify. Or, as we in journalism used to say, if your mother says she loves you, check it out.

 

I don't think businesses should mix religion or politics. My wife won't go into one store here because their politics are heavily displayed in their window and inside. I will say that my barber has a Bible on the table with the gun and car magazines, and one on his stand by the barber chair. But he doesn't bring it up with me so I'm OK with that. (Which is fortunate as there are only two real barber shops left in my town. Most are "salons" into which I will not go.)