am i the only one who finds it odd when christian people act like they are oppressed?

Question

'they're trying to take away christmas, and make us stop praying in school...'

Answer 1

Nope.

Answer 2

I find it odd, too. There is a big push by some fairly popular people behind this new "persecution" trend. But what has really happened is that in the last 10-20 years, those of minority or other than Christian religions have finally come out of the closet, so to speak. We're no longer afraid of proudly saying, "I'm an atheist." or "I'm a Pagan" or whatnot. With that also comes the fearlessness of openly saying "I'm not a Christian and here's why." I think it's just one of those growing pains. The Christians who do feel persecuted are just now realizing that not everyone agrees with them, and there are quite a few of us who aren't Christian. That makes some people uneasy. They were brought up to believe, or really did believe, that this was a Christian nation. And while that may have appeared to be true back in the day (where if you did admit to not being a Christian you were attacked, burned at the stake, or whatnot) - it's really not. This country is comprised of people of many religions and no religion at all. It's what makes the US so diverse. So when they discover this - they automatically feel insecure -like they've been invaded or taken-over. Now - they have to share Christmas with non-believers and the Pagans are sharing human history with them that their churches forgot to mention (like many of the holidays coinciding with Pagan ones). So they might honestly feel under attack.

Answer 3

Reverend, you should post a link to said pie chart. :o)

No. You're certainly not the only one. It's true that some secularists go overboard with banning Christmas trees and whatever, but Christians are nonetheless nowhere near oppression. If only they read books other than the Bible (like the dictionary) and knew what 'oppression' actually means.

Judith Butler wrote an excellent article on this very subject called "The Value of Being Disturbed." Check it out.

Answer 4

I don't think it's all that odd.

It's fairly predictable.

Whenever a group (ethnic, religious,etc.) has had special privileges and then are forced to give them up, they do tend to feel oppressed. Christians in THIS country had a monopoly on public expression of religion for a long time. Many of that was at taxpayers' expense. And they have had to give their special privileges up.

And they feel persecuted because of it.

They're not, but they do feel that way.

This idea of being persecuted and oppressed is fed to them by a whole lot of people who keep saying that, for example, prayer isn't allowed in schools in the U.S. That's not true, and I believe they know it's not true. So their motivations really ought to be questioned by the folks they are trying to stir up over lies.

It's always best to check thing like that. And the best place to get "actual and factual" information is from the government agencies involved - in the case of school prayer or free expression of religion in schools, that would be the Department of Education:

http://www.ed.gov/policy/gen/guid/religionandschools/prayer_guidance.html

Have you noticed, though, how the self-righteous rhetoric has been escalating? Some of it is just that at this time of year, every year, they pull out that old chestnut about Christmas.

Also, there's the whole "you'll be oppressed" thing in their holy book, so no matter that what is happening now is NOT oppression, they will see it as a fulfillment of that.

I imagine that there will be number of posts on this topic saying exactly that.

They are fighting back, BTW. And using dirty tricks to do so.

I believe that this is why there is a drive to have atheism reclassified as a religion; the rabid reactionary folks (largely fundamentalist Christians) want this to happen so that they can then declare that the teaching of evolution is religious in nature and get it out of our schools, and to put the kibosh on any other scientific theories they want to stifle.

Answer 5

No you are not. They think that way because Jesus told them they would be oppressed. They forget they have on of the biggest fastest growing religions in the world. Any "oppression" they might face was brought on to them by their actions against other religions. They dismiss the violent and oppressive actions of fellow believers by saying that they are not "real Christians". One bad apple can make a whole bag of apples go bad. But than one bad apple is still and apple.... Hope that makes sense...

Answer 6

I have this picture of a pie chart representing the percentages of religions in the US, with Christianity taking up about 80-something percent of it.

Pointing to that section of the chart is a bubble that says "Help! We're being oppressed!"

Answer 7

Not at all. I never know when to bang my head against a large object until I pass out or laugh out loud. It's so silly. They're just so used to their views not being challenged that now that some people are going, "I don't WANT my kids saying 'Under God' in the Pledge of Allegiance at school" their feathers are getting all ruffled.

Bright blessings!
)O(

Answer 8

You'd feel oppressed, depressed, and any other kind of pressed if someone convinced you that you're no damn good, and if you don't tow the line, that you'd burn in hell forever.

Answer 9

Odd as in the fact that they feel bad when they're suppressed when they suppress other religions, gays, etc?

No, you're not the only one.

Answer 10

It's not odd, it's sad. An identity crisis and/or lack of understanding. So many Christians have no idea who they are in Christ, or of the authority they possess.