Most American Christians Believe They're Victims of Discrimination

[Revoltingest]

"The days of" part is what I'm referring to. As I said, I've not seen proof or evidence that it is a problem.

You're speaking of present tense.
I was clearly describing what was back in the 70s.

 

[Revoltingest]

More terrorist related news from France.....
http://heatst.com/uk/exclusive-france-suppressed-news-of-gruesome-torture-at-bataclan-massacre/
Grizzly torturing of the victims....ugh.

 

[Demonslayer]

It is very much a cult of fear,

I felt this very sharply when I was growing up. The main thing religion did for me as a child was make me fearful. Fearful of the devil, fearful of God's wrath, fearful about my budding sexuality, terrified of hell, of dying with a sin on my record. It seems like at every turn people were telling me my behavior was wrong. Don't touch yourself, don't touch that girl, don't even look at that girl in the bikini, and most certainly don't look at your dad's Playboy collection. (Am I dating myself?? )Don't say this word or that word, that TV program is bad, that music is evil, repeat these prayers every day whether you want to or not or you're bad, go to church every Sunday whether you want to or not or your bad.

Where was the good? Where was the positive message? it felt like everyone around me was basically saying, you're not even close to measuring up to a good person, you're bad for 100 reasons and you need to constantly be doing the things the church tells you to do or God will think you're bad. It can't be healthy to burden children with all the guilt and shame that Christianity heaps on. It was a glorious relief when I unloaded all of that from my life.

Unfortunately they will need to face some persecution, because we need to acknowledge that such views of fear, paranoia, and hatred just do not belong in our society.

I'm not sure about this part though. I don't think we need to force Christianity or other religions out of our culture, I think they are rapidly dying on their own. America was like 95% Christian just 50 years ago and now it's down to like 70%...with a great number of those being the older generations. 35% of all adults in America under the age of 30 report no religious affiliation...that's more than 1 of every 3 people under 30 who are agnostic or atheist. When the Baby Boomers die out, the shift will be even more dramatic, and if you take the Bible Belt out of the equation the numbers are even higher. As the fundies hang on for dear life and dig in deeper on despicable social issues like marginalizing gay people they only accelerate this process.

People are catching wise that there are far better, less fearful, more positive ways to live your life then under the burden of guilt that Christianity and most of the other major religions heap on their followers. The heavy guilt and fear version of religion will die on it's own, I don't think we really need to do much besides sit and wait.

 

[Shadow Wolf]

I don't think we need to force Christianity or other religions out of our culture, I think they are rapidly dying on their own.

It's not forcing Christianity out, it's the saying we are not going to tolerate this idea the "religious rights" do not trump the civil rights and liberties of others, and addressing and acknowledging their paranoia for what it is. A student is legally allowed to pray in school, and many of them think it is illegal. The ones that teach martyrdom and fear, we must insist there is nothing to be afraid of. Stop tormenting people and get on with your life and let others live their lives.

 

[Demonslayer]

It's not forcing Christianity out, it's the saying we are not going to tolerate this idea the "religious rights" do not trump the civil rights and liberties of others, and addressing and acknowledging their paranoia for what it is. A student is legally allowed to pray in school, and many of them think it is illegal. The ones that teach martyrdom and fear, we must insist there is nothing to be afraid of. Stop tormenting people and get on with your life and let others live their lives.

I agree a bazillion percent, I just think largely this is happening already as the younger generation replaces the old. I prefer letting them hang themselves with the increasingly desperate rhetoric.

 

[9-10ths_Penguin]

Most American Christians Believe They're Victims of Discrimination

Interesting article. Please discuss.

I've been thinking about this a bit more: I think in many cases, the Christians who feel discriminated against feel that Christianity is entitled to a status above all other religions, so when it's treated as just another religion, they consider this an injustice.

Maybe it's like that line about homophobia ("homophobia is the worry that gay men will behave towards you the way that you behave towards women"): thinking about relegating Christianity to the same status they'd like to give to non-Christian religions scares the crap out of them.

 

[Shadow Wolf]

I think in many cases, the Christians who feel discriminated against feel that Christianity is entitled to a status above all other religions

While that is true, in my experience (and as mentioned in the article) they go around telling themselves they will be persecuted, people are out to get them, and they will be discriminated against. It's not necessarily thinking their religion is superior, but it has a lot to do with their programmed mentality of victimhood.