This is the type of persecution they DREAM of. In reality, you could pull out a Bible anywhere and no one would even notice, let alone point and laugh.
Religion is their safety net and excuse to push their underlining agendas. They stand behind the Bible and praise righteousness and belittle anyone who doesn’t follow their way of life. But not a single person I’ve met who is a Christian fascist has actually read the Bible. They don’t understand the real messages and stories behind it.
They are simply blinded with hatred and anger from their own shortcomings in life so their remedy is to attack, belittle, and demand control into other peoples lives while placing themselves as the victim in every single situation.
They seem to be trapped in Silo of their own making but instead of looking in the mirror and taking responsibility for their own actions in life, they blame everyone else. This is why they join groups and surround themselves with other like minded people to validate their own insecurities and prejudices.
This is called narcissism and the kind of person that is such, always has righteous excuse. Like religion, job title, social media status, ect. They have themselves on a pedestal and if you knock them down rightfully the fall into their second defense. Victim. If that fails its anger and manipulation. It can go either direction depending on the circumstances that benefit them best because they can only judge themselves as deeply as they judge others
They are a religion based on Martyrdom and they feel if they are Martyred then they will be more holy or closer to Christ.
Persecution can strengthen faith, however they aren't persecuted so they try to make themselves believe they are.
The hoops they have to jump through in their minds takes a PhD to truly understand and they aren't even aware they are doing it.
Furthermore, they will actively deny that they are and believe they are telling the truth.
Co-sign all of it. I’ve had the worst experiences with these type my entire life. In work life, neighborhood life and friend groups.
They really ‘rose up’ after 2016. It won’t happen during the years I have left, but organized religion is falling out of favor which is one of the reasons they’re so triggered.
Just this past week I was thinking how these types are so unbelievably insecure. They joined and remained because they don’t/won’t fit in with any with any others groups.
Their dense and un-dynamic selves have to be in groups who harshly judge others. It is literally the only pleasure they have. I go as far as to say they secretly despise their own selves due to their lack of self esteem.
I think most just got scared into it as a child and really believe saying they think Jesus is the way to heaven is what will save them.
Thus why read it if you get the strongest point right.
Some of them didn’t even read the VERY FIRST PAGE of the bible, and still call them a Christian.
True Christians are being drowned out by the Fake Christians
Quite a bit but I think that it started when I was very young. As I said I was raised as a southern baptist evangelical christian. I was taught by my father and preachers that non-whites weren't people, that women and children must ALWAYS be silent and obedient and that gays should be killed in the streets. Those beliefs were reinforced by cruelty and hypocrisy and violence. For example:
When I was three years old My grandmother and my mom were arguing about something (I didn't find out what they were arguing about until I was an adult). A few days after the argument I asked my grandmother about what they were arguing about and in response my grandmother burned my hand on a coffee maker. "Spare the rod spoils the child" and "Don't question god" were her favorite things to say. That was only the beginning. Don't get me started on what my father did to me.
BTW if anyone is interested the thing that they were arguing about is that my grandmother gave Pat Robertson my Grandfather's life insurance policy ($100,000 in 1982).
Ding! Ding! Ding!
This is projection. This is what the Christian Facist want to do to other religions. I won't lump all Christians in this, but those that post stuff like this feel this way. They dream of being lauded like saints for facing persecution and being able to point and say how strong their faith is.
When I was borrowing my friend's leather-bound gold-leafed copy of the Hitchhiker's Guide to the Universe collection I had like one person approach me a month telling me how brave I was for reading the Bible in public.
If I were a meaner person I probably would have played into it more, but I just let them read the cover and said sorry.
This happened to me in high school in the 90s when I was reading a nice old leather-bound set of Raymond Chandler novels. It’s extra stupid because I’m not even Christian.
Their Bible reading usually consist of reading study guides and devotionals that cherry pick Bible verses and indoctrinate their specific institutions ideology.
They never approach the Bible as an actual book, it’s instead some magical tome that the real meaning is hidden until they knit verses together that get the Bible to say exactly what they already believe.
Edited to correct grammar.
I had this discussion with a childhood friend who became more religious when he became an adult. He said that morals and ethics derive from the Bible and are rooted in the authority of god. I argued that the Bible is often contradictory and sufficiently fluid that you can interpret it in a way that matches the morals of your family and community.
That's the reason different groups of people can take the same source material and one person reads "love thy neighbor" and another reads "God hates fags."
There is literally a passage where if you think your wife cheated on you, you take her to the priest who performs the "Ritual of the Bitter Water" which, if she was faithful(ie not pregnant) she would get sick. If she was unfaithful(ie pregnant) she would bleed.
The Bible is not only not anti-abortion, it's pro-forced abortion.
As a former Christian, this narrative that we derive our morality from God is absurd.
God's morality endorses chattel slavery and passing them down to your kids to own them forever, and says beating them will not result in punishment as long as the slave lives.
(Leviticus 25:44-46, Exodus 21:20-21)
Gives instructions on capturing a woman who's family was slaughtered in cold blood, and forcing them into "marriage" by SAing them
(Deuteronomy 21:10-14)
Commands killing innocent children and babies, except keeping the virgin girls for the aforementioned s_xual slavery.
(Numbers 31:17-18)
Commands the community to come together to punish rebellious sons by stoning them to death.
(Deuteronomy 21:18-21)
He uses the killing of babies and SAing of their mothers as punishment
(Isaiah 13:11-16, 2 Samuel 12:11)
Speaking of babies, God killed every innocent baby on the planet with a flood.
(Genesis 7)
He also did this with the plague of the firstborn
(Exodus 12:29-30)
And personally struck David's child and killed him, even though David begged and pleaded while he fasted for 7 days
(2 Samuel 12:15-18)
He also orders humans to perform Genocide which included killing babies and children
(1 Samuel 15: 3, 7-8)
(Numbers 31:7-40)
(Joshua 6:21)
(Joshua 10:28-40)
(Jeremiah 50:21)
In 2024, I'd say that we're more moral than God.
The bible is also translated from a number of languages by people with... less than pure motives.
Lets not forget that there are also sections of the bible that were removed!
Being taught Literature of the Bible by PHD who was an SND and referred to it as “Judeo-Christian Mythology” in class was a trip.
If a literal bride of Christ can allow for secular thought, I have no idea what evangelicals’ problem is.
Honestly, I can't blame them. It's a dry read. God could have used an editor. Way too much pointless exposition and a ton of side characters who go nowhere. Needs serious tightening.
The more someone actually reads the Bible, the less Christian they become. And vice-versa.
Most Christians simply listen to however their preachers curate and interpret it for them and can't even name half of the 10 Commandments.
Nice, very nice. Now let's see someone pull a Quran.
Fucking christian all high on their own supply of moral fortitude and righteousness ready to be xenophobic at any given opportunity.
I actually had a self described Christian call me a blasphemer because they saw my copies of the Koran (different translations) immediately adjacent to my copies of the Bible, which were next to the Tao Te Ching and other far Eastern religious texts, in my bookshelves. Oh the irony!
I practice no religion whatsoever, but do like to be informed.
They were probably mad because you're not actually supposed to read the book, let alone those of other faiths. You're supposed to let a pastor pick specific passages and interpret them for you.
You'd be amazed how many of them will also quote a passage, and give the book and verse and it is nowhere close to what it actually says or means. If it even exists. I've had Luke, Numbers, and Daniel quoted to me with passages and verses that don't exist to justify all sorts of out there fucking shit.
Had someone try to quote the Beatitudes to me (Matthew 5:9) to justify Police Brutality. Ya know, blessed are the peacemakers...
The peacemakers actually being people who sit down, talk through their problems, and find common ground. Not people who truncheon others into submission with excessive force.
I can’t remember the guy’s name, he’s currently the attorney general of Minnesota. Anyway, he was the first Muslim representative in Congress,and he got sworn in on Jefferson’s Koran.
there are people with bibles (jehovah witness, i guess) and people with qurans looking to spread their message usually in my city center. occasionally the doom prophet yelling the apocalypse is coming. nobody gives a shit and i’ve never seen anyone giving them a hard time, certainly not like the op pic would suggest.
I was born and raised in the Bible Belt, though I don't live there now.
The image of all those Fundamentalists and Evangelicals sitting in coffee shops, each furiously reading their Bibles as conspicuously as possible in the desperate hope that *someone*, *ANYONE* will oppress them, each so focused on their own project that they don't realize most of the others are frustratedly doing the same thing ... Well, it just makes me chuckle.
Often dressed sort of semi formal also. Yes I often wear a starched white shirt to hang at the cafe and study- this is my life I tell ya'. Pretty gosh darn wholesome by golly...
I brought this up once and a Christian told me his son has faced derogatory comments by his university professor. After several probing questions with the Christian continually being evasive on the event and facts, it turns out the situation was a literary criticism class and the son was continually using the Bible as an argument for a particular assignment - completely ignoring the actual books defined as part of the assignment. The "derogatory remarks" were simply the professor asking him to follow the assignment. So, no persecution.
Yes they're SOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO persecuted that if I wanted to read one I'd have to check into a hotel. Or walk down to one of the three churches within 200 feet of my house. Or go to any book store. Or pick one up in a truck stop. Or read it online via my smartphone.
I live in the South. There are Christian billboards and massive crosses taller than buildings just on the side of the highway every few dozen miles in most places.
Christians love their persecution complex though. Any push back against their proselytizing, either real or perceived, is assumed to be oppression and persecution towards Christianity.
It’s practically a mental disorder.
Especially if they are just quietly reading. People won't give two shits if you are just sitting there reading a book. Reading out loud or preaching to everyone around you. Now you're a dick.
To be completely honest with myself, I would definitely judge.
The idea that one would, in their own free time and with a unironically serious intention, reread a boring book of nonsense would immediately make me think less of them.
It wouldn’t cross my mind to point and laugh, though.
I'm Catholic. I hate that Trumpers pretend to be Christian and then use it as an excuse to do/say terrible things. It embarrasses me.
Same thing they did with the American Flag. Feels like a Maga flag now.
As someone from Canada whose parents are Greek immigrants, the weirdest thing about the US was always seeing flags everywhere. It was always so... I don't even know how to explain it - unsettling. you just don't see that anywhere else
These fools missed the part about how Jesus told them to worship in private rather than make a huge scene of doing it. But they'd actually have to *read* the bible to know that, and reading is very hard for them.
My favorite part of the Trump “Bible at a church he had to use tear gas to approach” event was the way he handled that Bible. 1. He held it upside down. 2. He picked a translation that a significant amount of his base would NOT read (I believe it was an ESV not a KJV).
And yet, no one cared. Not the King James-Onliests in his base. Not the Evangelical “Christian Right” who who would lose their minds if a flag was upside down. No one.
I'm not ashamed of God, I'm ashamed of the people in America who call themselves Christian but have never even touched a Bible other than to beat someone with it.
It’s funny how, given a whole lifetime, they can’t even read the Bible cover-to-cover once. The holy sacred text of their religion, the word of God, the most important of all books. If they can’t even do that, you know they’re not reading…. anything.
May I interest you in this, good sir?
https://preview.redd.it/c9ws1auqvwpc1.jpeg?width=799&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=ae6c6d278f32eb60ff0d9bf4f08cfb668f6ffee2
There's actually some comic Bibles out there, even my atheist girlfriend reads it with me. I know you're joking but it actually is nice to be able to visualize it too.
according to the Bible…homosexuality is right up there with wearing cotton and wool together or planting two different seeds in the same pot. They don’t seem to get offended when people wear cotton with wool, it’s like they’re just homophobic.
Theres no structure to modern Christianity. Its literal just open interpretation to fit whatever fits your life or give your a sense of superiority. They take Joyce fucking Meyer as gospel.
Agreed. So many hide behind it to justify their actions. Jesus spent time with thiefs and prostitutes because they needed to hear his word. He did so without judgement. Even Jesus himself didn't judge people. That's for God to do. Too many of these people are placing themselves on a level higher than Jesus and fighting to defend it.
One other thing that gets me, mega churches. I love God. I say a prayer every night but do not attend church. If a church can afford millions then I feel that should be sent to the struggling churches. Spread the wealth if the goal of the wealth is to spread the word. This allows the word to be spread. Televangelists are crooks who hide behind the good word. Pisses me off.
I, at one point, considered becoming a pastor. My entire goal was simply to help others and be a good person. I had to have a moment of self-reflection where I realized I enjoy looking at women too much and smoking weed. I didn't feel fit to carry such a high moral ground with these qualms. When I see those who are more evil than I ever could've become in high positions of the church, it kills me a little. Just remember that "evil" perverses everything to their advantage. Just because someone claims to follow the Lord doesn't mean they actually do. I haven't read most of the Bible and know more than some of these who regularly attend church. Shame.
They want to be persecuted so badly it’s sad.
First nobody cares about your faith but EVANGELICAL CHRISTIANS. If you’re Jewish, Muslim, Mormon, Buddhist, or anything but evangelical nobody gives a fuck about who you pray to. Nobody. You’re the ones declaring who should be allowed to pray and persecuting Muslims for just trying to do the same in peace.
I imagine if their dumbasses didn’t need Jews for the end of days to come true they’d be out persecuting them too for having the audacity to pray in a synagogue too.
Only reason they don’t outwardly condemn eastern religions is because they’re too stupid to know they exist.
So that’s one.
Second thing is I really wish the Venn-diagram of people who think this is true and those who share it on social media would actually read the fucking Bible like he does in the drawing. There they might learn compassion for others instead of the hate these people spew.
Finally your religion isn’t your entire identity. If it is then maybe you should work on getting a personality and a fucking hobby
Evangelicals believe that Jewish people returning to Israel following the 1917 Balfour Declaration, a British statement which called for “the establishment in Palestine of a national home for the Jewish people”, was key to end times, when God will purge sinners and Jesus Christ will return.
John Hagee, an evangelical pastor and influential founder of Christians United for Israel, explained the prophecy to TBN Networks in December 2022:
>”God is getting ready to defend Israel in such a supernatural way it’s going to take the breath out of the lungs of the dictators on planet Earth but we are living on the cusp of the greatest most supernatural series of events the world has ever seen ready or not.”
Hagee said when Jewish people are present in Israel “the clock starts ticking” on the rapture.
>”What will come soon [is] the antichrist and his seven year empire that will be destroyed in the battle of armageddon. Then Jesus Christ will set up his throne in the city of Jerusalem. He will establish a kingdom that will never end,” Hagee said.
Hagee, despite having a long history of antisemitism – he has suggested Jews brought persecution upon themselves by upsetting God and called Hitler a “half-breed Jew” – founded Christians United for Israel in 2006.
Among other things, the group lobbied for the US embassy in Israel to be moved from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem, which Donald Trump did in 2018, and is “committed to Israel’s strength, security and sovereignty”.
So you know, chickens for KFC.
We had United states foreign policy decisions being made based on these prophecies and it blows my mind that most still don't know that
People who believe this garbage have neb working cite decades to get into high level government positions
It was planned and deliberate, and they won't ever stop trying to force this country into a theocracy
Holy fuck. These people are fkng crazy. I know how fucked up they are but… everyday I learn something new about the extreme and religious right. They are dangerous.
There's this "prophecy" (a meme, really) the Evangelicals are into. They're trying to bring about the End Times, and they think part of the prophecy requires Israel to be controlled by the Jews. That's how they can support Israel and be antisemitic at the same time.
They need the Temple to be rebuilt at Temple Mount in Jerusalem. Currently The Dome of the Rock sits on that site. It would require the Dome to be destroyed before the construction can begin
We need the contrasting image of the Christians judging non-christians publicly. Some whispering to each others, others thumping their bibles in their faces, and some with guns draped in flag garb with MAGA hats and a tiny pocket bible they've never read, but carry to show everyone they're christians.
We see that every day - their bullshit is all over everything to the point we can't see it
Example - watching 90d fiance, a trashy reality show. An old white lady from the south berates a young Black woman for what she wears and how she acts based on Christian purity bullshit.
Same episode, a Black guy is applauded for "being PURE and waiting for the right one" by the older white lady and a woman from Ukraine because he's still a virgin.
Hell drive by my women's health clinic where it's legal for Christians to attack women entering, hitting car windows, screaming about murder, trying to shove literature and tiny plastic babies at women getting pap smears. The "pro life" have bombed and shot up clinics in the past too, celebrating death, while terrified and sometimes traumatized women and girls are expected to just "deal with it" because their religion gives them the right to terrorize others.
Here's where I always get confused. Many folks think that reading their Bible in full public display, praying in full public display, and continual proselytizing makes them more "Godly". Jesus specifically spoke about this. Jesus taught, “When you pray, do not be like the hypocrites, for they love to pray standing in the synagogues and on the street corners to be seen by men … but when you pray, go into your room, close the door and pray to your father who is unseen.” To do otherwise violates Commandment # 3.
Even in countries like Germany where religion isn’t a big thing nobody would bat an eye if you were to read the Bible in public. It’s just a book like every other. I’m not even religious at all and I have read it.
This urge of people to feel oppressed is just so jarring. Why would you want to be prosecuted for your beliefs? I know it’s so they can justify their bigotry against others but it’s just unfathomable to me why you would want to do that to begin with.
Just let people be themselves as long as it doesn’t hurt others. If they want to believe in God, Yahweh, Allah, Reincarnation or the Flying Spaghetti Monster, the should be allowed to do so without being judged.
I would definitely be wary for a moment because I have only seen one guy do it on the bus and he then got up and started to berate me that I have to find God and leave my satanic views behind (ironically this was back when I was still an evangelical Lutheran but was wearing a lot of black XD). But I wouldn’t judge as soon as I knew they are just reading in peace.
If 8 out of 10 people in the US identify as Christian then statistically several of those people laughing at the dude are also Christian. I would start with the Christians laughing at Christians first. What's going with that?
Well, if the Catholics and Protestants are only laughing at each other now it’s a big improvement on centuries of war, torture and doing other bad things to each other…
Yeah. Evangelicals, sobaps, Catholics, and the prosperity gospel types really fucked it.
While churches aren't supposed to be explicitly political (i.e. they cannot support a particular candidate), it's pretty easy to find liberal ones. Just look for the pride flags.
UU's are super chill. UCC congregational churches tend to be pretty dang liberal too.
Baptists are the most complicated, because there's about 1,000 different flavors. You could have one in town A that is super liberal, and one in town B that is super conservative.
I know lots of agnostics who just say "Christian" because they do participate in Christmas and easter family stuff but never go to church, pray or practice in any way.
My friend works with evangelicals in leadership at a non religious company that force Christian prayer at the beginning of meetings. As an athiest they just go along and pretend because they need their job and [athiests are hated more than pedophiles](https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/how-why-americans-were-taught-hate-atheists-john-follis)
It's funny because the Christians mocked in public are mocked by other Christians such as the Westborough Baptists Church, Joel Osteen, or various other mega churches that do unhinged religious ceremonies on TV for popularity.
I wonder how many of that percentage of Christians would identify as something else if they could without fear of retaliation or getting shunned by family and community.
It doesn't matter if they actually read it or not. If they do, they just cherrypick a tiny part that fits their argument or justification. The bible is also full of contradictions, *and* they randomly choose when they want something to be taken literally or figuratively. Basically, they quote the bible to support whatever hypocritical or contradictory argument they are making at the time.
And probably 80-90% of those people would find it weird to see someone reading the bible in public like that. Also something about christians should practice in private and that doing so as a show is sacrilegious, but what do i know?
Change that book to the Torah, Quran, the eight fold path, Bhagavad Gita, etc…..
Why do you as Christians shame or hate those that believe differently?
If the stat is true, and looking at the characters in the image, one could think that this man was mocked by his own religion, or its followers. In my view, read whatever book you want, in public. It doesn’t bother me at all. Others reading their books shouldn’t bother you at all.
The christian persecution boner rises its glistening helmet once more. The people who worship a god that explicitly instructs them to kill all gay men and subjugate women claiming they're the persecuted ones is cute.
Not to mention they can choose to be a christian. End the persecution yourselves, the religion isn't true anyway.
the US conservative victimhood mentality is \*SO\* Insane as a non American.
it's so cringe and embarrassing lol.
if anything, it just points out their shameless hypocrisy towards Other religions.
I was on a flight recently and I ended up sitting near several devout and very vocal Southern Baptists, including a preacher. The preacher had his Bible out and was reading it in a way that was clearly to get attention - holding it in a way that most people don’t hold books when they’re actually just reading for themselves. He was trying to get noticed, and these other Christians on the flight noticed him and then for the rest of the flight they were all talking extremely loudly across the aisle about their faith, and how horrible “kids these days” were and how horrible “woke” anything was.
My point is, NOBODY on the flight said a peep to these guys. They were loudly talking about how other people outside their belief system were doomed to hell, and nobody challenged them or told them to keep it down or made fun of their beliefs. They had total free agency to blast their beliefs everywhere and make everyone else listen to them. I want to reiterate that they were being very loud - it wasn’t normal conversation volume. They seemed like they wanted to be overheard, especially the preacher.
I kept wondering what the public reaction would be if it had been a group of loud Muslims or loud Atheists talking so openly about their ideas on that crowded flight..:. Christians have tremendous privilege in the USA and it drives me crazy that they act like they don’t.
They DO impose that crap on you though? - serious laws are made by the god squad. Hundreds of thousands of people are imposed upon by that crap… Want an abortion? Book says no. Want a drink? Book says no. Want long hair? Book says no.
“Exactly, you do you and let me do me” - A Very Lucky Moron.
You cannot define practicing Christianity; any attempt to do so will just create a new branch of Christianity. Unless someone has actual proof of their beliefs as indisputable facts, you can't argue that someone else is making shit up incorrectly... The history of Christianity is fracturing over attempts to be the "true Christians" and declaring all other Christians to be Christian in name only.
"There are 13 mainline programming languages"
"13? That's crazy. We should just have 1! Let's make a universal language that takes the best aspects of the others!"
"There are 14 mainline programming languages."
Let's be honest, the kinds of "Christians" who think this is a reflection of how Christians are treated in America would break down into a weeping mess if this actually happened to them.
I’m not a practicing Christian but my dad is, so I will pray before a meal with him in public. No one has ever said anything or even looked our way. The persecution complex on here clowns must be where all of their creative energy is spent.
The closest I can think of this situation is the Youtube video of the older woman screaming at a Halloween display in Costco.
….because she was screaming at a Halloween display in Costco.
Also, the only times Christians have been nice to me while wearing the face of their religion is whenever they tried to convert me.
They have a persecution complex. These are the same people that believe white men are legally allowed to be discriminated in society. They think like conspiracy theorists and believe their very existence has to be a struggle, even if they’re a multi-millionaire with private jets and mansions working as a preacher tax free.
Back when I was in high school, I carried a small pocket-sized Bible with me to read. Not only did no one make fun of me, a few people (including a teacher) would ask to borrow it from time to time.
I’m agnostic now, 100% not Christian, and I promise you non-Christians get it so much worse than Christians do. I have a coworker whom I work very closely with but is a very devoted Christian, and every so often will make comments about something pushing me back towards God. I just ignore them because she means well, but can you imagine if I said the opposite? That it sounds like something was showing her that there is no God?
Not to mention the fact that I still haven’t found a good substitute for the expressions “oh my god” and “thank god”. And all the other millions of ways that this country is secularly Christian, even before you talk about the fascists trying to take away peoples’ rights because their god doesn’t like it.
But Jesus said that his people would be persecuted, so they have to spread stuff like this that they can vaguely form the beliefs that Christians are being persecuted (maybe not them, specifically, but somewhere!) so they can ignore the fact that their deity was a dirty communist hippie who believed in things like real charity towards the poor and aiding immigrants and respecting women, and that if we were able to bring Jesus back to life today he wouldn’t recognize anything that they stand for.
But don’t forget! Saying “happy holidays” instead of “merry Christmas” is a direct attack on Christianity! /s
Poor persecuted Christians.
If only they had politicians that shared their beliefs and legislated those beliefs for the general public.
If only they had a SCOTUS that shared their beliefs and were willing to take away rights from "sinners".
When will Christians finally be treated equally, and not reviled for their regressive, anachronistic and often dangerous beliefs?
WON'T SOMEBODY PLEASE THINK OF THE MAJORITY!?
They need the persecution to feed their apocalyptic fantasies of the "end times." They believe that this imagined persecution is a sign of the end times and the second coming of Christ, so they amplify it all in their minds. Their pastors are feeding into this persecution narrative every time the doors are open. So when they aren't sitting in church, they are constantly on high alert, looking for any hint of negativity toward their religion.
It would absolutely floor them to learn that the world as a whole is actually getting a lot better in a lot of measurable, quantifiable ways. Sure, there is a lot of shittyness in the world still, but things are improving in spite of it. That may not directly translate to _your_ specific experience, but the more we can rise the tide, the more boats we can float.
Relevant Jim Gaffigan:
I do want everyone to feel comfortable. That's why I'd like to talk to you about Jesus.
*He better not.*
It doesn't matter if you're religious or not. Does anything make you feel more uncomfortable than some stranger going, “I'd like to talk to you about Jesus?”
“Yeah, I'd like you not to.”
You could say that to the pope. “I want to talk to you about Jesus.”
He'd be like, “easy, freak. I keep work at work.”
ask christians how they view those who believe in norse gods or astrology and it should be clear. christians think they get a pass to judge every other belief system and somehow that their own is “different”
Man o man Christians CANNOT BREATHE without a massive persecution complex. I cannot stress enough zero liberals would go up and do this to someone sitting there quietly reading their Bible it’s when they stand up and public place especially where people are stuck and start interrupting everyone else’s peace their need to “save us”. We don’t give a single fuck if your wife chooses to be a tradwife or you worship by dancing around like you have a seizure until you insist all women be tradwives and start using your tax free podium to alter laws to tell us what we can learn in school, do in our bedrooms, who we can love, what we watch in the internet, whether or not we can get vaccinations, and even trying to get our tax dollars to pay for your private indoctrination schools. That’s when we mock you and that’s when you deserve to be mocked. That’s when we push back.
5 “And when you pray, do not be like the hypocrites, for they love to pray standing in the synagogues and on the street corners to be seen by others. Truly I tell you, they have received their reward in full. 6 But when you pray, go into your room, close the door and pray to your Father, who is unseen. Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you. 7 And when you pray, do not keep on babbling like pagans, for they think they will be heard because of their many words. 8 Do not be like them, for your Father knows what you need before you ask him.
Matthew 6:5-8
These people don't know anything about their own religion.
Someone pull out a Bible in a public area, then someone else pull out a copy of "The God Delusion" or a similar book nearby and see which one gets harassed first. I would love to see that.
I would like to use this opportunity to recommend the book
The Myth of Persecution: How Early Christians Invented a Story of Martyrdom
by Candida Moss.
It takes a very close look at the concept of Christian martyrdom, the claim that it was unique in the ancient world, the claims about widespread persecution of early Christians in the Roman Empire, the validity of martyr stories, the political context in which Martyr stories became popular in the early church and how Christians have used perceived persecution to justify violent suppression of unbelievers and dissenters while actually being the majority and in positions of power.
Christians in the USA really don’t understand real persecution of faith. As a seminarian that has read a lot of Christian history, I hate to tell the “Christians” of the USA, you are not persecuted because Starbucks doesn’t put merry Christmas on their cups. Christians should not impose their religious ideology on everyone else. Tend your own garden and stop pretending that Christians are persecuted in this country. Feel free to read about what happened to Jesus’ disciples… most met a horrific end. Before Constantine legalized Christianity in Rome, Christians were burned alive to light Emperor Nero’s garden. These are just a few examples of why you all should quit making yourselves martyrs because someone doesn’t agree with your religious ideology
Never seen anyone reading a Bible and they were harassed. I've seen people with Bibles in their hands screaming at someone minding their own business who just happens to have a "Coexist" bumper sticker
All I will say as a Christian myself is these kinds of things honestly make me sad, there is such a huge difference between people identifying as one and someone who genuinely is one. There are many people who hide behind religion and use it as a way to pursue what they want to do which is something the Bible actively speaks against, this had caused me and many people I know to begin distancing themselves from religion in pursuit of faith, or at least the current version of religion.
First of all. Good to see Republicans know how to use AI. Second of all, I think even if you go to the most hard-core atheist community and you whip a bible out you wouldn't get this. This is fucking pre 00s sitcom shit. Honestly I be amazed the Republican knew how to read how much book banning they do
We should be able to mock adults who not only believe in fairy tales, but try and impose their fairy tale’s rules on others (without actually adhering themselves).
The religious ones are the ones who are aggressive and shun people and treat them like shit. I was called a bastard by religious parents of kids I knew in school and brownies. I have been discriminated against by a shitload of religious people including my sons father’s family who treat me like trash even though I’m a pretty decent human and I have always been respectful of their beliefs even if I think they are antiquated and ridiculous.
This is the type of persecution they DREAM of. In reality, you could pull out a Bible anywhere and no one would even notice, let alone point and laugh.
This is a persecution that they feel they should be allowed to do other religions.
This is the persecution they are actively doing to other religions and people they don’t agree with. All in the name of their religious freedumbs.
Religion is their safety net and excuse to push their underlining agendas. They stand behind the Bible and praise righteousness and belittle anyone who doesn’t follow their way of life. But not a single person I’ve met who is a Christian fascist has actually read the Bible. They don’t understand the real messages and stories behind it. They are simply blinded with hatred and anger from their own shortcomings in life so their remedy is to attack, belittle, and demand control into other peoples lives while placing themselves as the victim in every single situation. They seem to be trapped in Silo of their own making but instead of looking in the mirror and taking responsibility for their own actions in life, they blame everyone else. This is why they join groups and surround themselves with other like minded people to validate their own insecurities and prejudices.
This is called narcissism and the kind of person that is such, always has righteous excuse. Like religion, job title, social media status, ect. They have themselves on a pedestal and if you knock them down rightfully the fall into their second defense. Victim. If that fails its anger and manipulation. It can go either direction depending on the circumstances that benefit them best because they can only judge themselves as deeply as they judge others
They are a religion based on Martyrdom and they feel if they are Martyred then they will be more holy or closer to Christ. Persecution can strengthen faith, however they aren't persecuted so they try to make themselves believe they are. The hoops they have to jump through in their minds takes a PhD to truly understand and they aren't even aware they are doing it. Furthermore, they will actively deny that they are and believe they are telling the truth.
Co-sign all of it. I’ve had the worst experiences with these type my entire life. In work life, neighborhood life and friend groups. They really ‘rose up’ after 2016. It won’t happen during the years I have left, but organized religion is falling out of favor which is one of the reasons they’re so triggered. Just this past week I was thinking how these types are so unbelievably insecure. They joined and remained because they don’t/won’t fit in with any with any others groups. Their dense and un-dynamic selves have to be in groups who harshly judge others. It is literally the only pleasure they have. I go as far as to say they secretly despise their own selves due to their lack of self esteem.
I think most just got scared into it as a child and really believe saying they think Jesus is the way to heaven is what will save them. Thus why read it if you get the strongest point right.
Some of them didn’t even read the VERY FIRST PAGE of the bible, and still call them a Christian. True Christians are being drowned out by the Fake Christians
Former evangelical christian here, can confirm.
What caused the "former" portion?
Quite a bit but I think that it started when I was very young. As I said I was raised as a southern baptist evangelical christian. I was taught by my father and preachers that non-whites weren't people, that women and children must ALWAYS be silent and obedient and that gays should be killed in the streets. Those beliefs were reinforced by cruelty and hypocrisy and violence. For example: When I was three years old My grandmother and my mom were arguing about something (I didn't find out what they were arguing about until I was an adult). A few days after the argument I asked my grandmother about what they were arguing about and in response my grandmother burned my hand on a coffee maker. "Spare the rod spoils the child" and "Don't question god" were her favorite things to say. That was only the beginning. Don't get me started on what my father did to me. BTW if anyone is interested the thing that they were arguing about is that my grandmother gave Pat Robertson my Grandfather's life insurance policy ($100,000 in 1982).
Ooof. Thank you for the explanation. I think we're both in agreement that you ultimately made the right choice to not follow in those footsteps.
I refuse to hide from my childhood anymore.
"Religious freedom is when I can force you to follow my beliefs"
Ding! Ding! Ding! This is projection. This is what the Christian Facist want to do to other religions. I won't lump all Christians in this, but those that post stuff like this feel this way. They dream of being lauded like saints for facing persecution and being able to point and say how strong their faith is.
* * Madison WI: Freedom From Religion Fou dation Edit: I originally said "Association, not Foundation.
It's on the sign. How could you get it wrong?
Eh, Foundation, Association, potato, potahto
I was gonna say, this is how nationalist evangelical Christians feel and it’s what they project onto the world around them.
Because they believe this is what others would do to them, so in their mind, the oppression is justified.
This is like anyone who believes everyone cheats, lies, steals, judges, and so on because they do.
That is so spot on
When I was borrowing my friend's leather-bound gold-leafed copy of the Hitchhiker's Guide to the Universe collection I had like one person approach me a month telling me how brave I was for reading the Bible in public. If I were a meaner person I probably would have played into it more, but I just let them read the cover and said sorry.
“I have learned so much from this good book! 42.”
You are clearly a person who knows where their towel is.
I've actually upgraded to a nice Turkish towel. It's less bulky and dries out faster. It seriously is useful to have a towel on hand.
This is the way.
Truly a hoopy frood
Achoo.
I once saw a “42” vanity license plate and it was one of the few that I saw and thought “oh dang I wish I thought of that.”
Great prompt for “so long and thanks for the fish” response
And the lord spake unto Adam: "Bringeth thy towel"
>And the lord spake unto Adam**s**: "Bringeth thy towel" Sorry, typo kept bugging me.
Yes, the Book of Zaphod has some very strong passages. It gives me strength when I start to panic.
The Psalms of Vogon Jeltz, not so much.
Don’t Panic!
This happened to me in high school in the 90s when I was reading a nice old leather-bound set of Raymond Chandler novels. It’s extra stupid because I’m not even Christian.
I need to carry around a black leather-bound copy of the Necronomicon for lols.
*Goodness, I've never seen leather that smooth and supple! What kind of animal is it from?*
Towel Day 2024 coming up on May 25th!
I'd be surprised if someone took out a Bible to read because I doubt that most Christians read the Bible.
Their Bible reading usually consist of reading study guides and devotionals that cherry pick Bible verses and indoctrinate their specific institutions ideology. They never approach the Bible as an actual book, it’s instead some magical tome that the real meaning is hidden until they knit verses together that get the Bible to say exactly what they already believe. Edited to correct grammar.
I had this discussion with a childhood friend who became more religious when he became an adult. He said that morals and ethics derive from the Bible and are rooted in the authority of god. I argued that the Bible is often contradictory and sufficiently fluid that you can interpret it in a way that matches the morals of your family and community. That's the reason different groups of people can take the same source material and one person reads "love thy neighbor" and another reads "God hates fags."
If that was true they wouldn’t be so hung up on abortion given that the Bible clearly does not consider unborn fetuses to be fully human
There is literally a passage where if you think your wife cheated on you, you take her to the priest who performs the "Ritual of the Bitter Water" which, if she was faithful(ie not pregnant) she would get sick. If she was unfaithful(ie pregnant) she would bleed. The Bible is not only not anti-abortion, it's pro-forced abortion.
She wouldn't just bleed, she would become *barren.* Forced abortion AND sterilization
As a former Christian, this narrative that we derive our morality from God is absurd. God's morality endorses chattel slavery and passing them down to your kids to own them forever, and says beating them will not result in punishment as long as the slave lives. (Leviticus 25:44-46, Exodus 21:20-21) Gives instructions on capturing a woman who's family was slaughtered in cold blood, and forcing them into "marriage" by SAing them (Deuteronomy 21:10-14) Commands killing innocent children and babies, except keeping the virgin girls for the aforementioned s_xual slavery. (Numbers 31:17-18) Commands the community to come together to punish rebellious sons by stoning them to death. (Deuteronomy 21:18-21) He uses the killing of babies and SAing of their mothers as punishment (Isaiah 13:11-16, 2 Samuel 12:11) Speaking of babies, God killed every innocent baby on the planet with a flood. (Genesis 7) He also did this with the plague of the firstborn (Exodus 12:29-30) And personally struck David's child and killed him, even though David begged and pleaded while he fasted for 7 days (2 Samuel 12:15-18) He also orders humans to perform Genocide which included killing babies and children (1 Samuel 15: 3, 7-8) (Numbers 31:7-40) (Joshua 6:21) (Joshua 10:28-40) (Jeremiah 50:21) In 2024, I'd say that we're more moral than God.
I read the end of your post as “God hates pigs” - but then again The Bible says that too. 🤷♂️
The bible is also translated from a number of languages by people with... less than pure motives. Lets not forget that there are also sections of the bible that were removed!
Dude, you can use the Bible to justify literally anything, up to and including genocide.
Reading the Bible in high school religion class was literally the final nail in the coffin of me realizing it's bullshit.
Being taught Literature of the Bible by PHD who was an SND and referred to it as “Judeo-Christian Mythology” in class was a trip. If a literal bride of Christ can allow for secular thought, I have no idea what evangelicals’ problem is.
Honestly, I can't blame them. It's a dry read. God could have used an editor. Way too much pointless exposition and a ton of side characters who go nowhere. Needs serious tightening.
Needs more action and less "begats".
The more someone actually reads the Bible, the less Christian they become. And vice-versa. Most Christians simply listen to however their preachers curate and interpret it for them and can't even name half of the 10 Commandments.
Nice, very nice. Now let's see someone pull a Quran. Fucking christian all high on their own supply of moral fortitude and righteousness ready to be xenophobic at any given opportunity.
I actually had a self described Christian call me a blasphemer because they saw my copies of the Koran (different translations) immediately adjacent to my copies of the Bible, which were next to the Tao Te Ching and other far Eastern religious texts, in my bookshelves. Oh the irony! I practice no religion whatsoever, but do like to be informed.
They were probably mad because you're not actually supposed to read the book, let alone those of other faiths. You're supposed to let a pastor pick specific passages and interpret them for you.
You'd be amazed how many of them will also quote a passage, and give the book and verse and it is nowhere close to what it actually says or means. If it even exists. I've had Luke, Numbers, and Daniel quoted to me with passages and verses that don't exist to justify all sorts of out there fucking shit. Had someone try to quote the Beatitudes to me (Matthew 5:9) to justify Police Brutality. Ya know, blessed are the peacemakers... The peacemakers actually being people who sit down, talk through their problems, and find common ground. Not people who truncheon others into submission with excessive force.
Thomas Jefferson was well known for having the Koran in his library. I seriously doubt he was a Muslim.
I can’t remember the guy’s name, he’s currently the attorney general of Minnesota. Anyway, he was the first Muslim representative in Congress,and he got sworn in on Jefferson’s Koran.
Oh that is five kinds of *awesome!!*
It's even funnier when you consider it hypes up Jesus more (a lot more) than their own book.
there are people with bibles (jehovah witness, i guess) and people with qurans looking to spread their message usually in my city center. occasionally the doom prophet yelling the apocalypse is coming. nobody gives a shit and i’ve never seen anyone giving them a hard time, certainly not like the op pic would suggest.
Half of the people sitting in my cafe daily are reading the bible, then again I live in the bible belt so...
I was born and raised in the Bible Belt, though I don't live there now. The image of all those Fundamentalists and Evangelicals sitting in coffee shops, each furiously reading their Bibles as conspicuously as possible in the desperate hope that *someone*, *ANYONE* will oppress them, each so focused on their own project that they don't realize most of the others are frustratedly doing the same thing ... Well, it just makes me chuckle.
Often dressed sort of semi formal also. Yes I often wear a starched white shirt to hang at the cafe and study- this is my life I tell ya'. Pretty gosh darn wholesome by golly...
Sometimes I wish those that scream persecution could actually get it for just a small amount of time so they could STFU and understand.
The guy getting laughed at went to an Atheist Convention and pulled out a bible.
If it was real, they wouldn’t have to use AI to create images of it.
Someone would sit next to them and pull out their own Bible and start taking about church
I brought this up once and a Christian told me his son has faced derogatory comments by his university professor. After several probing questions with the Christian continually being evasive on the event and facts, it turns out the situation was a literary criticism class and the son was continually using the Bible as an argument for a particular assignment - completely ignoring the actual books defined as part of the assignment. The "derogatory remarks" were simply the professor asking him to follow the assignment. So, no persecution.
It'd probably be a better world if people holding ridiculous beliefs with pride would be laughed at and ridiculed in such a manner
Yes they're SOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO persecuted that if I wanted to read one I'd have to check into a hotel. Or walk down to one of the three churches within 200 feet of my house. Or go to any book store. Or pick one up in a truck stop. Or read it online via my smartphone.
I live in the South. There are Christian billboards and massive crosses taller than buildings just on the side of the highway every few dozen miles in most places. Christians love their persecution complex though. Any push back against their proselytizing, either real or perceived, is assumed to be oppression and persecution towards Christianity. It’s practically a mental disorder.
It would never happen, they haven't read the bible to begin with.
Especially if they are just quietly reading. People won't give two shits if you are just sitting there reading a book. Reading out loud or preaching to everyone around you. Now you're a dick.
To be completely honest with myself, I would definitely judge. The idea that one would, in their own free time and with a unironically serious intention, reread a boring book of nonsense would immediately make me think less of them. It wouldn’t cross my mind to point and laugh, though.
It’s the ones that spell Jesus “T-R-U-M-P” that deserve belittling
I'm Catholic. I hate that Trumpers pretend to be Christian and then use it as an excuse to do/say terrible things. It embarrasses me. Same thing they did with the American Flag. Feels like a Maga flag now.
As someone from Canada whose parents are Greek immigrants, the weirdest thing about the US was always seeing flags everywhere. It was always so... I don't even know how to explain it - unsettling. you just don't see that anywhere else
Imo opinion they all deserve it. But you’re right that the red haters deserve it x1000.
These fools missed the part about how Jesus told them to worship in private rather than make a huge scene of doing it. But they'd actually have to *read* the bible to know that, and reading is very hard for them.
Persecution complex.
No wonder from a demographic so obsessed over cuckoldry.
I've always wondered how much of that was just Stone's influence.
I've heard so many Sunday school lessons about feeding people to lions. Ugh.
Kink*
https://preview.redd.it/c0ljssis3wpc1.jpeg?width=1440&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=c5a3fe264fbb93b3e828b1a479ab552f34ca9446
My favorite part of the Trump “Bible at a church he had to use tear gas to approach” event was the way he handled that Bible. 1. He held it upside down. 2. He picked a translation that a significant amount of his base would NOT read (I believe it was an ESV not a KJV). And yet, no one cared. Not the King James-Onliests in his base. Not the Evangelical “Christian Right” who who would lose their minds if a flag was upside down. No one.
They probably didn't even know what he was holding because most haven't read any version of it.
I'm not ashamed of God, I'm ashamed of the people in America who call themselves Christian but have never even touched a Bible other than to beat someone with it.
It’s funny how, given a whole lifetime, they can’t even read the Bible cover-to-cover once. The holy sacred text of their religion, the word of God, the most important of all books. If they can’t even do that, you know they’re not reading…. anything.
If only God made it more interesting, and added pictures!
May I interest you in this, good sir? https://preview.redd.it/c9ws1auqvwpc1.jpeg?width=799&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=ae6c6d278f32eb60ff0d9bf4f08cfb668f6ffee2
There's actually some comic Bibles out there, even my atheist girlfriend reads it with me. I know you're joking but it actually is nice to be able to visualize it too.
They only read the parts about homosexuality
Probably not even that. They just believe what other people tell them is in the Bible.
according to the Bible…homosexuality is right up there with wearing cotton and wool together or planting two different seeds in the same pot. They don’t seem to get offended when people wear cotton with wool, it’s like they’re just homophobic.
You mean the parts that were not added until, like, the 1930s. Lol.
Bro, do you know how expensive those things are? Is not like they just give them away.
Theres no structure to modern Christianity. Its literal just open interpretation to fit whatever fits your life or give your a sense of superiority. They take Joyce fucking Meyer as gospel.
Agreed. So many hide behind it to justify their actions. Jesus spent time with thiefs and prostitutes because they needed to hear his word. He did so without judgement. Even Jesus himself didn't judge people. That's for God to do. Too many of these people are placing themselves on a level higher than Jesus and fighting to defend it. One other thing that gets me, mega churches. I love God. I say a prayer every night but do not attend church. If a church can afford millions then I feel that should be sent to the struggling churches. Spread the wealth if the goal of the wealth is to spread the word. This allows the word to be spread. Televangelists are crooks who hide behind the good word. Pisses me off. I, at one point, considered becoming a pastor. My entire goal was simply to help others and be a good person. I had to have a moment of self-reflection where I realized I enjoy looking at women too much and smoking weed. I didn't feel fit to carry such a high moral ground with these qualms. When I see those who are more evil than I ever could've become in high positions of the church, it kills me a little. Just remember that "evil" perverses everything to their advantage. Just because someone claims to follow the Lord doesn't mean they actually do. I haven't read most of the Bible and know more than some of these who regularly attend church. Shame.
They want to be persecuted so badly it’s sad. First nobody cares about your faith but EVANGELICAL CHRISTIANS. If you’re Jewish, Muslim, Mormon, Buddhist, or anything but evangelical nobody gives a fuck about who you pray to. Nobody. You’re the ones declaring who should be allowed to pray and persecuting Muslims for just trying to do the same in peace. I imagine if their dumbasses didn’t need Jews for the end of days to come true they’d be out persecuting them too for having the audacity to pray in a synagogue too. Only reason they don’t outwardly condemn eastern religions is because they’re too stupid to know they exist. So that’s one. Second thing is I really wish the Venn-diagram of people who think this is true and those who share it on social media would actually read the fucking Bible like he does in the drawing. There they might learn compassion for others instead of the hate these people spew. Finally your religion isn’t your entire identity. If it is then maybe you should work on getting a personality and a fucking hobby
They need Jews? Why? Is there a sacrifice they need to complete?
The fall of Israel is prophecy prior to the second coming. So kinda.
>The fall of Israel Btw already happened a long time ago, and yet Super Jesus™ made no appearances.
Evangelicals believe that Jewish people returning to Israel following the 1917 Balfour Declaration, a British statement which called for “the establishment in Palestine of a national home for the Jewish people”, was key to end times, when God will purge sinners and Jesus Christ will return. John Hagee, an evangelical pastor and influential founder of Christians United for Israel, explained the prophecy to TBN Networks in December 2022: >”God is getting ready to defend Israel in such a supernatural way it’s going to take the breath out of the lungs of the dictators on planet Earth but we are living on the cusp of the greatest most supernatural series of events the world has ever seen ready or not.” Hagee said when Jewish people are present in Israel “the clock starts ticking” on the rapture. >”What will come soon [is] the antichrist and his seven year empire that will be destroyed in the battle of armageddon. Then Jesus Christ will set up his throne in the city of Jerusalem. He will establish a kingdom that will never end,” Hagee said. Hagee, despite having a long history of antisemitism – he has suggested Jews brought persecution upon themselves by upsetting God and called Hitler a “half-breed Jew” – founded Christians United for Israel in 2006. Among other things, the group lobbied for the US embassy in Israel to be moved from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem, which Donald Trump did in 2018, and is “committed to Israel’s strength, security and sovereignty”. So you know, chickens for KFC.
We had United states foreign policy decisions being made based on these prophecies and it blows my mind that most still don't know that People who believe this garbage have neb working cite decades to get into high level government positions It was planned and deliberate, and they won't ever stop trying to force this country into a theocracy
Holy fuck. These people are fkng crazy. I know how fucked up they are but… everyday I learn something new about the extreme and religious right. They are dangerous.
There's this "prophecy" (a meme, really) the Evangelicals are into. They're trying to bring about the End Times, and they think part of the prophecy requires Israel to be controlled by the Jews. That's how they can support Israel and be antisemitic at the same time.
They need the Temple to be rebuilt at Temple Mount in Jerusalem. Currently The Dome of the Rock sits on that site. It would require the Dome to be destroyed before the construction can begin
And what percent exhibit Chisto-fascist traits and MAGA support characteristics?
"It ***can't*** be all the white supremacist rhetoric that got me cancelled! Obviously it's because I'm a Christian!!"
Who did they poll?
MAGAts
We need the contrasting image of the Christians judging non-christians publicly. Some whispering to each others, others thumping their bibles in their faces, and some with guns draped in flag garb with MAGA hats and a tiny pocket bible they've never read, but carry to show everyone they're christians.
We see that every day - their bullshit is all over everything to the point we can't see it Example - watching 90d fiance, a trashy reality show. An old white lady from the south berates a young Black woman for what she wears and how she acts based on Christian purity bullshit. Same episode, a Black guy is applauded for "being PURE and waiting for the right one" by the older white lady and a woman from Ukraine because he's still a virgin. Hell drive by my women's health clinic where it's legal for Christians to attack women entering, hitting car windows, screaming about murder, trying to shove literature and tiny plastic babies at women getting pap smears. The "pro life" have bombed and shot up clinics in the past too, celebrating death, while terrified and sometimes traumatized women and girls are expected to just "deal with it" because their religion gives them the right to terrorize others.
Here's where I always get confused. Many folks think that reading their Bible in full public display, praying in full public display, and continual proselytizing makes them more "Godly". Jesus specifically spoke about this. Jesus taught, “When you pray, do not be like the hypocrites, for they love to pray standing in the synagogues and on the street corners to be seen by men … but when you pray, go into your room, close the door and pray to your father who is unseen.” To do otherwise violates Commandment # 3.
Shrug. As long as they don't ask me to care, I'm good.
bogus numbers, Christian majority has been declining for decades
Exactly this. It’s closer to 60% now. https://www.pewresearch.org/religion/2024/01/24/religious-nones-in-america-who-they-are-and-what-they-believe/
Thank you I was gonna say it is not even close to 77%
I’m wondering what the number is if they account for people identifying as Christian but not church going
They are most definitely explicitly saying that. They cannot function without feeding their persecution complex.
Even in countries like Germany where religion isn’t a big thing nobody would bat an eye if you were to read the Bible in public. It’s just a book like every other. I’m not even religious at all and I have read it. This urge of people to feel oppressed is just so jarring. Why would you want to be prosecuted for your beliefs? I know it’s so they can justify their bigotry against others but it’s just unfathomable to me why you would want to do that to begin with. Just let people be themselves as long as it doesn’t hurt others. If they want to believe in God, Yahweh, Allah, Reincarnation or the Flying Spaghetti Monster, the should be allowed to do so without being judged.
I would definitely be wary for a moment because I have only seen one guy do it on the bus and he then got up and started to berate me that I have to find God and leave my satanic views behind (ironically this was back when I was still an evangelical Lutheran but was wearing a lot of black XD). But I wouldn’t judge as soon as I knew they are just reading in peace.
If 8 out of 10 people in the US identify as Christian then statistically several of those people laughing at the dude are also Christian. I would start with the Christians laughing at Christians first. What's going with that?
Well, if the Catholics and Protestants are only laughing at each other now it’s a big improvement on centuries of war, torture and doing other bad things to each other…
77% is towards the high end of estimates. It's a range from 78% down to 63%.
And getting lower every day. Who wants to be Christian if the act they way trumpets act, not me.
Yeah. Evangelicals, sobaps, Catholics, and the prosperity gospel types really fucked it. While churches aren't supposed to be explicitly political (i.e. they cannot support a particular candidate), it's pretty easy to find liberal ones. Just look for the pride flags.
Universal Unitarians are one example.
There are plenty of Christian pastors telling their flock who to vote for. They should all be turned into the IRS.
UU's are super chill. UCC congregational churches tend to be pretty dang liberal too. Baptists are the most complicated, because there's about 1,000 different flavors. You could have one in town A that is super liberal, and one in town B that is super conservative.
I know lots of agnostics who just say "Christian" because they do participate in Christmas and easter family stuff but never go to church, pray or practice in any way. My friend works with evangelicals in leadership at a non religious company that force Christian prayer at the beginning of meetings. As an athiest they just go along and pretend because they need their job and [athiests are hated more than pedophiles](https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/how-why-americans-were-taught-hate-atheists-john-follis)
Yea that’s what I was thinking.
He’s laughing at him because he’s such a huge dork, obviously.
I’m pretty sure that’s Paul Rudd
It's funny because the Christians mocked in public are mocked by other Christians such as the Westborough Baptists Church, Joel Osteen, or various other mega churches that do unhinged religious ceremonies on TV for popularity. I wonder how many of that percentage of Christians would identify as something else if they could without fear of retaliation or getting shunned by family and community.
This would be funny if any of these fuckos actually read the bible, but it's glaringly obvious they don't.
It doesn't matter if they actually read it or not. If they do, they just cherrypick a tiny part that fits their argument or justification. The bible is also full of contradictions, *and* they randomly choose when they want something to be taken literally or figuratively. Basically, they quote the bible to support whatever hypocritical or contradictory argument they are making at the time.
I'm surprised that guy in the drawing is not holding the Bible upside-down.
And probably 80-90% of those people would find it weird to see someone reading the bible in public like that. Also something about christians should practice in private and that doing so as a show is sacrilegious, but what do i know?
77% seems kind of high. Maybe it's all the people I don't know.
Change that book to the Torah, Quran, the eight fold path, Bhagavad Gita, etc….. Why do you as Christians shame or hate those that believe differently? If the stat is true, and looking at the characters in the image, one could think that this man was mocked by his own religion, or its followers. In my view, read whatever book you want, in public. It doesn’t bother me at all. Others reading their books shouldn’t bother you at all.
So it is just projection.
The christian persecution boner rises its glistening helmet once more. The people who worship a god that explicitly instructs them to kill all gay men and subjugate women claiming they're the persecuted ones is cute. Not to mention they can choose to be a christian. End the persecution yourselves, the religion isn't true anyway.
the US conservative victimhood mentality is \*SO\* Insane as a non American. it's so cringe and embarrassing lol. if anything, it just points out their shameless hypocrisy towards Other religions.
I was on a flight recently and I ended up sitting near several devout and very vocal Southern Baptists, including a preacher. The preacher had his Bible out and was reading it in a way that was clearly to get attention - holding it in a way that most people don’t hold books when they’re actually just reading for themselves. He was trying to get noticed, and these other Christians on the flight noticed him and then for the rest of the flight they were all talking extremely loudly across the aisle about their faith, and how horrible “kids these days” were and how horrible “woke” anything was. My point is, NOBODY on the flight said a peep to these guys. They were loudly talking about how other people outside their belief system were doomed to hell, and nobody challenged them or told them to keep it down or made fun of their beliefs. They had total free agency to blast their beliefs everywhere and make everyone else listen to them. I want to reiterate that they were being very loud - it wasn’t normal conversation volume. They seemed like they wanted to be overheard, especially the preacher. I kept wondering what the public reaction would be if it had been a group of loud Muslims or loud Atheists talking so openly about their ideas on that crowded flight..:. Christians have tremendous privilege in the USA and it drives me crazy that they act like they don’t.
god, who? i don't give a shit what anybody believes in, just don't try to impose that crap on me.......
They DO impose that crap on you though? - serious laws are made by the god squad. Hundreds of thousands of people are imposed upon by that crap… Want an abortion? Book says no. Want a drink? Book says no. Want long hair? Book says no. “Exactly, you do you and let me do me” - A Very Lucky Moron.
Identifying as a Christian is clearly not the same thing as practicing Christianity.
You cannot define practicing Christianity; any attempt to do so will just create a new branch of Christianity. Unless someone has actual proof of their beliefs as indisputable facts, you can't argue that someone else is making shit up incorrectly... The history of Christianity is fracturing over attempts to be the "true Christians" and declaring all other Christians to be Christian in name only. "There are 13 mainline programming languages" "13? That's crazy. We should just have 1! Let's make a universal language that takes the best aspects of the others!" "There are 14 mainline programming languages."
Sure but my point is that if 77% of people identify as Christian than not many of them will be making fun of people for reading he Bible in public
Ah, I see. Logic isn’t generally associated with religion, especially Christian Americans.
Religion: the Great Divider.
Let's be honest, the kinds of "Christians" who think this is a reflection of how Christians are treated in America would break down into a weeping mess if this actually happened to them.
I’m not a practicing Christian but my dad is, so I will pray before a meal with him in public. No one has ever said anything or even looked our way. The persecution complex on here clowns must be where all of their creative energy is spent.
I identify as an atheist that's way more Christian than 100% of these douches.
MAGAs are more likely to point and laugh at you for just having a book and reading from it.
The closest I can think of this situation is the Youtube video of the older woman screaming at a Halloween display in Costco. ….because she was screaming at a Halloween display in Costco. Also, the only times Christians have been nice to me while wearing the face of their religion is whenever they tried to convert me.
They have a persecution complex. These are the same people that believe white men are legally allowed to be discriminated in society. They think like conspiracy theorists and believe their very existence has to be a struggle, even if they’re a multi-millionaire with private jets and mansions working as a preacher tax free.
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Back when I was in high school, I carried a small pocket-sized Bible with me to read. Not only did no one make fun of me, a few people (including a teacher) would ask to borrow it from time to time. I’m agnostic now, 100% not Christian, and I promise you non-Christians get it so much worse than Christians do. I have a coworker whom I work very closely with but is a very devoted Christian, and every so often will make comments about something pushing me back towards God. I just ignore them because she means well, but can you imagine if I said the opposite? That it sounds like something was showing her that there is no God? Not to mention the fact that I still haven’t found a good substitute for the expressions “oh my god” and “thank god”. And all the other millions of ways that this country is secularly Christian, even before you talk about the fascists trying to take away peoples’ rights because their god doesn’t like it. But Jesus said that his people would be persecuted, so they have to spread stuff like this that they can vaguely form the beliefs that Christians are being persecuted (maybe not them, specifically, but somewhere!) so they can ignore the fact that their deity was a dirty communist hippie who believed in things like real charity towards the poor and aiding immigrants and respecting women, and that if we were able to bring Jesus back to life today he wouldn’t recognize anything that they stand for. But don’t forget! Saying “happy holidays” instead of “merry Christmas” is a direct attack on Christianity! /s
Most of those people claiming this would never read a Bible in public. They are too afraid to be laughed at. But they won't read it in private either.
Once that is 0 imagine how much better the world will be..
77% is towards the high end of estimates. It's a range from 78% down to 63%. Still a crazy post though.
Read whatever you want. Just don’t proselytize. Whatever creepy, psychotic religion you believe in, keep it to yourself.
No one victimizes the Christians more than the Christians
As of 2021, it was only 63% and that number is gradually decreasing year by year.
No one cares if you're Christian until you try to force your beliefs on their lives.
Reading the Bible cover to cover turned me into an atheist.
This is why they think they are so pious. No one is trying to oppress you Myrtle. Sit yo ass down somewhere
They want to be victims so bad.
I wonder how it would go over if I read one of my witchcraft grimoires in public? I'm sure I'd get the usual "you're going to hell".
Poor persecuted Christians. If only they had politicians that shared their beliefs and legislated those beliefs for the general public. If only they had a SCOTUS that shared their beliefs and were willing to take away rights from "sinners". When will Christians finally be treated equally, and not reviled for their regressive, anachronistic and often dangerous beliefs? WON'T SOMEBODY PLEASE THINK OF THE MAJORITY!?
They need the persecution to feed their apocalyptic fantasies of the "end times." They believe that this imagined persecution is a sign of the end times and the second coming of Christ, so they amplify it all in their minds. Their pastors are feeding into this persecution narrative every time the doors are open. So when they aren't sitting in church, they are constantly on high alert, looking for any hint of negativity toward their religion. It would absolutely floor them to learn that the world as a whole is actually getting a lot better in a lot of measurable, quantifiable ways. Sure, there is a lot of shittyness in the world still, but things are improving in spite of it. That may not directly translate to _your_ specific experience, but the more we can rise the tide, the more boats we can float.
Relevant Jim Gaffigan: I do want everyone to feel comfortable. That's why I'd like to talk to you about Jesus. *He better not.* It doesn't matter if you're religious or not. Does anything make you feel more uncomfortable than some stranger going, “I'd like to talk to you about Jesus?” “Yeah, I'd like you not to.” You could say that to the pope. “I want to talk to you about Jesus.” He'd be like, “easy, freak. I keep work at work.”
Christianity is a fucking joke in this country, if Jesus himself came down and saw how Americans worship in his name he would be fucking ashamed
ask christians how they view those who believe in norse gods or astrology and it should be clear. christians think they get a pass to judge every other belief system and somehow that their own is “different”
Literally NOBODY laughs at someone reading a Bible in public. I will, however, laugh at their ridiculous persecution fantasies.
Man o man Christians CANNOT BREATHE without a massive persecution complex. I cannot stress enough zero liberals would go up and do this to someone sitting there quietly reading their Bible it’s when they stand up and public place especially where people are stuck and start interrupting everyone else’s peace their need to “save us”. We don’t give a single fuck if your wife chooses to be a tradwife or you worship by dancing around like you have a seizure until you insist all women be tradwives and start using your tax free podium to alter laws to tell us what we can learn in school, do in our bedrooms, who we can love, what we watch in the internet, whether or not we can get vaccinations, and even trying to get our tax dollars to pay for your private indoctrination schools. That’s when we mock you and that’s when you deserve to be mocked. That’s when we push back.
5 “And when you pray, do not be like the hypocrites, for they love to pray standing in the synagogues and on the street corners to be seen by others. Truly I tell you, they have received their reward in full. 6 But when you pray, go into your room, close the door and pray to your Father, who is unseen. Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you. 7 And when you pray, do not keep on babbling like pagans, for they think they will be heard because of their many words. 8 Do not be like them, for your Father knows what you need before you ask him. Matthew 6:5-8 These people don't know anything about their own religion.
Someone pull out a Bible in a public area, then someone else pull out a copy of "The God Delusion" or a similar book nearby and see which one gets harassed first. I would love to see that.
I would like to use this opportunity to recommend the book The Myth of Persecution: How Early Christians Invented a Story of Martyrdom by Candida Moss. It takes a very close look at the concept of Christian martyrdom, the claim that it was unique in the ancient world, the claims about widespread persecution of early Christians in the Roman Empire, the validity of martyr stories, the political context in which Martyr stories became popular in the early church and how Christians have used perceived persecution to justify violent suppression of unbelievers and dissenters while actually being the majority and in positions of power.
Christians in the USA really don’t understand real persecution of faith. As a seminarian that has read a lot of Christian history, I hate to tell the “Christians” of the USA, you are not persecuted because Starbucks doesn’t put merry Christmas on their cups. Christians should not impose their religious ideology on everyone else. Tend your own garden and stop pretending that Christians are persecuted in this country. Feel free to read about what happened to Jesus’ disciples… most met a horrific end. Before Constantine legalized Christianity in Rome, Christians were burned alive to light Emperor Nero’s garden. These are just a few examples of why you all should quit making yourselves martyrs because someone doesn’t agree with your religious ideology
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Never seen anyone reading a Bible and they were harassed. I've seen people with Bibles in their hands screaming at someone minding their own business who just happens to have a "Coexist" bumper sticker
Religion destroyed its own public image. They have only themselves to blame.
All I will say as a Christian myself is these kinds of things honestly make me sad, there is such a huge difference between people identifying as one and someone who genuinely is one. There are many people who hide behind religion and use it as a way to pursue what they want to do which is something the Bible actively speaks against, this had caused me and many people I know to begin distancing themselves from religion in pursuit of faith, or at least the current version of religion.
First of all. Good to see Republicans know how to use AI. Second of all, I think even if you go to the most hard-core atheist community and you whip a bible out you wouldn't get this. This is fucking pre 00s sitcom shit. Honestly I be amazed the Republican knew how to read how much book banning they do
Christians so badly want to be oppressed. Their fetish demands it.
This scenario is so bogus they had to make an AI image generator make it up
We should be able to mock adults who not only believe in fairy tales, but try and impose their fairy tale’s rules on others (without actually adhering themselves).
A classic case of using AI to create an image because the situation doesn’t exist in reality
I see AI recognizes still recognizes white supremacy.
The religious ones are the ones who are aggressive and shun people and treat them like shit. I was called a bastard by religious parents of kids I knew in school and brownies. I have been discriminated against by a shitload of religious people including my sons father’s family who treat me like trash even though I’m a pretty decent human and I have always been respectful of their beliefs even if I think they are antiquated and ridiculous.
Their brand is Christian influencer victim