Christianophobia?

[Green Gaia]

A new word is making the rounds in the cautious world of human rights diplomacy--Christianophobia. The United Nations has denounced it as an issue of worldwide concern along with anti-Semitism and Islamophobia. The Vienna-based Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe has just named an expert on racism to monitor discrimination against Christians there. But most Christians have never heard this term describing persecution of their faith.

Complete article here

Is 'Christianophobia' Real?

 

[retrorich]

Is the world becoming more biased against Christianity?

Only to the extent that Christians bring it upon themselves by trying to force their religious beliefs on others--and to the extent that the U.S. government attempts to do the same.

I suffer from Bushophobia, not Christianophobia.

 

[Melody]

Only to the extent that Christians bring it upon themselves by trying to force their religious beliefs on others--and to the extent that the U.S. government attempts to do the same.

Wasn't that the excuse the Nazis used to rid themselves of the Jews....they brought it on themselves? Their phobia resulted in the holocaust.

A phobia is an an "exaggerated usually inexplicable and illogical fear of a particular object, class of objects, or situation". Allowing your phobia to control your reaction to a group of people (in this case Christians) leads to disastrous consequences. If Revelations is to be believed, it will eventually for Christians.

 

[Green Gaia]

I wouldn't call it a phobia so much as a backlash against Christianity. I can only speak for the US in this regard, but many feel that we've been forced-fed Christianity for so long, and if you weren't Christian, you were looked down upon and in some cases called evil. And now more than ever, this one religion is trying to force itself into the laws books that govern everyone. I think people are starting to stand up to this and the majority doesn't like it. So, I agree with retrorich, that this has largely been brought on Christians by themselves, not so much because of their religion, but for their actions.

 

[michel]

Is the world becoming more biased against Christianity?

Only to the extent that Christians bring it upon themselves by trying to force their religious beliefs on others--and to the extent that the U.S. government attempts to do the same.

I suffer from Bushophobia, not Christianophobia.

I think you're right, Rich,Christianity seems to be going through a 'self-destruct' phase at the moment. What a shame; there is nothing intrinsically wrong with Christianity.......... It's the way it is portrayed by some that causes harm!
(Scott, my friend, I do NOT include you in this - you seem to be one of the last 'bastions of pure honesty and Christian example'.

 

[retrorich]

Wasn't that the excuse the Nazis used to rid themselves of the Jews....they brought it on themselves? Their phobia resulted in the holocaust.

I don't think the two are in any way comparable. Last time I heard, Christians weren't being rounded up and killed.

 

[Master Vigil]

Well, let's see. Islam is on the rise, I don't believe muslims have too much of a problem with christians, atleast not as much as christians have a problem with them. And pagan religions are on the rise. I would say that christians are still by and large the majority, but people are slowly trying to change that.

 

[Melody]

I wouldn't call it a phobia so much as a backlash against Christianity. I can only speak for the US in this regard, but many feel that we've been forced-fed Christianity for so long, and if you weren't Christian, you were looked down upon and in some cases called evil. And now more than ever, this one religion is trying to force itself into the laws books that govern everyone. I think people are starting to stand up to this and the majority doesn't like it. So, I agree with retrorich, that this has largely been brought on Christians by themselves, not so much because of their religion, but for their actions.

Here is the other side of the argument that I hear from those who would make laws based on Christian beliefs....

They've been force fed secular humanism and atheism for so many years that people are starting to stand up to it and the majority don't like it. So this backlash has caused Christians to actively promote their views.

Not saying I agree with it but...

 

[Melody]

I don't think the two are in any way comparable. Last time I heard, Christians weren't being rounded up and killed.

And the Jews weren't rounded up prior to the holocaust, but the phobia was there. It just goes to show where phobias can lead.

 

[Green Gaia]

They've been force fed secular humanism and atheism for so many years that people are starting to stand up to it and the majority don't like it. So this backlash has caused Christians to actively promote their views.

The majority is Christian, always has been. Humanism and atheism have never been in the forefront. Your argument might work if it were true.

 

[Melody]

The majority is Christian, always has been. Humanism and atheism have never been in the forefront. Your argument might work if it were true.

It doesn't matter whether they truly are the majority or are a very vocal minority if the results are the same. In this case, the very vocal minority has managed to get quite a number of laws passed that threaten the Christians. So they're reacting.

 

[Green Gaia]

I see nothing threatening Christianity more than some who claim practice it; i.e. the fundamentalist movement.

 

[No*s]

I voted "yes."

I don't necessarily fear a persecution in my land, but at the same time, Christianity is losing its footing in the West. Naturally, those who leave feel some antipathy, and this is inherited.

And of course, I understand Melody's point. More Christians were killed for their faith than in the 20th century than any period previous in history (or possibly all the first 19 centuries), and most were Orthodox. My Church believes there is something to fear, and they have a pile of dead to make them think this way. I'm not as leary as the rest, though, for my safety.

 

[Melody]

I see nothing threatening Christianity more than some who claim practice it; i.e. the fundamentalist movement.

Maize, but then we're back to the whole "are they really Christian?" and I'm just not in the position to judge.

However, I find the fanatics of any movement threatening...including Christians.

 

[No*s]

I don't think the two are in any way comparable. Last time I heard, Christians weren't being rounded up and killed.

Well, none here are dieing, because their faith was rejected, but that exact thing happened throughout the bulk of the twentieth century by nations that were formerly Christian and were then led by a minority. So, yes, the Christians have been being rounded up and killed for their faith, just not here (and I don't fear it in the States).

 

[Green Gaia]

Maize, but then we're back to the whole "are they really Christian?" and I'm just not in the position to judge.

It doesn't matter if they "really" are or not. If they claim to be Christian and act in a way that can damage Christianity's image, then the damage is done regardless if they are truly following Jesus' teachings.

 

[retrorich]

And the Jews weren't rounded up prior to the holocaust, but the phobia was there. It just goes to show where phobias can lead.

Christians are the majority in the U.S. Jews were the minority in Nazi Germany.

Do you really think that the non-Christian minority in the U.S. is going to stage a holocaust against the Christian majority?

 

[Dr. Nosophoros]

A "phobia" is a fear, I don't think most people that disagree with Christian based systems actually "fear" it, it is just a result of what has come before and since because of those systems. I have said this before but Christian based systems were responsible in the west for the suppression of science and probably set it back several hundred years or more because science seems to have been a threat to their social and political control and religions made up some of the earliest political systems, not to mention the complete destruction of entire cultures and religions, the witch hunts etc. in the name of those same systems. More recently in this country (in the 1980s) that there were a large number of people that actually believed that there was a huge "satanic" conspiracy that was involved in ritual murders, child molestation etc. that reached to the very tops of society- we could pass this off as just a few nut jobs with a need to believe in conspiracies but there were a large number of innocent people whose lives were affected through allegations of SRAs (Satanic Ritual Abuse) in courtrooms across America during that time, this wasn't helped by some in the psychological community that went with the recovered memory theory, although these "memories" were often coached ones, innocent people still went to jail because of fear of "satan" brought on by the same culture that was created by the belief in him. The book "Michelle Remembers" seems to have been a huge contributing factor to that movement, but it has since been virtually debunked by actual investigation. It wasn't until later when Kenneth V. Lanning of the F.B.I. made his report on SRAs in 1992 that some of this receded. Then we have music album and book burnings etc. done in the name of good by these same people that believed "satan" was destroying America, (much like the Nazi book burnings in Germany) I remember being invited to one of these when I was in Jr. High School by a friend but I didn't go ( I actually told him to give them to me because most were good albums). Of course those things don't represent Christs teachings from what I understand, and don't necessarily represent the whole, but the fact remains that this wasn't just a few nut jobs, it was a lot- and the law and innocent lives were negatively affected by it.

I have no problem with Christianity itself, what Christ actually taught seems pretty benign, limitless love, forgiveness,turning the other cheek etc. but it isn't for me, What I do have a problem with is systems (no matter the name) that have been mis-used to control and manipulate others to gain and keep power and punish the innocent or merely those that disagreed in name of "good" while actually the few that pulled the strings manipulated them for their own gain .

(My personal opinion) I have heard it said that it was actually "satan" that caused these things or was responsible for the "evil" that was done in the name of "good" to confuse human-animal kind but I see this as only an excuse for not confronting and acknowledging the darker aspects of our humanity which we all possess. I feel that the belief in the external causes us to forget the internal, and the internal is what actually drives us. There are no gods, goddesses, devils etc that cause us to do good or evil, I see these as ways to describe aspects of ourselves that cannot be understood and causes imbalance. I feel that acknowledging our dark and light aspects and working towards the understanding of ourselves and our true natures is crucial to keeping the balance within ourselves, which will affect the external through our actions.

 

[painted wolf]

I think that the world rather than becomeing more biased against, is simply realizing that they can actually speak up.

and Melody the round up of the Jews started in the middle ages with the pogroms and the formation of the first 'ghettos'. Such as the York massicre of 1189-90. It was a centurys old practice in Europe. It got so bad one of the popes, had to step in and declare that Jews had to be 'preserved'. His reasons wern't very egalitarian however, he felt that they needed to be around to fofill biblical prophecy.
views on Jews in the middle ages: http://ksumail.kennesaw.edu/~bstevens/JewishOther.htm

I won't say that there arn't Christianophobes out there, I have met a few in my time. But I don't think it will reach the level it did/has/is against other groups.

wa:do

 

[Scuba Pete]

I think the better word for this is Christophobe, but that's me!

Only to the extent that Christians bring it upon themselves by trying to force their religious beliefs on others--

So when have you seen a gun to someone's head? Forced conversions have happened in the past, and they were completely wrong. Like many, you confuse persuasion with force. BTW, I too am an admitted Bushophobe.

Melody, you don't have to judge anyone... but I advise you to be a competent "Fruit Inspector".

Matthew 7:15. "Watch out for false prophets. They come to you in sheep's clothing, but inwardly they are ferocious wolves. 16 By their fruit you will recognize them. Do people pick grapes from thornbushes, or figs from thistles? 17 Likewise every good tree bears good fruit, but a bad tree bears bad fruit. 18 A good tree cannot bear bad fruit, and a bad tree cannot bear good fruit. 19 Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. 20 Thus, by their fruit you will recognize them.

I do believe this passage accurately describes MANY of those who use their Christianity as a means to gain power and money.