I think we need a new word for people who follow Jesus’ teachings but do NOT belong to organized religion. And leave “Christian” to mean someone who identifies with the religion of Christianity.
How about Christianite? So you could say, “It seems like so few Christians are Christianites.”
G-DOC’s (Godless Disciples of Christ)
I think we need a new word for people who follow Jesus' teachings but do NOT belong to organized religion. And leave "Christian" to mean someone who identifies with the religion of Christianity. How about Christianite? So you could say, "It seems like so few Christians are Christianites."[/quot Why a new word? I feel the word foolish fits for anyone saying they believe in a god. In other words, you can be a fool in or out of an organized religion.
The meanings of words change (other brilliant statements from me can be found on my blog). CS Lewis noted the changing of the word “Christian” in the introduction to Mere Christianity. He compared it to “gentleman”, which used to have specific meaning, but now just means a nice man.
More significantly, and the opposite of what CS Lewis wanted, is that very few people match their beliefs to their church. Many are being more aware and honest about it and not going to a church they don’t agree with. Many just go for the “community” and don’t know or don’t care where their donations go. I’m pretty sure this is a unique time in history and I hope it portends a time of rapid change for churches of all stripes.
How about “Jeffersonian”?
Thomas Jefferson thought the Jesus as described in the New Testament was a person whose example was worthy enough to follow. His version of the bible removed all the magic tricks and he didn’t appear to believe in any of the divinity side of the fable.
When someone tells me they belong to a certain religion (Roman Catholic, Methodist, Baptist, whatever), it conjures an image of a person with certain practices and beliefs. When someone tells me they are a Christian, it conjures an image of an “ignorant bigot”.
How about including them with other mythologists? Scripture is not history, but they are stories that we can place in a historical context. We don’t know who wrote them but we know about the cultures they came from. They need to be understood in context and they inform us of their context. Also, they are timeless stories that can be applied to each new generation. They just aren’t about real things that real people did.
Good suggestions. I’m thinking something that could be used in common parlance, regular discussions just to get people thinking differently. So you’re discussing religion with uncle fred and you say “well ya he’s a Christian and attends church, but he’s not really a Christianite is he?” And Uncle Fred says, “Huh? What’s a Christianite?” …and off goes the conversation.
Similarly I thought it’d be neat to have a bumper sticker that captures this same idea. Something like “Jesus Loves You, Even if you’re Christian” or “…even if you go to Church”.
Good one. Although no bumper sticker will look the same to me now, since someone suggested making a bumper sticker that says “Any idiot can make a bumper sticker”
I saw a bumper sticker that read: ‘God, please protect me from your followers.’
Take care,
Derek
Our '99 Windstar has a bumper sticker that reads “MY OTHER CAR IS A BROOMSTICK” (my wife’s doing, not mine). We live in the dead centre of the British Columbia Bible Belt. Fingers, toes and eyes crossed and wood touched (!), we haven’t been vandalized yet - only a few Jehovah’s Witnesses tracts stuffed in our mailbox - but I await the mob of devout citizens armed with torches and pitchforks…
TFS
I think we need a new word for people who follow Jesus' teachings but do NOT belong to organized religion. And leave "Christian" to mean someone who identifies with the religion of Christianity. How about Christianite? So you could say, "It seems like so few Christians are Christianites."Christianite rhymes with kryptonite, but who does it drain power from?
I think we need a new word for people who follow Jesus' teachings but do NOT belong to organized religion. And leave "Christian" to mean someone who identifies with the religion of Christianity. How about Christianite? So you could say, "It seems like so few Christians are Christianites."Christianite rhymes with kryptonite, but who does it drain power from? Superfundamentalistman.
Our '99 Windstar has a bumper sticker that reads "MY OTHER CAR IS A BROOMSTICK" (my wife's doing, not mine). We live in the dead centre of the British Columbia Bible Belt. Fingers, toes and eyes crossed and wood touched (!), we haven't been vandalized yet - only a few Jehovah's Witnesses tracts stuffed in our mailbox - but I await the mob of devout citizens armed with torches and pitchforks....... TFSOh definitely. I actually have stopped putting bumper stickers on my car. Years ago I had one, I can't remember exactly but it was something mildly anti-religious. And lo and behold my car was vandalized right after I put it on. And even though bumper stickers and such are pretty trivial, I think my experience points out a basic problem. Highly religious people view the world differently...they view it in terms of Ends Justify the Means. So to the vandalizers, it's just them acting righteously and justifiedly. The rest of us would call it vandalism.
Our '99 Windstar has a bumper sticker that reads "MY OTHER CAR IS A BROOMSTICK" (my wife's doing, not mine). We live in the dead centre of the British Columbia Bible Belt. Fingers, toes and eyes crossed and wood touched (!), we haven't been vandalized yet - only a few Jehovah's Witnesses tracts stuffed in our mailbox - but I await the mob of devout citizens armed with torches and pitchforks....... TFSOh definitely. I actually have stopped putting bumper stickers on my car. Years ago I had one, I can't remember exactly but it was something mildly anti-religious. And lo and behold my car was vandalized right after I put it on. And even though bumper stickers and such are pretty trivial, I think my experience points out a basic problem. Highly religious people view the world differently...they view it in terms of Ends Justify the Means. So to the vandalizers, it's just them acting righteously and justifiedly. The rest of us would call it vandalism. Thugs.
Our '99 Windstar has a bumper sticker that reads "MY OTHER CAR IS A BROOMSTICK" (my wife's doing, not mine). We live in the dead centre of the British Columbia Bible Belt. Fingers, toes and eyes crossed and wood touched (!), we haven't been vandalized yet - only a few Jehovah's Witnesses tracts stuffed in our mailbox - but I await the mob of devout citizens armed with torches and pitchforks....... TFSOh definitely. I actually have stopped putting bumper stickers on my car. Years ago I had one, I can't remember exactly but it was something mildly anti-religious. And lo and behold my car was vandalized right after I put it on. And even though bumper stickers and such are pretty trivial, I think my experience points out a basic problem. Highly religious people view the world differently...they view it in terms of Ends Justify the Means. So to the vandalizers, it's just them acting righteously and justifiedly. The rest of us would call it vandalism.You can avoid vandalism by not being so nerdy.
Sr. Member Total Posts: 906 Joined 2012-04-25 I think we need a new word for people who follow Jesus’ teachings but do NOT belong to organized religion. And leave “Christian" to mean someone who identifies with the religion of Christianity. How about Christianite? So you could say, “It seems like so few Christians are Christianites."Easy, just leave out the Pauline supernatural crap, pay no attention to what "Jesus" supposedly said about hating your parents and the proper way to beat your slaves and voila, you're pretty much a humanist. That and be sure not to wear an expensive representation of a Roman torture device around your neck. Cap't Jack
Oh definitely. I actually have stopped putting bumper stickers on my car. Years ago I had one, I can’t remember exactly but it was something mildly anti-religious. And lo and behold my car was vandalized right after I put it on. And even though bumper stickers and such are pretty trivial, I think my experience points out a basic problem. Highly religious people view the world differently…they view it in terms of Ends Justify the Means. So to the vandalizers, it’s just them acting righteously and justifiedly. The rest of us would call it vandalism.This sounds trivial but actually it's not. NeoCons slap all manner of bumper stickers on their cars to show their solidarity with their religion and political party affiliation. I don't know where you live but here at the top of the buckle of the bible belt practically every car sports a "Jesus fish", church ID, Xtian platitude, and a rapture sticker along with a homemade crystal beaded crucifix hanging off the rear view mirror. It's refreshing to pull up behind a car with an evolve sticker, an equal sign or hell, even a Wiccan bumper sticker. Many years before I joined this site I saw my first alternative fish in a parking lot and doubled over laughing. It was the now famous fish n' chips car reflector. It felt pretty good to see that there was another cynic and skeptic out there who didn't give a shit what the religious public felt. It took a while before I was bold enough to do the same (I have an evolve fish and sticker on my car now) and publicly come out as an atheist and a secular humanist but I took that guy's public message as a challenge and I had fears of vandalism at first but so far no one outside of my extended family has even commented on it. Maybe they think I'm an just an eccentric nut but at this stage of the game I don't really care! Plus I have back up stickers if anyone tries to vandalize my car. So why shouldn't we show our solidarity with fellow skeptics like Dan Barker, Sam Harris, Dawkins, Shermer, Greta Christina etc. who all urge us to? Go ahead, be a nerd, I dare you. Cap't Jack
Our '99 Windstar has a bumper sticker that reads "MY OTHER CAR IS A BROOMSTICK" (my wife's doing, not mine). We live in the dead centre of the British Columbia Bible Belt. Fingers, toes and eyes crossed and wood touched (!), we haven't been vandalized yet - only a few Jehovah's Witnesses tracts stuffed in our mailbox - but I await the mob of devout citizens armed with torches and pitchforks....... TFSOh definitely. I actually have stopped putting bumper stickers on my car. Years ago I had one, I can't remember exactly but it was something mildly anti-religious. And lo and behold my car was vandalized right after I put it on. And even though bumper stickers and such are pretty trivial, I think my experience points out a basic problem. Highly religious people view the world differently...they view it in terms of Ends Justify the Means. So to the vandalizers, it's just them acting righteously and justifiedly. The rest of us would call it vandalism. After that incident you might have put on a bumpersticker that said "This car was vandalized by a Christian doing his god's bidding." Lois