[RD] What is a Christian?

[Timsup2nothin]

Do not swear on anything, let your yes be yes...

Not on your son, not on your god, not on your land...that's the point. It isn't about "I only tell the truth if I have something at stake." It's about your yes being yes all the time, your word is your bond. But the whole "so I can't use the word 'swear' so I'll say 'affirm' instead" is flat nonsense, in my opinion.

 

[Valka D'Ur]

If they support Trump's policies, it is probably safe to assume they are not Christian.

A person who follows normal logic would assume that. But remember that Trump is basically setting up a government that seeks to operate like a theocratic oligarchy, while brainwashing the masses to shout "fake news!" at anyone who objects.

So of course there will be new definitions of what a Christian is.

Well it is absurd as you put it to think that the US is a Christian nation and will only let Christians in.

Trump said he would make an exception for Christian refugees. Any refugees who are not Christian are therefore excluded and can just stay behind and suffer.

The point was never to deny on basis of religion, but it seems more logical to associate Islamic terrorist with the religion as opposed to naming every ethnic group that has a group of Muslims.

Oh, please. Of course it was, just like the Canadians who support Kellie Leitch's notions of a snitch line for "barbaric cultural practices" or her screening for "Canadian values" are supporting it because her objective is to keep those "awful Muslims" out. Because you know they're just going to do something bad at some point, or at least cheer about it, just because.

 

[Nanuk]

Any refugees who are not Christian are therefore excluded and can just stay behind and suffer.

So what about not bringing in Yazidi refugees?

 

[timtofly]

A person who follows normal logic would assume that. But remember that Trump is basically setting up a government that seeks to operate like a theocratic oligarchy, while brainwashing the masses to shout "fake news!" at anyone who objects.

So of course there will be new definitions of what a Christian is.


Trump said he would make an exception for Christian refugees. Any refugees who are not Christian are therefore excluded and can just stay behind and suffer.


Oh, please. Of course it was, just like the Canadians who support Kellie Leitch's notions of a snitch line for "barbaric cultural practices" or her screening for "Canadian values" are supporting it because her objective is to keep those "awful Muslims" out. Because you know they're just going to do something bad at some point, or at least cheer about it, just because.

So you are going to stick with your "religion is the culprit" theory?

What about all those Mexicans? Which religion is being banned there?

 

[Commodore]

Watch Watters' World if you want to see how well Americans do with quizzes.
...The University of Maryland student who didn't know when the War of 1812 started.
...When asked people to name a country which started with "U," not one person guessed the United States of America.

I'd believe it. Check out Rick Mercer's "Talking to Americans" videos on YouTube sometime. They're a bit dated now (pre-George W. Bush), but are still pretty funny in places.

The problem with videos like that though, is they edit out all the people they talk to that do well on their little quizzes and only show the morons and try to pass that off as the norm. I mean, I'm sure I could go to Canada or the Philippines, do the same thing and then pull the whole "haha look at how stupid this country's people are!" gimmick too.

 

[aelf]

I'll take a pass on that trivial attempt of a snub. It's blatantly obvious what that word means, and I doubt you seriously consider the definition of it has escaped me. You're being hypocritical because you're committing the same contempt that you're accusing an entire people of a particular religion.

That's really not what "hypocritical" means.

You're reaching with that one. We can discuss the human species in its entirety pretty fairly. I'm not the one singling out a specific sect of it.

Your simple assertion doesn't make something true (or false). Making a non-scientific generalisation about a species is no different from making one about a group of people.

 

[Valka D'Ur]

The problem with videos like that though, is they edit out all the people they talk to that do well on their little quizzes and only show the morons and try to pass that off as the norm. I mean, I'm sure I could go to Canada or the Philippines, do the same thing and then pull the whole "haha look at how stupid this country's people are!" gimmick too.

Actually, it's pretty obvious in the "Talking to Americans" videos that some people saw right through Mercer, realized it was a put-on, and went along with the joke. And they did show one little kid piping right up and calling Mercer on what he was saying.

So yeah, some editing goes on. It's not all edited. Sometimes they have no choice but to leave it in. I once saw a Jeopardy! episode where the answer was "This is the nearest star to Earth" and one contestant looked blankly at the host and simpered vacantly, "Omega?"

Alex Trebek was visibly stunned at her stupidity.

 

[Yeekim]

Trumps latest executive order gives visa priority in war-torn Middle Eastern countries to "Christians."

To implement this order, the State Dept. and Dept. of Homeland Security are going to need a working definition of "Christian."

So, four pages of this and no one has bothered asking for source?
I just posted the text of the executive order under question in another thread.
It makes no reference to religion that I could find.

What is it with these "alternative facts"?

 

[Zkribbler]

It makes no reference to religion that I could find.

Read all the way to the end.

the Secretary of Homeland Security, is further directed to make changes, to the extent permitted by law, to prioritize refugee claims made by individuals on the basis of religious-based persecution, provided that the religion of the individual is a minority religion in the individual’s country of nationality. Where necessary and appropriate, the Secretaries of State and Homeland Security shall recommend legislation to the President that would assist with such prioritization.

Also note: This execute order is not aimed al Qaeda or ISIS or any other terrorist organization. It is aimed solely as Muslim nations...and coincidentally, Muslim nations which contain no Trump owned businesses.

 

[Manfred Belheim]

And, even more coincidentally, the same countries as are already on a list drawn up by the Obama administration? So I heard anyway, not claiming to be an expert but if it's true, which seems more pertinent to you?

 

[Yeekim]

Read all the way to the end.

Thank you. However, I'll point out that the "minority religion" needn't be Christian. Could apply for Sunnis from Iran or Shiites from Syria, technically.

It is aimed solely as Muslim nations...and coincidentally, Muslim nations which contain no Trump owned businesses.

I was wondering what was the logic behind singling out these nations.

 

[thecrazyscot]

Setting aside the constitutionality of the EO for the moment, I suspect giving priority to "Christians" comes out of the misguided belief that simply because they're "Christians" they are more culturally compatible with the broader US culture than Muslims are.

Besides, Christians are supposed to be better than those of this world. Being just the same isn't a great thing at all from a Christian point of view.

You don't understand Christianity at all. To be fair, many (most) of those who call themselves Christians don't understand Christianity anywhere from some of the time to all of the time.

 

[Timsup2nothin]

Thank you. However, I'll point out that the "minority religion" needn't be Christian. Could apply for Sunnis from Iran or Shiites from Syria, technically.

Yeah, that's a technicality that no one following the order will ever see pointed out.

 

[aelf]

You don't understand Christianity at all.

Yeah, yeah. That's what many Christians say when confronted with things that don't match what they want Christianity to be.

If you belonged to the world, it would love you as its own. As it is, you do not belong to the world, but I have chosen you out of the world. That is why the world hates you.

22 You were taught, with regard to your former way of life, to put off your old self, which is being corrupted by its deceitful desires; 23 to be made new in the attitude of your minds; 24 and to put on the new self, created to be like God in true righteousness and holiness.

 

[Yeekim]

Yeah, that's a technicality that no one following the order will ever see pointed out.

Because there are no lawyers in US?
Edit: it seems to me that you are, to some degree, manifesting similar behavior to what you criticize Trump voters for in "conning America" thread.
Trump may claim this is a Muslim ban, but this claim does not stand up to scrutiny.

 

[warpus]

Learning other languages is an abomination. If God wanted us to communicate with foreigners, He'd not have done the Tower of Babel.

Jesus himself learned a foreign language though, from what I remember

 

[thecrazyscot]

Yeah, yeah. That's what many Christians say when confronted with things that don't match what they want Christianity to be.

Cherry pick all you like. It puzzles me how you seem to imply you understand Christianity though, or at the very least Christians.

Jesus himself learned a foreign language though, from what I remember

Indeed. It's almost definite he spoke Aramaic, and likely also spoke some Greek and may have understood some Hebrew as well. I can't imagine @El_Machinae was being serious, though.

 

[Timsup2nothin]

Because there are no lawyers in US?
Edit: it seems to me that you are, to some degree, manifesting similar behavior to what you criticize Trump voters for in "conning America" thread.
Trump may claim this is a Muslim ban, but this claim does not stand up to scrutiny.

Sure. I foresee a Sunni refugee from Iran hiring one any minute now.

 

[warpus]

Doesn't make sense to me to define "Christian" as anything other than "self-professed follower of Christ"

 

[thecrazyscot]

Doesn't make sense to me to define "Christian" as anything other than "self-professed follower of Christ"

Pretty much this.