#non-christian

[matan4il]

I can't believe it's only Aug 12th and already there's a Xmas post on my dash.

Every single year I have to get through the non-Christian erasure that is Xmas season, the way that everyone acts as if the whole world celebrates Xmas, every year I have to feel like I'm being mean and raining on people's parades when I refuse to join in, or when I try to (as politely as I can) refuse to be greeted with Xmas wishes, every year I have to grit my teeth as every show has a Xmas special, every app and software has festive events and sales, changing into special Xmas versions of their icons, every media outlet wants to tell me about the joys of Xmas shopping and tourism, meanwhile I'm biting my tongue not to blurt out repeatedly that Xmas is when historically my people were targeted, brutalized and sometimes even MURDERED... and apparently Xmas season just keeps getting longer.

I don't mind that people who are religiously or culturally Christian celebrate it. I kinda mind it when non-Christians do, because that strikes me as the effects of commercialism and cultural colonialism, but hey. Other people are independent individuals, it's up to them to make their own choices, even if I personally make a different choice. And I'd never make anyone personally feel bad about their choice, either. What bothers me is that it's basically IMPOSSIBLE to opt out of Xmas celebrations if you're one of the people who don't want to participate. They're everywhere. They're in every place, they're in so many spaces that I otherwise love. And they just keep starting earlier every year. I wanna bang my head against the wall.

This is what religious / cultural coercion feels like. Yeah, even if it's done unintentionally by many.

[wisdomfish]

Non-Christians are quick to point out when the lives of Christians do match their words. It is a deep misunderstanding to think that Christians will be perfect, devoid of all hypocrisy and inconsistency, but apologists who avoid separating their arguments from everyday living are more effective evangelists.

Samples, Kenneth Richard. ‘Without a Doubt: Answering the 20 Toughest Faith Questions. p. 257

[mybeautifulchristianjourney]

Gospel, What Gospel? Pope Francis Entrusts The Soul Of Pontifex Maximus Emeritus Benedict XVI To The 'Most Holy' Virgin Mary Queen Of Heaven

Pope Francis entrusts the soul Pontifex Maximus Emeritus Benedict XVI to Our Lady the Virgin Mary at the first Roman Catholic Mass of 2023.

by Geoffrey Grider | People get mad when I say that the Roman Catholic Church is not a Christian Church, and that it does not teach Bible doctrine. But guess what? It’s not, and they don’t. The stunning proof of that occurred this weekend at the Vatican, and it was committed by the man they call the ‘Vicar of Christ’, who is considered to be ‘infallible’ when speaking on matters of...

[rvexillology]

I made a flag for a non-christian sweden

from /r/vexillology Top comment: Swedish Latvia

[wisdomfish]

Why is it true, as Gould also points out, that even among non-Christians who believe in evolution the vast majority don’t wish to face the utter planlessness of Darwin’s theory? Because they would then no longer be able to console themselves with the feeling that there is some sort of plan or purpose to our existence. . . The usual thing vaguely believed in by this majority of people (at the same time as they accept evolution) is some sort of fuzzy, ethereal, oozing god-essence—more like the Star Wars ‘force be with you’ than the personal God of Scripture. They usually obtain some comfort from a vague belief in at least the possibility of some sort of afterlife, which helps explain the success of movies like Flatliners and Ghost.

Carl Wieland

[mybeautifulchristianjourney]

We have obligations to people who differ from us:

We owe them truth. We owe them patience. We owe them civility. We owe them humility. We owe them love.

This doesn’t mean we agree, but it does mean we maintain our Christian witness while disagreeing. - Dustin Benge

[wisdomfish]

Below is a list of facts about the historical Jesus that are accepted by ancient historians – Christian, non-Christian, atheist.

These are compiled by non-Christian scholar E.P. Sanders:

From his book “Jesus and Judaism” (1985):

Jesus was baptized by John the Baptist.

Jesus called disciples and spoke of there being twelve.

Jesus confined his activity to Israel.

Jesus was a Galilean who preached and healed.

Jesus engaged in a controversy about the temple.

Jesus was crucified outside Jerusalem by the Roman authorities.

After his death, his followers continued as an identifiable movement.

At least some Jews persecuted at least parts of the new movement.

From his book “The Historical Figure of Jesus” (1993):

Jesus was born c.4 BCE, near the time of the death of Herod the Great;

He spent his childhood and early adult years in Nazareth, a Galilean village;

He was baptized by John the Baptist;

He called disciples;

He taught in the towns, villages, and countryside of Galilee (apparently not the cities);

He preached “the kingdom of God”;

Around the year 30 he went to Jerusalem for Passover;

He created a disturbance in the temple area;

He had a final meal with the disciples;

He was arrested and interrogated by Jewish authorities, specifically the high priest;

He was executed on the orders of the Roman prefect, Pontius Pilate;

His disciples at first fled;

They saw him (in what sense is uncertain) after his death;

As a consequence they believed he would return to found the kingdom;

They formed a community to await his return and sought to win others to faith in him as God’s Messiah.

[wisdomfish]

For after all it is only just for God...

...to repay with affliction those who afflict you, and to give relief to you who are afflicted and to us as well when the Lord Jesus will be revealed from heaven with His mighty angels in flaming fire, dealing out retribution to those who do not know God and to those who do not obey the gospel of our Lord Jesus.

These will pay the penalty of eternal destruction, away from the presence of the Lord and from the glory of His power, when He comes to be glorified in His saints on that day, and to be marveled at among all who have believed—for our testimony to you was believed.

- 2 Thessalonians 1:6-10, NASB