i understand the desire to piss christians off by saying (well typing) xtian/xtianity but like? i dont know i can't do it without feeling petty and (maybe it's because i converted? and im trans?) it feels just sort of mean spirited to call them the wrong name on purpose -- like i get all of the reasons someone would /want/ to do this but it doesn't feel good? a user i follow has been making posts using 'xtians/xtianity' while talking about how christmas is idolatry and idk it just feels mean?
(Because of some of the subjects touched on, I’d prefer this post stays in relatively Jewish circles. Non-Jews with questions or comments about all this are welcome to find my ask box or messenger.)
I don’t think the use of “Xtian”/”Xianity” is intended to upset Christians. I don’t know enough linguistics or history of Christianity to explain it in detail, but from what I’ve heard it’s really just a spelling shortcut derived from Greek. Some non-Christian (and Christian -- “Xmas”) folks use it as a shortcut. Some Jews also use it to avoid saying the name of another religion’s diety/figure.
If you don’t feel comfortable using the “X” abbreviation you can absolutely spell Christianity out like I’m doing in this post. I do it for clarity, and because I'm not sure how using an “X” solves the religious figure dilemma I mentioned above.
By Jewish standards, Christianity, well...breaks Judaism. I don’t think it’s our role to insult them, or comment on how they are breaking Judaism except to combat Messianics or other tactics trying to convert Jewish people. I’d like to remind anyone Jewish who might be making these arguments without reason of Deuteronomy 4:19
וּפֶן־תִּשָּׂ֨א עֵינֶ֜יךָ הַשָּׁמַ֗יְמָה וְֽ֠רָאִיתָ אֶת־הַשֶּׁ֨מֶשׁ וְאֶת־הַיָּרֵ֜חַ וְאֶת־הַכּֽוֹכָבִ֗ים כֹּ֚ל צְבָ֣א הַשָּׁמַ֔יִם וְנִדַּחְתָּ֛ וְהִשְׁתַּחֲוִ֥יתָ לָהֶ֖ם וַעֲבַדְתָּ֑ם אֲשֶׁ֨ר חָלַ֜ק יְהוָ֤ה אֱלֹהֶ֙יךָ֙ אֹתָ֔ם לְכֹל֙ הָֽעַמִּ֔ים תַּ֖חַת כָּל־הַשָּׁמָֽיִם׃
And when you look up to the sky and behold the sun and the moon and the stars, the whole heavenly host, you must not be lured into bowing down to them or serving them. These the LORD your God allotted to other peoples everywhere under heaven;
The covenant with G-d is ours. Non-Jews don’t need to uphold it. Trying to push it on anyone else is not only unnecessary (see above) but puts Jews in danger.
If you need to take apart a proselytization technique for the sake of other Jews, please do it either privately (to those individual Jews being targeted) or directly in reference to the argument they are making (i.e. “this group claims xyz but that’s not true because qrs”). I recognize that in combating Jewish practice of Christmas this is hard, but you can’t reach secular Jews through tumblr without reaching a lot more Christians than you will Jews. Besides the fact that I doubt theological/textual arguments can effectively persuade most secular Jews, Christians thinking Jews are going on the offensive puts all your fellow Jews in danger. You will do more harm than good. Please find another platform (and method).
If you really, really must critique Christian theology for other reasons, please do it in Jewish-only spaces (i.e. at private gatherings, your local Beis, a closed facebook group) or with individual Christians who are up for the debate.
I know that being perfect in this regard or any still won’t protect us from antisemitism, but if y’all Jewish folks doing this could please stop putting yet another target on our backs?? Maybe you haven’t experienced antisemitism, but the rest of us have and theological arguments aren’t going to solve it.
