Over the last few days I’ve had several experiences with people regarding the idea of Christian intolerance and -phobia. In case you didn’t know, the in-thing is to take whatever Christians are against and add -phobe or -phobia to the word, thus creating a new word that labels the Christian as a hater.
Do you disapprove of homosexual behavior?
You’re a homophobe.
Do you disagree with Muslim faith?
You’re an Islamophobe.
Apparently anything you stand against is now something you’re afraid of. Except the definition of phobia is now being broadened to include “dislike of a specified thing or group.”
That makes me:
– a greenbeanophobe (never liked ’em – never will)
– a V8ophobe (c’mon, drinking tomato juice?!?)
– a wasabiphobe (I thought it was something else when I put a whole spoonful in my mouth…)
and a whole host of other things I dislike. It’s misleading to attach -phobe to designate dislike of something. It is attempt to attach a negative and derogatory label without understanding anything about anyone’s position.
In terms of faith it often comes down to Christians being labeled “intolerant” and/or “bigot.”
But I’m not intolerant.
I have a willingness to allow the existence of other opinions and behavior I don’t agree with. I have never forced anyone to change to my way of thinking. So I guess I’m tolerant. Yay, me!
As for bigot, the all-knowing Wikipedia defines it as “someone who, as a result of their prejudices, treats or views other people with fear, distrust or hatred.”
But prejudice is “prejudgment, or forming an opinion before becoming aware of the relevant facts of a case.”
I have not pre-judged other faith groups or formed an opinion before becoming aware of relevant facts. As a Christian, I will go with Jesus when he says:
I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me. (John 14:6)
Or Peter when he preached about Jesus:
There is salvation in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to people by which we must be saved. (Acts 4:12)
So I’m not prejudiced. My views about other faith groups are based on my understanding that Christianity is the only way to God. And if I’m not prejudiced then I’m not bigoted, for bigotry requires prejudice.
So here I am: a tolerant, unprejudiced, non-bigoted Christian.
But I’ll still tell you that Jesus is the only way and that, as much as we can, we need to conform our lives to the character of God and the kind of lives he calls us to lead as revealed in the Bible.
And that message won’t change, no matter what the Christianphobes say about it.
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Chris Linzey 
I’d like to turn the tables: “I’m of the Islamic Faith. The Quran tells me that Allah is the only true God … the only one God. Allah tells me that I must love christians and respect you for your beliefs — that I should tolerate you and even treat you with cordiality. However, I do know that, in truth, you are an infidel and that there is no truth in you. I’m really not concerned that people accuse me of being “intolerant”, and I don’t defend myself against the accusation. My faith teaches me that I am not to be of this world, and that in fact, I do not agree with or believe in the things of this world. Therefore in the Islamic Theocracy, we have laws that govern our society and we stick to our faith both in our personal and societal lives. If we are against it, we state it, live by it, and dont apologize for the exercise of our faith.
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How does this “turn the tables”? What’s your point?
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Reblogged this on Yves Johnson Ministries and commented:
What are your thoughts? Have you encountered people wanting you to change your Christian stance because of current conventional thoughts?
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I see no way for anyone describing non- Christians as Christianphopes to call themselves un-prejudiced in the same breath. Green bean preference couldn’t possibly equate to tolerance or understanding of people who don’t follow teachings of your God. A tolerant person would resist temptation to quote the Bible – acknowledging instead an understanding that all people are equal, regardless of the creation mythology they choose to follow. Your God is no less relevant than any number of “Gods” throughout history. All Christians “tolerate” is the politically correct notion of equality.
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People don’t apply the word phobia to things because Christians don’t like them. They apply phobia to something because people in general have an irrational reaction to it. To say that homophobia and Islamophobia were created because Christians are against them is putting your group in the center of the issue for no better reason than because you want to feel attacked. There are plenty of non-Christian homophobes and Islamiphobes. I don’t know your personal feelings on homosexuality or Muslims, so I can’t say anything about your being any kind of -phobe. But I know you’re a Christian. So how can the two be connected?
Personally, I’ll agree with Morgan Freeman on homophobia.
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While i don’t deny non-Christians might be worthy of those labels, they are ALWAYS applied to Christians who express biblical objections to those issues…
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Reblogged this on quirkywritingcorner and commented:
I may falter, but I’d rather know that I have a place in heaven as opposed to going to hell. People tell me I’m not a good Christian when I complain about obama. He does get me riled up, but at prayer time God and I sort it out.
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phobia: an extreme or irrational fear of or aversion to something.
In some cases I think this applies among those who say they are “Christian.” But I certainly wouldn’t generalize a Christian whatever they agree or disagree with by using “Islamophobe” or something.
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Figures. HATER!
How dare you not subscribe to MY definition of “tolerance”. If you don’t think just like I do,
YOU
ARE
A
BIGGOT!
Jesus was never a biggot. He loved everybody. Haven’t you heard? God is love. And if God is love He thinks I’m great just the way I am and He’d NEVER demand that *_ I _*, someone covered in His infinite love, do anything beyond just leting Him love me. So WHY don’t YOU love me, HATER! You have to LOVE ME! But all I hear from you is how much you hate me for eating green beans!
(MEEP)!
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I will ALWAYS discriminate against green beans and peas. You’re just a beanie-meanie 🙂
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