Why the “Christian Lives Matter” Claims are Absurd

[beam me up scottie]

Why the “Christian Lives Matter” Claims are Absurd
October 5, 2015 by Lauren Nelson

It doesn’t matter that the motivation for the Oregon shooting was probably about mental illness and subscription to violent ideologies. It doesn’t matter that the latest survivor statements indicate that the shooter was not targeting Christians exclusively. No, none of this matters to those up in arms over the media’s coverage of and the public response to last week’s tragedy.

?1

As the Christian Post reports:

Catholic League’s Bill Donohue has criticized several American mainstream news publications for failing to mention in their coverage of the Oregon shooting last week that the victims were specifically killed because they identified themselves as Christians. Donohue also claimed President Barack Obama would have been more outraged if the victims were Muslims.

“If African Americans or Muslims had been singled out, President Obama would have gone ballistic, Al Sharpton would be calling for street rallies, and CAIR would be asking for congressional investigations,” Donohue argued in a statement.

“But because Christians are being cherry picked for murder, there is no call to arms. Indeed, many major media outlets aren’t even telling the truth. It’s obvious — ‘Christian Lives Don’t Matter’ — either here or abroad,” he added.

***

...Donahue’s attempt to use the rhetoric of BLM is similarly absurd. Christians do not face the same economic and social headwinds. They do not face disproportionate arrest and police violence rates because of their faith. They do not face pervasive discrimination in their communities. Not compared to people of color. Not compared to Muslims. Not compared to transgender individuals.

Christians as a group were not being targeted in Oregon, but even without that event, Christians will still claim persecution. They point to criticism of their beliefs on same-sex marriage. They point to bakeries and Kim Davis and the removal of mandatory prayer from schools. They very clearly demonstrate that they have no idea what persecution actually is.

The whole thing would be laughable if there weren’t actually a large number of Americans who buy this nonsense. Sure, Christian lives matter as much as the rest. They just aren’t in direct danger.

http://www.patheos.com/blogs/friendlyatheist/2015/10/05/why-the-christian-lives-matter-claims-are-absurd/

You knew this was coming, didn't you my evil atheist friends?


You just knew they were going to go there.

[mr blur]

1. There's nothing they enjoy more than feeling persecuted.

Oh, the things they're made to suffer for Jesus!

[beam me up scottie]

2. I wonder if they have the rubber bracelets made up yet?

Ribbons, t-shirts, bumperstickers...

CLM!

[PeaceNikki]

9. This is the exact topic of my dad's rant on it the other day.

They feel so much more Christian if they're persecuted. The more, the better.

[Yorktown]

3. I am going to launch my "Pastafarian Lives Matter" group

I feel discriminated against.

Sometimes people give me nasty look when I praise the Holy Spaghetti Monster.

Others look shocked, even sneer, when I greet them with "May pesto be upon you".

I am starting to believe people are biased against my religion.


Did I tell you about when I say "One nation under the Flying Spaghetti Monster"?

The nasty reaction I get? Sheesh..

[beam me up scottie]

4. I get so tired of the majority religion claiming victimhood status.

It's insulting to minorities and women who face discrimination and bigotry on a daily basis.

[mountain grammy]

11. It wouldn't even take a week..

They would cave in 2 days.

[beam me up scottie]

12. Yes. This.

[AlbertCat]

6. They very clearly demonstrate that they have no idea what persecution actually is.

Needed repeating.

Besides, they LOVE feeling persecuted (because it's just a feeling and not really happening). They can go to one of the many churches on every other street corner and whine about it together.




And of course, like I said days ago, he was committing "suicide by cop" so injecting religion gets him even more attention.... which was his goal.

[beam me up scottie]

13. That's a good point, AlbertCat.

It does make sense that he would try to become even more infamous by interjecting religion.

[mr blur]

7. Never mind, it gave the religious moron a chance to imply that Obama's a Muslim,

and thus probably the Kenyan Anti-Christ who wants to take all the poor Christians' lovely guns away and then kill them.

[beam me up scottie]

14. They always have to throw that in there.

Like it adds credibility.

[Curmudgeoness]

8. The thing is

that a black person cannot get away from the skin they were born with. It is on full display at every moment. But walking down the street, you cannot be sure of most people's religion. The persecution is in their head.

[beam me up scottie]

15. Exactly.

[Nevernose]

10. The killer in question was a Christian himself

He was "spiritual, but not religious" which means he wasn't a Bible-thumper but still willing to believe in sky-spirits, but he also clearly believed in Satan and Hell (or at least said he did in one of his notes left behind).

[beam me up scottie]

16. I think his parents were Christian but he didn't identify as one.

But good point about Hell and Satan.

Kid had some problems, picking and choosing what to believe was the least of them.