# "Christianophobia" - is there a double standard in the way Christianity is treated? **URL:** \ **Category:** Great Debates\ **Created:** [September 7, 2026, 4:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/christianophobia-is-there-a-double-standard-in-the-way-christianity-is-treated/1032877 "2026-09-07T16:12:49Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 11\ **Page:** 12
**Author:** ![Spice\_Weasel](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/spice_weasel/32/5435_2.png) [@Spice\_Weasel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spice_Weasel)\ **Post date:** [September 11, 2026, 6:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/christianophobia-is-there-a-double-standard-in-the-way-christianity-is-treated/1032877/221 "2026-09-11T18:27:04Z")
Interesting. I’m going to add that book to my reading list. ---
**Author:** ![Little\_Nemo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/little_nemo/32/3120_2.png) [@Little\_Nemo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Nemo)\ **Post date:** [September 11, 2026, 9:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/christianophobia-is-there-a-double-standard-in-the-way-christianity-is-treated/1032877/222 "2026-09-11T21:21:47Z")
> [@Left\_Hand\_of\_Dorkness](#): > > There are even asshole Quakers. Look at Nixon. ---
**Author:** ![Sitnam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/6a8cbe/32.png) [@Sitnam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sitnam)\ **Post date:** [November 3, 2026, 8:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/christianophobia-is-there-a-double-standard-in-the-way-christianity-is-treated/1032877/223 "2026-11-03T20:43:25Z")
I’ll agree that Christianity is first in line when someone wants to dole out a religious grievance or joke, but that’s because the audience is more familiar to it. I’d love to make more Sikh jokes, but I don’t know much about that faith and neither do most of the people I would talk too. ---
**Author:** ![Q.Q.Switcheroo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/q.q.switcheroo/32/5713_2.png) [@Q.Q.Switcheroo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Q.Q.Switcheroo)\ **Post date:** [November 3, 2026, 9:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/christianophobia-is-there-a-double-standard-in-the-way-christianity-is-treated/1032877/224 "2026-11-03T21:50:24Z")
> [@Sitnam](#): > > I’d love to make more Sikh jokes, but I don’t know much about that faith and neither do most of the people I would talk too. Start here: [Goodness Gracious Me - What Does It Mean to Be a Sikh?](https://www.dailymotion.com/video/x3567e0) ---
**Author:** ![LSLGuy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lslguy/32/5813_2.png) [@LSLGuy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LSLGuy)\ **Post date:** [November 3, 2026, 10:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/christianophobia-is-there-a-double-standard-in-the-way-christianity-is-treated/1032877/225 "2026-11-03T22:31:38Z")
Same idea as sitcoms w clueless White Guy Dads. Everyone will get the jokes. ---
**Author:** ![Kimstu](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/ecd19e/32.png) [@Kimstu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kimstu)\ **Post date:** [November 3, 2026, 11:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/christianophobia-is-there-a-double-standard-in-the-way-christianity-is-treated/1032877/226 "2026-11-03T23:47:51Z")
> [@Sitnam](#): > > I’d love to make more Sikh jokes [Not recommended.](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sardarji_joke) The problem AFAICT is that unline Christianity, Sikhism doesn’t have a lot of familiar **doctrinally** “weird” cultural referents. Cassocks, communion, confirmation, celibacy, crucifixes, confession, church suppers, and so on and so on: all of these are very recognizable and distinctive religious motifs that are mostly specific to Christian religious practice rather than ethnicity, race, etc. People in western societies who make jokes about them are generally poking fun at the Christian **religion** \* rather than particular racial or ethnic groups of Christians. But Sikhs, if they’re recognizable in western cultures at all, are recognized as an ethnic/linguistic minority group at least as much as a religious community. All most westerners know about Sikhs is that the men wear beards and turbans. I don’t think most Dopers could name a single actual Sikh religious practice, other than maybe Sikh men’s uncut hair and bangle etc. Making fun of Sikhism as a religion, especially when you hardly know anything about it, is very hard to differentiate from making fun of Sikhs as an ethnic group. Which is, y’know, racist. (\*) Not that Christians are necessarily required to be okay with people poking fun at their religion, even affectionately. I’m just saying that it’s not ethnicity-specific. ---
**Author:** ![Q.Q.Switcheroo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/q.q.switcheroo/32/5713_2.png) [@Q.Q.Switcheroo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Q.Q.Switcheroo)\ **Post date:** [November 4, 2026, 12:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/christianophobia-is-there-a-double-standard-in-the-way-christianity-is-treated/1032877/227 "2026-11-04T00:43:06Z")
> [@Kimstu](#): > > All most westerners know about Sikhs is that the men wear beards and turbans. And that they’re all named Singh. ---
**Author:** ![Mighty\_Mouse](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mighty_mouse/32/7776_2.png) [@Mighty\_Mouse](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mighty_Mouse)\ **Post date:** [November 4, 2026, 2:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/christianophobia-is-there-a-double-standard-in-the-way-christianity-is-treated/1032877/228 "2026-11-04T02:20:06Z")
Only the men. And to be clear non-Sikhs can be named Singh too. ---
**Author:** ![DrDeth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b487fb/32.png) [@DrDeth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrDeth)\ **Post date:** [November 4, 2026, 6:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/christianophobia-is-there-a-double-standard-in-the-way-christianity-is-treated/1032877/229 "2026-11-04T06:33:43Z")
> [@Kimstu](#): > > I don’t think most Dopers could name a single actual Sikh religious practice, other than maybe Sikh men’s uncut hair and bangle etc. The Kirpan. It is one of the **Five Ks** (_Panj Kout_), which are mandatory physical symbols worn by initiated (Amritdhari) Khalsa Sikhs. The other four are _kesh_ (uncut hair/turban), _kangha_ (wooden comb), _kara_ (steel bracelet), and _kachhera_ (cotton undergarment). > [@Mighty\_Mouse](#): > > Only the men. And to be clear non-Sikhs can be named Singh too. The women use _Kaur._ ---
**Author:** ![Sitnam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/6a8cbe/32.png) [@Sitnam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sitnam)\ **Post date:** [November 4, 2026, 4:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/christianophobia-is-there-a-double-standard-in-the-way-christianity-is-treated/1032877/230 "2026-11-04T16:24:25Z")
You’re funny. I’ll make sure to send this to the audience of my Sikh joke first. So they and perhaps you can understand my point. ---
**Author:** ![Gyrate](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gyrate/32/3588_2.png) [@Gyrate](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gyrate)\ **Post date:** [November 4, 2026, 4:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/christianophobia-is-there-a-double-standard-in-the-way-christianity-is-treated/1032877/231 "2026-11-04T16:25:13Z")
Clearly you need a Sikh sense of humor. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/christianophobia-is-there-a-double-standard-in-the-way-christianity-is-treated/1032877.md?page=11)