I’m referring to the topic of the thread, so in America. The OP asks why do Christians consider themselves victims of American culture. You suggested perhaps they’ve read this message board. Christians are persecuted in that they’re subject to hostility.
Therefore, the answer to why Christians feel oppressed, victimized and persecuted is that they’re subject to ill treatment and hostility, as exhibited by the Straight Dope Message Board. My question is what group isn’t a victim of American culture, in the sense that it is subject to some ill treatment and/or hostility. My second question would be that if the answer is “all of them,” then you’re not really addressing the point of the OP, are you?
First thread is BrainGlutton’s query about fundie christians denouncing enemies as humanists. As much discussion of the validity of the OPs premise as there is discussion of the premise.
Second thread is from 2005 and is titled “Let us speak of the evils of Christianity”. First two posts rebut the idea that christianity is evil ab initio.
Third thread is also from 2005 and is titled, “I pit evil Christians” leading one to wonder why Bricker objects to that.
Fourth thread is a post from a banned poster insinuating that all christians are self-righteous hypocrites.
Fifth thread is from 2009 and wants to know how anyone could believe in christianity.
In greater American society, there’s no question that historically Christians have been on the giving end of persecution more than the receiving end in the past, say, 100 years. However, if we were able to quantify and chart giving vs. receiving, I’d say the trend line would be downward: that is, that the ratio of persecution leveled AT Christians to the persecution dished out BY Christians is falling.
You examples indicate to me that the standards by which you measure “persecution” are too low to be useful, comparable to saying that being stopped on the sidewalk by someone asking what time it is comprises being “arrested.” It’s true in a generous dictionary sense, meaningless otherwise.
You have destroyed whatever authority you might have held on the topic.
Why not? If a company is owned by Christians who have a religious objection to paying for contraception, then how is forcing them to violate their religious not oppression?
But has it even come close to achieving parity? As suggested above, there is a difference between declining dominance and persecution.
ETA: regarding your quoting of Der Trihs to indicate persecution of Christians, I could easily find over the top examples from conservatives on this board, and claim that Liberals are persecuted. If a condition becomes so widespread that it applies to everyone, it stops being a useful distinction.
Yes. Fox offers liberals (generally) hostility and ill-treatment.
For some reason, I have no trouble seeing it, and saying it. It’s obvious.
I don’t demand cites to Fox, and start picking apart how nasty the comments were, or whether Hannity is just a commentator and is balanced by Juan Williams. I acknowledge, forthrightly, that Fox’s behavior towards liberals is fairly described as persecution.
Every single person reading this thread knows that the same statement is true of the SDMB and Christians.
But look at the response, from the “fighting ignorance,” crowd.
It’s not simply “negative opinions.” It’s hostility and ill-treatment. Those threads do not simply dispassionately advance negative opinions about the religion – they evince hostility towards the people that practice the religion.
“They’re trying to kill me," Yossarian told him calmly.
No one’s trying to kill you," Clevinger cried.
Then why are they shooting at me?" Yossarian asked.
They’re shooting at everyone," Clevinger answered. “They’re trying to kill everyone.”
And what difference does that make?”
When I say “the board” I refer to the overall tone of the board.
Aji de gallina, Shodan, and magellan01 are all routinely vilified, attack by multiple posters. They are not thought leaders; they are not admired contributors, and their offerings are attacked, dissected, and mocked.
Are Christians on this board restricted from responding in kind? If so, show me the official rulings. If not, do they respond in kind?
It’s not persecution just because Christians don’t get a “hands off” treatment here.