# Why so many Christian acronyms? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [April 2, 2017, 1:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-so-many-christian-acronyms/783555 "2017-04-02T01:37:10Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 5\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![RickJay](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/bb73d2/32.png) [@RickJay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RickJay)\ **Post date:** [April 3, 2017, 3:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-so-many-christian-acronyms/783555/21 "2017-04-03T15:26:54Z")
> [@LSLGuy](#): > > Credulous rubes love numerology and this is a variant on the same idea. It’s “letterology”\*, finding the hidden message embedded in any keyword found in your vocabulary. Indeed, it’s hardly a Christian thing. You can find a bazillion people who will tell you that “Fuck” is an acronym for “For Unlawful Carnal Knowledge” or some such thing, or that “golf” means “Gentlemen Only, Ladies Forbidden.” A teacher once assured us that the rock band Kiss was derived from “Knights In Satan’s Service,” as apparently service to Satan requires writing popular music. All these are of course the most ludicrous nonsense. ---
**Author:** ![Surreal](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/eada6e/32.png) [@Surreal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Surreal)\ **Post date:** [April 3, 2017, 3:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-so-many-christian-acronyms/783555/22 "2017-04-03T15:51:38Z")
> [@UDS](#): > > And, FWIW, when I first read the OP, my immediate thought about these cutesy religious acronyms was “that’s not a Christian thing, that’s an American thing”. As in, you see this in American-influenced expressions of Christianity, but not so much elsewhere. I grew up attending church regularly and even attended a private Christian elementary school, yet I’ve never seen or heard anything like what the OP is describing. I do recall seeing one of two lame puns (e.g. Sonshine), but no backronyms. ---
**Author:** ![Pantastic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/3bc359/32.png) [@Pantastic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Pantastic)\ **Post date:** [April 3, 2017, 8:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-so-many-christian-acronyms/783555/23 "2017-04-03T20:06:24Z")
> [@RickJay](#): > > Indeed, it’s hardly a Christian thing…A teacher once assured us that the rock band Kiss was derived from “Knights In Satan’s Service,” as apparently service to Satan requires writing popular music. All these are of course the most ludicrous nonsense. How is that not a Christain thing though? it was Christian groups that came up with Knights In Satan’s Service (KISS) or Anti Christ/Devil’s Child (AC/DC) as a way to condemn the bands for being devil worshippers. ---
**Author:** ![DrCube](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/a3d4f5/32.png) [@DrCube](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrCube)\ **Post date:** [April 3, 2017, 10:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-so-many-christian-acronyms/783555/24 "2017-04-03T22:06:07Z")
E.V.I.L.: Every Villain Is Lemons. ---
**Author:** ![BigT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bigt/32/12044_2.png) [@BigT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BigT)\ **Post date:** [April 4, 2017, 12:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-so-many-christian-acronyms/783555/25 "2017-04-04T00:20:08Z")
> [@BobArrgh](#): > > I think a lot of the initialisms and mnemonics come from Sunday School and Vacation Bible School. They are simply a mechanism to teach youngsters the Gospel. Yes. Though they may also be used in adult sermons for the same reason. I’ve never heard anyone claim that these are how the words were formed, or that this is literally what they mean. It’s just a way to encapsulate a teaching in an easily remembered way. You get Christian joy by putting Jesus first, Others second, and Yourself last. Faith means trusting God. As for why they are popular in Christianity (for certain values of popular)? Because mnemonics work in a religion for the masses. Just like Roy G Biv or My Dear Aunt Sally. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-so-many-christian-acronyms/783555.md?page=1)