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[Red Mage]

They'd bring it up because they want the court to think that because she's Jewish she must not like Christians. Pretty shabby but par for the course for these right-wing advocacy groups.

Yes, but, is it valid? If a person descriminates in the area of promotion due to religious beliefs, the person's religious beliefs are important. Was something said re: his beliefs, etc. is what I'm getting at. Some Jewish people don't like Christians, just like some Christians do not like Jewish people. Then there's the whole deal with Messianic Jews and the Jewish hatred of them... -_-;

 

[LegendofJoe]

Have the evangelicals ever considered that movies like The Persecuted are simply pandering to an audience willing to part with money?

lol, they're not that bright. As the old adage goes "a fool and his money are easily parted."

 

[BajiBoxer]

Yes, but, is it valid? If a person descriminates in the area of promotion due to religious beliefs, the person's religious beliefs are important. Was something said re: his beliefs, etc. is what I'm getting at. Some Jewish people don't like Christians, just like some Christians do not like Jewish people. Then there's the whole deal with Messianic Jews and the Jewish hatred of them... -_-;

I'd skimmed up to that part and didn't notice any mention of his Christian beliefs had been made yet beyond the very beginning where he stated he returned to Christianity. Most of it had been a complaint about him campaigning for Bush, and his public ridicule of a student. A student of his had written him an email with her writing about 9/11 being the end result of U.S. foreign policy. He forwarded her email to several people including his own comments on it, essentially calling her an idiot. She claimed it was private and sent to just him, he claimed she sent it to multiple people and was lying, and this went on for awhile. A bunch of back and forth about how private his university email is, whether administrators should have access to it, etc. Also something about his appearing on Hanity, and more right wing stuff. Not a single mention of his faith being discriminated against so far. Got to walk to work now though, so I don't know if there's some Christian persecution smoking gun pointed to in the 2nd half that I haven't gotten to. I see some argument for political bias.

 

[BajiBoxer]

The Jewish part was just kind of thrown in there, and hadn't been explicitly connected to any actions.

 

[Dude Abides]

Yes, but, is it valid? If a person descriminates in the area of promotion due to religious beliefs, the person's religious beliefs are important. Was something said re: his beliefs, etc. is what I'm getting at. Some Jewish people don't like Christians, just like some Christians do not like Jewish people. Then there's the whole deal with Messianic Jews and the Jewish hatred of them... -_-;

The Jewish part was just kind of thrown in there, and hadn't been explicitly connected to any actions.

Correct. The implication is that because she's Jewish, she must not like Christians.

He's a right-wing polemicist. I don't doubt that that got a negative reaction from his colleagues, but his attempt to link it to his Christianity specifically is pretty thin.

 

[Poltergust]

Just because it hasn't happened to you or someone you know, doesn't mean it doesn't happen. I once had a boss who would make it a point to mock Christianity every time any time I came around and looked for excuses to yell at me in front of other employees. I didn't try to sue the guy or say I was persecuted, but that is discrimination in the form of a hostile work-enviroment. I spoke with his supervisor and never had another problem.

Sorry, not sure why I included anecdotal evidence in that post. I guess I was rushed and just put whatever was on my mind. That said, your piece of anecdotal evidence is just as faulty as mine. =P

In any case, discrimination of any kind happens all around. That doesn't mean that people who are victims of discrimination are persecuted. As you said, if your boss was being a jerk to you because of your faith, that just makes him a bigot.

Persecution is different from simple bigotry, however. Persecution is essentially institutionalized, socially-acceptable discrimination. In your example, if your supervisor (or any other higher-ups) condoned the way your boss treated you because of your faith, that would fall under the definition of persecution.

What I'm trying to say here is that people who say that they are persecuted as Christians are using the wrong terminology.

Discriminated? Sure, because discrimination happens under all cases, however isolated they are.

Persecuted? Absolutely not. If anything, being a Christian is encouraged in this country.

 

[Freezie KO]

As a strong Christian, I definitely feel persecuted so I keep my beliefs on the down low. There was a low point even here on GAF for a bit where I didn't feel comfortable expressing myself for fear of mocking or even banning, without even throwing hate bombs or anything mean spirited and only expressing what I believed. It has gotten better here, but it still isn't improving elsewhere. I truly believe the outspoken, ignorant or hateful minority gets the front page to represent all modern Christians, and I don't have a chance against pre-made conceptions against Christians in general.

In a discussion forum, beliefs are subject to criticism.

Mocking beliefs walks a fine line. Sure, if people follow you around in threads and mock you, that's persecution. On the other hand, if you went into a thread about gravitation waves from the Big Bang and declared the Earth to be 6,000 years old, then mockery is probably the best of all possible outcomes.

While I find bans to often be arbitrary, banning also depends on what belief you're espousing. What you don't consider to be "hate bombs" or "anything mean spirited" may actually come off that way to someone. It's hard to tell without examples.

The problem with a lot of "persecuted Christians" is that they can't separate their beliefs from themselves. They have "personal" relationships with God or Jesus or spirituality. So any criticism of beliefs becomes an attack on the person.

 

[viciouskillersquirrel]

Persecuted.... You keep using that word. I do not think it means what you think it means.

Persecution necessarily involves violence, state sanctioned or otherwise, often with the intent of eradication or expulsion. Discrimination, bigotry, subjugation, injustice and terrorism are all different things.

It's like throwing around the word genocide when nobody has physically been killed or displaced as part of an ethnic conflict.

 

[cackhyena]

Persecuted.... You keep using that word. I do not think it means what you think it means.

Persecution necessarily involves violence, state sanctioned or otherwise, often with the intent of eradication or expulsion. Discrimination, bigotry, subjugation, injustice and terrorism are all different things.

It's like throwing around the word genocide when nobody has physically been killed or displaced as part of an ethnic conflict.

Not necessarily. Being driven out of somewhere/displaced falls under the term as well.

 

[Red Mage]

Sorry, not sure why I included anecdotal evidence in that post. I guess I was rushed and just put whatever was on my mind. That said, your piece of anecdotal evidence is just as faulty as mine. =P

That was kind of my point. = P

As for the rest...

Persecuted.... You keep using that word. I do not think it means what you think it means.

Persecution necessarily involves violence, state sanctioned or otherwise, often with the intent of eradication or expulsion. Discrimination, bigotry, subjugation, injustice and terrorism are all different things.

It's like throwing around the word genocide when nobody has physically been killed or displaced as part of an ethnic conflict.

No, it doesn't.

http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/persecute

: to treat (someone) cruelly or unfairly especially because of race or religious or political beliefs

: to constantly annoy or bother (someone)

It doesn't require multiple people, it doesn't require violence. I'm not saying American Christians have it anywhere near as bad as say, the Coptics in Egypt. I'm just saying that what counts as the dictionary definition of persecution is pretty broad.

Also, genocide doesn't involve displacing people. It involves murdering them. = P

The Jewish part was just kind of thrown in there, and hadn't been explicitly connected to any actions.

Ah. Who wants to bet he was going to sue based on being discriminated against due to his political beliefs, only to find out she was Jewish so added that in because it sounded better to be descriminated against due to religion?