Are Christians being oppressed in the USA

[Baconsbud]

This morning I was driving to work today and saw a sign in the parking lot of an Assembly of God church which read to words of this effect: We are blessed because we are oppressed.

I am not sure these are the exact words but will be driving by there again tomorrow morning so will edit tomorrow afternoon if they are different.

Debate question:

Are Christians being oppressed in the USA? If you answer yes please provide evidence that it is happening and who is it that is doing the oppressing.

I say no Christians aren't being oppressed but in fact are usually the ones trying to oppress people. Christians have for most of the history of this nation used the government to create laws forcing their religious views all Americans. You just have to look at anti abortion and anti same sex marriage laws to see that religion is being used to force these views on people.

[Divine Insight]

Christianity is a highly proselytizing and evangelical religion. Therefore it is quite natural for non-believers to argue with Christians telling the Christians why they don't believe that Christianity is true. This does not amount to Christian oppression.

Christians get all bent out of shape over the idea of anyone rejecting Christianity and specifically pointing out the absurdities of the religion. But if they were constantly preaching it no one would have any need to reject it and point out how absurd it is. So they bring it on themselves.

No, they are not being oppressed at all.

On the contrary they are still basking in many specially privileges that shouldn't even exist. For example the President of the USA still has to "Swear into Office" on a Christian Bible.

The money in the USA still says on it, "In God We Trust", and everyone knows that it's not referring to Allah, or Zeus.

In fact, I just watched a documentary about safety training on American Airlines. On every commercial airliner there is a safety kit in the event of a plane crash where there are survivors, included in that safety kit is a Christian Bible.

The United States Government used to issue Christian Bibles to every soldier in the military. I'm not sure if they still do that today or not. But clearly the Christians are still being given special treatment in many areas. So to claim that they are oppressed is absolute baloney.

What is actually happening is that they are slowly bring brought down to the level of everyone else. So they probably see that as being oppression. But of course, it's not.

[WinePusher]

Are Christians being oppressed in the USA? If you answer yes please provide evidence that it is happening and who is it that is doing the oppressing.

I say no Christians aren't being oppressed but in fact are usually the ones trying to oppress people. Christians have for most of the history of this nation used the government to create laws forcing their religious views all Americans. You just have to look at anti abortion and anti same sex marriage laws to see that religion is being used to force these views on people.

I agree with half of what you wrote. Christian ARE NOT being oppressed and Christians ARE NOT oppressing others. I see oppression as things like apartheid and disenfranchisement. Those who are oppressed in this world are the women and gay people being stoned and persecuted in Islamic theocracies. Christians who are pro life and anti-gay marriage ARE NOT oppressing anyone by holding those opinions. Having an opinion you personally do not like does not equate to oppression.

When you say that Christians are oppressing gays and women by being against gay marriage and pro life you're literally downplaying all the actual oppression that goes on in the world. This country is based upon freedom of speech and thought, and holding an opinion you don't like is not oppression. In fact, I'd say it's more oppressive to try and intimidate others into believing what you believe.

[Divine Insight]

In fact, I'd say it's more oppressive to try and intimidate others into believing what you believe.

Well, isn't that what Christians are infamous for doing?

If a Christian is against gay marriage all they need to do is simply marry someone of their own gender. And they are certainly free to do that.

Trying to have it put into American Law that Gay marriage should be illegal is oppression of others. Telling those other people that they are horrible sinners for being gay is intimidation, even if they don't believe in your God.

So many Christians and Christian organizations are oppressing others by your own criteria. (not to imply that this is necessarily true of you)

The other thing Christians do is evangelize their religion by intimidating others via the mere accusation that if a person isn't accepting Christ as their savior or recognizing that Jesus is "The Christ" they are refusing to obey some God and will be rightfully damned for their rejection of God. That is certainly an attempt at psychological intimidation. And this is the hallmark of Christian evangelism. So once again we see Christians oppressing others by your criteria.

I don't think any atheist has ever accused a Christian of being immoral for not being an atheist. Nor do atheists suggest that Christians are being rejected by some God if they fail to become atheists.

[DanieltheDragon]

[Replying to WinePusher]

Oppression: the state of being subject to unjust treatment or control.

that is the definition I go by and laws against gay marriage no working on Sunday Religious qualifications for public office(state positions) is unjust treatment. These are all christian based laws and they are oppressive. Forcing secular children to pledge an allegiance to god is oppressive. Maybe you just are not on the receiving end of the oppression and since it does not effect you it goes unnoticed. It still exists though and to deny that it doesn't exist is just naivete.

Yes greater oppression exists in the world but that is just a red herring as we are discussing America not other countries.

[connermt]

This morning I was driving to work today and saw a sign in the parking lot of an Assembly of God church which read to words of this effect: We are blessed because we are oppressed.

I am not sure these are the exact words but will be driving by there again tomorrow morning so will edit tomorrow afternoon if they are different.

Debate question:

Are Christians being oppressed in the USA? If you answer yes please provide evidence that it is happening and who is it that is doing the oppressing.

I say no Christians aren't being oppressed but in fact are usually the ones trying to oppress people. Christians have for most of the history of this nation used the government to create laws forcing their religious views all Americans. You just have to look at anti abortion and anti same sex marriage laws to see that religion is being used to force these views on people.

While it varies from location to location and time to time, overall, christians are not being oppressed and are, in some senses, oppressing others.
Until a law is passed that prohibits worship of christianity in the USA, I don't believe christians can rightly say they're oppressed (though many seem to like to think they are - martyr-ism and all I suspect ).
Are they oppressing others? Yes, in a sense. Any time this group supports laws/rules that prevent people of other (non-) faiths from living as they see fit to live, that does not impact the abilities of the religious to live and worship as they see fit, they are oppressing others.
In other countries, it might be the other way around. However, it's worth noting most anything humans are a part of that requires only belief/hope, sooner or later, one group is bound to oppress another, sadly.

[WinePusher]

Oppression: the state of being subject to unjust treatment or control.

that is the definition I go by and laws against gay marriage no working on Sunday Religious qualifications for public office(state positions) is unjust treatment. These are all christian based laws and they are oppressive. Forcing secular children to pledge an allegiance to god is oppressive. Maybe you just are not on the receiving end of the oppression and since it does not effect you it goes unnoticed. It still exists though and to deny that it doesn't exist is just naivete.

So you created three fake strawmen in order to advance the notion that Christians oppress others. Here's the bottom line, those who claim that Christians are oppressed in the United States are wrong and those who claim that Christians oppress others are wrong. Even though I'm a Christian, I don't claim Christians are oppressed and those Christians who do claim to be oppressed are 100% wrong, imo.

You, on the other hand, buy into this party line notion that Christians oppress others. And your entire premise seems to be that any opinion other than yours is oppressive. Newsflash, people who believe that marriage should only include 1 man and 1 woman IS NOT oppression and people who want their elected officials to have some type of faith IS NOT oppression. It's called freedom and thought and freedom of speech. Labeling opinions you don't like as 'oppressive' or 'racist' isn't going to work.

And btw, Christians have every single right to participate in the political process as atheists do. Christians can support specific laws and advocate for specific laws, and you have no right to stop them.

Yes greater oppression exists in the world but that is just a red herring as we are discussing America not other countries.

Oh good, at least you acknowledge that this so called 'oppression' in America is very miniscule when compared to the rest of the world. Will you also admit that Christians have the right to enact laws they favor just as every single other group does? The fact that you want to deny Christians the right to enact laws they want is itself the definition of oppression.

[WinePusher]

If a Christian is against gay marriage all they need to do is simply marry someone of their own gender. And they are certainly free to do that.

Trying to have it put into American Law that Gay marriage should be illegal is oppression of others. Telling those other people that they are horrible sinners for being gay is intimidation, even if they don't believe in your God.

I don't agree with either, but I'm not going to call it oppression because I'd rather not trivialize all the actual oppression that goes on in the world. You know, like all the women and gay people being killed in other parts of the world. In the United States, the worst Christians will do is name call and try to prohibit gays from marrying. Gay marriage should be legal, imo, and namecalling is immature and offensive, but it's not oppression.

So many Christians and Christian organizations are oppressing others by your own criteria. (not to imply that this is necessarily true of you).

So if someone were to call you an offensive name, would that be an example of oppression? If someone where to try to stop you from calling yourself 'Divine Insight' and tried to create a law forcing you to use another username, would that be can example of oppression?

The other thing Christians do is evangelize their religion by intimidating others via the mere accusation that if a person isn't accepting Christ as their savior or recognizing that Jesus is "The Christ" they are refusing to obey some God and will be rightfully damned for their rejection of God. That is certainly an attempt at psychological intimidation. And this is the hallmark of Christian evangelism. So once again we see Christians oppressing others by your criteria.

Again, just because you don't agree with something doesn't make it oppression.

I don't think any atheist has ever accused a Christian of being immoral for not being an atheist. Nor do atheists suggest that Christians are being rejected by some God if they fail to become atheists.

I don't think any Christian has ever accused an atheist of being immoral? The argument is that an objective foundation for morality cannot exist without a transcendent being. As you can see, those are two very different statements.

[Baconsbud]

[Replying to WinePusher]

Wine I have to disagree with you about who is trivializing what oppression is. I do agree that most of the oppression here in the USA isn't as life threatening as in other countries but to say it isn't oppression is to trivialize it.

Anytime an individual, group or government makes any type of rules that causes an individual or group to be denied equal rights it is oppression. I can understand some people wanting to deny this because to admit this is what oppression is, is to admit they are the oppressor.

[Divine Insight]

So if someone were to call you an offensive name, would that be an example of oppression?

It could be.

I think calling someone a name can be oppression if done so publicly. Especially if someone is a leader of a group or community and is calling someone of lesser status a name.

We actually have examples of names people have been called in the past that were clearly socially oppressive and degrading. So much so that laws were passed forbidding the use of such name calling and labeling it as hate speech.

So yes, calling people names can be oppression, especially when that is precisely the intent of the name calling. In schools they call this "bullying" and they are indeed tying to find ways to put and end to the bullying.

So derogatory name calling should itself be outlawed in the name of hate speech and bullying. Because ultimately it is a form of social oppression.

If someone where to try to stop you from calling yourself 'Divine Insight' and tried to create a law forcing you to use another username, would that be can example of oppression?

Yes. Especially if they succeeded in creating a law that would force me to use a name like "Demonic Sinner". It's a derogatory name that people would then be calling me that suggests that I fit the role the name suggests. And so yes, this would be oppression because it would cause people to view me in a derogatory way that would indeed have a negative effect on my social life.

And this is what Christians who are trying to get gay marriage outlawed are doing. They are basically trying to label gay people with the derogatory label of being "criminals". And that would indeed be oppression that would adversely affect the life of a gay person.

So yes, when it comes to putting things into law it can become extreme oppression.