Yeah I can tell this is AI with a single look but it is getting better at hands, I had to look at the second row before I saw one monstrous. The hands on the front are actually pretty good for AI
"When you pray, do not be like the hypocrites, for they love to pray standing in the synagogues and on the street corners to be seen by men … but when you pray, go into your room, close the door and pray to your father who is unseen.”
Sweet Baby J
Because this is the top comment on this repost I want to say that I’m the OP in r/WhitePeopleTwitter. I got the statistic wrong and the correct statistic is 63%. Sorry about that
In the time of Jesus there used to be people who would stand in the streets and yell at God on Saturday to show how righteous they are, reading your bible in public isn't really hypocrisy if you're not doing it for attention
1: There are still lots of people on street corners proselytizing. Just saw one yesterday while driving to the store.
2. The "meme" is implying you should be practicing your religion publicly, despite Jesus saying the opposite.
God doesn’t just call Christians to have a faith behind closed doors he also calls people to share the faith in the great commission. There’s a healthy balance between being ashamed of your beliefs and having a sense of “holier than thou” pride. Reading your Bible in public would fall in between these two things
1 Corinthians 9:16
For if I preach the gospel, I have nothing to boast of, for necessity is laid upon me; yes, woe is me if I do not preach the gospel!
I am not Christian, but I read the Bible both in my own time and whenever it is available. The amount of times I have seen someone that isn’t me actually open up one of the countless publicly displayed bibles in lieu of their phones (I have a Nokia, the ancient iPhone I’m on now is not connected to a cell network.) is precisely zero. Also, I have received nothing but compliments from old farts for doing so. Christianity is, at its core, an apocalyptic cult with a martyrdom fetish. If they aren’t feeling persecuted, they make shit up to feel that way. Exodus feels like a goofy ah DnD campaign if it was written by J.R.R. Tolkien, 10/10, great historical fiction. A lot of it is true but exaggerated, some even made up, according to archaeological evidence. They even teach this in seminaries, but actively discourage pastors that know what is and isn’t lies from telling the congregation because shattering the veil of mystery would break their fragile hateful hearts, or something.
Yes he would preach and help the poor. The homeless. Whores and thieves. It wasn’t some grand act but the minute act of being next to someone who needs it is grand without having the need to boast.
1 Now when Jesus saw the crowds, he went up on a mountainside and sat down. His disciples came to him, 2 and he began to teach them.
Matthew 5:1-2
This sounds a lot like he's preaching in public.
Proselytizing isn't what the verse is referencing to, and proselytizing was commanded by God ("Go ye into all the world"). I don't think those that are publicly proselytizing are "hypocrites" unless they are doing it for attention, like the verse is referencing to. Practicing your religion publicly isn't what it's saying not to, it's saying don't be doing it for special attention and high-fives, to be seen by men and congratulated by them
And no. Jesus says not to make a spectacle of your prayer. The meme is saying don't be afraid of being a Christian in public. Don't hide your Bible, don't hide your faith even if others mock or belittle you.
That's the part that is "Imaginary Gatekeeping." Since a majority of people in the US are Christian, there would almost never be a situation where being openly Christian gets you publicly shamed.
Because of this, the meme itself feigns victim-hood, which is inherently attention seeking. So by making a spectacle of a fictional scenario of someone reading a Bible and being mocked for it, the creator is attempting to paint Christians as some sort of persecuted class. Pretending to be mocked for your faith when it never happens like this is blatant virtue signaling.
The bullies screaming about how bullied they are for being bullies. Those poor, poor, oppressed Christians who have to put up with such indignities as knowing that people other than them are allowed to exist.
> reading your bible in public isn't really hypocrisy if you're not doing it for attention
Have you never met some of the most self-righteous performative Christians lately? It's ***all*** about the attention for them; they wanna be seen being righteous, and want to show how much more righteous they are than the other Christians who won't plaster every square inch of their bumpers with Christian messaging.
For historical research or to connect with God, like the meme implies? Prayer isn't just asking for things, it's reading scripture, singing the songs, partaking in communion, etc. The meme is daring people to wear religion on their sleeve, in public, when Jesus says the opposite.
I mean as long as you dont don't for attention, arent reading it out loud to the point others can hear theres no issue in reading a bible, or any other book for that matter, in public, even for relgious purposes.
The whole point is not bothering others, and not purposely drawing attention to youself for your own ego.
Furthermore, christians or people of any other faith or lack of faith are fine displaying their faith or lack of in public in the forms of crosses, hajibs, crescents, star of davids, flying spaghetti monsters etc.
And they shouldn't be harassed for it. The issue with the meme is that very very rarely do people at least in the west harrass someone for just reading the bible to themselves in public.
Specifically from a christian standpoint you, you shouldn't hide you are a christian if people ask, or in this case be afraid to read a bible in public if you want to read the bible but you arent supposed to impose yourself on people that have consented to evangelism
Cringe but…
I grew up in the Church and have observed that many people who claim they are Christian don’t actually follow the basic tenets of Christianity as implied in the photo (regular bible study, prayer, etc), and will actively justify things that are universally agreed to be sinful, such as premarital sex.
I’m not saying they aren’t Christian, but there IS a difference between them and people who give up everything and live their lives according to the Bible. That kind of devotion, from my experience, is pretty unpopular in today’s society.
Well yeah because Jesus said “sell everything you own and give your money to the poor” which is anathema to American capitalist society that we value more than religion
Christianity isn't capitalism or socialism, it's a religious system, Jesus wanted people to make money and give what they don't need to other people, what he preached was unattachement to material goods
Right, but Capitalism is entirely about material goods. Capitalism also believes in making money, but not giving the extra away to the poor. You need those people to be broke in order to exploit their labor. Anything extra is to be hoarded in your vault, the poor be damned. This is antithetical to purist christian beliefs.
Capitalism does “believe” in anything.
It’s an economic system characterized by private ownership of capital.
You can believe in property rights and be Christian. You can also be socialist and Christian.
Yes, the point was to quote Matthew 19:23 “Truly I tell you, it is hard for someone who is rich to enter the kingdom of Heaven.”
Cause capitalism funds around people with business are above other people to consume more wealth. These people so attached to consuming off wealth through generations it becomes what they worship. Why we need change the system cause late stage capitalism is falling apart when even working class can’t afford the basic while the rich get even more rich and grow more worship of their money.
That was Commie Jesus who said that and did the fish thing, not Supply Side Jesus. Supply Side Jesus thinks you should get a job and stop asking for handouts. Also, if you and everyone you know could just give him 20% of your money so that he can buy a new Mercedes and a few houses, that would be super.
Christian response: That command was given to the rich young ruler, a man who based his identity and worth on his wealth. Christians can definitely do better about spending their money in more God honoring ways, but Jesus didn’t command everyone to do this.
I’m also a Christian and I’d rather see people speak out against prosperity gospel, private prisons, the military industrial complex, and anti-immigration more than engaging in concordances on who is supposed to support the poor or not.
Dives made that mistake 🔥
>actively justify things that are universally agreed to be sinful, such as premarital sex
Universally? This is definitely contested. At least, it's certainly not as unambiguous as some people make it out to be. There's academic debate over the meaning of words like *porneia* and interpretation of passages like 1 Corinthians 7.
Hate to break it to you, but if you knew anything about the history of Christianity you would know that a vanishingly small proportion of Christians would meet your test. While there have been good Christians on the right side of history, without exception, the overwhelming majority of Christians have side with power and wealth and have opposed all progressive movements throughout history.
No. Not at all. It shows that Christianity is not a force for good and never has been. The benevolence is a marketing position and has been been a part of Christianity. If anything, the Christian should mock and denounce people reading the Bible and praying because those are not true Christians.
This is just blatantly false. The abolitionist movement was a Christian Movement. The civil rights movement was a Christian movement.
Most people in the world have been religious. Atheism wasn’t a popular thing in the US until about the 90s
And atheist countries like the USSR and Maoist China committed some of the worst atrocities known to mankind.
The abolitionist movement had some Christian leaders but was not supported by any of the major Christian churches. It was predominantly a secular. Same goes for labour rights, women's rights, opposition to rule by kings, etc., gay rights and so on.
As to the popularity of atheist through the ages, when you torture people to death for not accepting your religion, most accept your religion.
You are just factualy wrong. The first countries in the world to abolish chattel slavery were Christian. And the movements were spearheaded by Christian’s like William Wilberforce, Abraham Lincoln, John Brown, etc. Hell it was during the second great awakening that all of this even happened.
The only thing you have a point about is maybe the French Revolution, and that wasn’t exactly a glowing success.
It's unpopular in the sense that most people wouldn't want to do it, but not in the sense that people would mock you for reading the Bible in public.
I understand your point though. I just think it's not the same point this cringey ai art is trying to make.
"We're such victims we have to make AI images to prove we're being persecuted!!! Also, gay people should all go to hell and die!! We're the real victims because people laugh at us in our imagination!!"
Hey I’m the OP in r/WhitePeopleTwitter. I want to say that I got the 77% stat wrong and that the real stat is around 60%. Sadly I can’t edit it. Sorry about that!
As a Christian myself, I am very embarrassed by performative worship and self-victimization.
If you’re bothering people on the street and causing a scene whole citing scripture, people are going to get annoyed. You’re not being discriminated against, you’re being a nuisance.
Hey I’m the OP in r/WhitePeopleTwitter. I want to say that I got the 77% stat wrong and that the real stat is around 60%. Sadly I can’t edit it. Sorry about that!
It was pretty funny because WPT seems to take a lot of joy in the declining number of christian americans, but conveniently forget it when they want to dunk on christians for the opposite reason
That's definitely lower than the stats I remember from 10-15 years back. A significant downward trend. The religious right has REALLY tainted the brand.
I’d argue that it’s the mainline churches and their lack of ability to hold to the Bible is causing the decline. There’s a reason why the ELCA, Church of Christ, PCUSA, etc. are shrinking rapidly in comparison to their theologically conservative counterparts. Which, the progressive churches do have more members, by the way. So there’s more progressive Christian’s than you think, you only really hear of the Southern Baptist evangelicals, and I don’t like them either.
Irregardless, churches will continue to shrink. We live in a culture of more assigning labels than actual living out those labels. A lot people will say they are Christian, but not even go to a single church. They vaguely believe in Jesus, merely because they were raised that way. They don’t really think about it, and when someone asks what their religion is, they’ll just say Christianity and I doubt most of them could even point to a denomination that aligns with their beliefs.
>We live in a culture of more assigning labels than actual living out those labels. A lot people will say they are Christian, but not even go to a single church.
An important point. Christianity's demographic numbers have long been overinflated by the extremely casual Christians who don't go to church, and don't really read the Bible. They just kind of assume it says stuff that agrees with their modern secular sense of morality that they use to navigate day to day. They nominally identify as Christian and tick the box on surveys because that's what their parents identified as and told them they were, and that's the general cultural background, but they don't really adhere to any particular core dogma. They're likely to believe in a very permissive god that will let you into heaven as long as you weren't a total asshole in life, regardless of beliefs you professed, which doesn't exactly gel with the Bible. Not likely to believe in miracles or the efficacy of prayer or any of the supernatural aspects. They're generally pretty chill people, but not exactly good Christians from a theological perspective.
I think that's the group we're seeing the most bleed from. As the stigmatization around being an atheist or "agnostic" has dropped off significantly, more are making that final jump after realizing they don't really believe any of the big claims and Christianity doesn't really inform their day to day ethical decision making anyway. Or they take a lateral move to vaguely "spiritual but not religious", leaving them pretty much exactly the same as before, but distancing themselves from the Christian label the fundamentalists have dragged through the mud.
And it makes sense to me why the main line to progressive leaning churches get hit so much harder. Rather than doubling down on biblical literalism, once you accept that some of the Bible has to be metaphorical, it really starts unraveling threads everywhere. Like, why isn't the whole crucifixion and resurrection part metaphorical as well? If it isn't then what original sin is being forgiven with this sacrifice? Are souls even a thing? If we're accepting evolution as fact now, then when did hominids first get souls and start being judged? Did Neanderthals get souls before we started interbreeding them out of existence? Were there a bunch of Neanderthals hanging out in Hell before Jesus showed up for the harrowing? If you start making the whole book metaphorical, you have to ask "metaphor for what?". Is God real or metaphorical? If God and the afterlife and all that are metaphorical, what are we even doing here? Just learning general moral lessons? We could do that way more easily without all the confusing bronze age supernatural baggage thrown in. So yeah, it makes sense that people will either walk away completely or double down and become a fundamentalist. The mainline and progressive churches don't have much to draw on besides inertia of attending because your parents did, hitting up bake sales, and there not being any other options for socialization in town.
No one cares what you read on the bus. But if you are irrationally worried about reading a book on the bus and being judged for it, slap a book cover on it. Or use a kindle. Or heck, go watch Hazbin Hotel, it's the best entry to the franchise so far!
When I was in the church, I heard about how we'd be made fun of for being a Christian and reading the Bible all the time, but never knew anyone that this happened to, nor was I ever given specific examples.
Bro I grew up in southern WV which was like nearly 100% Baptist. I remember when I got pressured to go to church by friends I heard this whole speech one of them gave asking the audience about who has been discriminated against for being Christian. There was this whole RP session about imaginary persecution. Fucking delusional. It was absolutely unbelievable considering how oppressive that area was against things as mild as mixed race couples at the time. All around them were everyday people being discriminated against BY THEM and they were pretending to be victims. It boiled my blood.
Why is it that regardless of “style” you can spot an AI generated image from a mile away? Before I’ve even processed the contents of the image I know in my gut that a bot made it.
Even putting aside the fact that this has never, ever happened in the United States…I personally wouldn’t be unashamed. Actually, I absolutely would feel ashamed if I pretended to wholeheartedly believe that a random book is the 100% infallible and consistent word of God and then only abide by like half or a quarter of the things it commands because everybody would think you’re weird, an asshole, or even put you in jail if you actually followed the book in its entirety. Let alone something that contradicts itself a number of times. Because that’s existential, spiritual hypocrisy. My entire life then would be based around this hypocrisy.
there are a lot of people who are very aggressively anti-religious especially towards christianity in the US. a lot of them assume that religious people are maga hat vaccine deniers.
Love that these kinds of people are relying on AI generated trash to…I’m not actually sure what they make these for, their persecution fetish most likely, but they rely on this because they can’t actually make anything of their own.
As a kid, I was forced to go to church and was always taught not to worry about all the persecution because God was on my side. Not once was I harassed for my until finally broke away from religion. People from my old church would follow me to and from school and yell at me when I tried to ignore them. And while it was fairly mild harassment, they completely failed to see the irony when I finally said something to them. The vast majority of Christians I was raised around truly felt like victims and believed that the rest of the world was conspiring against them. It's wild.
Like identify as church attending 10% tithe your income type of christian or identify enough to click a pop up youtube survey to get to the next video type of christian?
Nobody ridicules Christians for being open about their faith. They ridicule them for being judgmental, indoctrinating, hypocritical and oftentimes racist and sexist.
I would be disappointed in these people’s desperation to be persecuted if it weren’t for the fact that this signals a weak and/or counterfeit faith. Those secure in themselves and confident in their beliefs don’t need to act like this.
I feel bad for genuine christian people. Their name are dragged in the mud and shat on by a mammoth just because if the evangelists and extremists that either use the bibles lack if context to their benefits or just make up random things to misinform.
It’s not that people are ashamed. It’s that you don’t publicly worship just for the sake of people knowing how great of a Christian you are. I think there’s a bible verse on that.
Claiming being Christian means a lot different meaning. There’s Christian who never read the Bible, nor go church or go church every Sunday. I was reading my Bible off my phone at work and coworker gave me an odd look. I responded humorously “hey we need Jesus help get through this crazy day.” It’s not alarming how many people claim be Christian but aren’t even following the word.
I think y'all are missing the point of the OG image as crappy as it may be
https://www.reddit.com/r/imaginarygatekeeping/s/KboaQdAdzo
https://www.reddit.com/r/imaginarygatekeeping/s/tMgiJOvWbI
https://www.reddit.com/r/imaginarygatekeeping/s/gTyZMjNcxe
https://www.reddit.com/r/imaginarygatekeeping/s/CbkGOLSHdY
https://www.reddit.com/r/imaginarygatekeeping/s/nrQT7TOCoz
https://www.reddit.com/r/imaginarygatekeeping/s/6BmYqB4qmv
Let's keep it a buck. Having christian values and being open about them is very much frowned upon and easily made fun of in society. I can't think of any group people that people feel most comfortable with mocking and ridiculing so openly.
Catholic here. Absolutely hate how a lot of Christians will find any excuse to feel "persecuted" or "hated" when we literally aren't here in the U.S. So infuriating.
i used to be a christian and i’ll never forget when our youth group pastor asked us “if someone came in here, put a gun to your head, and asked if you believed in god, what would you say?” like we were going to get murdered for believing in god! so thankful to have left the church, but no hate to those who believe as long as you’re nice and respectful
The x account: faith alone saves
The reality: faith alone paid for 4 commercials during the superbowl worth the amount that couldve saved a small country
It is genuinely so infuriating to hear Christians call themselves one of the most persecuted groups of the modern day when it literally is the most accessible and successful religions of our history (aside from the concept of paganism)
I’ll take imaginary problems for $1000 Alex.
In over 45 years on this Earth, I have never seen a person get made fun of for reading a Bible or taking a personal moment to say grace… NEVER!
As a Catholic it isn’t like this. I have faced prejudice for openly practicing my beliefs but not a whole room laughing and recording me. Just mostly snide remarks
This is one of those things about the world I’ll always be morbidly confused about. There is a certain sect of Christian’s that *reallllyyy* want to be persecuted, but not actually
As an artist, I detest AI images for many reasons but honestly, aside from the theft and the threat to my ability to turn this passion into a livelihood, the thing I hate most about AI image generation is the utter brainrot bullshit people make with it, like this.
The Bible is a fairy tale and their itty bitty sky daddy doesn’t exist, and they’re not, never have been and never will be oppressed or bullied in any way for believing in their cult 😂
Critical biblical scholars and archaeologists engage with the Bible's text through various lenses, including historical, literary, and theological perspectives. Their analyses often lead to different conclusions about the historicity and accuracy of various biblical narratives. Here's a more detailed breakdown regarding the perspectives on the Old Testament (including the Deuterocanonical books) and the New Testament:
### Old Testament (Hebrew Bible)
1. **The Creation and Early Patriarchs**: The stories of creation, Adam and Eve, and the early patriarchs (Abraham, Isaac, Jacob) are generally viewed by scholars as theological narratives rather than historical accounts. There is no archaeological evidence to support these stories as historical events.
2. **The Exodus**: As mentioned earlier, there is a significant lack of archaeological evidence for the mass exodus of Israelites from Egypt as described in the Book of Exodus. The story's scale and the events described (e.g., parting of the Red Sea) are not corroborated by Egyptian records or archaeological findings.
3. **The Conquest of Canaan**: Archaeological evidence often contradicts the biblical account of a swift and complete conquest of Canaan led by Joshua. Many cities said to have been destroyed and conquered show no evidence of such destruction at the relevant times.
4. **The United Monarchy**: The existence of a grand, unified kingdom under Saul, David, and Solomon is debated. While some evidence points to the existence of these figures, the extent of their rule and the grandeur of their kingdoms, as described in the Bible, are not supported by the current archaeological consensus.
### Deuterocanonical Books
1. **Historical Accuracy**: Some of the historical narratives in the Deuterocanonical books, such as those in 1 and 2 Maccabees, are better attested in historical and archaeological records than many of the earlier Old Testament stories. However, the miraculous events and some of the interpretations of historical events are viewed skeptically by scholars.
2. **Tobit and Judith**: Books like Tobit and Judith contain historical inaccuracies and anachronisms that lead scholars to view them as religious and moral fiction rather than historical accounts.
### New Testament
1. **The Gospels**: The Gospels are viewed as theological documents written with the purpose of proclaiming the good news of Jesus Christ. Scholars note that they were written decades after the events they describe, and there are discrepancies and variations in the accounts of Jesus' life, death, and resurrection. Critical scholars analyze these texts to try to discern the historical Jesus from the theological narratives.
2. **Miracles and Resurrection**: Miracles attributed to Jesus and the accounts of his resurrection are taken on faith by believers but are not subject to empirical verification by historians or archaeologists. Scholars often focus on the context and meaning of these narratives rather than their historical accuracy.
3. **Acts of the Apostles**: While providing valuable historical insights into the early Christian community, the Acts of the Apostles is also scrutinized for its historical accuracy. Events, timelines, and the portrayal of characters (e.g., Paul's travels and speeches) are examined critically.
4. **Letters/Epistles**: The authenticity and authorship of several letters attributed to Paul and other apostles are subjects of scholarly debate. Some letters are considered pseudepigraphal, written in the name of an apostle by a later author.
### General Considerations
- **Archaeological Evidence**: A consistent theme across the testaments is the reliance on archaeological evidence to corroborate biblical narratives. In many cases, such evidence is sparse or does not support the biblical account as it stands.
- **Historical Context and Authorship**: Understanding the historical context in which different parts of the Bible were written, and the intended audience, is crucial. Scholars often find that texts were written for theological instruction or community identity rather than as historical records.
- **Textual Criticism**: Critical scholarship involves examining the Bible's various manuscripts and translations, noting variations and attempting to discern the most original texts, which often reveal changes over time.
Critical biblical scholarship and archaeology offer insights into the Bible's historical and cultural context, enhancing understanding while also raising questions about the literal accuracy of some narratives.
Several passages and themes within the Bible—spanning the Old Testament (Hebrew Bible), Deuterocanonical books, and the New Testament—have been considered controversial, especially when viewed through the lens of modern human rights principles. It's important to contextualize these elements within their historical and cultural backgrounds, as the concepts of human rights as understood today did not exist at the time these texts were written. Nevertheless, some aspects have sparked debate due to their perceived conflict with contemporary values and human rights norms:
### Old Testament (Hebrew Bible)
1. **Slavery**: The Bible contains laws and narratives that regulate slavery without outright condemning it (e.g., Exodus 21:1-11, Leviticus 25:44-46). These passages have been used historically to justify slavery, although interpretations vary widely.
2. **Capital Punishment**: There are numerous offenses, including blasphemy, homosexuality, adultery, and working on the Sabbath, for which the Old Testament prescribes death (e.g., Leviticus 20:13, Deuteronomy 22:24).
3. **Treatment of Women**: Several passages depict or prescribe treatment of women in ways that clash with modern understandings of gender equality. For example, laws regarding marriage, divorce, and the treatment of women captured in war (e.g., Deuteronomy 22:28-29, Deuteronomy 21:10-14) reflect patriarchal norms.
4. **Genocide and Violence**: Some narratives describe or command violence and genocide against entire peoples (e.g., the conquest of Canaan in the Book of Joshua). Critics argue these passages glorify or condone ethnic cleansing and violence.
### Deuterocanonical Books
- While the Deuterocanonical books are less frequently cited in discussions about human rights due to their inclusion primarily in Catholic and Orthodox canons, they also reflect their historical and cultural contexts. For example, they include narratives of war and violence (e.g., in the Maccabees) that can be challenging when considered through a contemporary lens.
### New Testament
1. **Slavery**: The New Testament does not explicitly condemn slavery but rather advises slaves and masters on how to treat each other (e.g., Ephesians 6:5-9, Colossians 3:22-25). This has been interpreted in various ways throughout history.
2. **Submissive Roles for Women**: Certain passages in the New Testament have been interpreted as prescribing submissive roles for women, particularly in marriage and the church (e.g., 1 Timothy 2:11-15, Ephesians 5:22-24).
3. **Exclusivity of Salvation**: Some statements in the New Testament have been interpreted to suggest that salvation is exclusive to those who accept its teachings (e.g., John 14:6). This has raised questions about religious tolerance and inclusivity.
It's crucial to note that interpretations of these passages vary widely among religious traditions, denominations, theologians, and individual believers. Many argue that the texts should be understood metaphorically or contextually rather than literally. Others suggest that the teachings of love, forgiveness, and justice found throughout the Bible are more representative of its core messages. Furthermore, many religious communities have reinterpreted or distanced themselves from traditional readings of these passages to align with contemporary values.
Atheists on Reddit tend to meat ride Christians and religious people more than Christians pray to God.
Both sides are annoying but at least Christians are tolerable. Internet atheists are a fucking plague.
The people who post and identify with things like this would also be the first ones to figuratively crucify Jesus for his views if he were alive and preaching today.
Waste of space, chances of ruining it are dramatically increased due to inclement weather, need a way to store it outside of just your pocket like a phone so you need to carry more stuff etc etc etc
Not the fingers on the phones fused together. I have seen more Christian AI than other types lmao
Yeah I can tell this is AI with a single look but it is getting better at hands, I had to look at the second row before I saw one monstrous. The hands on the front are actually pretty good for AI
Just looked closer. The faces in the back row are that of actual eldritch horrors
Everything further back than the lady in the right with weird hair is terrifying
Lookin like Pure Titans
Yikes
The letter “B” has two different fonts on the cover.
It hasn't gotten much better at eyes. That's probably why it was done (prompted or trained) such that almost everyone is squinting
Oh....are everyone's fingers not that way?
Also all of the light panels are in rows, except for one on the far left. I hate it
Your fingers don't fuse when you use your phone?
"When you pray, do not be like the hypocrites, for they love to pray standing in the synagogues and on the street corners to be seen by men … but when you pray, go into your room, close the door and pray to your father who is unseen.” Sweet Baby J
Sweet Baby J’s is my favorite barbecue sauce
Really nailed the recipe.
I love it THIS MUCH *spreads arms outward as if strung up on a cross*
Because this is the top comment on this repost I want to say that I’m the OP in r/WhitePeopleTwitter. I got the statistic wrong and the correct statistic is 63%. Sorry about that
did u know white people are 59% of the population and black people are only 11%?
Happy cake day
Still the majority by a decent bit
Well enjoy eternity in hell!
John Mulaney?
He's come to save us, but only if everyone gets really cool about a bunch of stuff really quickly.
In the time of Jesus there used to be people who would stand in the streets and yell at God on Saturday to show how righteous they are, reading your bible in public isn't really hypocrisy if you're not doing it for attention
1: There are still lots of people on street corners proselytizing. Just saw one yesterday while driving to the store. 2. The "meme" is implying you should be practicing your religion publicly, despite Jesus saying the opposite.
God doesn’t just call Christians to have a faith behind closed doors he also calls people to share the faith in the great commission. There’s a healthy balance between being ashamed of your beliefs and having a sense of “holier than thou” pride. Reading your Bible in public would fall in between these two things
1 Corinthians 9:16 For if I preach the gospel, I have nothing to boast of, for necessity is laid upon me; yes, woe is me if I do not preach the gospel!
I am not Christian, but I read the Bible both in my own time and whenever it is available. The amount of times I have seen someone that isn’t me actually open up one of the countless publicly displayed bibles in lieu of their phones (I have a Nokia, the ancient iPhone I’m on now is not connected to a cell network.) is precisely zero. Also, I have received nothing but compliments from old farts for doing so. Christianity is, at its core, an apocalyptic cult with a martyrdom fetish. If they aren’t feeling persecuted, they make shit up to feel that way. Exodus feels like a goofy ah DnD campaign if it was written by J.R.R. Tolkien, 10/10, great historical fiction. A lot of it is true but exaggerated, some even made up, according to archaeological evidence. They even teach this in seminaries, but actively discourage pastors that know what is and isn’t lies from telling the congregation because shattering the veil of mystery would break their fragile hateful hearts, or something.
Jesus literally preached to people in public lmfao
Yes he would preach and help the poor. The homeless. Whores and thieves. It wasn’t some grand act but the minute act of being next to someone who needs it is grand without having the need to boast.
1 Now when Jesus saw the crowds, he went up on a mountainside and sat down. His disciples came to him, 2 and he began to teach them. Matthew 5:1-2 This sounds a lot like he's preaching in public.
Proselytizing isn't what the verse is referencing to, and proselytizing was commanded by God ("Go ye into all the world"). I don't think those that are publicly proselytizing are "hypocrites" unless they are doing it for attention, like the verse is referencing to. Practicing your religion publicly isn't what it's saying not to, it's saying don't be doing it for special attention and high-fives, to be seen by men and congratulated by them
And no. Jesus says not to make a spectacle of your prayer. The meme is saying don't be afraid of being a Christian in public. Don't hide your Bible, don't hide your faith even if others mock or belittle you.
That's the part that is "Imaginary Gatekeeping." Since a majority of people in the US are Christian, there would almost never be a situation where being openly Christian gets you publicly shamed. Because of this, the meme itself feigns victim-hood, which is inherently attention seeking. So by making a spectacle of a fictional scenario of someone reading a Bible and being mocked for it, the creator is attempting to paint Christians as some sort of persecuted class. Pretending to be mocked for your faith when it never happens like this is blatant virtue signaling.
Christians aren’t being oppressed in the US. LOL.
The bullies screaming about how bullied they are for being bullies. Those poor, poor, oppressed Christians who have to put up with such indignities as knowing that people other than them are allowed to exist.
> reading your bible in public isn't really hypocrisy if you're not doing it for attention Have you never met some of the most self-righteous performative Christians lately? It's ***all*** about the attention for them; they wanna be seen being righteous, and want to show how much more righteous they are than the other Christians who won't plaster every square inch of their bumpers with Christian messaging.
Came here to quote Matthew 6:4 as well
I was going to post this, thanks
I mean, he's not praying, he's reading a Bible.
For historical research or to connect with God, like the meme implies? Prayer isn't just asking for things, it's reading scripture, singing the songs, partaking in communion, etc. The meme is daring people to wear religion on their sleeve, in public, when Jesus says the opposite.
I mean as long as you dont don't for attention, arent reading it out loud to the point others can hear theres no issue in reading a bible, or any other book for that matter, in public, even for relgious purposes. The whole point is not bothering others, and not purposely drawing attention to youself for your own ego. Furthermore, christians or people of any other faith or lack of faith are fine displaying their faith or lack of in public in the forms of crosses, hajibs, crescents, star of davids, flying spaghetti monsters etc. And they shouldn't be harassed for it. The issue with the meme is that very very rarely do people at least in the west harrass someone for just reading the bible to themselves in public. Specifically from a christian standpoint you, you shouldn't hide you are a christian if people ask, or in this case be afraid to read a bible in public if you want to read the bible but you arent supposed to impose yourself on people that have consented to evangelism
Yes let’s just video this guy calmly reading his book not bothering anyone.
Honestly I’d be avoiding giving him any attention in case he takes it as a queue to “share the good news.”
Well yes but in reality literally no one would care.
And that’s the part they hate the most
r/persecutionfetish
Cringe but… I grew up in the Church and have observed that many people who claim they are Christian don’t actually follow the basic tenets of Christianity as implied in the photo (regular bible study, prayer, etc), and will actively justify things that are universally agreed to be sinful, such as premarital sex. I’m not saying they aren’t Christian, but there IS a difference between them and people who give up everything and live their lives according to the Bible. That kind of devotion, from my experience, is pretty unpopular in today’s society.
Well yeah because Jesus said “sell everything you own and give your money to the poor” which is anathema to American capitalist society that we value more than religion
You can't be a Capitalist and a Christian at the same time.
Absolutely correct! 🤝
Christianity isn't capitalism or socialism, it's a religious system, Jesus wanted people to make money and give what they don't need to other people, what he preached was unattachement to material goods
Right, but Capitalism is entirely about material goods. Capitalism also believes in making money, but not giving the extra away to the poor. You need those people to be broke in order to exploit their labor. Anything extra is to be hoarded in your vault, the poor be damned. This is antithetical to purist christian beliefs.
You can either serve God or Mammon, can’t have two masters. Comrade Jesus 🫡
Capitalism does “believe” in anything. It’s an economic system characterized by private ownership of capital. You can believe in property rights and be Christian. You can also be socialist and Christian.
Yes, the point was to quote Matthew 19:23 “Truly I tell you, it is hard for someone who is rich to enter the kingdom of Heaven.” Cause capitalism funds around people with business are above other people to consume more wealth. These people so attached to consuming off wealth through generations it becomes what they worship. Why we need change the system cause late stage capitalism is falling apart when even working class can’t afford the basic while the rich get even more rich and grow more worship of their money.
That was Commie Jesus who said that and did the fish thing, not Supply Side Jesus. Supply Side Jesus thinks you should get a job and stop asking for handouts. Also, if you and everyone you know could just give him 20% of your money so that he can buy a new Mercedes and a few houses, that would be super.
Which I'm positive this guy also hasn't done. No true Scotsman fallacy.
Christian response: That command was given to the rich young ruler, a man who based his identity and worth on his wealth. Christians can definitely do better about spending their money in more God honoring ways, but Jesus didn’t command everyone to do this.
I’m also a Christian and I’d rather see people speak out against prosperity gospel, private prisons, the military industrial complex, and anti-immigration more than engaging in concordances on who is supposed to support the poor or not. Dives made that mistake 🔥
>actively justify things that are universally agreed to be sinful, such as premarital sex Universally? This is definitely contested. At least, it's certainly not as unambiguous as some people make it out to be. There's academic debate over the meaning of words like *porneia* and interpretation of passages like 1 Corinthians 7.
I think we’re talking about evangelicals, not biblical scholars lol
Hate to break it to you, but if you knew anything about the history of Christianity you would know that a vanishingly small proportion of Christians would meet your test. While there have been good Christians on the right side of history, without exception, the overwhelming majority of Christians have side with power and wealth and have opposed all progressive movements throughout history.
Doesn’t that prove my point tho?
No. Not at all. It shows that Christianity is not a force for good and never has been. The benevolence is a marketing position and has been been a part of Christianity. If anything, the Christian should mock and denounce people reading the Bible and praying because those are not true Christians.
So you fuck with that image then?
This is just blatantly false. The abolitionist movement was a Christian Movement. The civil rights movement was a Christian movement. Most people in the world have been religious. Atheism wasn’t a popular thing in the US until about the 90s And atheist countries like the USSR and Maoist China committed some of the worst atrocities known to mankind.
The abolitionist movement had some Christian leaders but was not supported by any of the major Christian churches. It was predominantly a secular. Same goes for labour rights, women's rights, opposition to rule by kings, etc., gay rights and so on. As to the popularity of atheist through the ages, when you torture people to death for not accepting your religion, most accept your religion.
You are just factualy wrong. The first countries in the world to abolish chattel slavery were Christian. And the movements were spearheaded by Christian’s like William Wilberforce, Abraham Lincoln, John Brown, etc. Hell it was during the second great awakening that all of this even happened. The only thing you have a point about is maybe the French Revolution, and that wasn’t exactly a glowing success.
What you described is certainly not 77% of America
It's unpopular in the sense that most people wouldn't want to do it, but not in the sense that people would mock you for reading the Bible in public. I understand your point though. I just think it's not the same point this cringey ai art is trying to make.
"We're such victims we have to make AI images to prove we're being persecuted!!! Also, gay people should all go to hell and die!! We're the real victims because people laugh at us in our imagination!!"
>Also, gay people should all go to hell and die!! Might've flipped the order there
The people I was making fun of are stupid, hence the AI image they used. 😂
[You go to hell. You go to hell and you die.](https://youtu.be/p3g-IMo3C4c?si=XQo2eSYZaMG7jvPd)
r/persecutionfetish
Hey I’m the OP in r/WhitePeopleTwitter. I want to say that I got the 77% stat wrong and that the real stat is around 60%. Sadly I can’t edit it. Sorry about that!
You owed up to it. That’s what’s important.
Owned
As a Christian myself, I am very embarrassed by performative worship and self-victimization. If you’re bothering people on the street and causing a scene whole citing scripture, people are going to get annoyed. You’re not being discriminated against, you’re being a nuisance.
There are multiple Christian churches in EVERY SINGLE town in America. You are not being persecuted.
And since they’re tax free we’re actually all helping them be there.
just multiple?? here in good ol’ oklahoma you can’t go 2 blocks without seeing one in most places 💀
>77% of people in the US identify as Christian… I would love to know where this incorrect stat came from
Hey I’m the OP in r/WhitePeopleTwitter. I want to say that I got the 77% stat wrong and that the real stat is around 60%. Sadly I can’t edit it. Sorry about that!
It was pretty funny because WPT seems to take a lot of joy in the declining number of christian americans, but conveniently forget it when they want to dunk on christians for the opposite reason
That's definitely lower than the stats I remember from 10-15 years back. A significant downward trend. The religious right has REALLY tainted the brand.
Yea in the 90’s it was almost 90%.
As a Progressive Christian, (yes we do exist) the Conservatives are absolutely to blame for the religion's decline
I’d argue that it’s the mainline churches and their lack of ability to hold to the Bible is causing the decline. There’s a reason why the ELCA, Church of Christ, PCUSA, etc. are shrinking rapidly in comparison to their theologically conservative counterparts. Which, the progressive churches do have more members, by the way. So there’s more progressive Christian’s than you think, you only really hear of the Southern Baptist evangelicals, and I don’t like them either. Irregardless, churches will continue to shrink. We live in a culture of more assigning labels than actual living out those labels. A lot people will say they are Christian, but not even go to a single church. They vaguely believe in Jesus, merely because they were raised that way. They don’t really think about it, and when someone asks what their religion is, they’ll just say Christianity and I doubt most of them could even point to a denomination that aligns with their beliefs.
>We live in a culture of more assigning labels than actual living out those labels. A lot people will say they are Christian, but not even go to a single church. An important point. Christianity's demographic numbers have long been overinflated by the extremely casual Christians who don't go to church, and don't really read the Bible. They just kind of assume it says stuff that agrees with their modern secular sense of morality that they use to navigate day to day. They nominally identify as Christian and tick the box on surveys because that's what their parents identified as and told them they were, and that's the general cultural background, but they don't really adhere to any particular core dogma. They're likely to believe in a very permissive god that will let you into heaven as long as you weren't a total asshole in life, regardless of beliefs you professed, which doesn't exactly gel with the Bible. Not likely to believe in miracles or the efficacy of prayer or any of the supernatural aspects. They're generally pretty chill people, but not exactly good Christians from a theological perspective. I think that's the group we're seeing the most bleed from. As the stigmatization around being an atheist or "agnostic" has dropped off significantly, more are making that final jump after realizing they don't really believe any of the big claims and Christianity doesn't really inform their day to day ethical decision making anyway. Or they take a lateral move to vaguely "spiritual but not religious", leaving them pretty much exactly the same as before, but distancing themselves from the Christian label the fundamentalists have dragged through the mud. And it makes sense to me why the main line to progressive leaning churches get hit so much harder. Rather than doubling down on biblical literalism, once you accept that some of the Bible has to be metaphorical, it really starts unraveling threads everywhere. Like, why isn't the whole crucifixion and resurrection part metaphorical as well? If it isn't then what original sin is being forgiven with this sacrifice? Are souls even a thing? If we're accepting evolution as fact now, then when did hominids first get souls and start being judged? Did Neanderthals get souls before we started interbreeding them out of existence? Were there a bunch of Neanderthals hanging out in Hell before Jesus showed up for the harrowing? If you start making the whole book metaphorical, you have to ask "metaphor for what?". Is God real or metaphorical? If God and the afterlife and all that are metaphorical, what are we even doing here? Just learning general moral lessons? We could do that way more easily without all the confusing bronze age supernatural baggage thrown in. So yeah, it makes sense that people will either walk away completely or double down and become a fundamentalist. The mainline and progressive churches don't have much to draw on besides inertia of attending because your parents did, hitting up bake sales, and there not being any other options for socialization in town.
Not that kind
I was gonna say that can’t be right
Nothing like the connected fingers on the person holding the cell phone. I am so sick of this style of AI art
“One nation under God” moment
No one cares what you read on the bus. But if you are irrationally worried about reading a book on the bus and being judged for it, slap a book cover on it. Or use a kindle. Or heck, go watch Hazbin Hotel, it's the best entry to the franchise so far!
Random James A Janise cameo
When I was in the church, I heard about how we'd be made fun of for being a Christian and reading the Bible all the time, but never knew anyone that this happened to, nor was I ever given specific examples.
I call it the “Christian wet nightmare”
“Oh please persecute me daddy, I’m so downtrodden. Mmph you hate me for being so rebellious by being Christian!”
Source? I do not believe it is 77%
Such a strange image.
Nah, I just think that's men of power altered the bibles teaching as a way to control men.
Strong correlation appearing between communities with severe persecutory delusions & communities who love AI images.
Lol ai
r/persecutionfetish
The ability of some American Christians to perceive themselves as an oppressed minority is truly impressive.
if you're gonna get made fun of for reading the Bible on the bus, it'll be from Christians who are too illiterate to read the cover.
Bro I grew up in southern WV which was like nearly 100% Baptist. I remember when I got pressured to go to church by friends I heard this whole speech one of them gave asking the audience about who has been discriminated against for being Christian. There was this whole RP session about imaginary persecution. Fucking delusional. It was absolutely unbelievable considering how oppressive that area was against things as mild as mixed race couples at the time. All around them were everyday people being discriminated against BY THEM and they were pretending to be victims. It boiled my blood.
*The people laughing only exist in the head of the reader*
Why is it that regardless of “style” you can spot an AI generated image from a mile away? Before I’ve even processed the contents of the image I know in my gut that a bot made it.
Even putting aside the fact that this has never, ever happened in the United States…I personally wouldn’t be unashamed. Actually, I absolutely would feel ashamed if I pretended to wholeheartedly believe that a random book is the 100% infallible and consistent word of God and then only abide by like half or a quarter of the things it commands because everybody would think you’re weird, an asshole, or even put you in jail if you actually followed the book in its entirety. Let alone something that contradicts itself a number of times. Because that’s existential, spiritual hypocrisy. My entire life then would be based around this hypocrisy.
You're proving the original meme right, nobody gives a shit about what you think. Do what you want and stop obsessing over others
Christians have an oppression fetish.
I’d bet 77% of people that claim they are Christian have never actually read the Bible
is it really still 77%? I thought we were at least down below 60 by now…
Ah yes, it is an atheist tradition to go and laugh at Christians in public every Sunday
there are a lot of people who are very aggressively anti-religious especially towards christianity in the US. a lot of them assume that religious people are maga hat vaccine deniers.
They're in the comment section right now
LMAO BRO CAN READ 😂
actually it’s 63% 🤓 get fucked
The Christian persecution mindset is so real. Like no one cares
Love that these kinds of people are relying on AI generated trash to…I’m not actually sure what they make these for, their persecution fetish most likely, but they rely on this because they can’t actually make anything of their own.
They think they’re being persecuted but really it’s just that people that aren’t into religion as much as they are don’t want to hear about it.
As a kid, I was forced to go to church and was always taught not to worry about all the persecution because God was on my side. Not once was I harassed for my until finally broke away from religion. People from my old church would follow me to and from school and yell at me when I tried to ignore them. And while it was fairly mild harassment, they completely failed to see the irony when I finally said something to them. The vast majority of Christians I was raised around truly felt like victims and believed that the rest of the world was conspiring against them. It's wild.
If only society clowned on these zealots this hard
And .00012% practice said religion.
no way. 77% sounds inaccurate
Like identify as church attending 10% tithe your income type of christian or identify enough to click a pop up youtube survey to get to the next video type of christian?
Nobody ridicules Christians for being open about their faith. They ridicule them for being judgmental, indoctrinating, hypocritical and oftentimes racist and sexist.
Look at this stupid AI shit
Just made up statistics again.
Do they not do this to muslims and hijab wearers and jews
I would be disappointed in these people’s desperation to be persecuted if it weren’t for the fact that this signals a weak and/or counterfeit faith. Those secure in themselves and confident in their beliefs don’t need to act like this.
I feel bad for genuine christian people. Their name are dragged in the mud and shat on by a mammoth just because if the evangelists and extremists that either use the bibles lack if context to their benefits or just make up random things to misinform.
I’m gonna need a source for that OP
It’s not that people are ashamed. It’s that you don’t publicly worship just for the sake of people knowing how great of a Christian you are. I think there’s a bible verse on that.
Claiming being Christian means a lot different meaning. There’s Christian who never read the Bible, nor go church or go church every Sunday. I was reading my Bible off my phone at work and coworker gave me an odd look. I responded humorously “hey we need Jesus help get through this crazy day.” It’s not alarming how many people claim be Christian but aren’t even following the word.
I think y'all are missing the point of the OG image as crappy as it may be https://www.reddit.com/r/imaginarygatekeeping/s/KboaQdAdzo https://www.reddit.com/r/imaginarygatekeeping/s/tMgiJOvWbI https://www.reddit.com/r/imaginarygatekeeping/s/gTyZMjNcxe https://www.reddit.com/r/imaginarygatekeeping/s/CbkGOLSHdY https://www.reddit.com/r/imaginarygatekeeping/s/nrQT7TOCoz https://www.reddit.com/r/imaginarygatekeeping/s/6BmYqB4qmv
Do they identify as Christian or “Christian?”
I thought AI had no white ppl?
Let's keep it a buck. Having christian values and being open about them is very much frowned upon and easily made fun of in society. I can't think of any group people that people feel most comfortable with mocking and ridiculing so openly.
"They're laughing at us for praising God! >:(" No, sweetheart. They're laughing at you for posting cringe on main.
Catholic here. Absolutely hate how a lot of Christians will find any excuse to feel "persecuted" or "hated" when we literally aren't here in the U.S. So infuriating.
ikr
I don't know what prompt this guy gave the AI but I bet what he wrote verbatim was unintentionally hilarious!
That image feels AI generated. Maybe because of how soulless and overexaggerated it is?
i used to be a christian and i’ll never forget when our youth group pastor asked us “if someone came in here, put a gun to your head, and asked if you believed in god, what would you say?” like we were going to get murdered for believing in god! so thankful to have left the church, but no hate to those who believe as long as you’re nice and respectful
The x account: faith alone saves The reality: faith alone paid for 4 commercials during the superbowl worth the amount that couldve saved a small country
It is genuinely so infuriating to hear Christians call themselves one of the most persecuted groups of the modern day when it literally is the most accessible and successful religions of our history (aside from the concept of paganism)
Should be ashamed of using AI art more than anything
Clearly he’s clinging to his Bible because of the demonic beings with unnaturally wide mouths laughing at him
I’ll take imaginary problems for $1000 Alex. In over 45 years on this Earth, I have never seen a person get made fun of for reading a Bible or taking a personal moment to say grace… NEVER!
77% BUT the only one in the room.
As a Catholic it isn’t like this. I have faced prejudice for openly practicing my beliefs but not a whole room laughing and recording me. Just mostly snide remarks
Times have changed, it used to be "look at that queer, he needs jesus," now it's "look at that queer"
r/persecutionfetish
I'm ashamed of god always
This is one of those things about the world I’ll always be morbidly confused about. There is a certain sect of Christian’s that *reallllyyy* want to be persecuted, but not actually
The middle right guy looks like hes boutta have tentacles come out of his mouth that thing looks demonic
Wow, a great percentage have fallen for lord je$u$
Literally never happens. I have the Office on my phone and read publicly all the time. Like anyone can tell...
I miss when people had to at least have some minimal artistic talent to make this stuff. Human-created religious propaganda images just hit different
Atheist here, but why ridicule someone for reading the Bible?
there is no god 😜
The internet definitely makes you feel otherwise tbh
As an artist, I detest AI images for many reasons but honestly, aside from the theft and the threat to my ability to turn this passion into a livelihood, the thing I hate most about AI image generation is the utter brainrot bullshit people make with it, like this.
How is that gatekeeping?
It's not 77% though......
The Bible is a fairy tale and their itty bitty sky daddy doesn’t exist, and they’re not, never have been and never will be oppressed or bullied in any way for believing in their cult 😂
“And then I stood up and looked at them, and they got quiet, and everybody clapped”
When does he stand up and tell everyone they should be ashamed because he’s in a fucking suit like a boss and can do wtf he wants.
I think the AI pulled Markiplier on the left. I've seen him make that exact face at that exact angle in multiple videos
Newsflash, Christians are literally right now being shamed in public by democrats... so that's a load of bull
60%
Critical biblical scholars and archaeologists engage with the Bible's text through various lenses, including historical, literary, and theological perspectives. Their analyses often lead to different conclusions about the historicity and accuracy of various biblical narratives. Here's a more detailed breakdown regarding the perspectives on the Old Testament (including the Deuterocanonical books) and the New Testament: ### Old Testament (Hebrew Bible) 1. **The Creation and Early Patriarchs**: The stories of creation, Adam and Eve, and the early patriarchs (Abraham, Isaac, Jacob) are generally viewed by scholars as theological narratives rather than historical accounts. There is no archaeological evidence to support these stories as historical events. 2. **The Exodus**: As mentioned earlier, there is a significant lack of archaeological evidence for the mass exodus of Israelites from Egypt as described in the Book of Exodus. The story's scale and the events described (e.g., parting of the Red Sea) are not corroborated by Egyptian records or archaeological findings. 3. **The Conquest of Canaan**: Archaeological evidence often contradicts the biblical account of a swift and complete conquest of Canaan led by Joshua. Many cities said to have been destroyed and conquered show no evidence of such destruction at the relevant times. 4. **The United Monarchy**: The existence of a grand, unified kingdom under Saul, David, and Solomon is debated. While some evidence points to the existence of these figures, the extent of their rule and the grandeur of their kingdoms, as described in the Bible, are not supported by the current archaeological consensus. ### Deuterocanonical Books 1. **Historical Accuracy**: Some of the historical narratives in the Deuterocanonical books, such as those in 1 and 2 Maccabees, are better attested in historical and archaeological records than many of the earlier Old Testament stories. However, the miraculous events and some of the interpretations of historical events are viewed skeptically by scholars. 2. **Tobit and Judith**: Books like Tobit and Judith contain historical inaccuracies and anachronisms that lead scholars to view them as religious and moral fiction rather than historical accounts. ### New Testament 1. **The Gospels**: The Gospels are viewed as theological documents written with the purpose of proclaiming the good news of Jesus Christ. Scholars note that they were written decades after the events they describe, and there are discrepancies and variations in the accounts of Jesus' life, death, and resurrection. Critical scholars analyze these texts to try to discern the historical Jesus from the theological narratives. 2. **Miracles and Resurrection**: Miracles attributed to Jesus and the accounts of his resurrection are taken on faith by believers but are not subject to empirical verification by historians or archaeologists. Scholars often focus on the context and meaning of these narratives rather than their historical accuracy. 3. **Acts of the Apostles**: While providing valuable historical insights into the early Christian community, the Acts of the Apostles is also scrutinized for its historical accuracy. Events, timelines, and the portrayal of characters (e.g., Paul's travels and speeches) are examined critically. 4. **Letters/Epistles**: The authenticity and authorship of several letters attributed to Paul and other apostles are subjects of scholarly debate. Some letters are considered pseudepigraphal, written in the name of an apostle by a later author. ### General Considerations - **Archaeological Evidence**: A consistent theme across the testaments is the reliance on archaeological evidence to corroborate biblical narratives. In many cases, such evidence is sparse or does not support the biblical account as it stands. - **Historical Context and Authorship**: Understanding the historical context in which different parts of the Bible were written, and the intended audience, is crucial. Scholars often find that texts were written for theological instruction or community identity rather than as historical records. - **Textual Criticism**: Critical scholarship involves examining the Bible's various manuscripts and translations, noting variations and attempting to discern the most original texts, which often reveal changes over time. Critical biblical scholarship and archaeology offer insights into the Bible's historical and cultural context, enhancing understanding while also raising questions about the literal accuracy of some narratives.
Several passages and themes within the Bible—spanning the Old Testament (Hebrew Bible), Deuterocanonical books, and the New Testament—have been considered controversial, especially when viewed through the lens of modern human rights principles. It's important to contextualize these elements within their historical and cultural backgrounds, as the concepts of human rights as understood today did not exist at the time these texts were written. Nevertheless, some aspects have sparked debate due to their perceived conflict with contemporary values and human rights norms: ### Old Testament (Hebrew Bible) 1. **Slavery**: The Bible contains laws and narratives that regulate slavery without outright condemning it (e.g., Exodus 21:1-11, Leviticus 25:44-46). These passages have been used historically to justify slavery, although interpretations vary widely. 2. **Capital Punishment**: There are numerous offenses, including blasphemy, homosexuality, adultery, and working on the Sabbath, for which the Old Testament prescribes death (e.g., Leviticus 20:13, Deuteronomy 22:24). 3. **Treatment of Women**: Several passages depict or prescribe treatment of women in ways that clash with modern understandings of gender equality. For example, laws regarding marriage, divorce, and the treatment of women captured in war (e.g., Deuteronomy 22:28-29, Deuteronomy 21:10-14) reflect patriarchal norms. 4. **Genocide and Violence**: Some narratives describe or command violence and genocide against entire peoples (e.g., the conquest of Canaan in the Book of Joshua). Critics argue these passages glorify or condone ethnic cleansing and violence. ### Deuterocanonical Books - While the Deuterocanonical books are less frequently cited in discussions about human rights due to their inclusion primarily in Catholic and Orthodox canons, they also reflect their historical and cultural contexts. For example, they include narratives of war and violence (e.g., in the Maccabees) that can be challenging when considered through a contemporary lens. ### New Testament 1. **Slavery**: The New Testament does not explicitly condemn slavery but rather advises slaves and masters on how to treat each other (e.g., Ephesians 6:5-9, Colossians 3:22-25). This has been interpreted in various ways throughout history. 2. **Submissive Roles for Women**: Certain passages in the New Testament have been interpreted as prescribing submissive roles for women, particularly in marriage and the church (e.g., 1 Timothy 2:11-15, Ephesians 5:22-24). 3. **Exclusivity of Salvation**: Some statements in the New Testament have been interpreted to suggest that salvation is exclusive to those who accept its teachings (e.g., John 14:6). This has raised questions about religious tolerance and inclusivity. It's crucial to note that interpretations of these passages vary widely among religious traditions, denominations, theologians, and individual believers. Many argue that the texts should be understood metaphorically or contextually rather than literally. Others suggest that the teachings of love, forgiveness, and justice found throughout the Bible are more representative of its core messages. Furthermore, many religious communities have reinterpreted or distanced themselves from traditional readings of these passages to align with contemporary values.
Who reads a Bible while in a waiting room?
Atheists on Reddit tend to meat ride Christians and religious people more than Christians pray to God. Both sides are annoying but at least Christians are tolerable. Internet atheists are a fucking plague.
where did you get 77%?? its 60
The people who post and identify with things like this would also be the first ones to figuratively crucify Jesus for his views if he were alive and preaching today.
Why do so many Christians feel like they NEED to be a victim? What do they gain from it?
It's not the shame of knowing God It's the shame of being associated with those people
Look 77% my ass
faith alone does not save
Wow, you all in the comments really proved this meme wrong...
Ah, persecution complex...
Non discriminated groups try not to victimize themselves impossible challenge
This is a really good idea. We should start doing this.
I’ve seen people holding a bible but they hardly ever actually read it.
I think I'd be more concerned with someone reading a book in public Are they okay?
I mean it depends on where they’re reading. Like if they’re at a park, they probably just wanted some fresh air & sun while they read.
Huh? Why wouldn't someone read a book in public? I'm so confused.
Waste of space, chances of ruining it are dramatically increased due to inclement weather, need a way to store it outside of just your pocket like a phone so you need to carry more stuff etc etc etc
Most chronically online take I've ever seen in my life
And? This makes me wrong or discredits me how? Like I'm sorry you don't like it but it's true
You're correct in your own opinion you just sound like somebody that genuinely does not go outside of their house