Christophobia?
In one memorable scene from A Charlie Brown Christmas, Charlie Brown, feeling depressed (as is his norm) visits Lucy at her psychiatrist booth. Shortly, she begins to question him about his fears:
Yes, people have a lot of fears. However some fears in our PC world are not so much fears like the seasonably problematic fear of snow (chionophobia) or the incredibly ironic fear of complex scientific terminology (hellenologophobia), but are "fears" that are used as ad hominems. These are fears like Islamophobia (the fear of Muslims) or homophobia (the fear of homosexuals). Of course, these aren't real fears in the same way that a person who suffers from paraskavedekatriaphobia suffers from a fear of Friday the 13th. This is because the people who are accused of homophobia aren't truly afraid of homosexuals, rather they can simply believe that homosexuality is immoral. But to some, that belief can only be explained by a deep-seated fear of something they don't understand, i.e., homosexual love.
Well, a group that is trying to become the equivalent of the Jewish Anti-Defamation League has decided what's good for the goose is good for the gander (unless, of course, the gander suffers from a self-hating ornithophobia). If people who oppose the homosexual movement are homophobes and people who worry about Muslims are Islamophobes, why aren't people who show disdain for Christians or traditional Christian morality guilty of Christophobia? A group called the Christian Anti-Defamation Commission with a website called DefendChristians.org, anti-Christian bigotry is increasing, and this group has published its list of Top Ten Anti-Christian Events in 2010.
The list of events is not particularly striking. Those of us who pay attention to these things have recognized for several years that the hatred of Christians has definitely been increasing. Some of these ten anti-Christian events are (in this writer's opinion) somewhat suspect -- like the accusation that now-Supreme Court Justice Elena Kagen "successfully corrupted unfavorable evidence on partial birth abortion to deceive the Supreme Court." Still, the increasingly hostile viewpoint of some in this country towards Christians and traditional Christian morality has definitely been noticeable.
But personally, I don't find it surprising. As America becomes increasingly secular through the obvious combination of public school indoctrination and public acceptance of nonsensical moral views like relativistic morality or subjective morality, the flow of the tide against Christianity is to be expected. More so, Jesus made it clear that it was to be expected.
The increasing hostility towards Christians and traditional Christian ethics is not because Christians have changed. Christians continue to teach the same basic principles that they have taught for 2,000 years. What is happening is that the world, i.e., the non-Christians who are becoming the dominant force in the west (and have already become the dominant force in Europe) hate God; and, as Jesus foretold, people who hate Christians are really hating Jesus.
I don't see the point in creating a list (especially a list with questionable claims) to point out the obvious - non-Christians who are running from God don't want to hear God's word. A website that points out the Christophobia merely creates fodder for non-Christians to hate Christians all the more.
The funny thing is that this really isn't Christophopia so much as theophobia - the fear of God. Or, more accurately, the fear of God's rule. Christians just happen to be the rather imperfect vehicle through which God communicates His will. Will non-Christians respond negatively and with hatred? Of course, but Jesus has already made it clear that:
And with that promise, I will not be afraid.
Lucy: Are you afraid of staircases? If you are, then you have climacaphobia. Maybe you have thalassophobia. This is fear of the ocean, or gephyrobia, which is the fear of crossing bridges. Or maybe you have pantophobia. Do you think you have pantophobia?
Charlie Brown: What's pantophobia?
Lucy: The fear of everything.
Charlie Brown: THAT'S IT!
Yes, people have a lot of fears. However some fears in our PC world are not so much fears like the seasonably problematic fear of snow (chionophobia) or the incredibly ironic fear of complex scientific terminology (hellenologophobia), but are "fears" that are used as ad hominems. These are fears like Islamophobia (the fear of Muslims) or homophobia (the fear of homosexuals). Of course, these aren't real fears in the same way that a person who suffers from paraskavedekatriaphobia suffers from a fear of Friday the 13th. This is because the people who are accused of homophobia aren't truly afraid of homosexuals, rather they can simply believe that homosexuality is immoral. But to some, that belief can only be explained by a deep-seated fear of something they don't understand, i.e., homosexual love.
Well, a group that is trying to become the equivalent of the Jewish Anti-Defamation League has decided what's good for the goose is good for the gander (unless, of course, the gander suffers from a self-hating ornithophobia). If people who oppose the homosexual movement are homophobes and people who worry about Muslims are Islamophobes, why aren't people who show disdain for Christians or traditional Christian morality guilty of Christophobia? A group called the Christian Anti-Defamation Commission with a website called DefendChristians.org, anti-Christian bigotry is increasing, and this group has published its list of Top Ten Anti-Christian Events in 2010.
The list of events is not particularly striking. Those of us who pay attention to these things have recognized for several years that the hatred of Christians has definitely been increasing. Some of these ten anti-Christian events are (in this writer's opinion) somewhat suspect -- like the accusation that now-Supreme Court Justice Elena Kagen "successfully corrupted unfavorable evidence on partial birth abortion to deceive the Supreme Court." Still, the increasingly hostile viewpoint of some in this country towards Christians and traditional Christian morality has definitely been noticeable.
But personally, I don't find it surprising. As America becomes increasingly secular through the obvious combination of public school indoctrination and public acceptance of nonsensical moral views like relativistic morality or subjective morality, the flow of the tide against Christianity is to be expected. More so, Jesus made it clear that it was to be expected.
"If the world hates you, you know that it has hated Me before it hated you. If you were of the world, the world would love its own; but because you are not of the world, but I chose you out of the world, because of this the world hates you. Remember the word that I said to you, 'A slave is not greater than his master.' If they persecuted Me, they will also persecute you; if they kept My word, they will keep yours also. But all these things they will do to you for My name's sake, because they do not know the One who sent Me. ~ John 15:18-21
The increasing hostility towards Christians and traditional Christian ethics is not because Christians have changed. Christians continue to teach the same basic principles that they have taught for 2,000 years. What is happening is that the world, i.e., the non-Christians who are becoming the dominant force in the west (and have already become the dominant force in Europe) hate God; and, as Jesus foretold, people who hate Christians are really hating Jesus.
I don't see the point in creating a list (especially a list with questionable claims) to point out the obvious - non-Christians who are running from God don't want to hear God's word. A website that points out the Christophobia merely creates fodder for non-Christians to hate Christians all the more.
The funny thing is that this really isn't Christophopia so much as theophobia - the fear of God. Or, more accurately, the fear of God's rule. Christians just happen to be the rather imperfect vehicle through which God communicates His will. Will non-Christians respond negatively and with hatred? Of course, but Jesus has already made it clear that:
Blessed are you when men hate you, and ostracize you, and insult you, and scorn your name as evil, for the sake of the Son of Man. Be glad in that day and leap for joy, for behold, your reward is great in heaven. ~ Luke 6:22-23a
And with that promise, I will not be afraid.
Comments
Wait... is this irony? {g}
More seriously: I think it's not even theophobia (though that more than Christophobia--most anti-Christians still think relatively well, or even better, about Christ), so much as Christianityophobia. Or not even that so much as Christianophobia.
Consider the parallel with "Islamaphobia" (assuming for purposes of argument that the term can be applied in either a technical or incorrect-but-popular sense.)
It isn't so much that people fear Muhammad, even at secondhand. They may critique him or blame him for what's happening now, but the main concern is with what's happening now.
It certainly isn't that people fear God! The people being blamed for Islamophobia--or is it Islamaphobia?--tend to believe pretty strongly in God already.
It isn't even exactly that people fear the religion Islam.
It's that people fear (rationally or irrationally or in some mix) what MUSLIMS are doing. And not even what Muslims think or believe so much as what they do with their beliefs.
I think to the extent there is any kind of "phobia" about our religion, that it's the same way: people seem concerned about what we do with it, in some manner that (rightly or wrongly) threatens them. It's Christians that some people are bothered about, for better and/or for worse.
JRP