• Welcome to the new Internet Infidels Discussion Board, formerly Talk Freethought.

christian cliches that grind your gears

How do you mean 'the world' as a cliche?

My hackles rise when i'm told to say a certain prayer to oen my hear to God and it's "never been known to fail."
Because when it does fail, they place the blame on me (not sincere, not a true effort, not truly open, you're rather Satanic), and continue to claim "it's never been known to fail."
 
Oddly enough, despite living in the heart of the Bible Belt, I rarely hear any Christian cliches, other than a few expressions that have long been a part of southern culture. The only two I can think of are "have a blessed day", which is simply another way of saying, "have a nice day" and the often insulting, "bless her heart." For example, if someone is a hopeless mess, you might say, "Poor Jennie really looks bad today, bless her heart!" Imo, these are simply cultural expressions that have been influenced by Christian culture but have become part of mainstream culture.

However, I did see my casual nurse friend who lost her fiancé' to COVID, probably due to their refusal to take the vaccine, say on FB. "I was supposed to be married on Nov. 6th, but God had other plans." I guess that gives people like her comfort. If I was a believer, I'd be mad as hell at my god for not telling me to take the vaccine, for making me very sick and for taking my fiancé away.

I was also part of a group that exercises at our senior center, that was asked to pray for a woman who had metastatic cancer a few years ago. The group all prayed, while I kept my cool without pretending to pray. Three weeks later the woman was dead. Oh well. I guess god had other plans for her. What's the point of praying if god is going to do what it wants anyway?
 
"God works in mysterious ways..."

IOW "I don't know shit about any gods, but am well trained to pretend they exist".
 
masterpeastheater said:
I'll start with "the world"
Click to expand...
Google defines cliche as a phrase or opinion that is overused and betrays a lack of original thought. Much of what Christians say does tend to fit this definition. In other words, many Christians are just parroting what they are told. So when they talk about "the world" they just think it sounds like something that is evil in a vague sense. The "evil world" is something they seek to escape and want to warn others to flee from to escape God's wrath.
 
Cheerful Charlie said:
"Prayer works!"

"Sometimes God says "No"."
Click to expand...
Speaking for myself, it's basically impossible to tell the difference between God saying no to a prayer or my not praying correctly and prayer simply not working. I could use similar logic regarding my having bad luck despite having a rabbit's foot: I didn't use that rabbit's foot correctly!
 
southernhybrid said:
I was also part of a group that exercises at our senior center, that was asked to pray for a woman who had metastatic cancer a few years ago. The group all prayed, while I kept my cool without pretending to pray. Three weeks later the woman was dead. Oh well. I guess god had other plans for her. What's the point of praying if god is going to do what it wants anyway?
Click to expand...

I like to call it "deferred blessings." God's blessings are sure to come, but they will arrive at some indeterminate time in the future under circumstances you cannot now know. It's a slick way to smooth over failed prayers.
 
Unknown Soldier said:
Cheerful Charlie said:
"Prayer works!"

"Sometimes God says "No"."
Click to expand...
Speaking for myself, it's basically impossible to tell the difference between God saying no to a prayer or my not praying correctly and prayer simply not working.
Click to expand...
So, if you don't do it correctly, then it's your fault God says no.
Thst's not distinct from God saying no. That's just Him judging your effort, vice Him judging your request.
The Books does insist True Christains get what they ask for, as long as God approves of the requedt. So they have two out's that don't bring His existification into question.
If God won't end abortions for those who pray against it, either God approves of abortion, or not a single REAL Christain has ever prayed for an end.
 
Keith&Co. said:
So, if you don't do it correctly, then it's your fault God says no.
Click to expand...

That's a standard rationalization for failed prayer. I wonder why if people aren't praying correctly, then why God doesn't correct them.

Keith&Co. said:
If God won't end abortions for those who pray against it, either God approves of abortion, or not a single REAL Christain has ever prayed for an end.
Click to expand...

That's a very astute observation. Those Christians who pray against abortion should be ashamed of themselves for not praying the right way!

In any case, if person A isn't praying the right way, then why can't some prayer expert B pray for A? There should be at least some people who get prayer right who can make up for all the flunky pray-ers, now shouldn't there be?
 
"God doesn't want anyone to go to hell"

It is easy to find Christians saying this with Google.

They believe most people are going there eternally but think God is perfectly loving and free will might be involved.
 
"God doesn't give you more than you can handle". Or some variation of that.

I always have in mind a morbid picture of the absurdity of that statement. Two guys have just began leaping out of a window together on the World Trade Center on 9/11, due to the intense flames licking at their backs. The Christian one says, "Don't worry, God doesn't give you more than you can handle.". The atheist says, "For the last time, will you please kindly fuck off with that statement?!" Or something to that effect.
 
The thing is some of those Christian cliches actually are helpful to them. They are part of the western culture. Having the patience of Job or the wisdom of Solomon. Baring your cross wene under stress.


They are being replaced by things like drug metaphors and cliches. Having a bummer or 'ODing' on something not related to drugs. Excessive indulgence.

Pop culture cliches like Rambo-ing a situation.

Cliches abound. God only knows where it is all going....

When somebody says something like god loves you if I am in an ornery mood I might say "Which one?"
 
excreationist said:
"God doesn't want anyone to go to hell"
Click to expand...

Where exactly is hell, anyway?

excreationist said:
They believe most people are going there eternally but think God is perfectly loving and free will might be involved.
Click to expand...

I understand that God is too loving to force anybody into heaven. Does it then follow that forcing somebody into heaven would be hateful?
 
steve_bank said:
The thing is some of those Christian cliches actually are helpful to them. They are part of the western culture. Having the patience of Job or the wisdom of Solomon.
Click to expand...
A fading influence. My wife taught metaphor to tenth and eleventh grade English classes. They don't read much of anything anymore, and certainly not Bible stories.
So they don't know what the wisdom of Solomon means. They don't know who Moses is. Adam and Eve, maybe, not Abel.

They can tell you all about all the Pokemon, but if they hear the cliche, they prolly think the 'patients of JOB' refers to people helped by a Jewish OB-GYN.
 
southernhybrid said:
However, I did see my casual nurse friend who lost her fiancé' to COVID, probably due to their refusal to take the vaccine, say on FB. "I was supposed to be married on Nov. 6th, but God had other plans." I guess that gives people like her comfort. If I was a believer, I'd be mad as hell at my god for not telling me to take the vaccine, for making me very sick and for taking my fiancé away.
Click to expand...


That, of course, would feed into the cliche that athiests are just mad at god.
 
Unknown Soldier said:
excreationist said:
"God doesn't want anyone to go to hell"
Click to expand...
Where exactly is hell, anyway?
Click to expand...
I think it used to be under the earth but now it might be in another dimension. (like in the Doom games)
Unknown Soldier said:
excreationist said:
They believe most people are going there eternally but think God is perfectly loving and free will might be involved.
Click to expand...
I understand that God is too loving to force anybody into heaven. Does it then follow that forcing somebody into heaven would be hateful?
Click to expand...
I don't think many people would prefer to go to hell rather than heaven.... (maybe some metal fans) also a lot of unsaved people (e.g. Moslems, Mormons?) would really really want to go the heaven but many Christians would believe those people have to go to hell....
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top Bottom