Can someone explain how Evangelicals/Christians feel persecuted or attacked

[tulipsandroses]

I know you can’t apply logic to any of this, but it’s something I hear repeatedly. Just heard it again on MSNBC. They like Trump because they feel under attack and persecuted.

Religious schools can fire LGBTQ teachers, expel LGBTQ students, fire unmarried pregnant teachers. Refuse to provide care and services legally.

They want to control other people’s lives. Prevent women from getting healthcare.

Seems to me that they are the ones doing the persecuting. Says a lot when you interpret asking you to not be a bigot, respect other people’s rights means you are being persecuted.

[50 Shades Of Blue]

1. Makes 'em feel special.

And it’s another control thing. When you teach your kids they’re persecuted, they’re more likely not to stray into the cold cruel satanic world away from your control.

[gay texan]

18. Persecution is addictive in the world

Of an evangelical

[NanaCat]

20. Not just the evangelicals

Long before anything resembling an evangelical existed, Christians were constantly whinging about persecution. It's literally as old as the religion itself. Their hairy deity baked ye olde persecution complex right into the foundation of the religion. You do remember your Beatitudes, right?

Blessed are they which are persecuted for righteousness’ sake: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
Blessed are ye, when men shall revile you, and persecute you, and shall say all manner of evil against you falsely, for my sake. Rejoice, and be exceeding glad: for great is your reward in heaven: for so persecuted they the prophets which were before you.

--Matthew 5:10-12

And the cogent response to it at the old Iron Chariots:

These verses establish the second theme of the sermon: persecution and martyrdom are to be expected. Indeed, the verses tell believers to rejoice in persecution and it is no small wonder that Christians often consider any opposition to their beliefs persecution. These verses not only serve as justification for martyrdom but establish an implied protective barrier around Christian beliefs which helps believers compartmentalize them, keeping them safe from criticism.

This isn't "good advice" or "wise counsel" - it's bad advice. It encourages divisiveness by discouraging cooperation. There's no incentive for Christians to seek out cooperative societal relationships with non-believers...they're expecting to be ostracized and persecuted - and any perceived persecution only serves to reinforce their beliefs.

That was too kind of an assessment. Christians have spent millennia crying persecution while using it as a passive-aggressive means of preying on sympathy to get their way with everything. They'll even cry persecution whenever people resist having that religion shoved down their throats.

The evangelicals are merely the latest to use their persecution complex as a hammer, but they've never had sole possession of that particular weapon.

[TheProle]

29. Great post. Thanks.

[Bluethroughu]

30. They feel akin to Jesus.

My aunt told me that, she's a fundie.

[._.]

2. Why?

Because they are entitled. They KNOW they were meant to control every aspect of everyone's lives. They expect it, and feel persecuted when it is denied them.

[Dan]

3. I think it's because

They want the freedom and right to impose their religious beliefs on the rest, and want the power of the State to enforce their will.

[Attilatheblond]

13. That & they think being persecuited makes them 'Christ-like'

without them actually having to DO anything 'Christ-like'. Saves them oodles of time & effort.

My life long observations have led me to believe this. It is one of the few things I believe in absolutely.

[NanaCat]

21. But being persecuted is christ-like

Read your Beatitudes. Matthew 5:10-12, where that guy literally tells them to get off on being persecuted.

[hvn_nbr_2]

19. Their understanding of "freedom of religion"

For them, freedom of religion means that they must be allowed to have a theocracy that imposes their ideas on everyone, or else they're being persecuted.

For everybody but them, freedom of religion means that you are free to adopt their religion.

There's also a firmly and deeply rooted persecution complex. Thousands of years ago, the Roman Empire sometimes persecuted Christians; feeling persecuted is just a habit.

[keithbvadu2]

26. Pence - Freedom of religion

[Cosmocat]

32. This, its bullshit

Playing the victim part of the con.

[Ping Tung]

4. Like Chump, they play the victim to gain sympathy and scare people.

The whining shtick from the bullies has become boring and transparent.

[Cosmocat]

33. Correct

NM

[maxsolomon]

5. The Bible tells them they are persecuted, over and over. They believe the bible is the literal Word of God.

They interpret everything though that lens.

This is just one of multiple quotes:

Luke 6:22 - Blessed are ye, when men shall hate you, and when they shall separate you from their company, and shall reproach you, and cast out your name as evil, for the Son of man's sake.

[eallen]

6. It's part of their religion

They're in this world, not of this world. People will hate them for being Christian. Dark powers and principalities always are aligned against them. That's all commonly taught from their pulpits.

If your religion teaches you that you are the unfairly maligned underdog with the world arrayed against you, it's impossible for you to see that, yes, you're the asshole.

[Lovie777]

7. Since the evangelists are usually bullying us...........................

[RandySF]

8. Preachers repeat it to their congregations every Sunday.

Satan's hounds are always scratching your door.

[Johonny]

24. So does the media

Bring the victim is clearly taught and well learned idea.

[Mad_Machine76]

9. It's not really about persecution or being attacked

It's really about them realizing that they are no longer given privileged status and have to "live in a society" with other people who don't look, act, feel, or believe like them. Their solution to this is to find ways to remain in control of society and/or ensure that their beliefs, feelings, values, etc. are held above everything else and that they don't have to change anything about themselves, even if it means having to interact with somebody they believe is sinful.

[NanaCat]

22. It is about the religion, because the Gospels

Repeatedly tell them they'll be persecuted, and to rejoice in it.

[MiHale]

10. Micro/macro thinking...

Your post exhibits what I call macro thinking, encompassing the many without or with little differences.

Micro thinking is the opposite, bringing thought into increasingly smaller groups, with increasing rejection of differences.

Then it’s all about scale. Most normal people do both in varying degrees. Some get out of balance maybe from social pressure, experiences, location.

My take I’m no expert.

[Freethinker65]

11. Because they get publicly ridiculed for their hypocrisy and stupidity by those with opposing views

They never stop to think that those of differing views don't really care what these intolerant "Christians" believe or how they practice their "faith" until said "Christians" demand everyone agrees to live by their "Christian" beliefs.

[Goodheart]

12. I think they KNOW deep down inside that their religious beliefs are nonsense.

[unblock]

14. They feel "persecuted" if a sitcom has a gay character in it

Their starting point is a fantasy where the whole world is white, Christian, etc. they take offense at *anything* that doesn't fit into that fantasy.

So laws that prevent them from forcing Jesus and straightness and so on on non-believers and gay people are an attack on them and Christianity, in their worldview

[hatrack]

15. Because they occasionally encounter others who don't share their views . . .

And, gosh, if that's not persecution and oppression, I just don't know what is!!!!

[enid602]

16. Victims

One group can do horrific things against another, but somehow they are always the ‘victims.’

[HAB911]

17. Persecution IS their mythos

It's why they exist

[lindysalsagal]

23. God's Little Helpers.

Ego rush.

[IrishAfricanAmerican]

25. Anyone who believes they have the only true religion...

and everyone else is damned to hell is a bigot by default.

Fuck 'em.

[rsdsharp]

27. They don't always get their own way.

I recall Pat Robertson whining about “Blatant Anti Christian Biiiiiiias,” when people disagreed with his politics.

Same thing

[calguy]

28. Right wing Christians feel persecuted

when they can't push their beliefs on everyone else.

[JHB]

31. Mainly because they've been telling themselves that for at least 60 years (likely more)

Arguably for nearly 100, when H. L. Mencken's reporting on the Scopes Monkey Trial painted them as yokels and morons, William Jennings Briant as a buffoon.

The main drivers of the current wave of "we're so persecuted" foaming were the Supreme Court cases that struck down or made toothless some of their favorite means of throwing their weight around and getting high on their own moral superiority. Especially the "right to privacy" stuff.

"What do you mean we can't use the law and state power to make people obey the Laws Of God (as interpreted by us and which we're not actually bound to follow because we're forgiven)? We've always done it that way!"
And they didn't like the answer of "Not anymore. It goes against the Constitution and we're finally enforcing that part."

They feel persecuted because they can't persecute others, nor require them to sit for their indoctrination.

[KentuckyWoman]

34. It is part of the DNA of Christianity.

"Take up the cross and follow me". From day 1, Christianity was about suffering. Talibornagains take it to a new level.

[tableturner]

35. They feel persecuted because they no longer have the legal right to persecute those w/different beliefs.

[Blue Owl]

36. The critical thinking abilities in their brains are completely shut down

They need to be told what to think

[no_hypocrisy]

37. Easy. If RW Christian Fundamentalists aren't controlling government,

education, even religion, they claim they are being "persecuted". They believe that they should be in control. Not even sharing power. THEY are in control.

[Bucky]

38. It's a cultural thing for all Americans. We're an emo people

This usually sets in around age 12 or 13, when we realize you can get attention by pouting and feeling sorry for yourself and whining about how the whole world's out to get you.

Usually by 16 or 18, most people grow out of it. But others get stuck in this mentality and they go on to spend the rest of their lives more interested in complaining than finding solutions. Ironically, this skillset can actually turn into a fairly lucrative career