What do you think of the terms "real Christian" or "real Pagan"?

[Dervill Crow]

When fundies behave badly many Christians say, "Real Christians aren't like that." In one of my Yahoo groups a young woman said she doesn't like the movie The Wicker Man because it paints paganism in a bad light, and "real Pagans" don't perform ritual sacrifices. It just struck me funny after all these years of hearing about "Real Christians" to see a post about "Real Pagans."

Can there be "Real Pagans" who sacrifice animals or humans? Can there be "Real Christians" who behave like Fred Phelps or GWB?

[GeneCosta]

1. Subjective

A word everyone should learn.

[illinoisprogressive]

2. People like to label the bad apples as not real. Real dems or repubs, ect.

Plus it's all in the interpretation. What is a good anything for you and for me could be different.

[More Than A Feeling]

3. If people who claim Christianity or Paganism (or Buddhism) do bad things

It doesn't mean they weren't Christian or Pagan or (Buddhist). It means that Christians and Pagans (and Buddhists) can do bad things, and their faith does not stop them.

[Spangle]

4. It's not the same.

There are so many myths out there of what paganism is and what they do. "Real Pagan" means "Not Hollywood Pagan" Or not a " Myth Pagan."

The reference to "Real Christian" is an attemp to validate or invalidate a person's claim of being a Christan. To dis-associate from THAT Christian, as not being a 'real' on. No one uses "Real Pagan" that way.

[Dervill Crow]

10. Yeah, actually, some do.

More often it's "real witches." Like "real witches don't do spells for personal gain," or "real pagans don't sacrifice animals," or "real witches believe in the threefold law." (Not all do.) I've heard more "real pagan" references since the movie The Wickerman has been redone with Nicolas Cage.

[lazarus]

5. No True Scotsman

Read up on the No True Scotsman fallacy for insight into this one.

Basically, it goes like this:

Argument: No true Scotsman puts sugar on his porridge.

Response: My uncle Angus enjoys sugar on his porridge.

Rebuttal: Then your uncle Angus is no true Scotsman.

The fallacy follows from the initial statement. It gives people power to exclude anybody inconvenient from the discussion, no matter what the topic.

[Az]

6. Well supposedly there is only one person that can determine that

And he hasn't done personal appearances (if ever) in the last 2000 years. So anyone laying claim to being a true Christian or knowing whether another person is a true Christian is just talking into their hat.

Here is a further thing. The bible claims that there will be signs by which we can recognise believers. But they don't work.

[TRYPHO]

16. Err....He wasn't (nor would He ever be) a Christian.

He was/would be again an orthodox Jew. He would expect all "followers" to be card-carrying orthodox Jews too. He'd be extremely disappointed in how things have turned out. Of course, the Church would just have him crucified a second time, to prove the point about the truth of the resurrection, and he wouldn't be seen of again.

Here is a further thing. The bible claims that there will be signs by which we can recognise believers. But they don't work.

Yeah, well, you're not a Freemason are you :hide:

TRYPHO

[cyborg_jim]

7. Frankly modern pagans just make it all up

They don't really have much of a clue what pagans used to do because we have scant information on that subject.

[Dervill Crow]

11. Very true. n/t

[Dervill Crow]

12. Dupe - delete

Spazzy keyboard.

[Jokerman]

8. I've been told I'm not a "real Atheist".

Because we put up a decorated tree during the holidays.

Intolerance and hypocrisy can come from the places you least suspect.

[Dervill Crow]

13. Weird.

That just seems wrong on so many levels it defies comment.

[toddaa]

9. Any idiot can claim to be a Christian

but how many of them have Microsoft Certification in Desktop Christianity.

I believe Cisco does the Certification in Enterprise Paganism.

[Dervill Crow]

14. LOL - Seriously. LOL n/t

[Jokerman]

15. I always wondered what the "NT" in "Windows NT" stood for.

Must be "New Testament".

The Novell people used to call it "Nice Try".

[MistressOverdone]

17. Redundant

[Chulanowa]

18. Christianity has a clear basis of teachings.

Therefore you can go "She's not a very good christian", and have somethign to back your claim up with - the text she uses as a base for her religion.

"Pagan", however, is a catchall term for every non-Abrahamic religion out there - though Buddhism and Hinduism are usually omitted. What does a Celtic Reconstructionist have to do with a hatian vodoun or an Aboriginal traditionalist?

Nothing, except the label "pagan".

I am a Pagan. But I'm a plain awful Wiccan. I'm a worse Muslim. I'm apparently not too bad of a Quaker, but I'm best at being an animist :)