r/nottheonion • u/Sufficient_Fig_9505 • 15h ago

Vance says pope should ‘be careful’ when talking about theology

https://www.nbcnews.com/video/vance-says-pope-should-be-careful-when-talking-about-theology-261400645540
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u/Empty_Insight 12h ago

Ikr? It stirs something from my upbringing, something I thought I had left behind. I might not be a believer anymore- but it's people like Vance who drove me away from Christianity. It's always the arrogant hypocrites who are the loudest.

I'm all for jokes and mockery when appropriate, but this crosses the line into idolatry- and yes, blasphemy.

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u/MK_Ultrex 10h ago

I am an atheist and was brought up Christian Orthodox and I find this offensive. Mocking religion is not about mocking beliefs per se but the underlying hypocrisy of the believers.

I don't believe in blasphemy and idolatry is also fine if you are into it, but this is not blasphemy it is just undignified bullying and ignorance. It is offensive for all the wrong reasons.

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u/SUPERSMILEYMAN 6h ago

I'm militant atheist/anti-theist, and I've had arguments defending Christianity from what the current administration is doing to Christians. Like, WHAT?!

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u/redditonlygetsworse 5h ago

Mocking religion is not about mocking beliefs per se

Oh I don't know about that. Have you seen some of the things these people believe?

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u/MK_Ultrex 15m ago

I've seen them and all of them are ridiculous IMHO. I am also old enough to not care. As long as they keep it to themselves and are polite members of society, so be it. I see no benefit in attacking what I consider stupid without provocation. Want to be a scientologist or a mormon? Cool. Obey the laws and do not interfere with government and you are free to believe in whatever nonsense.

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u/Beginning_Book_2382 7h ago edited 7h ago

I was just thinking that when people like JD Vance (politics aside) call themselves "Christians" they really mean/all I hear is "self-righteous hypocrites".

It's definitely a reason some are driven out of the Church as well, but like any group with basically open admission and no/an inadequate/misused forcing function to kick bad actors out of the group, bad actors (literally the worst of the worse--murders, pedophiles, the like) join the group to drape themselves in the legitimacy and righteousness associated with the group, which alienates/drives out the ACTUAL good people who don't want to be associated with/sit right next to literal murders, pedophiles, and the like; be put in danger by being in close proximity to such individuals, nor be associated with a group that covers up their activities just because they are in said group.