the different ones
one thing i find a bit annoying is the terms that Christians use to describe other people. Paul Colman has been know to talk about a conversation he once had with a guy who was wondering what the go was with him being called a "non-christian". Paul being a teacher knows how "non" is a negtive prefix and is really quite a negative way to describe someone. i am not described as a non-black, or a non-pagan, but as what i am, not what i am not, a white, or a Christian.
the other thing to this is, why not just call people what they are then, "people", after all, we are the weird ones, we are the different ones, we are the aliens, the ones who do not belong to this world anymore(as citizens of heaven), but are here to live amongst the people of this world. not that this makes us higher than any people, but yes it makes us different. so let us start calling people who they are, "people" and not what they are not. after all it is us who are the different ones.
the other thing to this is, why not just call people what they are then, "people", after all, we are the weird ones, we are the different ones, we are the aliens, the ones who do not belong to this world anymore(as citizens of heaven), but are here to live amongst the people of this world. not that this makes us higher than any people, but yes it makes us different. so let us start calling people who they are, "people" and not what they are not. after all it is us who are the different ones.
posted by John M @ 9:57 pm
6 Comments:
At 16 September, 2005 07:33,
Trav said…
good on ya, you non-anti-blogger
At 16 September, 2005 12:26,
Susan Barnes said…
I have heard some people use the expression "not yet Christians", which I don't like either. It sounds presumptious.
At 16 September, 2005 13:58,
John M said…
yeah not much of a fan of that term either Susan, i find it can sound kinda egotistical (i hope that is an ok word to use), like sometimes i think people forget that it is in the end God who brings people to him, and if it is that people are just saying they are believing in faith for their friends then say it a bit more humbly. Probably if we were praying alot more for our friends who we want to know God, then we would just be able to trust Him to do his work, and the humbleness would come.
At 17 September, 2005 17:19,
kelgell said…
I like that point of view. Seems more real. (It is.) I have actually used the term non-christian and kinda felt funny saying that.
At 17 September, 2005 17:31,
Christop said…
The word pre-Christian (as opposed to post-Christian) is often misused in the same kind of context Susan mentioned.
At 29 September, 2005 13:41,
Digger said…
Yeah some interesting thoughts there. I like what you said about not using negative language, but instead describing people as just what they are, not what they're not.
Even still, it would be funny if we started calling ourselves non non-Christians, or non-normal people!
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