Bill O'Reilly: Christianity is not a religion

[John Dibble]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dlApGy4WP-8

Bulls**t Mountain grows once more.

[anvi]

St. Augustine would disagree with Bill. 

[DC Al Fine]

Speaking as a devout Christian: BILL!!! rgogjdiofgeioo

Seriously though, why can't the evangelical movement just accept that we are a religion? Personally I think it's a combination of wanting to be super special, and not wanting to think of themselves as moralistic.

[afleitch]

Is this how they try to sell it now?

[RI]

Yeah, this meme of evangelical protestants (typically) really irritates me. I agree with DC Al Fine on why.

[falling apart like the ashes of American flags]

Well I am a Christian and I don't like religion. Neither did Jesus.

[John Dibble]

Well I am a Christian and I don't like religion. Neither did Jesus.

Are you saying that the belief that God impregnated a virgin with himself so that he could live in this world and die by sacrificing himself to himself and then coming back to life after three days is not a religious belief?

[Tokugawa Sexgod Ieyasu]

Well I am a Christian and I don't like religion. Neither did Jesus.

There's a difference between legalism, as you call it, and religion, which is an observed and very heavily examined psychological and social phenomenon of which Christianity is an obvious example to anyone paying attention. What sets us apart, BRTD, is that we think our religion corresponds to reality in a specific way. So do many followers of other religions. Whether or not we think those people happen to be wrong doesn't change the descriptive observation that Christianity is, in fact, a religion. The most you can stretch it is to say it's a set of related religions, and I for one am not comfortable with even that.

[bedstuy]

Nobody can argue that under the common definition of religion, Christianity doesn't qualify.  I  think that Bill O'Reilly is arguing something a little different though. 

I think he's saying that in the context of the First Amendment, religion is a term of art that means something more narrow than today's dictionary definition.  That's an entirely defensible position.

[DemPGH]

Yeah, he's probably trying to find away around separation of church and state or give "Conservapedia" material, but I really wouldn't want to bet on it because anyone who would make an asinine statement like that, it's hard to tell their motivation or reasoning. You just shake your head and keep going.

[afleitch]

I wish Christians stopped trying to redefine religion

[anvi]

Oh, Bill is just bs-ing in order both to curtly blow off the establishment clause concerns his guest was bringing up and probably to make Christianity sound like it's above "mere religion."  Bill's whole statement was "(Christianity) is not a religion, it's a philosophy."  Yeah, Jesus thought of himself as a philosopher, right.  Just bs.

[Grumpier Than Uncle Joe]

I wish Christians stopped trying to redefine religion

Just Christians, Andrew? 

[The Mikado]

Well I am a Christian and I don't like religion. Neither did Jesus.

Oh, Christianity's not a religion?  Good to know.  Might want to tell your pastor that if you're not a religion, you're going to lose your tax-exempt status, though.

Same to Bill O'Reilly, whom I never realized was an advocate of taxing churches (or, in his case, the Church).

[Snowstalker Mk. II]

Here in Lancaster I frequently hear the idea of "Christianity isn't a religion, it's a personal relationship with Christ."

[Tokugawa Sexgod Ieyasu]

Here in Lancaster I frequently hear the idea of "Christianity isn't a religion, it's a personal relationship with Christ."

I'd consider the idea that a relationship with the Person in question isn't a religion personal-dictionary-caliber at best.

[Filuwaúrdjan]

It's a bit of an odd thing to say given that we base our ideas about what a religion is/isn't on Christianity (in all its many and varied forms).

[Joe Biden 2020]

Here in Lancaster I frequently hear the idea of "Christianity isn't a religion, it's a personal relationship with Christ."

And that's what Christianity is.  No bones about it.

[k-onmmunist]

from the oxford english dictionary definition of 'religion':

You must be logged in to read this quote.

[RI]

Here in Lancaster I frequently hear the idea of "Christianity isn't a religion, it's a personal relationship with Christ."

And that's what Christianity is.  No bones about it.

The factual nature of the second clause has no bearing on the first.

[Starbucks Union Thug HokeyPuck]

Bill-O is an idiot.  Great.  We knew this.  Christians can define their beliefs any way they like... but it's a religion. 

But this is where Silverman loses me.  When people ask me why I'm an atheist, I give them all kinds of reasons why I feel it has enriched my understanding of the world and allowed me to see beauty and obtain wisdom where I don't feel I could have otherwise.  I feel the philosophy is also peaceful, growing, and has a lot to give the world.  

Why doesn't Silverman's group ever focus on this?  No... he's too busy going after small towns for displaying Christmas trees and attacking the Government for establishing it as a federal holiday.  It's not a federal holiday because the government is trying to make a religious point... it's a federal holiday because it's the most important day of the year for almost 90% of this country.  Could never get that through Silverman's head though because he has to get on TV and make us all look like a bunch of ass*****.  Thanks, American Atheists!

[DC Al Fine]

Bill-O is an idiot.  Great.  We knew this.  Christians can define their beliefs any way they like... but it's a religion. 

But this is where Silverman loses me.  When people ask me why I'm an atheist, I give them all kinds of reasons why I feel it has enriched my understanding of the world and allowed me to see beauty and obtain wisdom where I don't feel I could have otherwise.  I feel the philosophy is also peaceful, growing, and has a lot to give the world.  

Why doesn't Silverman's group ever focus on this?  No... he's too busy going after small towns for displaying Christmas trees and attacking the Government for establishing it as a federal holiday.  It's not a federal holiday because the government is trying to make a religious point... it's a federal holiday because it's the most important day of the year for almost 90% of this country.  Could never get that through Silverman's head though because he has to get on TV and make us all look like a bunch of ass*****.  Thanks, American Atheists!

Silverman is confirming Atheist=Asshole in the minds of millions of Americans.

[Starbucks Union Thug HokeyPuck]

Bill-O is an idiot.  Great.  We knew this.  Christians can define their beliefs any way they like... but it's a religion. 

But this is where Silverman loses me.  When people ask me why I'm an atheist, I give them all kinds of reasons why I feel it has enriched my understanding of the world and allowed me to see beauty and obtain wisdom where I don't feel I could have otherwise.  I feel the philosophy is also peaceful, growing, and has a lot to give the world.  

Why doesn't Silverman's group ever focus on this?  No... he's too busy going after small towns for displaying Christmas trees and attacking the Government for establishing it as a federal holiday.  It's not a federal holiday because the government is trying to make a religious point... it's a federal holiday because it's the most important day of the year for almost 90% of this country.  Could never get that through Silverman's head though because he has to get on TV and make us all look like a bunch of ass*****.  Thanks, American Atheists!

Silverman is confirming Atheist=Asshole in the minds of millions of Americans.

Are you saying that all atheists are assholes and he's just confirming that?  Or that he's making people think that?

[Tokugawa Sexgod Ieyasu]

Bill-O is an idiot.  Great.  We knew this.  Christians can define their beliefs any way they like... but it's a religion. 

But this is where Silverman loses me.  When people ask me why I'm an atheist, I give them all kinds of reasons why I feel it has enriched my understanding of the world and allowed me to see beauty and obtain wisdom where I don't feel I could have otherwise.  I feel the philosophy is also peaceful, growing, and has a lot to give the world.  

Why doesn't Silverman's group ever focus on this?  No... he's too busy going after small towns for displaying Christmas trees and attacking the Government for establishing it as a federal holiday.  It's not a federal holiday because the government is trying to make a religious point... it's a federal holiday because it's the most important day of the year for almost 90% of this country.  Could never get that through Silverman's head though because he has to get on TV and make us all look like a bunch of ass*****.  Thanks, American Atheists!

Silverman is confirming Atheist=Asshole in the minds of millions of Americans.

Are you saying that all atheists are assholes and he's just confirming that?  Or that he's making people think that?

I read it as confirming in the sense of confirmation bias.

Obviously not all atheists are actually assholes. For one thing, if they were I wouldn't have half the friends I do.

[The Mikado]

So, am I totally off base here, or is challenging Christianity as a religion necessarily tied to challenging churches as tax-exempt institutions?  This seems like a very dangerous road to go down.