Respecting other religions? No, that's a modern, non-Christian concept!

[Loki]

A very interesting addition to what we've been discussing elsewhere recently, as in... should Christians respect other religions, consider them equal, treat them equally in society, etc? Well... it turns out this is a very modern concept, and was very alien to early Christians!

I found this post from Absinthe, an old Greek member who hasn't been online since 2017. She makes a very interesting comment, that I will replicate here:

It is such a funny coincidence, that the day before yesterday I had an extensive talk with a theologist working a PhD thesis on the Byzantium...

It somehow came up in the discussion that in every Byzantine text that was referring to the notion of "ανεξιθρησκεία" (religious freedom), the Christian "fathers" did not define it in the same way as we perceive it today, i.e. respecting different religions and allowing them to coexist, but as "ανεξιθρησκεία means that you must go to every end to convince the other person that his religious views are wrong, and show them to the right path" (roughly translated).


It seems to be what every christian has been doing since the dawn of their religion...

Yup... indeed... and that is how I understand it as well.

[Voyt]

Why are you seemingly proud of this fact?

[Smeagol]

True. Non-Christians have no right to live and do as they please in Western Christendom.

[Loki]

Why are you seemingly proud of this fact?

Because I'm tired of this half-baked, wishy-washy new type of Christianity being forced upon us by politically correct people. Time to get back to our roots... if we believe in something, why not be sure of it and share the good news?

[Loki]

True. Non-Christians have no right to live and do as they please in Western Christendom.

Well yes I guess that, too... however I think the emphasis here is on Christians standing firm on their beliefs, and not giving in to politically correct "politeness" by saying "all religions have some good in them", or "Jesus is not the only way", etc. Someone who doesn't believe that Jesus is the only way to God, and that their faith is the only correct one, have no right to call themselves Christians. Also, Christians who want to gain the favour of people of other religions, by trying to not offend their sensibilities, are not worthy to be called Christians either.

[Bosniensis]

I don't respect Catholics and Jews.

Have respect for Orthodoxes and Oriental Christians

I respect Hellenic Pagans who are reasonable as well.

As far as Germanic people and other people are concerned, they don't concern me whatsoever in any level.

[Smeagol]

Someone who doesn't believe that Jesus is the only way to God, and that their faith is the only correct one, have no right to call themselves Christians. Also, Christians who want to gain the favour of people of other religions, by trying to not offend their sensibilities, are not worthy to be called Christians either.

Most of these people are just misguided and brainwashed by the modern media though. (Including a few of my own family members) Most of them can still be saved.

[Voyt]

Because I'm tired of this half-baked, wishy-washy new type of Christianity being forced upon us by politically correct people.

Maybe the fault lies within your vague ideology that masquerades as objective dogma? And perhaps they themselves think that YOUR "type" of Christianity has been "forcing itself" on them politically for much too long now?

Time to get back to our roots...

Which roots would those be? The Florian roots of the Judaeo-Mythric syncretic Christianity? Or the Hellenist-Gnostic Christianity that was genocided by the former? Or perhaps maybe even the reformed Judaism that Jesus himself was advocating for before they co-opted his sayings into their own various different ideologies for political machinations? (For some reason I doubt that you were thinking of this last option.)

[Brutus]

What makes Christians exactly more noteworthy of respect than others?

[Regnera]

I like your Christ,but I don't like Christian fundamentalists(and I don't like other religious fundamentalists either)