Using "X" to represent "Christ"

[Ree]

Right now, on PFB, there is an ongoing debate about the use of the letter 'X', rather than spelling out the word, 'Christ', in words such as "Christian", "Christmas", etc.

The writer has said she is offended by this as a devout Christian.
She is basically being told to lighten up, grow a thicker skin and quit forcing her Christian views on the rest of the world.
She is being told that she should just learn to accept that not everyone is Christian, and they have a right to spell the word in whichever fashion they choose.

I fond this double standard amusing.
This woman, and all Christians, apparently, are being told that the name of Christ is expendable and easily and appropriately replaced with a letter, however, I have to wonder what would happen if we started shortening the spelling of words related to non-Christian religions, specifically words that contain reference to their gods.
I am wondering how long it would be before the uproar because the sacred name of Allah was being replaced with a letter 'A', or the Muslim religion was being referred to as M-lims, or if Wiccans were suddenly referred to as W-cans.

I think tolerance works both ways. Apparently, the only true freedom of religion is a freedom from religion, specifically the Christian religion.
A Christian is seen as forcing their beliefs if they dare to speak of their faith, or wish God's or Christ's blessings on others, but those of non-Christian religions may wish their special blessings on others, or discuss the principles of their beliefs. It is to be accepted without bias, because if a person was to dare to say, "I'm sorry, I am a Christian and do not believe in your pagan blessings, they would risk being seen as ignorant, unchristian, and intolerant.
Unfortunately, as a Christian, I am told on a daily basis that I do not have a right to openly discuss my religion.

[TheRoo]

Last week, we were learning about the chi squared distribution in a statistics class. The instructor told an anecdote about X being used as an abbreviation for Christ, and he said it went back to the greek spelling of Christ, which started with the letter chi. The greek letter chi looks almost exactly like the letter X, so it evolved into the abbreviation. I don't think that people who use the abbreviation are trying to offend anyone, but they are either too lazy to write out the whole thing, or they think it's cute.

[AFPheonix]

I wonder sometimes if that's not a backlash from this being primarily a christian nation. (although the original use of X to designate Christ is a holdover from the greek alphabet, since X in greek is the first letter of Christ) Now I do see it used mostly by people that have an axe to grind against christianity....some of whom have some good reason.
But still you're right, if people truly want to say that they're tolerant of religious people, they need to include at least moderate christians under that umbrella. To do otherwise is hypocritical.

[suchislife]

I agree. I think at some point you need to understand that if your going to tell someone that they should stop "preaching" about their beliefs, then you must expect that same thing to be said to you.

It's a two way street, and I'm afraid that it might get to the point that one day NO one will be able to talk freely about what religion they believe in without copping flack...I mean personally I hate it when people dis my beliefs, but then I do it to people too so what am I spose to expect? really? I just have to cop it on the chin!

it reminds me of the time I had to go to a all Christian study camp in year 12..hey, it helped me to study and in the end I did well in my exams, but MAN did I cop it because I was the only non-Christian there! We had "discussion" times after the bible services, one particular one got me angry. They had been preaching that if you didn't believe in god that you went to hell, and you were evil. So, I asked them,
"so your saying, that the child in a country that has no religion, who grows up in that country and knows no god, is never taught about god, and never finds out about god, dies not knowing about a god, is evil and will go to hell? what about the child that grows up in the family under another religion, once again grows up and dies not knowing about god, are they evil too? Do THEY deserve hell?" they were all and couldn't give me with a straight answer...they never said anything about it again…the subject was quickly changed

[DesignFox]

religious tolerance means for ALL religions. Yes, that includes the Christian Majority. They have rights, too.

[Rubystars]

I only allow Christians and Jews to pray for me, anyone else who offers, I politely tell them no but I appreciate the well wishes.

It is interesting how almost any other religion besides Christianity can't be attacked without the attacker seeming to be 'ignorant', 'racist', 'anthropocentric', etc. However, if the attacker is attacking Christianity, they're seen as 'enlightened', 'intellectual', 'progressive', etc.

In my time at college I was taught that believing in Christian moral values or teachings would put me at odds with a lot of people in academia.

As someone else mentioned, most people who use X for Christ use it in a context of having an axe to grind with Christians. That bothers me more than the actual abbreviation does.

[April]

"I only allow Christians and Jews to pray for me, anyone else who offers, I politely tell them no but I appreciate the well wishes."

See but here is another double standard (I really have no opinion on the X vs. Christ thing, but this grabbed me LOL) If a non-Christian tells someone politely not to pray for them, they recieve all sorts of flack (I can't say it has happened first hand, since I can use any sort of happy thoughts) but a friend of mine was publicly attacked as a Christ hater for asking someone not to Pray for her to find Christ.

I dunno about the whole religion thing. Honestly lol. I, frankly, don't give a rats ass who worships what as long as I am allowed the same freedoms and that has worked relatively well for me through out the years as generally the only flack I have recieved is from random strangers, but I am sick of hearing "the war against Christmas" or "the war against our personal freedoms" or whatever is currently all the rage.

I do have to disagree with another part of RubyStars post (sorry, not picking on you, promise!) as someone on the "other side" of Christianity, as in not being Christian, it seems to me that people find it ok to pick on the devil worshiping Wiccans. My closest internet friend has actually had ROCKS thrown at her and her son because she is Wiccan. On Debate boards I have been singled out as not being able to understand, as a heathen the importance of my child being forced to particpate in prayer led schools. At one job it was being constantly forced on to me that in thier "motto" it was "Do our best in GOD" not Gods, goddesses but GOD.

I think that being so large and mainstream Christianity is a popular target, especially in some churches "recruitment" habits being so pushy, but it's still very much in vogue to pick on the less mainstream religions, especially with so much misinformation being spread about (As in Wiccans = devil worshippers)

It IS possible to coexsist with Christians, wiccans, athiests whatever, with no judgement from either side. My closest friends are Christian, Wiccan, Catholic and Atheist.

I'm sorry for jumping around all over this, i love religion LOL One last thing I think, so many people have negative experiences with Christians simply because of the sheer number of Christians. it's just the law of averages. the more people you have, the better the chances are that there are more "off" ones. Every group has thier wierd members, the larger the group, the more wierd ones. it takes a better person to realize that one or two wierd people don't represent the entire group.

Ok, I'm done rambling now. I promise

[rahmota]

Hmm personally since the church itself authorized the usage of X as in the CHi-Rho to represent Christ I see absolutely nothign wrong with the usage of it. (There now that the official topic has been addressed)

I have a few other things to say in response to what april and rubystars said but I will put them in another thread rather than drift this one off topic that far.

[IDrinkaRum]

I know I'm jumping into this discussion a little late, I think, but this is what I was taught about the use of "X" to represent the word "Christ".

Way back when, when the Christian faith was still in its infancy & the major civiliations in the world were against Christianity, the Christians could only worship in private.

The Greeks started to use "X" to denote "Christ" in coded messages/signs to let other Christians to know where they would be meeting to worship.

There ends my little history lesson.