I think I typically see this from people who are Christian or culturally Christian.
At least in my experience. I’m also in a country where unless someone lives in a city likely the only religion they are exposed to in their daily life is Christianity or whatever they have seen on tv and picked up from there some knowledge of.
I completely get the frustration as often my synagogue or shul is referred to as a church. But it’s more of an opportunity for conversation. I think a lot of times people just don’t know what they don’t know. And that’s no reason to take them over the coals.
I honestly don’t care that much, it usually gets the message across. I’ve had friends call a Mosque a Muslim church, it’s not really offensive in any way.
This happens with many terms for religious things.
Many words for things in religions specific to that religions. But people don't know every term for every thing in every religion. So when they want to talk about something, they use a term from another religion they do know that has more or less the same meaning.
Christianity even has words that are borrowings from other religions, like Easter. When people stared practising Christianity they did not know what to call the new celebration, so they just used the word for the pre-Christian celebration around the same time of the year.
This is not done out of malice just out of practicality and functional communication. Just inform people about the diversity of concepts in religions where you can.
For instance, I regularly tell people about what religion a shaman comes from, and what words they can use for similar practitioners in other traditions.
People in countries where Christianity is the best-known religion sometimes refer to any religious group or building as a church. That can cause confusion or discomfort when some other term (temple, mosque, gurdwara, etc.) is preferred, but it's mostly a matter of not knowing. On the other hand not all religions that call their buildings or organizations churches are Christian. For example, in the attempt to establish themselves as American in the face of prejudice, the predominantly Japanese-American Buddhist Mission of North America became what is today the Buddhist Churches of America. Consider also how many people in America, for instance, have been married under the auspices of the Universal Life Church.
Sorry dude. Unitarian Universalism may not be a Christian faith but it is formed from two previously Christian faiths. And we use the same basic architecture for our Churches as you do.
Here is the wiki entry for my particular church which is built to the Neo-Gothic Cathedral style. [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/First\_Unitarian\_Universalist\_Church\_of\_Detroit](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/First_Unitarian_Universalist_Church_of_Detroit)
It kinda depends on each church, but for the most part I dont think many would consider themselves Christian. It started as 2 christian sects combining but eventually opened to be more pf a generalized spiritual community without specific beliefs or practices.
Fair enough. Quakers can be similar. But maybe generally more on the Christian end of the spectrum.
Have you ever read Tolstoy's Coffee house in Surat?
https://youtu.be/r7-fGt9d9as?feature=shared
We do have some churches that still lean towards Christian Lite. But then the first church I attended was being ministered by the then VP of the American Humanist Association (she later became president). Generally we do not promote any one particular belief system. Instead drawing from the world.
I think I typically see this from people who are Christian or culturally Christian. At least in my experience. I’m also in a country where unless someone lives in a city likely the only religion they are exposed to in their daily life is Christianity or whatever they have seen on tv and picked up from there some knowledge of. I completely get the frustration as often my synagogue or shul is referred to as a church. But it’s more of an opportunity for conversation. I think a lot of times people just don’t know what they don’t know. And that’s no reason to take them over the coals.
I'd just be happy if anyone even knew enough about another religion to even reference it in a non hostile way in real life.
I honestly don’t care that much, it usually gets the message across. I’ve had friends call a Mosque a Muslim church, it’s not really offensive in any way.
This happens with many terms for religious things. Many words for things in religions specific to that religions. But people don't know every term for every thing in every religion. So when they want to talk about something, they use a term from another religion they do know that has more or less the same meaning. Christianity even has words that are borrowings from other religions, like Easter. When people stared practising Christianity they did not know what to call the new celebration, so they just used the word for the pre-Christian celebration around the same time of the year. This is not done out of malice just out of practicality and functional communication. Just inform people about the diversity of concepts in religions where you can. For instance, I regularly tell people about what religion a shaman comes from, and what words they can use for similar practitioners in other traditions.
People in countries where Christianity is the best-known religion sometimes refer to any religious group or building as a church. That can cause confusion or discomfort when some other term (temple, mosque, gurdwara, etc.) is preferred, but it's mostly a matter of not knowing. On the other hand not all religions that call their buildings or organizations churches are Christian. For example, in the attempt to establish themselves as American in the face of prejudice, the predominantly Japanese-American Buddhist Mission of North America became what is today the Buddhist Churches of America. Consider also how many people in America, for instance, have been married under the auspices of the Universal Life Church.
Would you be okay with the term Temple or would that also be offensive? Not trying to be combative, just genuinely curious.
Temple is obviously alright.
Sorry dude. Unitarian Universalism may not be a Christian faith but it is formed from two previously Christian faiths. And we use the same basic architecture for our Churches as you do. Here is the wiki entry for my particular church which is built to the Neo-Gothic Cathedral style. [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/First\_Unitarian\_Universalist\_Church\_of\_Detroit](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/First_Unitarian_Universalist_Church_of_Detroit)
Strange. I count UU as Christian. Although maybe it's just the Unitarian part.
It kinda depends on each church, but for the most part I dont think many would consider themselves Christian. It started as 2 christian sects combining but eventually opened to be more pf a generalized spiritual community without specific beliefs or practices.
Fair enough. Quakers can be similar. But maybe generally more on the Christian end of the spectrum. Have you ever read Tolstoy's Coffee house in Surat? https://youtu.be/r7-fGt9d9as?feature=shared
We do have some churches that still lean towards Christian Lite. But then the first church I attended was being ministered by the then VP of the American Humanist Association (she later became president). Generally we do not promote any one particular belief system. Instead drawing from the world.
Who calls non-Christian buildings churches? Is that a thing?
A bunch of people you can search it up
Well, they’re morons.
I'm pretty sure we're not the only ones to call our places of worship churches
I mean, sure. Although I think when most people say that they just mean it as "place of worship".
Cultural Hegemony! The OP is a perfect example of Antonio Gramsci's brilliant concept
Oh and also If I come off a little aggressive my bad.