"I have a personal relationship with Jesus"

[Swamptribe]

What the hell does that line mean anyway? It's become the buzz phrase for fundies to use over the last few years. Usually follows "Oh, I don't have a religion...". The statement "Personal relationship" is just so, idiotic. Especially accompanied by the claim that 'they don't have a religion'.

It also calls to mind images of Buddy Jesus, who frankly, would probably offend most Fundie Christians.

I know that in their heads, it must make sense and sound cool, but to non-Christians; it's an idiotic statement to make.

I've also known it's frequently used in a context to separate out the real Christians (you know, the ones who believe just like the one making the statement) from the unreal Christians. You know, the ones who don't hold the same dogma.

[Guest Anonymous]

Yes.. :D

I used to have a 'personal relationship with Jesus'. It 'wasn't about religion, it was a relationship'. I used to tell him all about my daily life through prayer and he did stuff like helping me find my PE kit in time for school, when I lost it. He could have helped third world countries overcome disease and poverty too, but God is a gentleman, he doesn't force his way into our lives, and if people choose Sin, then bad things will inevitably happen throughout the world....

See, I still remember the script, after all these years. :shock:

[Peas n carrots]

I saw a billboard in Dublin several years ago that said "You Can Have a Personal Relationship with Jesus."

The best part was someone wrote in sharpie under it saying "Reach Out And Touch Faith!"

LoL...maybe I find it hilarious since I'm a big Depeche Mode fan.

Edited for riffles

[Austin]

It's a way for evangelicals to set themselves apart in a superior way from other Protestant Christians. All those people have "religion"; they have a "relationship".

[anniebgood]

I saw a billboard in Dublin several years ago that said "You Can Have a Personal Relationship with Jesus."

The best part was someone wrote in sharpie under it saying "Reach Out And Touch Faith!"

LoL...maybe I find it hilarious since I'm a big Depeche Mode fan.

Edited for riffles

OT I love the Johnny Cash version of Personal Jesus.....

http://youtu.be/jQcNiD0Z3MU

[Helena]

Walls are everywhere.

[doggie]

it is like you tell everything to jesus and he listens. just like your dog does. but at least the dog sometimes answers.

[tropaka]

It's code for I'm not Catholic.

[holierthanyou]

It's code for I'm not Catholic.

Thank you tropaka for making me actually laugh out loud.

[moreorlessnu]

Umm, well I have a personal relationship with my mother because when I call, she picks up the phone, stays on the line, and talks with me for as long as we both want. I guess I assumed Jesus is just a tad busier than Mumsy what with all the wars, earthquakes, sick children and all....

[Haligh the Liar]

It's code for I'm not Catholic.

It's funny because it's true! That would also be a dead give away to any Catholic that the speaker is NOT ONE OF US. Although I am no longer Catholic, I still feel culturally Catholic and thus qualified to say that we're a more hands off type of folk when it comes to the big JC, largely content to let others interpret the bible for us, not ones to take the bible literally at all, other than the parts that encourage us to get our drink on.

This is something I've never understood about fundies- how can you have a close personal relationship with someone who can never definitively interact with you? Is this where fundies get their "Jesus laid it on my heart" crap from? Personal relationship with Jesus + realization of what you want = Jesus determining the course of your life?

[doggie]

Umm, well I have a personal relationship with my mother because when I call, she picks up the phone, stays on the line, and talks with me for as long as we both want. I guess I assumed Jesus is just a tad busier than Mumsy what with all the wars, earthquakes, sick children and all....

or millions of more deserving christians.

[genericJname]

I used to have a personal relationship with him too. Then I learned that combining supernatural thinking with imaginary friendship is not such a safe choice for mental stability.

[HijabiLady]

Am I the only one who feels it's almost....sexual sounding?

[Austin]

When people (read former Christian friends) ask me what has happened to me, to my "personal relationship" with Jesus, I've been known to say, "Well, he's just not that into me any more".

Yeah, they don't like that but I just like to make myself laugh.

[Peas n carrots]

Am I the only one who feels it's almost....sexual sounding?

Pick up the receiver I'll make you a believer!

You bet it's sexual sounding...

[genericJname]

Am I the only one who feels it's almost....sexual sounding?

It absolutely is.

[doggie]

it is even wsorse since jesus is god and you think of god as your father.

[CC3]

Am I the only one who feels it's almost....sexual sounding?

I don't think it sounds sexual at all.

[BayLee_10]

it is even wsorse since jesus is god and you think of god as your father.

When exactly did Jesus become God? I grew up thinking Jesus was the son of God. Now I find he IS God. In any case, assuming there is a God, why is he not to busy to open and close wombs. Like that is the most important job in the world? WTF?

[Rachel333]

I don't think it sounds sexual at all.

I agree (now those who use Jesus as a substitute boyfriend on the other hand...).

I've actually heard Catholics and other non-Evangelicals say the same thing. I've even heard Muslims say it, though of course not with Jesus. I don't like it when it's used in the "I'm better than other Christians" way, and I really dislike the "it's a relationship, not a religion" stuff (sorry, but yes, it is a religion) but I don't see anything wrong with it otherwise.

[JesusFightClub]

It would make more sense to say "I have an impersonal relationship with Jesus". He's a bit like a government department, you can contact them a lot and sometimes stuff will get done and sometimes it won't, but IMO you'd have a hard time making the case it was because they cared about you as a person...

[Cran]

I used to have a personal relationship with him too. Then I learned that combining supernatural thinking with imaginary friendship is not such a safe choice for mental stability.

This. My reason to leave faith behind. I discovered that if I read enough about pagans myths, integrated them into daily life like I did with going to mass, bible reading and praying, the figures would gain the same importance and the same "relationship" with them as Jesus. All imaginary.

Catholics are also encouraged to have a "personal relationship" with Christ, but it is simply not called that way. Pray, read the bible etc. comes down to the same thing as this fundie-phrase.

The theory of Christianity not being a religion seems to run rampant currently, yesterday saw a very popular youtube video on it, about 10 million hits. This idea originiates with Karl Barth in the middle of the 20th century, who redefined for his personal theology religion to "having to do works to achieve anything with God" and said Christianity wasn't that, so it wasn't religion. This concept has been harshly criticized, because you can't simply redefine a term to suit your needs, and because it is entirely subjective. Every Muslim, every Jew will tell you that keeping all commandments is impossible and will not give you eternal life, but God's grace will, so where is the point?

Of course, the scientific criticism has not been picked up by those people.

[alaeangelorum]

The theory of Christianity not being a religion seems to run rampant currently, yesterday saw a very popular youtube video on it, about 10 million hits. This idea originiates with Karl Barth in the middle of the 20th century, who redefined for his personal theology religion to "having to do works to achieve anything with God" and said Christianity wasn't that, so it wasn't religion. This concept has been harshly criticized, because you can't simply redefine a term to suit your needs, and because it is entirely subjective. Every Muslim, every Jew will tell you that keeping all commandments is impossible and will not give you eternal life, but God's grace will, so where is the point?

Of course, the scientific criticism has not been picked up by those people.

This video by any chance? - http://youtu.be/1IAhDGYlpqY I actually like some of it, especially the parts about Christianity not being synonymous with voting Republican and I think his general idea is actually a lot of what people on FJ say about fundies - that they are blinded by legalism and forget that Jesus came for the poor/outcasts - however I think he still comes off a bit sanctimonious in places. And I don't like the 'religion not relationship' stuff - if you follow Christianity, you are following a religion. You can't just change the definition to make yourself feel special.

[FaustianSlip]

I have very little patience with the whole "personal relationship with Jesus" thing. Ugh. Nine times out of ten, it's used as a fundie dog whistle to determine whether the person to whom they're speaking is also a fundamentalist Christian (sort of like the, "Yeah, but are you a Christian?" thing, which I know drives my Episcopalian mother nuts). Growing up Episcopalian, the only people in my church who spoke that way were people who were unusually socially and theologically conservative for Episcopalians, most of whom had come to the Episcopal church from other, more fundie branches. I've never once heard the phrase "a personal relationship with Jesus Christ" used in a context that wasn't one of condescension and/or superiority.

Personally, when someone asks me whether I have a personal relationship with Jesus, I usually say, "Well, I used to, but we had a long talk and decided we should see other people." I don't know, it just sounds sort of cliche and ridiculous to me. If I went around telling people that I have a personal relationship with Moses, I would (rightly) be laughed out of the room. There is a concept of having a one-on-one relationship with G-d in Judaism, but the terminology used to talk about it is different, and I think the nature of the relationship differs, as well, because in the Jewish context, your actions and works are always a part of the picture, whereas in the fundie context, it's (theoretically) entirely about belief.