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Permalink Reply by Alice Browne on November 16, 2011 at 2:04pm

The X abbreviation has been around for quite a long time, but it's only recently that it's become offensive. It's kind of like saying "Happy holidays" is akin to declaring war on Christmas. It's...not. Some people just get off on moral panic, I guess.

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Permalink Reply by anti_supernaturalist on November 16, 2011 at 3:44pm

the earliest x-man

Seek ye first the kingdom of Net, and everything will be revealed: http://atheism.about.com/library/glossary/western/bldef_xian.htm

• x = ch[ristos] and his magical monogram XP

The writers of the so-called new testament wrote a form of simplified Greek: koiné (common) Greek. In the eastern Mediterranean koiné was the language of merchants -- much as English is now used among European sales reps not sharing a common first language.

XP the first two letters = chr becomes a magical monogram where P (rho) is superimposed on X (chi). XP is a guaranteed demon remover. It will keep your church demon free in the midst of what Sagan called “the demon haunted world.” Search term: xp symbol -- will evoke images of the overlapping XP monogram in numerous forms dating from earliest xian cult.

In future put your indignation on hold until you have done your own research. Unlike among xian fundies, among atheists ignorance is not a virtue.

that anti_supernaturalist

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Permalink Reply by Albert Bakker on November 17, 2011 at 1:22am

 - I mean are you really so anti-christian you can't bring yourself to use the word "christ" -

On a side note, in the Netherlands certain groups of extremely devout Protestants defy to pronounce the word Christ with a proper Chi as phonetically in Kristos or latinized form Kristus, instead they pronounce the Chi in very loose accordance with modern Greek as a Dutch "G" the sound doesn't occur in English (not really in modern and not at all in ancient Greek - or Latin) but it's like the sound you make when you have a fishbone stuck in your throat. So you can hear them devoutly pronounce Christ as "Gristus" which after a while begins to sounds a lot like "Griezel" which is Dutch for "ghoul" or "creep."

I think it is equal parts funny and annoying.

 

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Permalink Reply by Jewelz on November 17, 2011 at 5:44pm

It just seems to be a deliberate way to offend, and that seems kind of intolerant to me. ...defend the use of the word xian. Show me where I'm wrong.

 

I grew up with people using Xmas as an abbreviation all the time, including my religious family. Somewhere along the line, someone falsely assumed that the "X" must be an attempt by anti-theists to "take Christ out of Christmas." Many believers have since jumped on this bandwagon (including my entire family who used to sign cards with Merry Xmas) despite the fact that the letter X has stood for Christ for quite some time, and was never intended as an insult to Christians.

 

Stop drinking the kool-aid. Google is your friend.

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Permalink Reply by tim on November 17, 2011 at 7:44pm

Just wanted to thank the poster for the intent of the post.  We as atheists should set an example.  I hope most atheists are kind and positive.  There is a massive gathering of atheists in DC scheduled for March and I hope it isn't a bunch of angry jerks.  However, the answer about the Greek letter "chi" (pro KEY) has often stood for Christ even when being used by the devout.  I feel using xian in a blog or a book is needless and distracting though.  I love Christmas in my own secular way, I don't say xmas.  Like Penn Jillette says, kill em with kindness and love.  Show them why Christianity's idea of love is not as robust as it could be.  I consider myself a humanist atheist.  :)

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Permalink Reply by Willson Stoner on November 18, 2011 at 10:49pm

Thanks Tim. It's nice to know that for the most part, this is not being used as a taunting device. A lot of Christians seem to think you can not be decent person unless you believe God is threatening to barbecue you. We need to prove them wrong!

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Permalink Reply by Dave on November 18, 2011 at 7:04pm

I'm not sure about the actual origins of the shortening to xmas and xian (not one I'd heard a lot before btw) but I like the Greek explanation.

 

However, I had always been told that the X sybolised (sp?) the cross and was kind of inter-changeable with the christ part of the words.

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Permalink Reply by basement kitteh on November 22, 2011 at 4:10pm

I've never used the word xian when talking about christians or christianity. Xian is a city in Central China, and that's it. I have no desire to shorten any religious terms (or to capitalize them).

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