Astrophysicist angers Christians with Christmas tweet

What has some people angry is their own mistake, a christian is putting the thought into their head that the tweet is about jesus, which is incorrect, when they reach the end and see they were mistaken on who was being recognized, somehow in their own minds that is somehow offensive.


The tweet is a good way to show how quickly people jump to the wrong conclusion, and how easy they cry foul when they turn out to be incorrect, but it is in no way offensive or incendiary, i'm not the one that made the tweet nor anyone else in this topic, so no one can claim to know just what the person was thinking when they posted it, it's all just speculation and more assumptions.

a reply to: NoCorruptionAllowed

There is more evidence in existence that Jesus did live exactly as described in the bible, than any evidence saying he didn't.

Oh really? LOL Please show me some solid evidence of the very first "fact" of his existence, the "virgin birth". Then please show me evidence of the so called "tax census" that led the holy family from Nazareth to Bethlehem and the documentation from Jewish sources of the killing of their first born en mass during Herod's rule around 1AD. If you could find any contemporary evidence of appearance of an unusual celestial body that would also help your case.

originally posted by: cruddas
What has some people angry is their own mistake, a christian is putting the thought into their head that the tweet is about jesus, which is incorrect, when they reach the end and see they were mistaken on who was being recognized, somehow in their own minds that is somehow offensive.


The tweet is a good way to show how quickly people jump to the wrong conclusion, and how easy they cry foul when they turn out to be incorrect, but it is in no way offensive or incendiary, i'm not the one that made the tweet nor anyone else in this topic, so no one can claim to know just what the person was thinking when they posted it, it's all just speculation and more assumptions.

Exactly! This was clearly explained on page 3.

originally posted by: CretumOrbis
a reply to: buster2010

For those not versed in the ways of humor, what he did is called 'bait and switch'.

"A type of joke where a character leads the audience or other characters into thinking he or she is going to say or do something, but says or does something unexpected."

tvtropes.org

It was supposed to be funny, that's all. There was nothing derogatory in the joke to be offended by. So if you are offended, it's simply because you didn't get the joke. Understanding a joke requires knowledge of the given subject. If you aren't willing to do a little research into why something is funny then you're offended by nothing more than your own willful ignorance.

I thought the joke was quite clever, personally. Being analogous to a pun, a good bait and switch is equally rare.

People of faith get offended all the time, tough luck I say, the guy's tweet was funny to me, get over it.
I laughed when the Queen in her xmas speech went on about her faith in Jesus, thought she was more rational than that, but hey if it pays the bills...

originally posted by: grainofsand
People of faith get offended all the time, tough luck I say, the guy's tweet was funny to me, get over it.
I laughed when the Queen in her xmas speech went on about her faith in Jesus, thought she was more rational than that, but hey if it pays the bills...

And people without faith don't get offended all the time? That's a human condition, not a spiritual one.

originally posted by: IWasHereEonsAgo

originally posted by: Aleister
Newton is a fine person to celebrate, as is Jesus. Not a bad pair to share a birthday (or a beer) with.

Except that Newton was a real person and Jesus is a non-confirmed character potetially created by religious nutcases to control people.

If that were the case then the Jews writing about him in the Babylonian Talmuds would have simply mentioned it. They spoke of Him and didn't even deny His miracles, just tried to explain them away by saying He was a magician. That is the strongest evidence of His life, "hostile-source attestation".

a reply to: NOTurTypical
Well, as a faithless person I don't get offended by any of the conflicting religions...I just find them amusing, just like the Queens declaration of faith in her xmas speech, actually did laugh out as I watched it.
The world would be boring if nobody believed in things which lack evidence, more rational of course, but less amusing.

It does not say in the bible Jesus was born on December 25th. But it does say that King David had lots of concubines - And that's something I'd like to celebrate.

It doesn't take much to anger Christians.
Hey, the next time you drink a Monster energy drink just think of this:
www.youtube.com...

originally posted by: NOTurTypical

originally posted by: Entreri06

originally posted by: NOTurTypical

originally posted by: Entreri06

originally posted by: NOTurTypical

originally posted by: ttropia
I, my self, claim Christ. The only offensive part to me is my fellow believers getting offended at a rather funny tweet. Grow up already!
I doubt the great creator was offended. We do have the Tumble Bug, I bet the creator even giggled at the tweet.

I'm a Christian also and don't care, Jesus wasn't born on December 25th. It was September 29th in 2 B.C.

Lmao no one including you nor Emperor Constantine had any idea what day Jesus was born.... It was 400 years later by the time Christianity was a full fledged religion and there were no cell phones to keep up with the date. All culture celebrated the winter solstice so they decided to celebrate it that day... No one ever claimed to have any clue what day he was actually born.

No, it is actually easy to figure out if one does their homework. The idea He was born on December 25th was an invention of the RCC.

No it's not... The only reliable source from Jesus's life was the roman one refering to "the cristos". So you can pin point when he was here, but not when he was born.

100% wrong..

Linky

Really your source is a fundamentalist Christian web site? :p really LMAO

originally posted by: grainofsand
a reply to: NOTurTypical
Well, as a faithless person I don't get offended by any of the conflicting religions...I just find them amusing, just like the Queens declaration of faith in her xmas speech, actually did laugh out as I watched it.
The world would be boring if nobody believed in things which lack evidence, more rational of course, but less amusing.

But like I said, people getting offended has nothing to do with religion, it's a human condition.

a reply to: buster2010

Do you have evidence that there is intelligence elsewhere in the universe? Unless you are part of a secret government project that has contact with other alien races then as far as we know it we are the only intelligent race in the universe.

Considering how much chance is involved in the linear progression (even with billions of years to play around with) on planet Earth from lifeless rocks to sentient beings......then put those mathematical statistics up against the number of observable stars and observable galaxies in our own observable universe that may contain life.........either way: alone in the universe, or surrounded by neighbours seeking other neighbours.....the conclusions are staggering.

Lets not forget that Jesus was NOT born on Dec 25 to begin with. Historians studying the facts are not sure when he was born but they are sure that it can't have been Dec 25. The date was actually deliberately chosen by the church to destroy a pre-existing pagan celebration on the same date.

originally posted by: BMorris
Lets not forget that Jesus was NOT born on Dec 25 to begin with. Historians studying the facts are not sure when he was born but they are sure that it can't have been Dec 25. The date was actually deliberately chosen by the church to destroy a pre-existing pagan celebration on the same date.

Correction: The Roman Catholic church. The 1st - 3rd century Christians didn't celebrate Christmas or Easter. And the date of Christ's birth was the last week of September in 2 B.C.

Fact: Jesus wasn't born on Dec. 25th.
Fact: Sir Isaac Newton was.

Why anybody would be angered by this is beyond me, I think its a perfect demonstration of just how stupid a lot of people are.

originally posted by: Monger
Fact: Jesus wasn't born on Dec. 25th.
Fact: Sir Isaac Newton was.

Why anybody would be angered by this is beyond me, I think its a perfect demonstration of just how stupid a lot of people are.

Precisely, thank you.

a reply to: buster2010

I cracked up so hard when I saw this on my FB feed. The response has been even more hilarious.

I know a whole ton of Christians who also thought it was very clever and had a chuckle. He didn't write it to be offensive, he wrote it to be funny. And it was.

If a person is offended by playful (tasteful) humor, they probably are in very bad need of being offended more often. It's far less offensive than when a Christian corrects me when I say "happy holidays" or "Blessed Yule". Although I laugh at those guys too so... maybe it's about the same.

originally posted by: NthOther
Let's see...

Jesus changed the world by founding a movement based on selflessness and love.

Newton changed the world by discovering the mathematical principles that mankind has swiftly used to pillage the whole planet.

So... I guess Tyson is right. I'd celebrate the former, however, if I were so inclined or had to choose. But Tyson is a spiteful opportunist like the rest of his ilk. Their whole goal in life is to piss other people off. It's completely transparent. Makes them feel superior and in control.

It's sad, really.

Are you intentionally ignoring all the harm religion has done and all the good science has done? Or was that a genuine thought?

originally posted by: Leonidas

originally posted by: NthOther
Let's see...

Jesus changed the world by founding a movement based on selflessness and love.

Newton changed the world by discovering the mathematical principles that mankind has swiftly used to pillage the whole planet.

So... I guess Tyson is right. I'd celebrate the former, however, if I were so inclined or had to choose. But Tyson is a spiteful opportunist like the rest of his ilk. Their whole goal in life is to piss other people off. It's completely transparent. Makes them feel superior and in control.

It's sad, really.

Are you intentionally ignoring all the harm religion has done and all the good science has done? Or was that a genuine thought?

I'm definably on your side, but science has caused atrocities as well. It would be interesting to see a chart that showed the true story. Though I think religion isn't real, there have been amazing things done in it's name.

Neil de Grasse Tyson is correct the christians are wrong, Jesus was not born on Dec 25th, but Sir Isaac Newton ( blessed be his name) was, even the church and biblical scholars know this, annnnd Im 100% certain that if Jesus was real he would have found this funny too, if the offended christians done some research they would learn that 90% of their christian traditions have a pagan origin,

a reply to: Leonidas

I don't think your statement means what you think it does...