Since when did "non-Christian" turn into "anti-Christ"?

I've not heard this term, a bit silly and childish, (and that from a 16 yr old!) Christ is all around, or not! it is what makes you feel good inside!

I have not heard this said before, but I can believe that this would be a word used nowadays what with all that is happening in the world today. I do not believe in Christ but I am not anti, as that would mean I had to have another belief to fight against it and I don't. Sadly its all part of the New World Order..people are segregating themselves more and more over religion and mistrusting anyone who does not have the same beliefs as themselves. Lets hope this in in the minority and people will realise how stupid this really is!!!

This is a great discussion. I don't use the term anti-christ unless I am talking about someone who is appauled of Christ and against everything that he teaches. The term non-religious is suppose to mean someone who is not a member of a religious church or someone who is not a christian, I guess. I never really understood a lot of this babble and I have met a lot of people who were not religious but they were just people, they did not go around telling people that Christ was not real or that he is against Christians. This is a very strange topic and I am getting out of here before I end up saying something that upsets someone. IF I did upset you, I did not mean too and I apologize.

I know the discussions you're talking about and I have to admit to being a little offended by it...While I haven't completely left my Christian beliefs, I'm on the wiccan/pagan path. I think anyone, who is NOT a follower of Christianity who be insulted by this term "anti-Christ" and that would include not only us pagans, but Moslems, Buddhists, Jewish, and Hindus....As you say, my connotation of the meaning of anti-Christ is that as explained in the Bible, as one person who will rise to power and who will be a false "Christ"...people will believe he is Christ come back again, but is the evil counterpart to Christ---So to call those who are not Christian as anti-Christ is also suggesting that we're evil...well, sorry, I just plain don't think I'm evil, I just happen to follow a different religion and that doesn't make one evil

The use of this particular term goes through phrases. Based on my experience, the people who use it are implying that you are against Christ. As far as a lot of Christians are concerned if you are not a Christian, then you are serving the devil. To many, it is impossible to be neutral about religion because there is only one true relgion--either you belong to it or you are against it. To this type of person, the Dali Lama is an "anti-Christ". He is not. And either am I; but due to my belief system, I have had people tell me to my face that I was an Anti-Christ. As for the original term, it might anyone who was against Christ. Then Revelation came along and cornered the market on the term. It is much like the term Satan which originally was a generic term, and then got associated with a specific being later.

Anti-Christ is the term used to describe the man/beast who will fight against God's risen Lamb. He will desecrate the temple and set up himslef as god! it is not right for any christian to tell anyone that they are anti-christs. it is being rude as you said and furthermore that makes us sound as if we are worst off than b4 we accepted Christ as out perosnal Saviour. Non christian as you say is much better,this has a total different meaning from anit-christ!

For me, the only one I would call the Anti Christ, is people who are like Leaders of Cults. To me, I may not always agree with what people have expressed on here, but it is not my place to Judge anyone here, and call them an Anti Christ. Maybe they mean this in another form than what we are thinking?

I have noticed people using this term. I think it is often a matter of lack of ability to think of a better desccription. I don't know why they can't just say non-Christian unless they do specifically mean people who are against Christ rather than simply those who don't believe in him. Then again, I'm not entirely sure how relevant the word Christian is because, as far as I know, it only means people who believe Christ exists or ever existed and that could include a lot more people than who think Christ was/is a saviour or anything else like that.

In a sense all people who are not Christians are anti-Christ. Jesus himself said that if you are not for Christ, you are against him. It is really that cut and dry. There is no fence sitting on this issue.

I think some of it may just be a way to draw attention to there post. Usually it works really well. Of course we all should look at where their from. I know some translators will translate it that way. So they may have checked on a translator that told them to write it that way. As you said it could mean the people against Christ. That is how it may be translated.

I think it was the Puritans that starting using the phrase the Anti- Christ for whomever weren't Christian.It is like some Christians believe that there is only two wasys to be , right or wrong.If you are not a Christian , you are wrong. Just because you are not an Christian doesn't make you evil.Whenever I heard the phrase " the Anti-Christ" I always thought of the devil.

It does say in the Bible that the anti-Christ is already here. Those who reject Christ and say that He is not the Son of God are anti-Christs. I actually read this last night when I was reading the Bible.

that is quite ridiculous as i feel non- christian never mean anti christ ,like what i feel is i'm not christian but i hv absolutely no problem with chritians at all and i guess they don't hv any problem me being hindu and i guess this is called peaceful coexistence.

Anti-christ is being used as a term to describe someone who doesn't believe in Christ or God. The proper term would be atheist.

LOL I responded to a discussion the other day about the "anti-Christ" just because, as an atheist, I was fairly amused at being called that. I'm not really sure exactly what the person starting the discussion was meaning but I gave him the benefit of the doubt and assumed he meant it literally as in "anti" being opposed to Christ. I pointed out to him what you have already said in your OP - how can I be against something I don't believe exists? That doesn't make sense at all. "Neutral" is a good term to use I think - I really don't have any feelings about it so that describes my attitude pretty well. I wasn't offended by the term "anti-Christ" - I just thought it was quite funny. I've not been called that before!

No speaking as a Christian, I can honestly say I have never called anyone that. That is pretty sick if you ask me. You are so correct, it's equating non Christians as evil and that is so darn wrong in so many ways.

I'm afraid this is yet another symptom of one of the uglier sides of human nature being used by religious organisations who don't wield as much power within the richer countries as they used to. Intolerance, feeling threatened by anything different (as though by choosing your own path which happens to be different from theirs, is a threat or an act of moral aggression), small-mindedness, bigotry, pettiness, ignorance, suspicion and all of these basest and worst aspects of human nature (acting like a cornered rat ready to pounce and tear someone else's throat out just because they're not a member of your gang) are, I'm sorry to say, on the increase nowadays, certainly in the UK, and I believe in the US too. You see, when religions feel their influence and (more to the point) bank-balances slipping, they tend to get all "wrath of god" on their congregations' a$$es, to scare them into attending, rather than losing anymore loyal subjects to open-mindedness or apathy. Now the reason for the extra boost of nastiness within certain noisy (if not that large) sections of society nowadays, is also down to the fact that certain governments (who shall remain nameless) secretly declared war on certain terrorist leaders who helped them out in the Gulf War, got rather sanctimonious about it when their homeland was attacked, (surprise surprise) and used the whole mess as an excuse to go and nick Iraq's oil. Oh yes, and of course, to illegally overthrow their government, set up the "democracy" so that the new leader would be one who was more pro their point of view, and to completely de-stabilise that whole region. Nice eh? And who would believe that a democratically-elected first-world government would be able to get away with that sort of thing, unless their people had been whipped up into a frenzy of fear, paranoia, ignorance and religious "millennium" excitement (who would have thought that changing a decimal in the man-made measuring system of time would have made so many people so ready to accept anything from their leaders - the bloodier, the more hellfire and brimstone the better. Scary thought, but politicians love to use this sort of thing too - it makes the christians so much more pliable, morally suggestible and zealous - and all you have to do is use the words "911" or "god" or "millennium". In my opinion, arguing with such people is tiring, futile and deeply frustrating, but there are times when I can't bite my tongue - I don't see why theirs should be the only point of view which people express, and at least I have reason and morality and knowledge on my side!

I personally find it highly insulting to suggest that someone who is not Christian is the anti-Christ. The anti-Christ is supposedly the epitome of evil and that is not how I have found most non christains. historically, though, the anti christ in Revolations probably referred to Nero, and many of my fellow Christians would try to crucify me for this statement. Probably the same ones who would call a non christian the anti christ. LOL

I saw a couple of post calling 'non-believers' anti-Christs. My initial reaction was to explain why Christmas is celebrated in December. I went against my judgments and decided to leave it alone. At times, I get tired of explaining that I am not a believer in the Judaic system. And if I respond in that manner, I leave it to the appropriate posts. I have no desire to be a martyr, emotionally, physically or mentally.

I have never seen or heard someone use that term except when describing the book of Revelations. That is quite a weird use of the word. I have heard non-Christians referred to as Gentiles, non-believers, or pagans. However, I do agree that people that do not believe in Christ should not be given a nickname. They are just people.