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That’s orthogonal to court, the standard is not whether others hold that belief but whether the belief is sincerely held. Given that he identifies as Christian
by _3u10 5y ago
That’s orthogonal to court, the standard is not whether others hold that belief but whether the belief is sincerely held.
Given that he identifies as Christian and whatever he believes got a ruling in his favor I would say that it’s an “actual” belief.
- keithnz 5y agoIt is a religion, with many denominations. Not quite sure what the criteria is for when something varies such that it wouldn't be considered Christian.
- slapfrog 5y ago> It is a religion, with many denominations. The whole of it defies neat categorization. People who self-describe as Christians can't even universally agree which texts are authentic and holy and which are heretical frauds. The only thing they all universally share is the inclination to call themselves Christians (more than a few are eager to contest whether other self-described Christians are in fact Christians.) One particular example: I was raised to believe that the Book of Mormon is a heretical fraud, and consequently to believe that Mormons are not real Christians (despite claiming to be.)
- bigwavedave 5y ago> People who self-describe as Christians can't even universally agree which texts are authentic and holy and which are heretical frauds. The only thing they all universally share is the inclination to call themselves Christians. Interesting perspective- when I was much younger, I was taught that a Christian is anybody who believes that Christ is the Savior and that he atoned for the sins of humanity. Is there an "official" definition?
- jdavis703 5y agoThere is no criteria. Anyone who calls themselves Christian is a Christian. The same goes for any other religion. All religions have differing internal beliefs, so there is no objective definition of a “true believer.”
- deleted 5y ago[deleted]
- selcuka 5y agoI believe it's not the same for any other religion. For example conversions to Judaism are overseen by a religious court.
- elteto 5y agoAn actual court in the US will probably not try to legislate whether a person is of the Jewish faith or not, _regardless_ of what some other religious "court" says. Probably (IANAL) if a person says that they observe the Jewish faith and that this is a deeply held belief, regardless of whether some religious organization recognizes him/her, that will be enough for the courts.
- selcuka 5y agoSorry, I was talking from the believer's point of view; not from a law perspective. You are probably right about that.
- lmm 5y agoIt doesn't matter whether it's "considered" Christian or not. All that matters legally is whether it's a sincerely held religious belief.
- lotsofpulp 5y agoHow could a court possibly establish whether or not a belief is sincerely held? The whole thing is a farce.
- gnopgnip 5y agoThe same way the courts decide whether or not someone committed a crime or any other issue. The judge or jury ultimately decides the facts based on what is presented.