Christian (n./adj.)

Christian is often used as shorthand for a certain kind of goodness—for example, "that was the Christian thing to do" when what was meant was "that was the kind thing to do." During the Middle East war of 1948 the U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations urged Arabs and Jews to resolve their disagreements "like good Christians." Use instead ethical, moral, decent, upstanding, righteous, upright, high-minded, honorable, principled, conscientious, moralistic, right, good, proper, considerate. In addition, in recent years the term "Christian" has grown flabby from associations with evangelicals, the alt right, white nationalists, conservatives, and other groups. It no longer has the relatively narrow meaning it used to have. Define your subject by beliefs, behaviors, or their own self-descriptions. Wonderfully compassionate, Christ-like Christians exist as well as some who would be unrecognizable as Christians at the pearly gates; know who you are talking about and be careful about using "Christian" too generically or unthinkingly. See also Judeo-Christian.