President Biden told a Democratic lawmaker and members of his Cabinet after the State of the Union address that he told Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu that they will need to have a “come-to-Jesus meeting.”
Biden’s comments, captured on a hot mic as he spoke with Sen. Michael Bennet (D-Colo.) on the floor of the House chamber, came after Bennet congratulated the commander in chief on his speech and pressed him to keep pressure on Netanyahu over increasing humanitarian issues in Gaza.
The irony is funny, but that is a common idiom in english speaking countries. Biden isn’t literally going to speak to Netanyahu about converting to Christianity as if he’s some sort of political missionary.
Uh it sounds very much like an America idiom to me mate.
Cant say it’s something I’ve ever heard it in Australia, nor would i expect such a religious phrase (outside of expletives) to be that common.
I believe it is American specifically, I haven’t even heard it in Canada. But it is a very secular saying - it has a religious background but is used in irreligious contexts all the time.
It’s American specifically. “Come-to-Jesus” evokes the tent revival culture that started in the second great awakening in the 1830s and continues to the present day.
In the tent revival culture, an itinerant preacher will ride into a (typically small) town and pitch a tent for about a week or two (or more). They then attempt to “revive” the faith of the townspeople by preaching intensely for several hours at a time, sometimes for multiple times per day. In typical Christian fashion these services will include multiple invitations to literally “come to Jesus” by publicly confessing sins and professing faith before the whole group, thereby becoming born again. Regular church goers are expected to attend revival sessions every night when they’re in town.
Everything about the tent revivals evokes imagery of the early Christians in Acts and the epistles. Large crowds and mass conversions. That sort of thing.
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Come to Jesus or cum to Jesus.
Yep. Some of these things get unhinged. People speaking in tongues, mass hysteria, chanting, singing, etc. It’s at these revivals that it definitely looks like the cult it really is.
So much LARPing.
Thank you for the context.
It’s very much an American (and specifically Christian) idiom.
I’ve never heard somebody who wasn’t nominally Christian use it.
I’m not, and I use it at work when someone is stepping out of line. However, I was raised Christian. I always assumed it was a southern saying like so much other shit that accidentally falls out of my mouth.
I’ve never heard it in NY
I mean, it’s more likely than placing conditions on arms sales or withholding support at the UN.
What is the idiom used for?
Like a stern talking to. To bring someone in line.
They are going to see the light whether they want to or not.
Still, a more deft politician would avoid using that specific idiom when it comes to a conflict between Jews and (predominantly) Muslims.
He was talking to a US Senator, not an Israeli or a Palestinian
How does that make a difference? Even if it wasn’t on a hot mike, he would’ve risked the senator or someone around telling it to the press or anything like that. Even in ‘private’ conversation politicians should be careful about what they say.
“Risked?” I don’t know, I pretty much disagree with everything you’re saying here, and think you’re reading way too much into it
Have you ever avoided saying “It’ll be a slam dunk” in front of us Bostinians because you’re afraid we’ll interpret that as you assuming we’re all fond of Dunkin Donuts and that’s a generalization?
Was common…
Like 60 years ago when Biden was in college.
All my bosses over the past twenty years have used the same term about either me or a coworker.
Oh it’s very much still in use.