This post is about a current American idiomatic phrase: a come to Jesus moment. I had heard this phrase used before in a sports context, then later in business and in politics. I had an idea what it meant but decided to investigate it, so I went to the Urban Dictionary (http://www.urbandictionary.com/ )
On this website, Internet respondents can submit their interpretation(s) of current slang (popular "street" idioms). Besides the traditional religious interpretation of the phrase, there were several fanciful, sarcastic, and/or vulgar comments.
The most accurate interpretation of this phrase seems to be one of being called into a meeting in which one is severely criticized and possibly threatened with strict punishment for one's actions or attitudes. The intent of the meeting is to produce an emotional response which produces a complete change in behavior and/or attitude.
This seems to play into a popular misconception of Jesus, and "religion" in general, as stuffy, unpleasant, hypercritical, prudish, threatening, and disapproving. This is an insulting stereotype.
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