buzzard Christian n esp Sth, S Midl Cf buzzard religion n
A person who goes to church only for funerals (or, occas, only for dinners); similarly n buzzard Baptist a Baptist who behaves in this way.
1942 Marshall Eve. Chron. (MI) 23 Oct 3/1, Don’t be a buzzard Christian and go to church only when someone is dead. 1958 KY Folkl. Rec. 4.1.11 wKY, “Buzzard Christians” are persons who attend church only for funerals. 1966 Atchison Daily Globe (KS) 9 Sept 6/7, [Advt for First Baptist Church:] Don’t be a buzzard Christian and go to church only when someone is dead. We invite you to worship with us this Sunday. 1966 Tucson Daily Citizen (AZ) 20 Jan 25/3 cNC, “But we don’t have that many in attendance,” she hastily added. “Oh, well,” her husband quickly interrupted in an apologetic manner, “every church has ‘buzzard’ Christians.” “Buzzard Christians?” we asked. “Please explain.” . . “Well, a buzzard Christian is a person who never goes to church except when there’s a funeral,” he explained. 2005 St. John Clapton’s Guitar 215 cVA, Wayne himself wasn’t much for churchgoing. “I’m a buzzard Baptist,” he admitted. “I only go to church when somebody dies.” 2011 in 2016 DARE File—Internet cLA, My Uncle Butch declared himself a “buzzard Baptist”. He knew every cook in the church and could preselect meals at the church based on what he knew of the people that created the food. 2013 Ibid ceFL, Us buzzard Christians need a church goin’ hat.