When you hear someone say, "I am a Christian," what is the first thought in your head?
I think at every point in my life I would give a different answer. When I was younger if I was asked this question I would have said something like, "A christian is a good person, who helps people, feeds the homeless, tells people about God and Jesus, and loves everyone." I don't think that this is a naive concept but i do have to say that my childhood belief of what a Christian is, is no longer my personal view.
I do not ask these question to offend any Christians or believers but rather to open up discussion on the matter. I want to know what all of you really think about what a Christian should be vs. what we really see every day.
Baffle
what a Christian should be is someone who follows the teachings of Christ and realizes that he ate with the down trodden and he preached to the wounded in spirit. He did not condemn he loved.
ReplyDeleteWhat i see most christians being is "followers" of Christ. They pay lip service to him but ignore that he preached against the old way and the old laws. Most christians will pull out an old testiment verse to condemn instead of reading the Red Letter Words which were about life.
Yes, I am aware that i only capitalized "Christian" in the first paragraph.
I am happy that i feel like i go to a church where we are encouraged to be open and inviting to all people. I pray one day christianity will move beyond hating someone elses personal lifestyle and instead embrace the love and openess that I feel Christ demonstrated.
Thanks Jason for your reply. When someone sees you or meets you...do you think that they think, "This guy is a Christian." I am just wondering.
Deletei hope so, but i also hope that they view it in the same way i do. If someone is expecting me to be pious then they will be sorely disappointed. I laugh at inappropriate humor, curse to much, and generally enjoy all things that would show bad taste.
ReplyDeleteThis is a very delicate question to ask. I personally do not believe in a "God" or being a "christian". People have this warped misunderstanding that just because you are Atheist you are a horrible person and you have no morals. This is not true. I actually have great morals but not because of fear that was indoctrinated into me when I was a child but because it is good common sense. I know it is wrong to kill,lie and cheat. When I hear that someone is a "christian" most times to me it says that they are hypocrites. That is not to say everyone of them is. I know there are good people out there who really live by their faith and moral convictions. But how can most of them say they are "christian" then go and adjust their whole belief system to accommodate their every day lives like, smoking, drinking, cursing, premarital sex,lying, judging? How is that ok? Granted I know the bible and all that, I was raised in church but for me I live by fact and logic, not by what is called faith. I know most people consider themselves to be religious out of pure indoctrination.
ReplyDeleteBrandyNM, thank you for your comment and being very open and honest. That is just what i am looking for. I agree with you. I have really good friends that are Atheist and some that are christians...and i have to say that if someone looked at us as a group they would come to the conculsion that my atheist friends are the christians for the simple facted that they treat people great!!!! It makes me sad to think about what the church has turned into in todays time. Jesus (rather or not you believe or anyone believes he was the son of God)came to show people how to love and treat one another in a loving manner. He didnt allow social injustice to take place around him. I do not believe for one second that if Jesus was here today that he would agree with how christians run the church and how they treat people...it just sickens me! I hope you keep following my post and i really did enjoy yor comment.
DeleteIt is so nice to meet someone with an open mind about these things. It"s hard to find people who won't judge you and call you names for not believing what you do. Everyone is different with different beliefs which is a good thing. If we were all the same it wouldn't make us unique. I will definitely keep following your posts! Great conversation! Kudos :)
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