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I just picked up my Bible and I held it and I pointed it at one of the edges of the spine and I said Spirit, in the Name of Jesus Christ, my Bible says this is a sword and I command that you be run through with this sword and tormented until you obey me, and I just took the Bible and the edge of the spine and shoved it right at the chest of this man and the demon screamed, Why did you stab me with that thing?! Get it out of me! Take it away! All right, I'll do what you want me to do!
-- Bob Larson Live, March 26, 1996
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News: What the hell happened to Christianity?
Posted on Friday, December 22 @ 20:17:23 PST by JHedges |
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By Jay Bakker and Marc Brown
NEW YORK (CNN) -- What the hell happened? Where did we go wrong? How was Christianity co-opted by a political party? Why are Christians supporting laws that force others to live by their standards? The answers to these questions are integral to the survival of Christianity.
While the current state of Christianity might seem normal and business-as-usual to some, most see through the judgment and hypocrisy that has permeated the church for so long. People witness this and say to themselves, "Why would I want to be a part of that?" They are turned off by Christians and eventually, to Christianity altogether. We can't even count the number of times someone has given us a weird stare or completely brushed us off when they discover we work for a church.
So when did the focus of Christianity shift from the unconditional love and acceptance preached by Christ to the hate and condemnation spewed forth by certain groups today? Some say it was during the rise of Conservative Christianity in the early 1980s with political action groups like the Moral Majority. Others say it goes way back to the 300s, when Rome's Christian Emperor Constantine initiated a set of laws limiting the rights of Roman non-Christians. Regardless of the origin, one thing is crystal clear: It's not what Jesus stood for.
His parables and lessons were focused on love and forgiveness, a message of "come as you are, not as you should be." The bulk of his time was spent preaching about helping the poor and those who are unable to help themselves. At the very least, Christians should be counted on to lend a helping hand to the poor and others in need.
This brings us to the big issues of American Christianity: Abortion and gay marriage. These two highly debatable topics will not be going away anytime soon. Obviously, the discussion centers around whether they are right or wrong, but is the screaming really necessary? After years of witnessing the dark side of religion, Marc and I think not.
Christians should be able to look past their differences and agree to disagree. This allows people to discuss issues with respect for one another. Christians are called to love others just as they are, without an agenda. Only then will Christianity see a return to its roots: Loving God with all of your heart and loving your neighbor as yourself.
The Apostle Paul describes this idea of love beautifully in 1 Corinthians 13:4-7: "Love is patient and kind. Love is not jealous or boastful or proud or rude. It does not demand its own way. It is not irritable, and it keeps no record of being wronged. It does not rejoice about injustice but rejoices whenever the truth wins out. Love never gives up, never loses faith, is always hopeful, and endures through every circumstance."
But don't take our word for it; look at what Jesus and his followers stood for in his time and what Christianity stands for today. Then come to your own conclusion.
From: http://www.cnn.com/2006/US/12/13/bakker.brown.commentary/index.html
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Average Score: 5
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Re: What the hell happened to Christianity? (Score: 1)
 by Paige on Friday, December 22 @ 22:17:47 PST
(User Info | Send a Message) | Thanks JHedges, for posting this! The 1 Cor. 13 passage is one that we must never lose sight of. It is what keeps me grounded, and forever grateful that we serve a God Who is this love.
Paige |
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Re: What the hell happened to Christianity? (Score: 1)
by Islamaphobe on Saturday, December 23 @ 07:20:46 PST
(User Info | Send a Message) | | O.k., I'll bite. While I would like to give people the benefit of the doubt, I must say that Jay Bakker is about the type of offspring I would have expected from that illustrious duo Jim and Tammy Faye Bakker. As for the other guy, he also seems to fall into that mold. I agree that "Christians should be able to look past their differences and agree to disagree," and I concede that plenty of Christians behave intolerantly toward others, but these young men write as though it is the intolerance of self-righteous Christians that is the cause of whatever problem they are thinking about (I must say that their understanding of our culture seems almost non-existent.). Christianity is about love, but it is also about a great deal more, and I suspect that Paul's understanding of love goes far beyond what these fellows conprehend. |
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- by Ed on Saturday, December 23 @ 13:38:03 PST
- by Virgil on Saturday, December 23 @ 15:39:49 PST
Re: What the hell happened to Christianity? (Score: 1)
 by Ransom on Saturday, December 23 @ 11:16:56 PST
(User Info | Send a Message) | These guys are oversimplifying and disregarding the chasm between our viewpoints. Sure, abortion is just a personal choice for them, and so of course they're willing to "agree to disagree" on it. But if abortion is destroying sacred life, it is not something anyone should shrug off.
And I'm not to take it personal
Although we look like people
And it could be my son on the chopping block
But I'm sure he'll understand
King's X, "Mr. Wilson"
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- by MiddleKnowledge on Wednesday, December 27 @ 18:06:19 PST
- by Ransom on Wednesday, December 27 @ 18:46:24 PST
- by MiddleKnowledge on Wednesday, December 27 @ 19:23:52 PST
Re: What the hell happened to Christianity? (Score: 1)
by tom-g on Tuesday, December 26 @ 12:48:55 PST
(User Info | Send a Message) | Hello to all,
As a member new to this website where do I seem to have gone wrong?
The authors of this article seem to think that Our Lord while he was on earth "spent the bulk of his time preaching about helping the poor and those who are unable to help themselves".
I am very familiar with the "Social Gospel" which teaches the universal brotherhood of man under the fatherhood of God. This gospel teaches that since all men are children of God we should be devoting our time and efforts to loving and caring for the physical needs of the poor and downtrodden of mankind, whoever or wherever they are.
On the other hand I find when I study the Scriptures that Our Lord's concern was exclusively for those who were members of the old covenant. In fact, he specifically forbid his disciples to do anything but preach and minister to the old covenant children. As he sent his disciples out his explicit instructions were to go not to any cities of the gentiles, they were to go only to the Jews, and since they were to take no food or clothing with them and they were to have no concern for any time even as near as the next day, they would not have been able to minister to the physical needs of the people even if they had disobeyed their Lord's instructions.
In the new covenant again we never find any instructions that Christians were to minister to the physical needs of anyone other than other Christians, our brethren. The Apostle Paul, when he was collecting funds from the churches, only collected them for the relief of the poor saints at Jerusalem. Nor did Paul, or any other Apostle, give instructions to the churches that they were to expend funds caring for the physical needs of the poor and downtrodden non-Christians of their own area.
As children of the new covenant we are to love and care for the indigent, the widows and orphans of our brethren of the new covenant, not the offspring of Satan. For those who are children of their father the devil, as our Lord said "Let the dead bury the dead, come and follow me."
Perhaps Misters Bakkar and Brown are familiar with passages of Scripture that I have not read that will support their social gospel article. Some Scripture that will teach that while he was on earth he was sent to someone other than thJews and the lost sheep of the children of Israel.
Tom Greenlee
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