Tuesday, November 9, 2010

let me get this off my chest: on "christians."

I never really talk about my faith on this blog, but I've been thinking about this a lot lately.
It really bothers me when people think that being a christian is synonomous with being close-minded, ignorant, a hypocrite, judgemental and basically any other negative word like this.
However, it bothers me even more that "christians" have given people a legitimate reason to feel this way, and made people who are truly trying, truly actively working on living out what it means to be a Christ follower, not want to associate themselves with this word. How gross is that?

I really feel like so much of the reason christianity is mocked, and why we are looked down upon and even hated, stems from people who call themselves christians, but have no idea what it means to live a Christ-like life. (By no means am I saying that I am perfect. Never.) But there is so much that as christians we are NOT supposed to do, but you see so many people going out doing the exact opposite, when if we would all just do as God says, people would actually totally love us! More people would embrace and want to listen to what we have to say. Sure, a lot of people would still think we are totally weird and ridiculous, but at least they wouldn't be totally offended by our presence.

You don't have to go into every relationship with an AGENDA. Every single encounter you make doesn't have to be a "Let me shove my God down your throat!" type of moment. Go out with love and kindness. Treat people right and with compassion. That means EVERYONE. Not just people who have money, not just people in church, not just your friends, not just other people who are nice. Everyone. Every. Single. Person. I cannot stress this enough...and it blows my mind that people still cannot grasp that this is what Jesus wanted. Just because someone does something you disagree with, doesn't mean you can't know them. Associating with someone doesn't mean you have to start acting like them.

Just because the Bible is truth doesn't mean that everything else is a lie or bad. Everything that is good and true is ours. We can take it and make it a part of us. Paul did. You can, too.

Please stop using the Bible as a reason to hate, do bad things, and just generally suck. Stop taking the Bible and twisting it so you can do your negative deeds. Stop. It literally makes me want to vomit. ALL OVER YOU.

"Never boast that you have God. God has you. Never boast that you chose God. God chose you." Lauren Lankford posted this in a tweet a few days ago. And it is so true. Stop bragging about this and using it as a way to make others feel bad! You aren't so amazing and supreme because God is in your life. He isn't some shiny new toy to wave around and brag about, and hold in front of others faces, out of reach. (Obviously this doesn't mean you shouldn't be excited that God wants you. Don't get it twisted.) (Btw, I said "Don't get it twisted." really sassylike.) God is meant to be shared.
(I really hope I interpreted this right. If not, that is what the quote meant to me.)

Sigh. There is so, so much more. So much. But I am not good at being very articulate right now, sorry. But hopefully I have made my point. Thanks for listening.


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21 comments:

  1. This is a really powerful post :)

    I was raised a Christian but I was never a particularly strong one - I believe in a god, and I live by the Christian way, but I never know if I truly believe it. I went to CU in my 6th form to try and boost my faith/learn more/appreciate the Word of God more (I do find it beautiful)... and ended up getting chased out of it by people telling me I "wasn't a proper Christian". I really, truly admire people who can call themselves "actual" Christians - although I don't get what they meant by that. I wish I -could-! This post has made me happy :]

    If anyone asks me now, I tell them I'm spiritual and love God, so they can't tell me my beliefs don't fit. >:)

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  2. I simply adore you! I wish I could send this to ALL christians to read! I feel the same way you do. We are to go out and love our neighbors just as God loves us.

    Thank you for this <333

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  3. This is all so, so true.
    I constantly get asked questions like, "how are you a Christian when your best friend is gay?!"
    How can I NOT be friends with him?? God has called us to LOVE, not throw His word in everyone's faces and preach hate to the world.
    That's not how it was intended.
    You. Are. Awesome. for writing this. :)
    -haley

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  4. i have been thinking about this a lot lately too. but what i think i hate the most is that the types of christians you mention have made the religion look so hypocritical and close-minded (like you said) and so now people just assume that all christians are stupid and extremely conservative. even if you believe, it's almost something you don't want to talk about because you know most will make a negative assumption right away. it makes keeping your faith like 10000000 times harder than it already is, does that make sense?

    i love this post.

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  6. so so many good things about this post.

    After my little brother was told that he could no longer be on the worship team at church because he wore Led Zeppelin t-shirts on Sunday, I had almost had it with "christians". I mean who cares what a person wears? All of this because someone got offended.

    Why can't we just love others. That was God's commandment. LOVE OTHERS! God wants us to be different.

    I think so many people forget that this is our main reason for living on this earth. Love others and show Jesus' love.

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  7. This is ABSOLUTELY wonderful! And you are quite articulate my friend.

    I loved everything about this post. You hit it right on with this post. LOVE!

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  8. Oh my gosh THANK YOU. I love you so much right now for posting this. FANTASTIC post and I agree with you 100%. I hate that I'm afraid to tell people I'm a Christian because of the images it conjures. I think I'm almost at the point of telling people I'm a follower of Jesus instead of using the work "Christian". God doesn't expect us to be perfect, so we shouldn't walk around acting like we are. (like some people I know...) God intended for us to love Him and follow Him, and to love others just as much. This post is brilliant, and I give you major props for it!!

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  9. this post is bitchin.

    why?

    i consider myself a christian but have always hated the idea that just because i believe in god, jesus, etc. that i have to hate gay people, be conservative, etc. pretty sure hate is never mentioned as something we're supposed to be doing in god's name. pretty sure it was love,right?

    yet another reason why you rule.

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  10. You are so awesome! If there was one thing I wanted you to learn about Christianity, you just wrote it here.

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  11. Oh, yessss... thank you for this! This actually has a lot to do with my latest post on my blog, honestly. I have been so fed up lately with the so-called "Christians" I've been coming in contact with lately. They're always talking about how they love everyone, and then the next minute they're spouting hate about one group or another. I'm not a part of any religion, but I went to Catholic school for 13 years. I know that what Jesus taught had nothing to do with hating people, so it blows my mind to see people taking things so far and twisting the words of the bible around to suit their own prejudices. People like that give Christianity a bad name. Thanks for proving that not all Christians are closed-minded :)

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  12. What a post! I am put off some peoples' blogs because they mention God's love every ten seconds and I find that irritating. Like most religions, I have nothing but respect for people who follow them, despite not being religious myself.

    And I think if we just followed some of Jesus' ideas, the world would be a much better place whether he was God's son or not. x

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  13. What a post! I am put off some peoples' blogs because they mention God's love every ten seconds and I find that irritating. Like most religions, I have nothing but respect for people who follow them, despite not being religious myself.

    And I think if we just followed some of Jesus' ideas, the world would be a much better place whether he was God's son or not. x

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  14. right on lydia! i feel this way too dude. i think i throw other christians for a loop because of my mentality.

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  15. Right on! Especially this part: Just because the Bible is truth doesn't mean that everything else is a lie or bad. Everything that is good and true is ours. We can take it and make it a part of us. Paul did. You can, too.

    I'm going to follow you now! :]

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  16. loved this post, esp this part: Please stop using the Bible as a reason to hate, do bad things, and just generally suck. Stop taking the Bible and twisting it so you can do your negative deeds. Stop. It literally makes me want to vomit. ALL OVER YOU.

    i am one of those people that has stopped wanting to have anything to do w/ "christians". BUT if more of them thought like you, and from what i can see in this post, are as kind and accepting, then maybe i think we could all get along.

    again, loved this entire post. nice to see someone so level-headed.

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  17. i actually just said this on your teeth post.. but i need to say it again.. you are awesome.

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  18. hiii. YESSS. this is so fantastic on so many levels. like, relationships with an agenda? NO. our love should just come through all the time, no matter what. and, yes i just loved this. and i love you. and also, i didn't know you were a "christian", if we should even say that. but, yes. wow. i am so glad. now. jesus? love? friends? yes.

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  19. Nicely said! As long as these type of people exists, we should continue to be reminded to not be like them and leave them to God's judgment.

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  20. Love this one Lydia. You are right on each of your points. Up until a couple years ago I was an in your face Christian and realized that I wasn't reaching anybody. It give Christians a bad name when we're judgmental. Thanks for the lesson girl.

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xo,
Lyds.