Posted by giveawayboy on July 11, 2002 at 07:32:37:
In Reply to: yeah..... posted by giveawayboy on July 11, 2002 at 07:24:10:
: In fact, I'd rather live in a nation where being a Christian meant something, than in one where everyone claimed to be and then went ahead and did whatever they felt like anyway.
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: yeah....sometimes what we experience isn't real faith, but some type of Christamericanism, which I imagine as a blend between so-called 'Christian' values, right-wing political ideas and materialism. It's an excuse for a building program or a way to regulate morality, but it has little to do with daily disciplines in following God. Something like that.
: Bill
one more thing...there is this whole idea of the 'Christian Lifestyle'. Christian bookstores have a 'CHRISTIAN LIVING' section. I think that much of what gets suggested to us about 'how to be a Christian' just pumps us up w pride and creates these false ideas about what it means to live the diciplined life. Because we have so much freedom in this country we Christians rarely face persecution. I think that might be changing a little but we still aren't in a third world country or one that actively militates against our efforts to share Jesus with others. I think we are fat and lazy and comfortable and heck, too focused on ourselves. The early Christians weren't like this. They had everything in common and lived in 'koinonia' or community. We would simply meet a group like this and call them a cult and avoid them. Also, they were often in hiding yet we march boldly into restaurants every Sunday after church, chatter and act rude and then leave tracts on the table after making our waitresses feel bad by being rude or indifferent to her. This is true. And then we profane ourselves even more by calling that 'spreading the good news'. What bunk! Anyway, obviously I'm not indicting all Christians here, but more often that not, this scenario repeats itself in large well-dressed, well-meaning groups of church-folk. If that's the Christian lifestyle I don't want any part of it. Give me some real faith and show it to me by your works. I include myself in any criticism I have made.
Bill