Posted by john on July 11, 2002 at 11:52:47:
In Reply to: the terror of the Christian Lifestyle.... posted by giveawayboy on July 11, 2002 at 07:32:37:
I agree with this. But I would point out that we are exactly like these Christians we make fun of. No we don't leave tracks on the table, but we ARE loud and obnoxious and we are more concered with our latest little endeavor or new Christian tattoo to really focus on what is important. None of us are concered with our building fund, but we are concerned with having a nice worship band and sound equipment that works well. I'm only slamming things i have noticed to point out what we may be too comfortable with. I am certainly as guilty as anyone of many such things, so please don't take offense to it. I'm just saying that the cliquish, self-centered attitude is not limited to the mainstream, we fancy ourselves apart from it, but we are exactly the same.
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: 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