Many senior pastors say "they are finding their work to be an uphill battle -- "because people are increasingly hostile and negative toward Christianity." (Orcinus)
I've always assumed I was 'culturally' a Christian. [What I forget to add here is that now I would rather not be in way associated with the word. What I understand to be Christ's teachings, fine. What I see as Christianity in this country today; get out of my sight.]
My only period of regular church going was in 1st grade when I live with my grandmother because my parents --my father being in the Navy-- wished that I reside in only one location for my first year in school.
In my teens I started 'looking' for something and attended service of various churches: Catholic, Protestant (various), LDS. I talked to others my age, friends and otherwise. I saw both good and bad and came away from that stage in my growing up with a kind of live and let live attitude toward Christianity. I am not interested in being associated with any church and I certainly don't believe in their god. But I can understand the call that leads to institutionalized religions.
Another quote from Orcinus:
Roughly a quarter of both the Christians and non-Christians in the under-30 group also mentioned -- without being prompted -- that "Christianity has changed from what it used to be," and that it "no longer looks like Jesus."Christianity has failed to look like Jesus many times. The Crusades and the Inquisition are two of the larger than life examples.
The worst aspects of Christianity appears to be ascendant. Time, education, rationality cannot enlighten the dark and warped. Christ's teachings get lost in the bureaucracy. Christianity is what large centrally controlled dogmatic undemocratic organizations become. Control in perpetuity is the goal. And any other goals become subservient to that one.
Not so far from the goal of Bush and his Republican Mafia.
1 comment:
While I want to be angry about the comments made regarding the faith I claim, I'm forced to agree with them somewhat. Christianity has seemingly become more of an institution than a movement, with the attempt being to establish a status quo rather than breaking one.
The big problem really is the fact that most 'Christians' really don't know ANYTHING about christianity, save what they're told by their 'Christian' friends. Very few actually READ the bible, though they're in church all the time. Unfortunately, that just turns into a mob who thin they have God on their side, and unfortunately, God is WELL KNOWN to let people who claim to do things in his name that they were never instructed to do fall flat on their face...
The key to it all... get back into the Book.
-my $0.02
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