DISQUS

Guest · 1 year ago

How about most of us ignorantly deny highly proven scientific principles. A lot of Christians automatically oppose scientific principles without ever re-thinking how that science might fit into a world that God meant to work that way.

Susan · 1 year ago

I tell you true, I have, within the last year, almost walked away from the Church (I am Catholic) because of the words and actions of my Christian brethren. If some of those people are what I am supposed to be, I want NOTHING to do with Christianity.

I realize though, that what others do is not what matters, it's what I do that counts. I'm still working through this dark valley, but because I am a hopeful soul (I love your "pessimistic optimist" by the way), I will look for the brightness. I know He is still there, and we'll get on the same page again one day soon.

Justin Wise · 1 year ago

@Susan: Stay strong, sister. You'll make it through! If nothing else, I have learned the reality that our faith is only safe is Jesus. No one else. He is King, let him guide you.

Susan · 1 year ago

Thanks Justin, for your encouragement!

Marc · 1 year ago

Yes, seven times over. There must be times where Jesus has a hard time recognizing us as His followers.

Alex Schroeder · 1 year ago

#8. We openly hate our enemies and find personal joy in God's impending judgement of others. I can't tell you how many times I've read or heard the words of judgemental Christians finding satisfaction in the eternal doom of sinners. A sort of "wait till those evil people get theirs" sort of attitude.

They might want to take a moment to read Matthew 7:1-5. Although they'd have a little trouble reading the words past the log in their eye.

lawyervon · 1 month ago

Didn't David clearly do that in Psalms? I think that dichotomy in and of itself creates alot of confusion in the believer. There's plenty of "wait till those evil people get theirs" in Scripture itself, so what are we supposed to do with that?

Jeremy Anderberg · 1 year ago

response to #3: more than 80% of Americans call themselves "Christians". In that sense the divorce rate is about the same. As Pastor Mike mentioned in the marriage sermon a few weeks ago though, among Christians who attend and participate in their church regularly, that rate is MUCH lower.

#8: we create huge divisions within the Church [Christians as a whole] by arguing about minor theological doctrines such as creation and baptism and women in leadership. This leads to setting a bad example for those people who don't yet know Christ. It's so sad.

jj · 1 month ago

A rate is not a total amount, but rather a number per unit. So it does not matter if there were 10% or 80% Christians in the USA, a divorce rate is the proportion of those people who fall into a category who get divorced. Math time!
Let us have a population of 100 married couples. 80, or 80%, of them are Christian, and the other 20, 20%, are non-Christians. If the oft said divorce rate of 50% was true, then half of all of these couples would divorce (40 and 10, respectively). Regardless of actual numbers, what matters is the proportion and this makes the divorce rate. What #3 was saying was that in some areas, more Christians proportionally get divorced (ie- more than the 40 couples compared to 10 or less couples).

Marie · 1 year ago

I am giving an "Amen" to everything, especially #2. I have never seen our "spiritual language" that way before but you are so right. It is manipulative and a power play to get what we want without really asking. Wow. Thanks for the post!

Justin Wise · 1 year ago

@Marie: #2 is my biggest pet peeve. Mostly because it's a lose-lose: Say, "no, you're wrong" to the person and they think you're a heretic because you've doubted what they - I mean God - said. Say, "yes, you are correct" and it furthers destructive behavior.

Eskimez · 1 year ago

Well I came across this by fluke....
maybe...
christian international schools in other Countries than the USA pay less than non-christian international schools. Why? One reason is that missionaries are expected by their "Boards" to live a below-par life using second-hand tea bags to brew tea, and show a life of sacrifice which wears them out amidst the pressures of life. On the other hand, where I live in Thailand, there are some missionaries who live in the best compounds and drive big four-wheel drives and are so far above the locals that it is obscene to live in this exploiting way...but they are happy with the big USA way and that's fixed! They are a not-so-good testimony but do they realize it?...NO! For the most part do they share their homes?...NO! My point is this:- how on earth can christians hope to represent Christ when the extremes of outright MEANY and INDULGENT INSENSITIVE BLOCKHEAD prevail?

Bonkus · 1 year ago

Best post to date. This is reaching far more people.

Kevin M · 1 year ago

I wonder if #7 would be better written as "We think we should know everything (and so we act like we do)." I doubt most Christians really think they know everything; rather, there is a pervasive feeling that we should have an answer for everything because we're Christians and if we don't, we can't let on to other people that we just don't know. That would be like saying God doesn't know, or Christianity is inferior or something.

korinthian · 1 month ago

I think this comes from the whole "faith" issue. If you can be absolutely sure about something without any real evidence, then you can believe anything without the burden of having to explain why.

evan shaw blackerby · 1 year ago

glad you posted this. i totally relate to the "not innovating" one...
Good points. people need to read this.

Seekermike · 1 year ago

Organized religion is all about money, property, and power, and the more conservative the religion is, the more they focus on those topics. I have been on a long spiritual journey, from being raised fundamentalist Baptist to American Baptist as a young adult to Unitarian to Quaker. Now I profess no religion at all and question the value of organized religion in my life. I believe it all comes down to treating others as you wish to be treated (a sentiment expressed in all the major world religions) and leaving the world a better place than you found it.
Having said all that, I don't want to judge Christians harshly for the times when they fail. They are only human, after all. I become concerned when some Christian groups stand in judgment of others and come off as superior to non-Christians (or to Christians who interpret the Bible differently). Remember, you are only human! Who is to say that someone else's way of living or thinking is not just as good as yours?

Irm Brown · 2 months ago

Really good stuff. And really, all of these are "choice." What? The devil made me do it? I don't think so.

Number two is the hardest/truest situation I encounter regularly ... As soon as someone says he/she has "prayed about it" that ends any chance for discussion.

#8 Most Christians assume other Christians are a particular political party... or take a particular view... and the conversation is skewed that way. If anything outside that view is said, the "look" comes across the faces. And unfortunately, I confess, I have chosen silence over encouraging the look or some "quip & quote" retort.

korinthian · 1 month ago

Regarding #6: The bible is a bunch of copied myths and concepts. Most Christians don't know this though, but it shows that it's nothing new.

Good artists borrow, great artists steal.

Billie G. · 1 month ago

Know why I don't like some Christians? They go around writing stuff like this that is so dead on that it is convicting. Why can't I just be hypocritical and be left alone?

Ruth · 1 month ago

Number 3, My first husband left my children and I for one of his many girlfriends. That did not hurt as bad as the "Christian" friends that acted as if I was now a fallen women because I had a divorce. After "dieing to myself" for 14 years of an unhappy marriage I did not deserve to be treated that way just because I married a man who was a cheater! I ended up leaving my church moving to a new city and starting over, but because my self worth had been totally destroyed, I married a man that was to good to be true, and guess what he was not true. He tried to kill me! Life with him was pure torture. I stayed with him until he started threatening to kill the kids to control me! So now in many "Christian" eyes I am a trollop! I want to go to ministry school but while they will take my money and let me go to school they won't let me be ordained because of my past. Divorce is not always wrong! Should a couple stay together when one partner is abusive? According to the Bible adultery is grounds for divorce. "Christians are quicker to forgive a murderer than a person with a divorce! Especially one like me who has two divorces.

I for one am glad I got out of the abusive relationship 14 years ago. And my cheating first husband is on wife number 5 (left everyone for another woman)

Don't be so quick to tell people to stay married! You don't know what goes on in their home!

Justin Wise · 1 month ago

Ruth

Absolutely. You made the right decision. I certainly wasn't suggesting that people must remain in abusive relationships ... Neither does the Bible!

I wrote that with the Christians who sever the ties in their marriage because things get difficult. Or inconvenient. Or hard. That's not a biblical basis for marriage and we cheapen that union when we treat it so flippantly.

I'm sorry to hear of your relationship ... But know this: God desires to restore you and any future relationship you may have!