Christian when convenient, an observation.?

Question

I lived in Co. for 14 years of my life. In those 14 years I never really had any complaints about Christianity. All the Christians in my life I looked up to. Like my grandparents that took in pregnant teens, preached to people in jail, and sometimes giving them a place to stay once they got out of jail.
At 14 I moved to North Carolina. Part of the bible belt and as some joke “the belt buckle”. I figured being in religious state people would be very kind people and generous. Boy was I wrong! Not that I am saying all Christians are horrible people. However some of the most rudest, nasty, and unforgiving people I have met have been “Christians”.
Which leads me to the term “Christian when convenient aka CWC”. It's been questioned on here why Christians get a worse rapt then other religions. I believe it is because of these CWCs. It is true that in every religion there is someone who takes it to the extreme or doesn't practice what they preach.
.....

However to me it seems like an epidemic with Christians.
Go to the store on a Sunday afternoon, people still dressed in their Sunday best, but some acting rude and intolerant of those around them. Next door neighbor acted like such a nice welcoming Christian when we first moved in. My brother and her son hung out together until her son told my bro that he was going to hell because he wouldn't go to youth group. Now this neighbor thinks my bro is a rude kid, mostly because she's heard him curse. However her son has cursed, stolen from my brother and caught for it, been suspended from school from touching a girl and hitting a girl!
Another woman has snubbed her nose at me for not being Christian like. However she belittles her kids in front and behind their back. She has no sense of forgiveness because all she can do is hold a grudge. I was personally belittled by here as well as her saying the most hateful, rude, and nasty things I've ever heard. I could go on and on but.....

you get the point. My questions are; How many Christians are actually CWCs? Do you think that these people use Christianity and the bible as a way to shield how non-Christian they act? If so, is it surprising that Christianity is slammed and shied away from because these people use it as a tool to be better then others?

Answer 1

There's a difference between Christianity as a culture and Christianity as faith in Christ. Anyone can warm a pew on Sunday but not be there to grow in their walk with the Lord. I likewise spent 14 years in the Deep South and went to a Christian college where there was a lot of cultural Christianity that led to a lot of spiritual superficiality. But after a while, it became really easy to tell the difference between those who were fired up for the Lord and those who were just faking it. Jesus said that people would know His disciples by their love--and if their love isn't obvious, is their faith for real or is it just superficial?

For that matter, I was one of those CWCs until I was 15. Then the Lord really got my attention. My testimony is at the first link below.

Answer 2

not only are there rude individual Christians that use the Bible as a cudgel for self righteous judgments and god graced bigotry but there's an entire social structure built on the hope that if the government is well infiltrated with Christians America will become a Christian theocracy with a Christians only rule and laws based in the Old Testament, a kind of Christiban ruling class. don't believe me? turn on Sunday morning Christian programming and really listen to what their preachers are saying.

Answer 3

My guess is that there are quite a few CWC's out there, but there are also a lot of people (including a fair number who don't claim to be Christians) who are the sort of folks you would like to know. So try to be nice, and most of the time people will be nice back to you. (You tolerate the rest because there really isn't much choice.)

Answer 4

you have seen and experienced both sides first hand of the disappointment and the admiration of chrisitans. The trouble is many have one foot in and one foot out. So they are never compeltely committed. Then there are those who have not grown spiritual with God because they have put very little into the relationship. The church is full of spiritually sick people and they go there to get well. So you will see many different levels of behavior as they grown. If you keep your eyes on man you will find disappointment and faults. Your eyes should be on God and being the example of what that means.

Answer 5

A better question would be "what would these people be like without the influence of Christianity"? Do you really think that without somebody telling them that they need to behave better once or twice a week they would be better? That just doesn't make sense. the cure for the problems of bad Christian behavior is better Christian teaching. Now all of us are under assault. temptations are all around us. For some it may be that they are tempted to lie or steal. For others it may be sexual impurity. For some it may be gossip. Christianity does not make any of us perfect. It saves us despite our failings. Hopefully the Christian remains mindful of what it took to pay for those sins, and tries to avoid them.

Answer 6

Jesus went out of his solution to word that the historical laws aren't fundamental (seem into Gospels viz. Sabbath and plenty of different traditiional laws). Jesus set out 2 laws that Christians comply with: one million) Love God two) love your neighbor as your self. Silly different laws are meaningless, without reference to culture or in any other case. However, the two legislation of JC rather impose particularly a little bit -- that second rule calls for particularly a little bit. The 1st rule would be mentioned to impose an duty as to the sabbath, however on a truly foundation no longer simply performing some stuff that's meaniningless. Saint Paul writes that circumcision will have to no longer be performed. The Old testiment does no longer reward a demand in any respect for Christians (nevertheless, word that 10 commanments virtually are protected via the two laws -- e.g., adultry is fallacious on the grounds that one could no longer desire ones partner to cheat...) Circumcision isn't facet of Christian sects in any respect. In conception this can be a violation of Catholic doctrine to circumcise (harm the traditional type). There is truthfully a papal ruling that says this can be a sin to do that until medically required. Mutilation, which circumcision naturally is (this can be a elimination of healthful erogenous tissue), is abhorent to Western Civilization (abhorent from the legacy of Greek and Roman empire : West -- latin centered cultures and Eastern - Greek centered cultures). It could also be famous that the traditions of Western Civilization would possibly good have rejected the message of Love of JC if it used to be additionally a demand to damage your youngster. Paul picked up on that and his view prevailed. Western tradition appears at circumcision as damage to the traditional type, damage to a defensless little one and for that reason at odds with the Christian message of affection your neighbor. I suppose Christians will have to no longer circumcise a youngster because it because it violates the moment (of the one 2) legislation of Christ. If you recognize the satisfaction those components deliver, you could no longer do that to one more. The Jews and different circumcising businesses did it as culture. It used to be performed a long time earlier than the Jews as a blood/marking ritual and the Jews and Muslims do it as sexual sacrifice. It is understood to motive discomfort and eliminate satisfaction for existence. It is now believed it used to be further to Genisis years after the bible used to be first written. The Egyptians did it after which the the Jews did it as a sexual sacrifice (giving up one of the vital satisfaction of intercourse). However, even the Jews most effective first reduce the very tip off, till many Jews attempted to seem traditional across the Greeks and the Rabbis began the novel mutilation that's performed within the US at present. For those who come what may have no idea: This surgical procedure takes away primary male satisfaction zones with approximately 20000 excellent contact and stretch nerve endings AMPUTATED. This slicing off of components of the penis does surely difference the dynamics of the penis and does difference intercourse (for each companions). Just say no to the tradition of mutilation. His frame, his proper to enjoy the satisfaction of a traditional penis.

Answer 7

In this town 90% CWC.

Answer 8

Gypsy Muse,
That's quite a story. And interesting too.

Here's the thing; you and those Christians in NC are doing the same thing. How could I say something like that?

It's easy, because it's true.

You and those NC Christians are expecting an outward performance, brought on by "Being Good" and are totally missing the real meaning of what a Christian really is.

A Christian is a Christian because he/she believe's that he/she is a sinner, and needs God's grace. Grace means unmerited favor. That means you don't deserve the awaiting gift that God has for you, but He will give it to you anyway.

Our text comes from the Bible first. So let me show you a verse:
Romans 1:5
I received God's grace because of what Jesus did so that I could bring glory to him.

That's in line to what I have been telling you. It's not earned, it's what Jesus did that earned it.

Romans 3:23 For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God;
24 Being justified freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus:
25 Whom God hath set forth to be a propitiation through faith in his blood, to declare his righteousness for the remission of sins that are past, through the forbearance of God;

We all have sinned, and fallen short of His standard of perfection. But we are justified in His eyes through the work of Jesus.

Look up "propitiation." That's what Jesus was able to accomplish through no mistake.

So what makes me different to those who merely say, " I beleive in God."?
It's faith. But what definition of faith am I using? ( Remember to always look up words, even if you think that you understand them.)
Faith, as I have learned it, is: An action, based upon belief, sustained by confidence.
So it is not just simply believing, there's action involved.
Example:
Romans 10:9 That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved.

The action, belief, and confidence are within that verse. True faith, and that's what makes you saved. You have to trust God. It's all about Jesus, you have to trust Jesus.

It's not how we behave to others that make us saved, yet it is evidence that we are saved by what we trust. Those Christians in the "Belt Buckle" are proviving that either they don't know the true Gospel, or they are immature in their faith. They just haven't grown yet.

I noticed that you distance yourself from calling yourself a Christian. That is something you need to grow on, unless you have no desire. Then God is not choosing you. Or you are trying to escape His call. It's one or the other.

Answer 9

it is sad ,but it does happen. but you have to know a real Christian will not behave that way. i'm glad your grandparents showed you what a real one looks like so you can appreciate them when you see one

Answer 10

As I have said before, it's ramped! And sad that the true good hearted ones have to be categorized with these people! : (

Blessed Be...