Christians: What do you think of this article?

Question

http://www.cnn.com/2006/US/12/13/bakker.brown.commentary/index.html

Does it hit the nail on the head? Does it make you uncomfortable? Do you disagree? I'd love to hear your opinions.

Answer 1

I could not agree more wholeheartedly. I just read a bunch of answers from Christians on another question stating that we ARE to judge, etc. I ALWAYS look to Jesus for how I should conduct myself, how would I treat sin, how would I treat those who hurt me. The answer ALWAYS, ALWAYS is LOVE. People once asked in my church, "How do you minister to a homosexual?. The answer? LOVE them! Where in the Bible does it say to get cleaned up, born again, and go sit inside a church pretending you are God Himself? Jesus was always with the people. He wept over Jerusalem. What the article states is dead on. Love NEVER fails.

Answer 2

I do and I don't. If I'm sitting with a group of Christians and we disagree on something, I think that we are all expected to act the way they are talking about. However, I think, as far as the world goes, we have been too passive for too long in hopes of gaining some sort of respect. I don't think that it has worked. We have come across as being passive which seems to be a magnet for people to try and walk all over you. I'm not saying to be hateful and overly aggressive to someone just because they don't think like you do. However, I think that you need to be very assertive and to the point. You can't sacrifice sharing the truth because it might offend someone. You should be honest, yet gentle. Doing so doesn't always guarantee that the person will react peacefully. Jesus could be very cutting when speaking to people, but He never sacrificed the truth.
I guess what I don't want to see is Christians continuing to be passive about their faith and issues in the community. I understand that we are to be as gentle as possible with people, but (again) this should not include withholding the truth so as not to offend anyone. By coming across as being passive invites unnecessary confrontation that leads to ridiculous arguments. Our best defense should be a good, well thought out, offense.

Answer 3

It's great! Bakker & Brown are saying what I've been thinking for years. Christianity has never been quite as genuine as when it was illegal, but lately the co-option is terrible! Mega-church theology amounts to saying, "Keep on doing what you've been doing, as long as you send us the money, and we'll make you feel really comfortable and belonging." It's nothing more than a membership account and an entertainment program, no discernment, no self examination, no call to change. They pay lip-service to the concept of "holiness" by sentimentalizing the guiding myths, marginalizing the already marginalized and creating a false sense of persecution. But no real conversion occurs. (Talk about your wide and easy path.) I hope the authors have started something.

Answer 4

Quote: While the current state of Christianity might seem normal and business-as-usual to some, most see through the judgment and hypocrisy that has permeated the church for so long. People witness this and say to themselves, "Why would I want to be a part of that?"

This hits the nail on the head, AWESOME article.

Answer 5

As an atheist, I'd say that the article is dead on. The arch-conservative churches are far more about judgement and contempt of the different than it is about what Christianity claims to be about" "Prince of Peace" and all that. You'll find by looking around on this forum that many people have been thoroughly turned off by this modern version of the Christian faith...more than a few so much so that they have indeed rejected Christianity entirely.

Answer 6

I think it echoes the sentiments of my generation in church very well. I see a trend of this agree to disagree starting to emerge , and to a degree, I like it. There are some points of truth that I must stand firm on, but I can still respect others for their different beliefs.

I love to have civil debates on all sorts of topics. As long as it stays respectful , I think both sides can learn a lot. I have some athiest and wiccan friends that I have been able to do this with. I really enjoy it and I believe we are both enriched by it.

If everyone could learn to do this, I think society would change for the better by leaps and bounds. Respect is huge.

Answer 7

It's true. But this movement started up a little while ago (a couple of years maybe). Some Fundamentalist ministers are condemning the "God in politics" thing as being anti-Biblical. Their argument is that God is not of this world and by putting him into it (read, "God is Republican") they are blaspheming God. One minister had 1000 members of his mega-church walk out because he refused to preach a sermon telling people to vote for Bush and the Republicans. He then gained another 2-3,000 new members who heard about it and agreed with him.

I suspect the Moral Majority/Christian Coalition crowd are about to have a nasty split.

Answer 8

Well obviously there is a lot of truth to what they are saying. The church has been co-opted by a party, however the plain and simple truth is that certain people in certain parties WANT to effect an agenda that I do not believe in. I line up with "me and mine" and we try to stop it in the political process.

Questions like, Gay Marriage, Abortion, Stem cell research are ON or OFF questions. There is no compromise.

People that WANT these things have no more right to FORCE their veiws on me than I DO on THEM; however the only way to resolve the problems is for someone to WIN and that forces someone to do something that they do not want / believe in....

So my point is, why are the political parties FORCING these issues instead of concentraiting on Education, Health Care, Immigration, Iraq and others? Their JOB IS NOT MARRIAGE. BUT THEY WANTED IN THE MARRIAGE BUSINESS TO TAX IT AND NOW THEY ARE HAVING TO DEAL WITH UNCOMFORTABLE PROBLEMS, SO THE SYSTEM REALLY DID THIS TO ITSELF.

Answer 9

I would agree, but human nature would never allow that. I have more respect for anyone who stands fast to their religion in this political world then I do for anyone who tosses out their religion just for votes. I have more respect for the Muslim man who wanted to be sworn into office on the Quaran then I do for most polititions who claim to be Christian and turn their back on Christ.

Religion is not something we should turn off. It's a part of what we are, who we are. No matter the religion, we should always stand up for what we believe in. How many times have polititions seen that Opinion A is popular and turned his back on what he believed in just to win that vote? Way too many times.

I respect those who keep true to their faith. I respect atheists who don't pretend to be Christian when others think they should (I have seen that) because it's not understood. I've respect for wiccans who don't back down.

On the other hand of respect comes having respect returned. Keep true to what you are, but don't shove it down another's throat. Remember that even politics moves like the tide, in and out. What is in this month may be out next. If a law is passed that you don't like, wait and someone will overturn it. Things like abortion and gay marriage will always be a religious and political struggle. Whoever is on top one term may loose power the next, but I have more respect for a congressman who says, "I am for/againt that" and sticks to it even when popular opinion isn't with him.

No, I don't think we can ever take religion out of politics because religion (or lack of) is in all of us. It's like asking us to carve out a piece of who we are, of what makes us the people we are. It will enever happen.

Answer 10

For some church it does. Not all churches and Christians think the same. One of my closes friend in church is a big tattoo cover ex-biker, if you look at him you think the worse but he is a big teddy bear. So before you judge all Christians the same you need to open your eyes and see other Christians who do not judge people.

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