How can you maintain a Christian faith in a world that is way against Christianity?

Question

Not saying that everyone in this world is against it, but lately i've found other Christians not acting like Christians and it's really hard to stay focused on our goal as a whole if our whole team doesn't work together. Also not saying that everyone has to convert over or anything like that, but if you are a Christian then act like one and help out the rest of us....help hold us accountable for our actions so that we'll know if we're maintaining our Christian walk. It seems as though i'm answering my own question, but all i really want is someone to tell me how we can fix this...or the better question, can we.

Answer 1

We won't fix other people, not even other Christians (although God may).
It has been said many times but on this Christmas focus on God and not on people. My devotional said to take a moment today and think of the crying baby in the manger that will save you and I, and billions of others. We don't need anything else to rejoice.
With that in your heart serve him with purpose and assurance in all things.
You are a BLESSING! Merry Christmas to you - God loves you so much.

Answer 2

Actually, if you look at history, Christianity is responsible for much of what you are complaining about. It has nurtured the "blame everyone else, so you are not responsible" attitude that many folks have, and created a system of yea, break the rules, then ask for forgiveness and you will be absolved of all your wrong doings.

Accountability has never been a big thing in Christianity because it relies on dependency to keep it's faithful in line. If you were more responsible, wouldn't you also be looking at the faults of your established organization and be more critical of it, and then hold it accountable as well? I don't think much of it could stand up to that kind of scrutiny. Probably why so many folks have turned elsewhere for their spiritual needs.

So, if you want to fix it, you need to start with your own religion and it's dogmas. Look to fixing what you broke.

Answer 3

This question is a whole POCKET full of flip flops. First you say the whole "world" then you say "not everyone in this world", then you claim you need some kind of "team" (obviously indicating there's some need for an "us vs. them" mentality toward some "goal") then you say "not saying that everyone has to convert over...". For crying out loud what ARE you trying to ask? You want to fix your issues?

Stop proselytizing. If people are interested in your faith they'll come to you.

Cut the dualistic thinking. We're a world of PEOPLE who have to work together to stop depleting our natural resources and fixing what we've screwed up so far on this planet. Religions are peanuts in light of the trouble we've sown to date.

Focus on your own faith and being more "Christ-like" and not worry about what everybody else is doing. Thereby becoming an "example" of good Christian behavior.

Answer 4

I know it can be disheartening, but really, the very fact that this is happening helps to remind us that everything is right on schedule.

Have you never read the illustration of Jesus found at Matthew 13:24-43? The wheat and the weeds? Jesus clearly taught his followers that very early on counterfeit christians would be planted right along side the true Christians that he himself planted. He also said both groups would continue until the harvest which is the conclusion of this system of things. Only then will Jesus send his reapers - the angels to collect out from among the true Christians the counterfeit ones.

What you are witnessing is the truth of Jesus' words: counterfeit christians all over the place.

In the true congregation, however, among true Christians, God's word thrives and every single person is held accountable. You need only find the true Christian congregation.

In the meantime, are you not encouraged that the words of Jesus are proving true? For it means that all his other words will come to pass as well. Including the ones that describe the deliverance of his true followers.

Hannah

Answer 5

If you believe, you will maintain your faith. Your faith is between you and your God. What others do is neither yours to follow or to judge.
The world, at times seems against Christianity, but this is really not the fact. Some Christians are persecured, yes and so are many of other faiths and religions. Religion seems to bring out the best and the worst of human nature.
Just keep your faith and let others deal with their own.

Answer 6

It all really starts at home...How much time are we really spending with God? If we only spent ONE hour of ONE day a week playing the guitar, we wouldn't be "Jimi Hendrix", would we?

The question to each of us is, "Who is God to YOU?" This can take a life time to figure out...That's why it's so important to spend as much time as possible trying to figure out the answer.

The MORE time we spend with our Creator the MORE we'll become like Him...The "Christians" that aren't that much fun to be around probably aren't puttin' in more than their ONE hour a week...Only God can change the human heart...No one else can do it for us.

Next, if we want to change the NATURAL world then we have to work on the SPIRITUAL world..."We fight not against flesh and blood..." Instead of picketing, handing out brochures, door-knocking and bible-thumping, we should be CONSTANTLY praying for God to turn things around.

But if you believe the Bible, you'll know it says that before it's all over the world would become like "the days of Noah and Lot"...It also says there will be "believers" that don't really have a clue...If I were the Devil, I'd want the people and organizations that "represent" God to have exceedingly nasty reputations.

Answer 7

Your exact words could be and should be applied to all groups. I guess God said it best, in Genesis: (He said it in the form of a question. (Just like we do, when we want to make a statement on Yahoo.)

"Are you your brother's keeper?"

Intellectuals (or Pseudo-intellectuals) will say "no".

But, you and I know that we are.

Reality, logical consequences, know that we are our brother's keepers. It is a major reason that we as a species have survived.
It is also a major reason that any group survives. -- It is called "teamwork".

Jesus said that best, when he said that any house divided against itself will fall. - or words to that effect.

Jesus' words can hold us together, however other verses in the Bible are vulnerable to misinterpretation and seem to be tearing us Christians apart. (Look all the Christian Denominations who all agree on Jesus' words, but become almost hostile when discussing other verses in the Bible.)

Solution: Stick with Jesus' messages. He will not only lead you to Heaven, he will help you avoid a lot of strife with other Christians.

Answer 8

Christianity is not about, and has never been about, holding accountability to the 'we'. Christianity is about a single person's willingness to follow Christ, to follow his doctrines irregardless of anyone else. Calvary is a solitary road.

Jesus did not say 'forgive your brother and then make your brother forgive his brother.' Jesus said 'forgive your brother 7 x 70 times.' Jesus said be the lamp that cannot be hidden, not be the lamp factory.

To follow Christianity means to light the candle of faith and action within yourself, not to worry about the darkness of others. If your light shines bright and true, then others will be drawn to it, and will light their own candle in response. But no one lights their candle against a pale flickering light, one beset by winds of doubt or impatience.

There is a line in the movie Field Of Dreams that summarizes everything: "If you build it, he will come". Worry about the faith of yourself, and the rest will follow.

Answer 9

i don't think there is any real way of repairing some of the damage that's been done too many times there have been many christians with the i'm better then you and holier art thou attitude and they have distanced themselves from other people if christians can be nicer to others without condemning them to hell maybe then people would be nicer to them although not everybody is mean to every christian just like there are some nice christians as well i'm agnostic because i don't feel there's enough evidence to prove or disprove the existence of a higher being and maybe knowing whether or not a higher being exists is unknowable in this lifetime now watch how many thumbs down i get by christians and others who believe in a higher being

Answer 10

With the daily attacks by christians on non-christians, maybe the world would be a better place if you did not maintain your faith?