This morning I drove in to work behind a truck that had a Jesus bumper sticker, fake bullet holes, and one of those peeing Calvin decals on the back. How do you reconcile this reference to violence and such an inappropriate gesture to have on your car with the Jesus message?
I realize the most likely answer I will get is "that person was not a true Christian", but everywhere I look this is the contradictory message I get from Christians. Why are there so few "true" Christians out of so many people who claim to follow the faith?
2007-02-12 02:11:54 · 2 answers · asked by Phoenix, Wise Guru 7 in Society & Culture ➔ Religion & Spirituality
Farkas, a very good analysis of the issue.
2007-02-12 03:49:03 · update #1
You'd have to ask that person. I'm in no position to judge.
It's true that many Christians send off contradictory messages. It doesn't mean that they're not "real" Christians.
I actually got into this discussion with my neighbor, who is a Christian. We actually go to church together. Anyway, she still swears and likes to drink. I don't swear, and I don't drink very often. Just to clarify, I don't think I'm a "better" Christian than her.
What I told her is that non-Christians (such as yourself) will see that as contradictory. We have to represent ourselves as being different from everyone else. While whether swearing is of itself a sin or not is up for debate, the debate ends when one considers how non-Christians see it. They see it as hypocrisy. They see it as Christians being no different from anyone else, and that Christians are no more willing to lead a "righteous" life than the average non-Christian.
I tell my Christian friends that while the average Christian may not judge them, non-Christians will. I'm not saying this to be rude, either. It's just the truth. Non-Christians watch us to see how we behave, what kind of cars we drive, what kind of language we use, what bumper stickers we have on our cars.
Other Christians usually just shrug, and say, "Oh well, it's between them and God."
SOME Christians are hypocrites without meaning to be. Many, however, are not hypocritical at all.
2007-02-12 02:22:39 · answer #1 · answered by The_Cricket: Thinking Pink! 7 · 1⤊ 1⤋
Maybe the truck owner was trying to stir up a debate and it worked. I honestly can't answer for other people's actions. I can only say I don't have any of those things on my car. I do have a Support Our Troops magnet.
May God Bless you.
2007-02-12 02:19:51 · answer #2 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 2⤋