Chad's spot for various thoughts, musings, poetry, ideas and whatnot

Thursday, July 10, 2008

Okay…so I see a lot of people’s facebook and MySpace pages. I like to check out profiles because I love to see the diversity of human expression and experience. But there’s one thing I have to rant about. On a lot of people’s pages, when they list their religious views, there is some statement like, “Christ Follower” or “Follower of Christ” or some such. I have to say something about that.

I have no problem if someone is a Christ Follower. Not a bad guy to follow if you ask me. Talked a lot of about love and peace and sacrifice and living in community. Inspired a bunch of people to think about life very differently. Ghandi once said that Jesus’ “Sermon on the Mount” was the greatest piece of wisdom literature human beings have ever produced (except human beings didn’t produce it…but more on that in a bit). Following that can’t be a bad thing. Not at all. The problem I have is that for most of these people are either more or less than Jesus followers. What do I mean?

A lot people who call themselves Jesus Followers actually hold views that make them Christians. What makes a person a Christian? Well, more than just “following” Jesus and His teachings. Actually, I personally know that most of these people hold to the following beliefs (along with a few others):

That Jesus is the second Person of the Trinity, eternally and equally coexisting with God the Father and God the Son.

The Jesus is fully divine and, in some mysterious way, became fully human at certain points in history.

That Jesus was born of a virgin, was fully human and lived a life that was still in full communion, without rebellion or sin, with the rest of the Trinity.

That Jesus was crucified outside of Jerusalem, died, was buried in a tomb of a rich man and then rose again on the third day from death.

That through this death, burial and resurrection Jesus conquered sin and death to allow for the possibility of the world to be restored to a full and right relationship with God.

That all humans have access to the hope of this redemption through a life offered in faith and submission to the will of the Father as found in the teachings of Christ.

That Christ will return in glory to call those who have made this choice to live in an eternal communion of love with the Trinity.

This is a lot more than being a “Christ-Follower”. This means that you’re a Christian. You see, Thomas Jefferson and Isaac Newton both called themselves “Christ-Followers” and yet rejected several of the articles of faith described above. Jefferson even altered the Bible to fit his definition of being a “Christ-Follower” much like Marcion did in the 2nd century. The Arians and countless other groups called themselves Christ followers and rejected elements of the above statements. May, many people around the world (I mentioned Ghandi above) read, appreciate and try to follow the instruction of Jesus as if were merely some sort of wisdom guru without believing He was or did any of the things above.

So why do so many young people today not want to be called Christians? They’re embarrassed by it…by the religion. They view it as hypocritical or as having a negative stigma in today’s culture. Well, guess what? Calling yourself a Christ-Follower and then still living judgmentally and exclusively still means you’re a hypocrite and people see that. “Rebranding” your version of the faith isn’t going to change that. Beyond that, I think most college students are savvy enough to see through your semantical slight-of-hand and just view it as another cynical attempt to market another crap ideaology that excludes some group outside the clan in order to make those inside the clan feel superior or “holy”.

Have the integrity to accept the label that comes with your beliefs, the things you put your faith in. Accept that a lot of people have done bad things in the name of your faith and feel sorrow for that. Remember that the term Christian was given to those who chose to express their faith in first century Antioch as a term of ridicule and derision. It was a term that would be used in that way throughout the Roman Empire for three centuries while the church was growing and serving and sacrificing to redeem the world. Understand that the name of Christ won’t be redeemed through rebranding but through actually living the way He asked us to and that when we do, the tem Christian becomes one of affection for us and glory for Christ.

If you want to use the term Christ Follower or whatever, fine but don’t lie. If you’re a Christian, stand up and be counted.

Accept the burden.

And yeah, I’m talking to you.

The Physicist   Link Me    |