You’ve probably been living under a rock if you haven’t noticed the word “Christian” has become a dirty word. In a little over 30 years, Christians have gone from a force of good in the world to something that is mocked and shunned. One has to wonder, why? What happened to Christianity? When did it become acceptable in society to mock Christians, but not any other faith group?
Are Christians to Blame?
The changes were subtle, and they started in the education system with the banning of prayer and Bibles in schools. In Canada it was done so that children of other faiths would not be made to feel ostracized from their friends during school prayers. And in America it was done for basically the same reason. Since that time, however, the movement to strike God (and particularly Jesus’ name) from any government-funded programs and institutions grew. But the response from Christians because of what they perceived as a personal attack has only set them in a bad light.
Bradley Onishi, a former Evangelical, revealed in an interview with Politico, that the theology he had embraced as a born again teenager wasn’t a “reflection of eternal biblical truths, but a product of a particular style of Conservative Christian politics. Eventually, he came to view evangelicalism as inextricably intertwined with American nationalism, white supremacy, patriarchy and xenophobia.”
Jesus has gone from being a loving Saviour of the world to the figurehead of a politically motivated worldwide church that many consider hateful, intolerant, homophobic, transphobic, Islamophobic, right-wing nut-jobs.
Can Christians Change?
Have we forgotten how to live as Christ called us to? We have taken “being in the world, but not of it” to a whole new level of craziness. From joining with radicalized groups that stormed the Capitol. Or taking part in an insurrection in Ottawa, to standing on street corners with signs condemning others to hell because of their lifestyle, Christians have lost their way.
To be clear, not all Christians are like this. There are those who are still quietly working to display the goodness of Jesus Christ and seeking to draw others to Him. They are doing it with dignity, good works, and love for their fellow man. They have learned what it means to practice holiness, and for the next little while, I am going to take a look at what that means for Christians today.
What does the Bible say about how we are to live and act in a world where sexual immorality is the norm and purity is not? I will look at all these issues and more in the weeks ahead. If you are tired of how the church is perceived by the world today and want to know how you can change that perception, then please join me for a study on Practising Holiness.
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