The following is a thought written in the first person in order to maximize the impact the reader's thoughts. It is not auto biographical. It is not a balanced article, nor do I intend for it to be. I am only looking on one side of the coin, so to speak. So, don't get me wrong. I love my Christian family of God. However, I don't love it at all when Christians use their faith in God for being ridiculous, self centred, or just plain strangely stupid.
If there was no such thing
as Christianity,
I would have to appreciate books simply for the good writing.
I‘d have to socialize with my community rather than the people in my church.
I’d have to use common sense and wisdom rather than using fleeces and ‘sensings’ to make decisions.
So, I wouldn’t have had to get so stressed about missing God’s will if I chose to buy that red car instead of that blue one.
I wouldn’t be able to watch a movie looking for anti-Christian themes and stuff.
I couldn’t say ‘I’m not responsible for the wrongs of my past because I’ve repented.’
If Christianity was not an option to me,
I’d have no option but to enjoy music simply for the music,
not for the message or for the worship experience.
I would have to love my family, my relatives more than my church family.
If I couldn’t be a Christian,
I couldn’t call a non-Christian my enemy, because I would be one of them myself.
I’d have to obey the doctor’s orders rather than go by faith.
I wouldn’t feel compelled to turn my eyes away from the topless statue, ‘Venus’, Instead, I would feel compelled to admire its artistic beauty and grace.
I would not have religious reasons to think I am above the guy I work with.
I wouldn’t pretend that I don’t like beer.
If there was no such thing as Christianity,
I’d have to learn to have the beauty of nature inspire me.
I couldn’t have sentimental reasons to favour Israel over the Arabs and would have to let my opinion on that issue be based on what is fair.
I couldn’t break fellowship with another Christian who doesn’t agree with my view on doctrine.
I’d have no choice but to give due consideration to the arguments of scientists.
I would dress up the kids for Halloween thinking only of the fun of it all.
The faith healer wouldn’t have performed the fake ‘make the leg grow’ miracle in Jesus name.
If I couldn’t have been a Christian,
I would have been sent to a pyschiatrist for the time I made that weird, strange outburst in Church that was explained to be supernatural.
I would have been able to attend the P.T.A. meeting when I went to the Church business meeting.
I could not have told the girl I wanted to go out with that it was God’s will that we dated but instead would have had to tell her that I really wouldn’t accept ‘no’ as an answer.
I would have visited my neighbour who was in the hospital with cancer when I told the family I was praying for him.
I wouldn’t’ve felt obligated to view that extreme fanatic as a role model for myself. I would have seen him as an unbalanced individual.
I couldn’t have told people that God spoke to me about an issue. I’d have to abandon my psuedo-spirituality and false humility and tell people that I thought of it myself.
If there had been no such thing as Christianity,
The crusades - the ‘Holy’ wars, would not have happened.
People wouldn’t make a fuss about those Harry Potter books.
People wouldn’t read those Left Behind books.
Tele-Evangelists wouldn’t push people down on the floor.
I couldn’t say that the devil made me do it.
That’s the way it could have
and would have been
If there was no such thing.
as Christianity,
I would have to appreciate books simply for the good writing.
I‘d have to socialize with my community rather than the people in my church.
I’d have to use common sense and wisdom rather than using fleeces and ‘sensings’ to make decisions.
So, I wouldn’t have had to get so stressed about missing God’s will if I chose to buy that red car instead of that blue one.
I wouldn’t be able to watch a movie looking for anti-Christian themes and stuff.
I couldn’t say ‘I’m not responsible for the wrongs of my past because I’ve repented.’
If Christianity was not an option to me,
I’d have no option but to enjoy music simply for the music,
not for the message or for the worship experience.
I would have to love my family, my relatives more than my church family.
If I couldn’t be a Christian,
I couldn’t call a non-Christian my enemy, because I would be one of them myself.
I’d have to obey the doctor’s orders rather than go by faith.
I wouldn’t feel compelled to turn my eyes away from the topless statue, ‘Venus’, Instead, I would feel compelled to admire its artistic beauty and grace.
I would not have religious reasons to think I am above the guy I work with.
I wouldn’t pretend that I don’t like beer.
If there was no such thing as Christianity,
I’d have to learn to have the beauty of nature inspire me.
I couldn’t have sentimental reasons to favour Israel over the Arabs and would have to let my opinion on that issue be based on what is fair.
I couldn’t break fellowship with another Christian who doesn’t agree with my view on doctrine.
I’d have no choice but to give due consideration to the arguments of scientists.
I would dress up the kids for Halloween thinking only of the fun of it all.
The faith healer wouldn’t have performed the fake ‘make the leg grow’ miracle in Jesus name.
If I couldn’t have been a Christian,
I would have been sent to a pyschiatrist for the time I made that weird, strange outburst in Church that was explained to be supernatural.
I would have been able to attend the P.T.A. meeting when I went to the Church business meeting.
I could not have told the girl I wanted to go out with that it was God’s will that we dated but instead would have had to tell her that I really wouldn’t accept ‘no’ as an answer.
I would have visited my neighbour who was in the hospital with cancer when I told the family I was praying for him.
I wouldn’t’ve felt obligated to view that extreme fanatic as a role model for myself. I would have seen him as an unbalanced individual.
I couldn’t have told people that God spoke to me about an issue. I’d have to abandon my psuedo-spirituality and false humility and tell people that I thought of it myself.
If there had been no such thing as Christianity,
The crusades - the ‘Holy’ wars, would not have happened.
People wouldn’t make a fuss about those Harry Potter books.
People wouldn’t read those Left Behind books.
Tele-Evangelists wouldn’t push people down on the floor.
I couldn’t say that the devil made me do it.
That’s the way it could have
and would have been
If there was no such thing.
2 comments:
If there was no such thing as Christianity, then there would be no hope. We would all stand under judgement with no way to pay our debt. If Christ never came then life would have no point.
For all the evil that men have done supposedly in Christ's name, we must never forget who He is, that He created the Church, and what He desires her to be. Too often we would rather sit and whine about how people pretending to represent the Church have wronged us and others instead of seeking the One who created the Church and seeking to restore the Church to what she should be.
i think that's very interesting. it's a different perspective. i'm not sure i totally agree with it, but it did make me think. thanks!
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