I'm not exactly sure of where to start on this, so I suppose I'll jump right in.
I'm a Christian. It's embarrassing to write that, and why should it be? Why should I be ashamed to tell people, people that I don't even know, what religion I practice? Well, how about because people hate Christians. I don't blame them.
This drives me crazy. Almost all Christians you see on television, in the movies, in magazines, or even just on the street, are hypocritical people. They're mean. They're uptight. They tell you how to live your life. They expect perfection though they themselves are not perfect. They are old. They are boring. Their preachers stand up in expensive suits and tell everyone else to feed the poor. I'm here to say they are wrong, and they are not true Christians.
The words Christian means "little Christ". I want to apologize to everyone on behalf of my religion, because we have not been acting like Christ. Jesus gave up all possessions and gave to the poor. He loved everybody. He did not judge. He fed the poor. He told us to do the same. He said to visit the sick and the imprisoned. He said to give water to the thirsty and clothing to the naked. He said to get out there and do good things expecting nothing at all in return. He said that if we did these things to least of people in our society, then we were doing them to him.
Our job, as Christians, has never been to go around shoving scripture down your throat, but to love everyone more than we love ourselves. That is the rule that we were told to obey. We were told that people would know we are Christians by our love. Instead they know we our Christians because we vote for Republicans. Because we hold mass protests. Because we drive past the people holding signs asking for food. Because we bash on gays. Because we fight constantly with each other. And because, on Sunday mornings, we pretend that we do none of these things, dress up nice and go to church, and think that all of this will grant us some salvation.
I apologize for all of the awful things that have been done in the name of Christianity.
I apologize for the crusades.
I apologize for the dark ages.
I apologize for racism throughout the last 2,000 years.
I apologize for the KKK.
I apologize for anti-semitism.
I apologize for the anti-gay movement.
I apologize for televangilists.
I apologize for rich Christians in world where over half of us live in poverty.
I apologize for every Christian who has looked down on you.
I apologize for every Christian who has passed you by.
I apologize for everyone who has voted for corrupted politicians just because they call themselves Republicans.
I apologize for the lies.
Christianity was based on a man who gave everything to rid world of evil. A man who was friends with all of the outcasts, who broke the rules, who questioned authority, who wore his hair long and sandals on his feet, whose great disciples were teenagers, not well-educated men, who drank wine, who felt passionately about what he was doing and how he was changing the world. And what is it today? It is a joke, because we call this man our God, and we look nothing like him.
I want to look like him. I want you to know that I am a Christian becfause I love and accept people the way that they are, and because I spend all of my energy to make this world better. Don't think I'm a freak. I'm just honest.
I'm not the sort of Christian that you know.
I'm a New Christian, and I really, truly am sorry.
I do have to admit this is very honorable of you and not one bit ignorant. I am glad to see that a Christian does see the faults in their religion, as far as people.
http://www.colbertnation.com/
http://www.NRA.org/
I, too, am a Christian and I find faith in the Lord himself and not by the churches and people who preach about how this and that is wrong or right... I believe in Jesus and what he stands for, I pray to him nearly every night, although I do not appear in church every single Sunday, he knows I am here worshiping Him and reading His word. I do not completely agree with the sermons and preaches that go on at church,.. I cannot find a church that connects me with Him... but yes the past Christians have done the name wrong but WE need to make a new name for ourselfves and clear the past from the present Christians. :-)
~<3~Love and be loved!~<3~
One of the things I find a big problem whenever I am trying to tell people about God and Jesus and His work on the Cross is that they have met other "Christians" in their lives who have not accurately reflected Christ and, as a result, Christians are widely viewed as hypocrites. I'm not taking the blame off of myself because I know that I used to and sometimes still do contribute to this because, after all, we are fallen and live in a fallen world. I think that it's awesome that you are able to apologize for what Christians as fallen people have done, but I also think that perhaps you should point out more about who God is instead of who we are so that people will see who our real focus is. =) Still, thank you for writing that. =)
Thank you for your courage. I don't know if I could have done the same. I applaud you!
I used to go to church and call myself Christian before I immigrated to US. It has been a hard time to find a church, they all turned to a business and a base to manipulate people and tell them how they should live and what they should believe.
You have restored my faith in humanity. Thank you. You are a wonderful person. Remember that:)! You deserve the title of a Christian.
I think that this is probably the BEST blog I have read on this site thus far. What an excellent post. You have expressed basically everything that I think as well, though I am not a Christian, nor do I follow any religion or even have a firm conviction one way or the other. Most of my friends and family call themselves Christians, but they do not practice Christianity the way Jesus did. They are selfish, materialistic, etc., and it just doesn't make any sense to me. In all honesty, I live more like a true Christian than any of them, and it really bugs me! I know more about the teachings and practices of Jesus than any of them do. And when I try to explain to them that what they think Jesus is all about is actually incorrect, they get upset with me...
Again, I cannot say enough good things about what you wrote. I am going to forward this on to all of my 'good Christian' friends to let them know that I am not the only one who believes there are problems within the Christian faith.
I think none of this has to do with Christianity. I my self am a Christain but i am not posting to defend my religion. There are good and bad people in all religions, in all cultures, everywhere. Christianity cannot be blamed. Individuals are to blame.
I think that's his point. Christianity as a movement has been pretty corrupted by the behavior of a number of individuals, but the poster is one individual who is standing up to say that it's not okay. I really enjoyed this blog. There are good Christians out there...I sometimes need a reminder.
http://www.progressiveu.org/blog/ediblewoman
I agree with some things the poster said
- one of them is that they know what is wrong and what is right despite what religion says
- another thing is that they know the FOUNDATION of the religion and not what it has turned into today.
- and lastly, they are a good Christian because they apologized, even for things not necessarily thier individual fault. Our pope John Paul (before Benedict) made peace with people around the world who Christians have hurt by apologizing on behalf of Christianity.
I am absolutely proud of you.... you have the courage it takes, and that I have never seen in any religion. I'll be honest, I dropped away from the Christian religion because I found that it was too hypocritical. But you are honest and sincere about this, and it gives me a new hope in the human race.
thank you.