Top 10 Reasons You Might Not Want To Be a Christian- And Why Millions of People Would Disagree
Reason #8 They're all just hypocrites
Hi Friends,
Ryan Chastain here with another thought provoking reason why you might not want to be a Christian. And this week we are going to pull out all the stops.
Which might get a little uncomfortable…
But the truth is that a lot of times being a Christian is not comfortable.
And in fact, what I’ve found is that the more uncomfortable you are… the more you’re probably growing. And the greater chance you have to become who you’re meant to be.
So before I get started with Reason #8 of why you might not want to be Christian- They are all just hypocrites (Bam, yes, I said it)…I’d first like to ask you a question.
Have you ever been to another country, or even another state or province, where you thought things were going to be a certain way, but when you got there they turned out to be different than you originally thought?
I know I have. And actually more than a few times…
When we first got to Afghanistan I thought there were going to be Taliban crawling out from under rocks, and hiding in the trees. And then I figured all the Afghan people were going to be in cahoots with them and working against us.
Man was I wrong…
And though while it did happen, for the most part the people of Afghanistan are good, kind people who:
Then when I moved to Colombia, I began to encounter stereotypes in the most dramatic fashion. And unfortunately, many against Americans.
When I first got here, I was taking Spanish classes with people from all around the world.
And so while Colombians have a fairly good impression of Americans…
… the rest of the world does not.
And whether Germans, Norwegians, Swiss, or other Latin American people, many of them have negative impressions of Americans.
And what’s worse is that most of them are just not true.
So what do we do about it? Well fortunately the answer is quite simple really…
…because with education and information, we can open people’s eyes to the reality of how stereotypes are generalizations. And that many times they are simply not true.
So now to Christians. Because the fact that some people think they are hypocrites is probably true for a few…
…but really it’s a huge generalization.
So as you saw in my last post, there are a few principles Christians try to adhere to. And trust me when I say it’s not always easy.
If you have ever tried a new diet (that's healthy for you), attempted a new sport, or tried to change your life in any way then you know.
Habits can be hard to break. (It has been said it takes at least 21 days to break one) And sometimes being a Christian requires you to stop doing things you’ve been doing for years.
I just had a roommate who was from Washington, D.C. that cursed a lot. And I mean a lot. But when he found out I was a Christian; he tried to tone it down a bit. And then He actually stopped.
And I definitely appreciated it. Because I’m sure it wasn’t easy. And in reality, it wasn’t super necessary. I mean I just got of the Army for Pete’s sake, so I’m pretty used to folks cursing.
But for Christian’s it can be the same way. They are trying to:
…but they are trying.
So cut them some slack. And recognize that they are simply trying to be better people according to the rules Jesus left behind.
And it’s tough!
To say Christians are all hypocrites is like saying Americans are all arrogant egomaniacs. It might be true for a very small number of people. But it’s simply not true for most.
So while we should all be open minded about other countries, cultures, and people; let’s also take it easy on Christians.
They are doing their best. They are human and so of course make mistakes. And in reality they are doing some very BIG things to try and help the rest of society.
If you look at what mission groups are doing across the world it’s very easy to see.
So thanks for stopping by! And please continue to stop by each week for our series Top 10 Reasons you Might Not Want to Be Christian- And Why Millions of People Would Disagree.
Your friend in Christ,
Ryan Chastain
P.S. Please remember that stereotyping hurts everyone. It is a negative action that can cause resentment for all. Please do your best to keep an open mind when dealing with other cultures, religions, people, or traditions. I promise whether Christian or not, it will make you a better a person. And people will notice, and like you better for it.
So thanks again for stopping by! We hope to see you again next week right here. www.whoisjesus4real.com
Reason #8 They're all just hypocrites
Hi Friends,
Ryan Chastain here with another thought provoking reason why you might not want to be a Christian. And this week we are going to pull out all the stops.
Which might get a little uncomfortable…
But the truth is that a lot of times being a Christian is not comfortable.
And in fact, what I’ve found is that the more uncomfortable you are… the more you’re probably growing. And the greater chance you have to become who you’re meant to be.
So before I get started with Reason #8 of why you might not want to be Christian- They are all just hypocrites (Bam, yes, I said it)…I’d first like to ask you a question.
Have you ever been to another country, or even another state or province, where you thought things were going to be a certain way, but when you got there they turned out to be different than you originally thought?
I know I have. And actually more than a few times…
When we first got to Afghanistan I thought there were going to be Taliban crawling out from under rocks, and hiding in the trees. And then I figured all the Afghan people were going to be in cahoots with them and working against us.
Man was I wrong…
And though while it did happen, for the most part the people of Afghanistan are good, kind people who:
- Have been doing things their own way for so long they don’t know any other way.
- Can’t really seem to change even if they wanted to.
- And seem to find a way to make the best of it even in difficult times.
Then when I moved to Colombia, I began to encounter stereotypes in the most dramatic fashion. And unfortunately, many against Americans.
When I first got here, I was taking Spanish classes with people from all around the world.
And so while Colombians have a fairly good impression of Americans…
… the rest of the world does not.
And whether Germans, Norwegians, Swiss, or other Latin American people, many of them have negative impressions of Americans.
And what’s worse is that most of them are just not true.
So what do we do about it? Well fortunately the answer is quite simple really…
…because with education and information, we can open people’s eyes to the reality of how stereotypes are generalizations. And that many times they are simply not true.
So now to Christians. Because the fact that some people think they are hypocrites is probably true for a few…
…but really it’s a huge generalization.
So as you saw in my last post, there are a few principles Christians try to adhere to. And trust me when I say it’s not always easy.
If you have ever tried a new diet (that's healthy for you), attempted a new sport, or tried to change your life in any way then you know.
Habits can be hard to break. (It has been said it takes at least 21 days to break one) And sometimes being a Christian requires you to stop doing things you’ve been doing for years.
I just had a roommate who was from Washington, D.C. that cursed a lot. And I mean a lot. But when he found out I was a Christian; he tried to tone it down a bit. And then He actually stopped.
And I definitely appreciated it. Because I’m sure it wasn’t easy. And in reality, it wasn’t super necessary. I mean I just got of the Army for Pete’s sake, so I’m pretty used to folks cursing.
But for Christian’s it can be the same way. They are trying to:
- Treat others better
- Think about others before themselves
- Trying not to lie, cheat, steal, kill, commit adultery, and so on.
…but they are trying.
So cut them some slack. And recognize that they are simply trying to be better people according to the rules Jesus left behind.
And it’s tough!
To say Christians are all hypocrites is like saying Americans are all arrogant egomaniacs. It might be true for a very small number of people. But it’s simply not true for most.
So while we should all be open minded about other countries, cultures, and people; let’s also take it easy on Christians.
They are doing their best. They are human and so of course make mistakes. And in reality they are doing some very BIG things to try and help the rest of society.
If you look at what mission groups are doing across the world it’s very easy to see.
So thanks for stopping by! And please continue to stop by each week for our series Top 10 Reasons you Might Not Want to Be Christian- And Why Millions of People Would Disagree.
Your friend in Christ,
Ryan Chastain
P.S. Please remember that stereotyping hurts everyone. It is a negative action that can cause resentment for all. Please do your best to keep an open mind when dealing with other cultures, religions, people, or traditions. I promise whether Christian or not, it will make you a better a person. And people will notice, and like you better for it.
So thanks again for stopping by! We hope to see you again next week right here. www.whoisjesus4real.com
