No, it's not just you. People in churches everywhere have watered down the word of God to fit into their own lifestyles so that they won't feel the conviction the word of God brings. That's why the world is so dark now. If there are hardly any real Christians, how is the light of God suppose to shine? These kind of Christians give a bad impression of who Jesus is and that's why nonbelievers can say 'who cares about being saved then?'.
I think the people who hive Christianity a bad name are Christians who focus on the sins of others, but ignore the glaringly obvious. Christ told us the two commandments that were the most important were to love your neighbor as yourself, and love God with your heart, soul and mind. If we don't love out neighbor, we don't love God, nor do we follow Christ.
At the last supper, Christ said that all people will know you by the love you show one another.
Here is how most nonChristians see Christians:
Condemning others for sins while forgiving themselves
Seeing the world as something to fear - immoral, morally inferior to them, threatening their religion
Hypocrites. I watched a youtube video where a Christian said, "Isn't everyone? Why single Christians out?" Well, first it is wrong, biblically. And while others may be hypocritical to condemn others for drinking while the smoke, there is a much stronger effort of Christians to focus on others and the sins of others, condemning others, then ignore the plank in their eye.
Dishonest: You will hear arguments like, "I want to extend marriage to gay people. They can marry anyone of the opposite sex they want, just like me." They claim sexual orientation is a choice, despite research. Scott Lively brought debunked claims against GLBTQ to Uganda. Not having as much access to the internet, the people in Uganda believed it as truth, thought gays were a threat to their children and society, and "Kill the Gays Bill" was created. Is that something Christ would have done?
Arrogant: When someone mentions they are Christian, a common reaction from the other is that they are being judged. This kind of Christian will talk about their forgiveness like they earned it, and all the changes in their life due to their own dedication. They will assume anyone who doesn't follow their religion to be evil, to enjoy "sinning" like you are watching The 10 Commandments. They will claim they don't willfully sin. When pressed how they sin against there will, they explain it is unintentional. When asked how they "unintentionally" sin, they get angry.
I sin. I don't try to, but sometimes I lose my temper and say something I shouldn't. Sometimes, I am given a choice to do something I can get away with, say, steal an energy bar from a store because I have no money and hungry, or chose not to, but I own every misdeed I give in to, admitting I made a bad choice, but I did indeed use my free will. I ask forgiveness of God, and if it was against another, ask forgiveness from that person. One Christian even claimed to stop sinning altogether, explaining that Christians are not held to the law, but nonChristians were. In other words, he held nonChristians to a set of rules in his religion he didn't believe he was held to himself.
Fearful - fearful of govt, of GLBT, of rock music, pretty much any "other"
Mean Spirited: Check out Judge Rightly is not some guy's name. The essay written by Christian Conservative Radio Host Bob Enyart encourages followers to judge others, call others names, as Jesus did, and claims Christians are "too nice." No one thinks "too nice" when speaking of Christians. The think of Fred Phelps protesting funerals and using vulgar signs. They think of the person in class who outwardly bragged about her holiness, but focused her energy on labeling people as "[bless and do not curse][bless and do not curse][bless and do not curse][bless and do not curse]" or "drunk". They think of the discussions they try to have with someone quoting a book without understanding the context of who said what to whom and why. They think of the same people protesting abortion clinics being against single moms and food stamps.
Annoying logic, and hackneyed quotes:
This person will ask "isn't being tolerant of everything but intolerance, itself, intolerant?" as if they found a cure for cancer. "Aren't you judging me by calling me judgemental?" And saying, "God made Adam and Eve.." and acting like you are profound because it rhymed, usually shows the lack of depth in understanding.
None of these fruits shows me the Spirit.
The way I practice my faith is by loving my neighbor as myself. I demonstrate it. If I don't have love for my enemy, I pray for it. I pray in private. I don't see others as "sinners" but as children of God, and allow the Spirit to work through me and in their heart, rather than demand others bend to my will. I pray to God and listen, rather than act as the mouth piece of God and demand obedience. I allow the Spirit to transform my heart, and then reach out in love - feed the hungry, listen to someone who needs to talk, whomever crosses my path. I never ask for anything in return, but suggest they pay it forward. I don't see people as sin, but the soul made and loved by God within. I admit I am still working on my faults, and pray about the plank in my eye, and ask God to remove it. Thrn I can help my brother remove the speck, but focusing on a speck of another, with a plank in your own, will only lead to poking out your brother's eye, making them as blind as you are.
So, I never understand what people mean by removing Christ from their church. Christ challenged his disciples to turn the other cheek, not to forgive 7 times but 70 x 7. He told people not to judge other's petty sins when they have gross sins of their own. He spent a lot of time talking about actively loving all people, of being forgiving, merciful, thankful, standing against injustice, returning curse with blessing.
My frustration with churches is the focus of sin especially the sin of others. The followers believe they are commanded by God to convince nonbelievers they are bad bc of their sin, and need to ask forgiveness to be saved from a tortuous hell from the angry Sky God. The focus of Jesus was to appease the Sky God's anger. He needed a sinless "virgin" of sorts, and if you activate it, asking him to forgive your sins, then you are saved. To an outsider, it is confusing. Why does a loving God need a blood sacrifice? Couldn't Herod have just killed Baby Jesus? How is a Christian vs non really different if both sin, and one asks for forgiveness, while the other tries to grow and mature from it? And if Jesus commanded you to love your neighbor, why aren't you known for it?
When I meet God, I want to show him the ways I loved, helped, comforted, forgave, knowing all commandments are fulfilled in loving my neighbor, as opposed to:
I didn't murder anyone.
I didn't steal anything...
I find Christians who have no love in their heart have a God of wrath and anger. Their false love is rebranded as "tough love" but no one buys it.
When Christians are known for their love, I will know that Christ has been put back into Christianity
