(Felt that the ethics forum was best suited for a discussion on standards)
What does it take to earn the privilege of calling oneself a Christian? Does simply saying you are a Christian clear the bar that constitutes what a Christian is? Let’s come back to that in a minute. I use to self identify as a Christian. I went to Church each week, went to Bible study weekly and fellowshipped weekly. So was I a Christian? No, I was not.
Monday through Saturday I lived an unmitigated life of sin, yet come Sunday I would go to Church and go through the motions. I did not believe in the Christian god at all and I made no effort to live my life by the example set by Christ. I went to Church because that is what I was taught from an early age as the right thing to do. At the time 90% of Americans self identified as Christian and there was immense social pressure to conform, which is a large reason why I went to Church. I had also been taught that the way to resolve my problems required a belief in god and to be moral one must serve god. I now know that not to be the case.
So how was I a part of the problem in terms of adding to the decline of Christianity in America you may ask? The answer is simple... I was a Christian in name only and was a hypocrite. I did not understand that at the time as I had deluded myself into thinking that I was actually a Christian. It takes more than simply going through the motions to be a Christian by my measure. How many nonbelievers looked at my pathetic hypocritical demonstration of a quasi Christianity and thought to themselves “if Robert is an example of what a Christian is then no thanks!”.
So what does it take to to earn the privilege of calling oneself a Christian?
First let’s examine an endeavor that I have gone all in on. In the late 80’s I pulled the loaded shotgun out of my mouth and decided it was better to try to sober up in a 12 Step meeting that to blow my head off. For the better part of the next decade I made studying, practicing and teaching others those 12 Steps the top priority in my life. I worked 8 hours a day, had a family to attend to and each night I went to a 12 Step meeting looking to help others escape their addiction as I did. The night would often end by 11 P.M. and sometimes later. During those 10 years I went through no less than three of the books that contained the 12 Steps as I referenced it so often that after a few years they would simply fall apart. During those 10 years I approached countless alcoholics/addicts and invited them out for coffee and a talk. To say that I was committed to the process would be an understatement. I was dealing with life and death, knew it and took it very seriously. I use this example to mark a distinct difference in my approach to overcoming my addiction vs my going through the motions in Church.
How long have you been a Christian? How many Bibles have you worn out? How much time do you spend each week studying scripture and contemplating how best to mold your life to better exemplify the teachings of Christ in your daily actions? How much time do you spend engaged in altruistic endeavors? Rhetorical questions meant to be food for thought.
If we want to change then we get out of it what we put into it. If we put little into it we get little to nothing in return. If we put a lot into it the we get a lot in return. If living your life by the example of Christ is a top priority in your life then it will show in your actions, including the time you spend in study and the time you spend placing into action that which was learned through the study, prayer and contemplation.
So what does it take to be a Christian in my subjective opinion. The answer is a lot! It certainly takes more than self identifying as a Christian or simply going through the motions. It takes hard work, commitment and an unyielding drive to continually move one’s thoughts and actions to becoming more in line with the example set by Christ.
Thoughts? Additions? Criticism?
