Monday, March 29, 2010

Stand Up For My Beliefs!

I'll admit, I enjoyed Veggie Tales. Ok, correction, I still enjoy Veggie Tales. One of my all time favourite songs from Veggie Tales, comes from the great Rack, Shack and Benny episode. It's the song "Stand Up" (Skillet does an amazing cover of the song...if you've ever wanted to hear a rock version of a Veggie Tale classic). The chorus simply goes, "Stand up (stand up), for what you believe in, believe in, believe in God (he's the one to back you up)..." Pretty catchy and good lyrics. Unfortunately, in too many lives today, both Christian and not, the song should really go "Stand up for what I believe in". It's too bad that Christians (everyone does it, but Christians seem to be the biggest culprit...but it does apply to all), preach about standing up for what you believe in, but when what you believe in contradicts what THEY believe in, then what you believe in is immediately wrong, and you are a sinner for believing it.
Going back to the "Hot Button" topics again, Christians want everyone to stand on the same soapbox that they are standing on. They scream, "Stand up for your beliefs...as long as your beliefs coincide with mine!". For example, the recent hot button issue of Gay Marriage. Now, i'm not going to say that I advocate gay marriage, I personally do believe that marriage should be between a man and a woman, but I also value other peoples beliefs...and frankly, from a non-Christian perspective, and coming from people who don't know the Bible too well, gay marriage makes perfect sense. Of course in a secular society marriage should be about 2 people who love eachother, regardless of gender. Christians think that because we have the Bible, that anyone who doesn't completely agree with the Bible is evil...when really, who are we to blame people for coming up with an idea that sounds really good, when they don't know anything about the Bible. How can we expect them to have the same opinions of us when they don't know? The same goes for abortion, and anything else. Let's let everyone stand up for their own beliefs. Yes, there will be conflict...beliefs won't always mesh together well, and some will be in direct opposition, but is that not the way it should be? Being a Christian is hard, and anyone that stands up for their beliefs is doing something very difficult. Before we slam them, and tear them down, can we at least commend them for going against the flow and standing up for something that means a lot to them? I can't stand PETA, but I at least commend them for being so hardcore about what they believe in. They take it too far sometimes (in my perspective), but at least they are not being hypocrites and are standing up for their beliefs. So...for the first time in my life, I will say, WAY TO GO PETA!
Of course, there are limits. There are some beliefs that need to be extinguished right away...after all we can't have the Klu Klux Klan or the Nazis running around again, but for the most part, most beliefs are ok. There definately will be conflict, but that is where, as Christians we need to show our love and patience. When our beleifs are up agaisnt someone elses beliefs, and their beliefs come out victorious...instead of claiming prejudice or persecution, we need to accept it and move on. Stay classy, and continue to show the love of Christ. I think one reason why many non-Christians find Christians stubborn, obnoxious and "righteous:, is because when we lose, or when our beliefs aren't fully met, we get indignant (big word!), and angry and cry bloody murder until our throats are hoarse...instead of backing down and taking it for what it is. God says life will be tough for those who follow him. People read the verse "My yoke is easy and my burden is light", and focus on the words "easy" and "light"...when reallt the keywords are "yoke" and "burden". Even if the yoke is easy, or the burden is light...you still have a yoke and a burden.
So this is my challenge...it's a twofold one. Stand up for beliefs, first and foremost. Don't let anyone tell you what you should believe...but at the same time, don't tell anyone what they should believe. Don't force someone to take on the same opinions and beliefs that you have. That's my soapbox rant...feel free to get on your own and shout back.

Friday, March 12, 2010

Cliche Christians

Christianity is one of those religions that has very cliche, overused phrases. To be honest, I am sick of them. I am not denying the truth behind them, because most of them are true (at least to an extent), but what I hate is how overused they are, and how often they are used without any thought. Some of these "pat" answers and phrases include, but are not limited to:
"God has a plan for you"
"Everything will work out"
"God loves you"
"Just Trust God!"
and finally, perhaps the most overused and most misunderstood, "Just keep praying!" (or a variation, "Pray about it"). There are hundreds more, feel free to comment and add more that you can think of, but you get the idea. It's frustrating that Christianity has devolved into catchphrases (as I mentioned in an earlier blog about Church Signs). I want to talk about the Prayer phrase in this blog..perhaps I will talk about another phrase another day, but today, it's all about prayer.
When I talk to people about my life, and tell them what's happening, most often at some point in the converstaion they will mention that they are praying for me and that I should keep praying. I think this is great advice, and I am touched that they would pray for me, but I think people miss the point of prayer. Should I pray about things in my life? Absolutely, no doubt about it, but, and here's the kicker, IF ALL I DO IS PRAY ABOUT IT, NOTHING WILL HAPPEN!!!. That's right, I just said that. Think about if for a minute, before you freak out and think that I am speaking out against prayer. I am all for prayer, but what I am speaking out against is ONLY prayer. Here's an example of what I am talking about:
Let's say I lose my job and am unemployed. If I sit at home, and pray to God and ask him to give me a job, but I never actually look for myself, then will I find a job? If I don't go online and search, or look through the classifieds, or hand out resumes, I will never find a job, no matter how hard I pray. When we pray, God expects us to act! Prayer requires some sort of action. God doesn't always answere our prayer is some miraculous way out of the blue (he does sometimes, but most of the time he doesn't work that way). So when someone tells me to pray about it, it bothers me...because I know that I need to pray, but I need advice about what to do WHILe I pray. Too often, people are so focused on praying and waiting for God to act, that they miss out on opportunities. Here is another anecdote, which you may have heard before:
A hige flood is sweeping through a city, and a man begins to pray. "God save me". A car drives by hsi house and offers to give him a ride, "No, God will save me", he says, and the car drives away. The waters rise, and the man moves to the top floor of his house, leaning out a window. A boat drives by and offers to give the man a ride, "No, God will save me", he says...and the boat drives off. The water rises again and the man is on his roof. A helicopter flies overhead, and offers the man a ride, "No God will save me", he says. The helicopter flies off and the man drowns. When he gets to heaven he asks God "Why didn't you save me?"...and God says, "I sent a car, a boat and a helipcoter...why didn't you escape with them?"
As ridiculous as this story is, it's truth hits closer to home than we would like to think. We get so caught up in praying for God to save us, that we fail to act for ourselves. Yes, God will help, but he wants us to work for ourselves as well. Don't overlook the car, boat or helicopter. Take action...yes, keep praying, but don't solely pray and then get angry when nothing happpens.
The book of James talks about Faith and Works...it's the same concept here. Just like we can't truly be Christians if we don't act like it, we can't truly Pray without action.
That's my opinion, you don't have to agree, but I hope that it does make you think. So before you give the cliche answers to someone, think about it first...what is this really saying? and is there anything else that you could say that isn't so common that it loses it's meaning?

Thursday, March 4, 2010

Hot Button Christianity

I'm currently reading a novel called "Deadline" by popular christian author Randy Alcorn. Now, I don't want to turn this blog into a book review, but I do want to talk a little bit about the content of this book. The story follows Jake, a general columnist for a major newspaper, as he tries to figure out the mysterious death of his friends. Sounds like a clever, page-turning thriller doesn't it? Well, it is an interesting story, and it would be even more so, if Alcorn didn't do his best to try and fit in all the "hot button issues" he can. The book takes on 3 distinct parts: 1) What is heaven going to be like (one of the characters goes to heaven, and the story often tells about the wonders he is seeing while there), 2) The murder investigation (the basic plot aspect of the story), and 3) what I like to call The Soapbox. I have no problem with the 2nd aspect...and for the most part the other 2 parts as well..I just don't like that Alcorn feels obligated (at least it seems that way) to included all of it as much as he possibly can. Let's start at the heaven part.
Heaven is one of those mysteries that we will never fully solve until the day we arrive there. I have no real problem with books, or people in general, talking about heaven and making speculations about what it will be like, but I don't like someone writing in a novel about what it WILL be like. Granted, Alcorn never does say that this is an accurate depiction of heaven, but it doesn't go out of its way to say that it is fictitious either. I wonder what heaven will be like, I have images in my head and I can't wait to see how innaccurate they really are, but I take offense to someone telling me "This is what heaven will be like"..because no one knows. This also brings me to those "I died and spent an hour in heaven" books. I don't want to diminish their actual accounts (assuming they are true), but I personally don't think that anyone needs to write a book about exactly what heaven will be like. There is a beautiful mystery to not knowing. It keeps us curious about what it will be like. These books take away the mystery, or at least part of it, and I think that it is wrong. Let's leave heaven as a mysterious place that will only be fully realized what that day comes. Continue to speculate, discuss with people ideas of what it may be like, but we shouldn't come right out and say "this is what it is".
This bring me to the 3rd point. The soapbox. I hate the fact that Christinity has become a Hot Button Issue religion. It seems that every Christian book, movie, or even any time a Christian is portrayed in hollywood or on the news, that they are pushing their opinions. I think values are very important, and when given the chance we need to share our values with one another, but since when did Jesus tell us to make signs about the evils of "pro-choice", or to humiliate the sinful acts of homosexuals. I know that many Christians don't give into these protests and picketing...but many do. And many of the others who don't protest outright, do go out of their way to push their opinions on others.
I remember, while I was at Bethany, one time in particular, that someone tried to push their opinions on me. It was during camp days, and I was sitting with one of my friends on the couches in the common area. Sitting with us was one of the camp directors. For some reason, we started talking about abortion. My friend said something about "I believe that most abortions are wrong, but I think that there are times when an abortion is ok"...all of a sudden, the camp director looked at my friend, and firmly and angrily said "Your wrong!". WHAT? really? You are going to shut that opinion down just like that? I can understand with you not agreeing, but to bluntly say that someone is wrong, especially about such a debatable issue is insane. I hate that among Christian circles you either believe these certain things, or you are WRONG. It seems that as a Christian, we have to believe that all abortions are wrong, sex outside of marriage is evil, homosexuals are doomed to hell, stem cell research is from the devil, and countless other major issues that we deal with on a daily basis. Now, I'm not coming out and saying that I disagree with these things, I'm not saying that I completely agree with them either, but since when did we take away free choice. Who are we to judge what someone believes? Now, I do believe that there are some things that are wrong, in which the world seems ok with, but why do Christians feel that it is their personal vendetta to convince everyone that they are wrong? What happened to the "love everyone" and "build relationships with one another", that we used to believe. We need to stop being so critical of people, and pushing our opinions on everyone. There are times and places to push our opinions, and when people ask what you think of something, by all means share it with all of your might...but when someone makes a small little opinion about something, don't go out of your way to tell them that they are wrong. Instead, tell them your opinion, in a friendly, non-threatening way, and have a healthy discussion. Who knows, you may even expand your opinion about something...change your mind even slightly.
So put down the signs, stop the protests, rip up the petitions...we need to start being the loving, accepting, tolerant (to an extent) religion that we were meant to be. Jesus himself ate with sinners, likely talked with homosexuals, prostitutes...all sorts of "evil" people...he didn't agree with what they did, but he didn't judge them either. he didnt burn their homes, or start a protest march. he loved them for who they were, and what potential they had. He shared his beliefs and opinions, but in a non-threatening way. Oddly enough, the most threatening he ever was, was against the "Christians" (I guess Jews, at the time), when he turned the tables in the temple and called out the Pharisees. Perhaps, instead of casting judgement, and forcing our opinions on those "outside", we need to do an inner, gut check first.