Why I Write

I read a Facebook update yesterday about the author pondering the Jesus he was representing.  More often than not it was the  Jesus flipping over the table in the temple.  And not as much the Jesus that was on the cross or having dinner with his betrayer.  

It made me think.  I'm more of a table flipper.  

Honestly...I don't have a good reason for writing about how absurd christianity is represented at times. I honestly think that if Jesus came back he'd flip over about 95% of church culture.  Not the the whole thing, because I'm sure there is at least 5% thats ok.   That 5% includes the people in the church culture.  Because I do think there are lots of people that attend church that love the environment and really don't give church "culture" much thought.  Their church has a wonderful children's program, a good youth group, talented music team and a comfortable atmosphere to sit and reflect on being loved by God.  A place to be refreshed and energized by their creator.  

But when it comes to mainstream issues of gay marriage, transgender bathroom laws, and other areas where christian beliefs play a huge role in some of the backlash, they remain silent.  It's only the 5% that are heard.  The extreme ones.  So how should we interpret your silence?  

I chose to not be silent.  I don't know that I've ever been.  And not only am I going to say that two people of the same sex have every right to be married and transgendered individuals can use the bathroom of their identity,  that saying fuck and shit and damn is ok,  that being mean to people is not ok, that calling names is not ok and that drinking and smoking is also ok. I'm also going to speak my opinion about all the christians who are speaking out against it and reveal all the hypocrisy inside the current "christian church culture."  

So yeah.  I have a beef with the way christianity is portrayed today.  And I'm not sure why so many "innocent" christians don't speak up about it.  Silence is often times a form of consent.  People get so mad that muslims won't stand up and say that the "extreme" ones don't represent their faith.  This leads people to believe what?  That they in fact do.  There are very few voices out there that say they don't.  

So how does it make christianity look when the majority of christians stay silent about the assholes that misrepresent the love and compassion that Jesus Christ represented?   

I've spent about 23 years in church.  I've seen so much good that can come from it.  I understand why people continue to go.  While I disagree with a lot of stuff about americhristianity, I understand why people still worship Jesus.  But at some point you have to look the the current church culture and decide when it's time to clean house and decide if you need all of that fluff to have a loving relationship with Jesus and others.  And the attention and money you give to all that fluff could be better used serving others.  

I wish I had a more solid point to make at the end here.  But I don't.  Maybe a few questions to those people that don't want to cause any harm to others and they just want people to experience the love they feel from Jesus. 

How do you feel about people that misrepresent christianity and use their beliefs to hurt others?  

Are you ok sitting silent about it knowing that you identify with the same faith they do? 

What type of Jesus do you want to represent? 

How big do you think God is? 

To all of you people who are church goers and christians just minding their own business.  I am not mad at you or accusing you of anything.  I have no beef with you.  I am actually very glad that you have peace in your faith.  What I am asking is are you ok with others using your faith to hurt others?  And what are you going to do about it? If anything I say came across as hurtful to you, I'm sorry.  

But that fat lady that was walking around target holding up her bible insulting people was doing in the name of the same god of love and compassion that you worship.