|
Why Would Anyone See Christianity As Worth Investigating?
| If one considers all
the ways Christianity presents itself and is presented in the media, it
is amazing that anyone would see in it that which would invite further
inquiry. From snake handlers to people shouting gibberish, those
threatening hell fire, and those who avocate Puritan like rules, those
with confusing rituals, and even the simply lifeless denominations
running on the legacy of the exhausted fumes of generations long past,
one can see little that is attractive.
In addition to various presentations of Christianity that seem
confusing, pointless, and even offensive, there is often little in the
lives of Christians that seems to offer any particular advantage. For
example, Christians seem to have a divorce rate the same as
non-Christians. To understand why this is one has to appreciate that
the world (for now) is run by Satan (Eph 2:2). It is to his advantage
to both keep people from becoming Christian as well as keep Christians
themselves in a state of immaturity so that they appear no different
than those who are not Christian.
In the first 300 years of Christianity, it spread throughout the Roman
empire even with such adverse circumstances as the forfeiture of
property and death. The spread was not due to compelling theology,
“Billy Graham"-like evangelism, or the promise of heaven. It was simply
the powerful testimony of changed lives People knew each other in
the ancient world much more intimately than people know each other
today. When a drunken husband became a loving father or a shrewish wife
became a loving mother, it was an absolutely compelling testimony.
Christians today do not make such a powerful testimony. This is for
several reasons. Firstly, since people do not really know each other as
well today, a change might not even be noticed. Secondly, many people
call themselves Christian today because they inherited a sort of
Christian tradition but are not actually Christian. Thirdly, most
Christian practice today has been influenced by Satan to insure that
even if someone does become a Christian, they do not mature preventing
even the demonstrate some of the desirable character qualities that are
available with Christian maturity.
Perhaps the biggest reason for Christian arrested development are
churches that teach that to be a Christian requires agreement with
their doctrine. Churches should be teaching each member how to become
like Jesus. This is perhaps the biggest reason Christianity looks
unattractive. At it’s core Christianity is supposed to be about giving
up the selfishness that is called the flesh and growing in love
(essentially selflessness 1Cor 13:4-7). People often say they admire
selflessness in others, but find it difficult to let go for themselves.
So in the rare instances when Christianity is clearly presented, it can
seem unattractive because most people are self-seeking and want to
continue indulging that which seems to satisfy. is comfortable, or
pleasurable. God built a degree of self-sacrifice into human life.
Marriage and children require a degree of self-sacrifice or really
painful results can develop. Those that seek truth can find it in Jesus
and that he is trustworthy. This opens to door to wisdom which values
self-sacrifice as real love more that the self-stimulation of emotions
that often is taken as a sort of false love. Sadly, the value of
Christianity is often only seen when some disaster or misfortune
exposes the limits of the world system most have come to trust in. |
|
|
