Have you ever noticed how much baggage is attached with the word "christian?" The self proclaimed, and now dead, Moral Majority, attached itself not only to politics, but the ideology of a specific political party. The constant drumbeat created the perception that to be 'christian' is to be part of that particular party. Even worse, a perception within that group developed that one couldn't be 'christian' if not associated with that political party.
It became even more defined that one couldn't be 'christian' if one's stance on specific issues differed from the rest of them. Patriotism, which is often disguising nationalism, became associated with this type of 'christian." The issue of torture that I wrote about in my last entry is really motivating me in this direction. And for my part, I want no part of it any longer. I think I'll stop being 'christian.' Obviously, I mean that I will not associate myself to that which the term now defines.
Interestingly, the word christian is only used twice in Scripture. Once in Acts and in First Peter. the term 'believer' is used 19 times (I like this) and follower(s) is used 8 times. I like follower because it is associated always with Jesus. I really like the term "the Way" used five times in the book of Acts.
I think I will tell people from this day forward that I am a follower of the Way. It is Jesus that I am following. Enough said for the moment.
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
I couldn't agree more. Both the Republican Party and the understanding of what it is to be a Christian have been corrupted by the marriage of the Party to the so-called "Moral Majority." This is not to say that Christians should not participate in politics (far from it), but rather that we seem to have forgotten two critical points: (1) that two people can disagree politically and still be equally Christian, and (2) that Jesus gave us free will and called us to make good choices, not to attempt to mandate those choices by law upon nonbelievers. In fact, doing so is actually counter to the Christian purpose as it forces the nonbeliver into submission without ever giving him the opportunity to make the wrong choice but instead choose the right. Not an especially good way to evangelize.
ReplyDeleteyep. this is the kind of day we are in.
ReplyDeleteYou know they will call us heretics for this.
Christian is used 3 times in Scripture.
ReplyDeletehttp://net.bible.org/search.php?search=greek_strict_index%3A5546&page=1&order=book
The word "believer" never translates a noun but an adjective that means faithful and a verb that means believing (more info here http://love-god-love-others.blogspot.com/2010/08/believing-and-faithful.html)
The word disciple is used 247 times in the NT and appears the most. It was Jesus' word of choice
http://net.bible.org/search.php?search=greek_strict_index:3101