Why the World Hates Christians

http://www.cnn.com/2008/LIVING/12/05/atheists.christmas/index.html

This is Christianity to the Christians: Jesus, worship, peace, church, missions, youth group, Bible, love, joy, help, teaching, singing, hope, family, etc.

This is Christianity to everyone else: religion, hate, hypocrisy, conservatism, boredom, modesty, slavery, disappointment, anger, discouragement, rules, etc.

If Christianity on the inside is something good and beautiful, why is it, that on the outside, it appears to be a complete mess?

You may or may not agree with me. I addressed an issue like this in a past blog entitled, "Cool Jesus." I feel very strongly about this: Christianity in America needs reform.

When one hears the word "church," he thinks of a solemn service, chanting hymns, a quiet prayer, a long sermon...the modern world has attempted to change that by creating a lively service, adding a band to enhance worship and having the pastor preach in jeans and sandals. Not only have they changed the service, but they added other things as well to attract the audience. The average large church today has a bookstore, a coffee shop, and a playground--one can easily mistake the place for a mall or an airport.

So what are the Christians doing wrong? They are gathering people, entertaining them, and leaving them empty--again. This is why America says that God, Christianity, and church doesn't work.

After Jesus' ascension into heaven, the very first churches that emerged were nothing like churches today. Roman governor Pliny wrote of them to Trajan in A.D. 111, "They [the Christians] affirmed that the sum of their crime or their error, whichever it was, was this: they used to meet on a stated day before light, and to sing among themselves, in turn, a hymn to Christ, as to a god, and to bind themselves by an oath, not to any wickedness, but that they would never commit theft, or robbery, nor adultery; that they would never break their word, that they would never deny a trust when called to give it up; and after these performances, their way was to separate, and then meet again to partake of ordinary food." A song, a lesson, a few refreshments.

Christianity was never intended to be a religion. The cliche is true: it's not a religion, it's a relationship with God. I believe that God and Christianity is a turn-off in America because it is not what it's supposed to be. In a third-world country such as Africa, missionaries are seeing more changed lives there than in the United States. Things there are much simpler; things here need to be grand.

I am personally proud of my church. All we have is a small building and a little band that just does whatever as long as people are able to follow along. We don't have a thousand members; we have but 70-80 people in our congregation. But here is what makes us different: we all know each other; we all love each other. Here is our church motto: anybody, everybody. Of course, we don't tolerate sin; but no matter who you are or what you've done, we'll take you in and love you.

So what is one to do? I believe the answer is simple. Jesus told us, "This is my command: Love each other."

If the world saw the Christians as a loving group of people, we would be seen, embraced, and envied--and everyone would want to be a part of it.

And that's how things are supposed to be.