While it's true that some Christians have a tendency to behave as though they are sent from God to tell the world how to behave I don't want to be lumped in with that group. I don't subscribe to the notion that I can tell other people what to think or believe. I have my own beliefs and in the right setting I would love to talk to you about that. They are ~my~ beliefs and I came to them while walking my own journey. I ask that you respect my right to have my beliefs and I will extend to you the same respect. We don't have to agree to be friends.
My dearest friend is an Atheist. We began cautiously talking about 5 years ago. At the time I was worried that talking to her would somehow decrease my faith. As I grew to know and truly love her as a person we have had many open exchanges about the topic of faith and God. I have an understanding of her thoughts and how she arrived at her conclusion. I have full respect for her opinions. She knows that I pray for her and she is ok with that. I am true to my faith. How could I not pray for her? She has posed some hard questions to me at times. As I took on those questions it forced me to examine many of the sticky aspects of my beliefs. The end result is that I am stronger in my faith today. I have been blessed through our relationship. I thank God for bringing her into my life. As a Christian I hope and pray that she one day comes into a relationship with Christ. Not because I think she is an evil sinner rather that I believe it would bless her life and bring her peace that she has never known.
I find it curious that I have grown closer to God because of a relationship with someone who doesn't believe in His existence. In all the years I have known her she has never once offended me or hurt my feelings. I wish I could say the same for some of the Christians I have known. Why do so many Christians feel they have the right to condemn or condone the actions of others?
I once saw a report about a group of Christians that protested at a Gay Rights Rally. The Christians were arrested and charged with a hate crime. The interviewer talked with the group and they insisted that they were not full of hate and said they only attended the rally to tell the gay people that they were sinners and would be going to Hell. I found it shocking and personally felt they were more hateful than most non-Christians. Sadly, this group of "Christians" represents exactly what people tend to assume about Christians.
I waiver between thinking that Christianity needs a PR makeover or that it needs a full internal overhaul. I am leaning toward the latter. I can't imagine Jesus attending a Gay Rights Rally to tell people they were condemned. There were plenty of injustices during his time on earth. They were beating people and hanging them up on trees! Jesus managed to bite his tongue about that and yet we can get so riled up about someone being gay?
I am not ashamed to call myself a Christian in as much as it relates to my love for Jesus. However I hate to claim membership in the very public group of "Christians" that represent Jesus so badly.
Jupiter,
ReplyDeleteI, too, am a Christian and not ashamed to say so. I also have a friend who does not believe in God. I met her at a previous job and when I found out she was an atheist, my first thought was to stay away from her. I am ashamed of that now because she is a very kind person who has become a "true" friend to me. I look back now and see how ignorant I was in my thinking of others who do not share my beliefs and realize I have no right to judge anyone; especially when I do not want to be judged.