How do you view Christians and religious people? (ie. over-bearing, secluded, self-righteous know it alls with hyena laughs)
September 23, 2008
Mark Driscoll on “religion” (17:23)
If there are any non-Christians out there, I would love to hear your thoughts about Christianity, religion, and boring old people who don’t listen to counter opinions too well. What are your feelings, thoughts, and experiences with Christians being too pushy, quick to talk and slow to listen, distant, and phony?
Please take a moment and write something (anything) in the comments below! I want to hear what YOU have to say.
Don Miller’s book ‘Blue Like Jazz’ has really been stirring my mind and heart on this topic lately. Especially because I’m involved with ministry at my college. I am beginning to see more clearly that there are weeds in the harvest field. There are many weeds of misconception and false notions that need to first be uprooted before anyone will approach Christ. Call it “re-approaching Christ”. The real Christ that is. Most churches and church people are phony and uninteresting. This is why the phrase “I love my church” is one of the most rare things ever uttered by human lips.
Blue Like Jazz pg. 123:
“You are confessing to me!” Jake said with a laugh.
“Yeah. We are confessing to you. I mean, I am confessing to you.”
“You’re serious.” His laugh turned to something of a straight face.
“There’s a lot. I will keep it short,” I started. “Jesus said to feed the poor and to heal the sick. I have never done very much about that. Jesus said to love those who persecute me. I tend to lash out, especially if I feel threatened, you know, if my ego gets threatened. Jesus did not mix His spirituality with politics. I grew up doing that. It got in the way of the centeral message of Christ. I know that was wrong, and I know that a lot of people will not listen to the words of Christ because people like me, who know Him, carry our own agendas into the conversation rather than just relaying the message Christ wanted to get across.”
And now I, Cameron, want to apologize too. I am sorry for being pushy with my beliefs and trying to get you to be like me in the snap of a finger. I am sorry that even though I present to you a gospel which says all are with sin, at the same time I hide in my sin and act like I’m above sin. I’m sorry for being too busy to be like Christ when I walk right past the hurting and needy. I’m sorry for being so demanding from you when Christ has every right to demand everything of me, yet has treated me specially instead. Once again, to all non-Christians, I want to say I am sorry.
Sincerely,
Cameron
Cameron,
Here’s a heads up for you, Cameron. Donald Miller denies the gospel, insisting that we don’t have to believe anything to be Christians.
In Christ,
Phil Perkins.
Thanks Phil, I read Blue Like Jazz being very skeptical, but ended up loving the book. Thought he had some practical truths spelled out very artistically. As far as where he stands Biblically, I’m not at all familiar with it. Do you have any websites that I could check out?
Cameron,
Here is an interesting post by DM himself:
http://www.donaldmillerwords.com/searching.php Read it and weep.
And here is a post I did about 2 years ago taking Miller’s post apart:
http://zitsemerge.blogspot.com/2006/11/donald-miller-line-by-lie.html
Or go to monergism.com and look up emergent stuff.
On another subject, the point you made on “wuv” at Doctrine Talk, was JUST ABSOLUTELY RIGHT.
In Christ,
Phil Perkins.
Phil, thanks for these. Miller’s explanation of the gospel is very vague in his excerpt but nevertheless points to where he’s leaning – which seems to ultimately be a social gospel which is definitely not new and is heretical. I thought a lot of your comments on your blog were great. The more I’m watching Miller get involved with the Democratic party and pose as their “religious” spokesman I can’t help but think “hypocrite”.
In ‘Blue Like Jazz’ he’s constantly saying that Christianity shouldn’t be about meshing faith and politics, hence my quote of him above! But is he only saying that is bad to do if one is a Republican? Meshing faith and politics is neutral if you’re a Democrat? There are things I appreciate about his book, yet I’m not so impressed with the man himself the more I hear about him.
Cameron,
Miller’s no good. Scripturally, we are to have nothing to do with him.
He claims that we don’t have to do or believe anything to be Christians. Thus, he brings another gospel. The true gospel demands that we believe Christ is God in the flesh, killed, raised, and the Lamb of God Who died in a substitutionary atonement for our sins and it demands that we repent of our sins.
What does the Bible say to do with someone who comes not bearing this doctrine or who brings another gospel?
Phil.
Well, Gal 1 says they will be eternally cursed. But what I can do is talk to them and pray… and then repeat number 2 again.
That’s how I feel about the city church, there know it alls, you either fit in or you don’t..
Since I went to church there, I can say I definitely agree with you Kate. And if you leave the church, you get smiles through teeth from the people who still attend the “greatest church on earth”.