This was over at XXXChurch about the reactions of people, Christians and non, when see see the “Porn Mobile.” Sadly it seems they run into more “Christian” resistance than they do secular:
Today I found the following passages** and thought they were rather appropriate for the scene; [youversion]2 Corinthians 3:1-15
[/youversion] discusses the concept of legalism and cautions against legislating spirituality and morality; [youversion]Romans 7:5-7[/youversion] talks about how such legislation usually results in rebellion more often than purity. Short version: if you want to make sure someone does something you don’t want them to do, make it illegal.
My version? I’ve run into a LOT of “Christians” in my life that sound like the older gentleman in the parking lot. To be perfectly honest, it made being an atheist the easiest decision in the world. Nothing supported my stilted worldview than a legalistic, close-minded, loud-talking religious person practicing Quotation Christianity (aka “Christianity”). Christ spent time with lepers, whores and tax collectors. He was surrounded by sinners CONSTANTLY. A common theme I’ve discovered as I’ve begun reading various Bible passages is that God often chooses the LEAST.LIKELY.CANDIDATES. He takes those from the very bottom and after setting their eyes upon Him they rise to the top. Abraham to David to Paul, practically all of Judges. Seriously, from bottom to the top. Not because they followed the laws but because they fixed their gaze on the Lord and walked in the light through acceptance of God’s grace.
Since converting I can rightly be called a Jesus Freak. I’m all in. Done. Dedicated 150%. I’m sure the gentleman in that video had the best of intentions. However, his actions are not embracing the disenfranchised and bringing others into the love of Christ. I pray daily that I don’t become a Quotation Christian. I also pray for those Quotation Christians that I let lead me away from faith.
To truly have the Spirit inside of you then you must be willing to embrace those that will spit in your face, challenge your beliefs and continue to love them. If you can’t do that then you are trapped in your own quotation marks. Your laws will make you a prisoner.
*note: I’ve begun using The Message Translation of the Bible. I really like this translation particularly for my blog posts. The strucuture lends itself to my rambling style more effectively without losing the message.
**edit: I just want to clarify that the passages were part of a recent batch of devotionals. I don’t want to give any misrepresentation with regards to my Biblical scholarship. These are being put in front of me more than I am able to just pluck them out.
No related posts.
Related posts brought to you by Yet Another Related Posts Plugin.
Sean, I know you have been a bit depressed or low in the past couple of years, but this is NOT the answer. I don’t care how hot your fiancee is…resist going crazy. It’s not too late. Think rationally, think logically. Use your brain and not what’s in your pants. It is possible to date a christian and not become crazy.
Anne,
I’m more than a little disappointed by a couple things that you said, the first being that you think so little of me that you assume that I would make a decision like becoming a Christian simply because it would get me laid.
Second, the notion that becoming a Christian is a choosing to become ignorant, crazy or stupid is not only false but patently offensive. This is a stilted assumption with absolutely zero rational defense, akin to racism, sexism, etc. You don’t like religious people and have focused on Christianity in particular. However I fail to see how any of that means that I’ve forgone reason and intellect.
The fact is you have your own set of faith and deities, you just choose them from science textbooks. If you recall we had this VERY debate many years ago when you and I briefly dated. You MUST have a degree of faith in science in order for experiments to be conducted in the first place. Otherwise, you would never form a hypothesis or theory in the first place. The first thought is “I think ‘x’ will occur as the end result” is faithful conjecture you’re hoping to prove. Science is a methodology based on INFERENCE and, at best, predicts what MIGHT occur. It arguably takes more faith to look at the world around you and think “one day man will solve that” than it does to say “science is the means by which we discover the intricate nature of the universe as designed by God.” I’m not applying the “God of the gaps” to that which we don’t understand, but you seem all to willing to apply “Science of the gaps” to assume that which we are discovering proves that there is nothing outside of what we already understand.
Assuming that Christian faith is just “blindly taking steps through a dark door” says more about how little you actually know about Christianity than it does about any decision on my part with regard to my intelligence. Furthermore, the fact that you deride my fiancee’ in the process is just flat out arrogant and insulting. I think I’m owed more respect than you have shown me. More importantly you owe Jessica, someone whom you have never met or know anything about, an apology.
For the record, it was rational and logical thinking, NOT my libido, that brought me to the conclusion that there is a God and Christ died so that we are free from the chains of sin. I became an atheist at 13, at 34 I’m infinitely more intelligent that I was 20 years ago. Overcoming –to an extent, it’s a perpetual struggle–any depression or sadness is a result of maturing beyond my youth “angst.” In actuality it was the time spent as a very active and vocal member of a Secular Humanist society (and one of the first members of Atheist Nexus) that was the final straw. During that time the entire movement was revealed for what it is; empty, angry, dogma void of personal responsibility and crying out for mental slavery. Darwin was attempting to unravel mysteries of life, that he has become a deity is an accident not of his hand but of those like Dawkins, Hitchens, Barker and their blind (faithful) followers. I didn’t want dogma, I wanted answers. I’ve learned more in 6 months of studying, critiquing and examining Christianity with a fine-toothed comb than I did in the 20 years of moral-relativism, angry rebellion and self-destruction.
Truly your comment just makes me very sad for you and, albeit selfishly, sad at how little you truly seem to know about it me. I would have thought that our friendship was predicated on how we are as people and there was enough respect to give someone the benefit of the doubt.
Anne,
Now, all my rambling and being disappointed aside, if you would like to discuss things further, in a civil manner, I’d be more than happy to fill you in on what’s been going on in my world and how I’ve come to where I am now.
I am still very hurt by what I perceived your insinuations to be. However, that does not preclude me from being willing to be talk about the how’s and why’s if you’re interested.
-Sean
Yikes, no sense of humor about this eh?
My apologies.
I do regret that I responded in a less than calm manner. However, when I feel Jessica is being denigrated it’s not something I take lightly. I couldn’t be more blessed and proud to have Jessica in my life. So, in that regard, I don’t have a sense of humor. Even moreso when it’s insinuated that either she is just an “ignorant Christian” or her value is relegated to her looks. Although, to be honest, I think her record of academic accomplishments and MENSA membership speak for themselves much better than I’m able to speak for her.
Regardless, I did not respond to your comment very well at all and for that I apologize.
As I said in my second comment, if you’re interested in finding out what has been going on I’d love to share my experience with you. I can assure you it’s far from illogical, crazy, or fueled by a raging libido. I’d like to think that –particularly after 2 decades of study and maturity– that it’s rather interesting.
I do thank you for your apology. It is appreciated. I hope you can understand why I reacted as I did on Jessica’s behalf and can accept my apology as well.