CFF Objection #7: Church History is Littered with Oppression and Violence

As a history buff/teacher, this has definitely been a glaring issue for me for many years.  I've had a great struggle with the fact that the church has acted in grave hypocrisy throughout its history...so when I saw this chapter title I was definitely intrigued!

Q1: "Isn't it true that the church through the centuries has intentionally glossed over instances of abuse?"

A1: "I would make a clear line of demarcation between people who are part of 'the church' and the institutional churches...just because a person is part of a church doesn't necessarily mean he or she is a follower of Jesus. Some people are cultural Christians but not authentic Christians."  "Jesus talked about this distinction two millennia go. And certainly through the centuries much has been done in the name of Christianity that does not reflect his teachings...At the same time, we should recognize that there has often been a minority voice that has spoken out against abuses that some institutional churches have perpetrated."

R1: It took a LONG time for me to be able to make this distinction and eventually overcome my distaste for Christianity enough to open my mind and heart to AUTHENTIC Christianity.  I think that for a lot of people without Christian upbringing, reading Jesus' teachings - the words in red - can go along way to opening eyes to what the religion is really supposed to be about.  Unfortunately, the institutional churches have become so political throughout history that I think they do more to repel potential believers than to welcome them.  It's still hard to separate the two though; first of all, there are plenty of "cultural Christians" who give the religion a bad name, and the whole "guilty by association" still creeps in from time to time.  Unfortunately it seems that the religion has strayed from its roots:


"Part of the reason for Christianity's rapid spread, historians have remarked, was simply that the early Christians were such nice people. The very kindness of the Christians and their service to the poor and downtrodden attracted new adherents...The lifestyle of Christians matched their teachings, so that many early Christians were not afraid to say 'Imitate us as we imitate Christ.'  Unfortunately, in contemporary evangelicalism sometimes people say, 'Don't look at us, look at Christ'."

It's my goal to be a Christian that leads by example - that allows non-believers a glimpse of true, authentic Christianity...rather than the modern, shove-down-your-throat version that seems to have become so popular...I just don't understand how those Christians can possibly think that their attitude/actions are going to in any way accomplish our charge of spreading the faith.  It seems to me that it does far more harm than good.

 

Biblestudy Blog

Instead of inviting people to this blog, I used another blog of mine for the virtual biblestudy. There are quite a few people that I know that are in similar places in regards to faith. I have been missing them. They are scattered across the country.... so as I posted the biblestudy, I thought -- I would like to invite this and that person - to hear their comments.

So I did it in a seperate place.

It is Good Friday. As I reflect on the day ... I am reminded that faith is a journey that is not always fulfilling. Jesus was doing miracles, helping people, forgiving people, showing compassion. Then things changed. Everyone turned against him. Everyone abandoned him. Even God. At least that's what it was like. People mocked him. He suffered. And God didn't come to stop the suffering or to even comfort him in those last moments.

But as I listened to the text last night ... as Jesus died the curtain in the temple ripped... the Spirit of God was released into the world. There was an earthquake and graves were opened and people raised from the dead. God was all around. All present the moment Jesus died. But Jesus didn't feel that. He felt the coldness of death. Sunday morning he woke up in resurrection. A holy mystery God present in and with him. And the sting and sadness of suffering was light years away.

I think of seasons in our life. Sometimes God is shaping us and it doesn't feel like God is with us. But God has purpose in our emptiness and our boredom. He has purpose in our longing. He has strength and is working in and around us. We just have to trust and listen.

Lent

Now that I'm back from Spring Break I'm back on the horse!  Just a mini-post tonight though so that you have the chance to get caught up :-)

Adam and I had multiple discussions about Lent this year and we weren't really able to come up with good ideas of something we should give up; so instead we decided to reignite our search for a home church.  The basketball coach Adam worked with invited us to his church, so we've been going there for the past few weeks.  Adam likes the church, I think it reminds him some of St. Luke's...but I'm still not feeling connected.  When we went to ResLife in GR for the first time I immediately felt the Holy Spirit wash over me - the music, the message, all the pieces were in place.  While the messages have been decent at this new church, the rest of the pieces of the puzzle are missing for me.  Haven't felt anything at any of the churches that we've been to in Kalamazoo; and I feel like I should feel something when I go to church.  Adam and I were talking in the car after service today and he was saying that he's beginning to wonder if we're being too picky.  That maybe we can't expect to feel a connection right away, that we need to build that connection.

But I feel like you should be able to feel the Holy Spirit while you're at church - what's the point of going if you're not really connected?  We haven't been to a church yet that feels alive to me.

Are my expectations too high?  And if so, why?!  I just don't understand why it would be the accepted norm that going to church is more of a "going through the motions" experience than a connected, spiritual experience. Am I being selfish/too picky?