Tuesday, 27 January 2009
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Excuses I've Heard for Not Being a Christian
Guest post by DanishDoll
Then Agrippa said unto Paul, Almost thou persuadest me to be a Christian. – Acts 26:28 KJV
At one point in my childhood, I remember we had a cleaning lady. She was someone from the church where my parents were pastors who needed a job, and my Mom appreciated the extra help.
On the days when the cleaning lady was going to come, my Mom would run around before work picking things up and straightening and wiping and dusting. When we ask her why she was doing all that, she reminded us that the cleaning lady was coming that day. Uh... yeah. My Dad would tease her, “Will there be anything left for her to do?” It doesn’t make much sense to clean your house before the cleaning lady comes.
I know people who don’t think they can come to church because their life is a mess. They think they have to “get it together” before God will accept them. Not so! It is God who gives us the strength and help to clean up our lives. We should not be afraid to come to Him dirty and messed up.
There are other people who want to “sow their wild oats” and THEN they will become a Christian. They don’t want to do it when they are young because they think once you are a Christian, you will never have any fun. That’s just silly! I have never had so much fun in my life. And it is guilt-free-not-waking-up-busted-and-ashamed fun. Trust me, I have had some of that “fun” and it is not so great. The fun I enjoy now lifts me up.
I know people who say they can’t become a Christian because they don’t know all the answers. I don’t know all the answers, either, and I don’t know anyone else who does! We are saved by faith, not knowledge. So, that is no excuse, either.
God is not a cleaning lady, but He wants to clean our lives up. Whatever the reason we may give for avoiding Him, it’s not a good one. I can’t think of anything more terrible than to have “almost” become a Christian – to have heard the good news of freedom, but made excuses for not receiving it.
Did you ever make these excuses before coming to God?
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- From: DanishDoll@xanga
- Name: Mae
- Location: Denmark
- About Me: I've got the joy down in my heart!
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Comments (75)
I have a hard time putting faith into a book. Especially when all religions have books and that's about it. Which book do you put faith in?
ps. Books are written by humans and can easily be manipulated.
one of the ugly thingz about xtianity iz the assumption that non xtianz are without gawd i hav never used the xamples you give for not being a xtian haz it not entered your mind that for som of us ther are valid theologikal & historikal reasonz for not being xtian
<< I know people who don’t think they can come to church because
their life is a mess. They think they have to “get it together” before
God will accept them. >>
sometimes i think people don't think they can come to church because their life is a mess (like everyone else) and they think they have to "get it together" before people in the church will accept them.
@Pcgecko85@xanga - i dont know why everyone puts faith in the book but for me it is simple.it says there is something better after all the crap we go threw in life we actually get a break.if we follow rules that everyone should follow any way.think about the ten commandments are rules that wheather you were raised in a religuos house or not most parents teach them to there kids. dont steal dont lie dont kill.yes there are 7 others but there is only one more in the bible that matters. thou shalt not put any god before me. now in that simple belief have i harmed you in any way.I believe in that book because its easy there is no second guessing.yes people can choose to fight it or disprove it but to wat point to disappoint people.yes there are some serious fanatics but hell people that dont believe have serious fanatics but we dont make a big deal about when they go phsyco.
@Pcgecko85@xanga - Jesus once complained to some very religious people, “You search the Scriptures because you think that in them you have eternal life; it is these that testify about Me; and you are unwilling to come to Me so that you may have life.” (John 5:39–40)
The message of Christianity is not (primarily) to trust in the Bible; it's to trust in Jesus. The message of the Scriptures is, not entirely coincidentally, also to trust in Jesus.
In other words, my trust in the Scriptures is based on my faith in Jesus, not the other way around.
Clear?
@Pcgecko85@xanga - Pass the Aura put it the best, but also, the Bible meets and exceeds every test we have for historical documents of antiquity. (Next time you're in a Library or bookstore thumb through the first few chapters of Lee Strobel's Case For Christ, which was researched when Mr. Strobel was an atheist.) That doesn't mean it can't be misinterpreted, but it's more historically sound than the sources we have regarding Alexander the Great.
Also, I find it easier to believe than other Religious Books because it has many authors who, taken in context, give a cohesive message that does not contradict itself in any major way (though there are, admittedly, minor differences in numbers and emphases).
@pansybradshaw@xanga - Agreed...to a point. It is ugly the assumptions we often make about non-Christians.
But at the same time, the reasons people who have logical, theological, empirical, or other objections cite don't make sense to me. I'm thoroughly convinced that Christianity is logically sound. I've looked at it from many different angles, renounced it, attacked it, defended it, and try as I may, I cannot find a hole in the logic. Contrary to whatever Dawkins may ramble about (he is far and away the worst atheist apologist I've ever read), the evidence points towards Jesus.
Why aren't people allowed to not be Christian? You make it sound like it's the default state, and if we haven't gotten there, we're somehow defective.
My biggest issue with Christianity was the idea that hell exists and that a loving God would allow His children to go there. Even some Christians I know have a hard time swallowing that. However, the reality of who Jesus was overwhelmed me and the journey of getting to know him seemed much more important than anything else. Christianity is first and foremost about having a relationship with Jesus. There are certainly other questions to consider but getting to know Jesus seems more important than anything else.
@LadyLibellule@xanga - The default state is to not be a Christian. Nobody is born a Christian.
@gabrielpeter@xanga - According to born-again Christians, maybe. Other groups believe you can be Christian from birth.
@LadyLibellule@xanga - I can understand that to some degree. I was born into a Christian home, meaning that my mom and dad were Christians and raised their children teaching God and His Word. But that didn't make me a Christian. I still made a choice to follow Christ.
@sarahzthoughts@xanga - I completely agree. I have a hard time swallowing that concept too, but I think that what matters most is that I put my faith and trust in a relationship with Jesus.
..As well as following his example, and leading a good life of course :)
what a fantastic illustration and I'd say that even sometimes in my life when I "mess up" I tend to be all standoffish with my prayers, feeling that I will be a disappointment... phewy! that's human emotions, God knows all before it even happens and He still loves unconditionally - excellent post!
@sarahzthoughts@xanga - @prettygirlxx23@xanga - It seems our society wants to absolve people from responsibility for their actions and decisions. God is willing that every person have the opportunity to decide for or against him. My in-laws were in the Amazon jungle for 25 years to bring the gospel to Indian tribes. I think God being just and righteous will provide that opportunity.
But as C.S. Lewis wrote, "There are only two kinds of people in the end, Those who say to God, 'Thy will be done.', and those to whom God will say in the end, 'Thy will be done.'"
What about those who go to church, but struggle to get God because "it just doesn't make sense"? Those who are broken because it just doesn't click in their head, because it's never been put forth in that way that makes it make sense?
What possibly breaks me the most is this, it's me all over. I never wanted to go back to church because after I left, it didn't make sense, and of course that childlike faith vanished. If it wasn't for that possible accountability I'd run into now, I'd want to run off again, but there are quite a few amazing people I've re-met that would be keeping up with that. I know I've gone completely off the original topic, but what do you tell someone who just doesn't seem to get it, who seems so frustrated?
It is like I heard a man ask, "Do you get cleaned up before you take a bath, or do you take a bath to get cleaned up?"
@Tiny_Tim_01@xanga - But there are many people that are FOR God, just not for the same one that we believe in. It's not that they're against them - They're just for him in a different way.
And yes, God is just and righteous, but he is also merciful and forgiving, isn't He?
@prettygirlxx23@xanga - He is faithful and just to forgive, absolutely, it's in the book... The prerequisite is that we must confess our sins (to Him) 1 Jn. 1:9
@Tiny_Tim_01@xanga - Well, as Christians. We're asked to be forgiving, right? And do we require someone to apologize to us for our forgiveness? Can't we forgive someone for their mistake even if they choose not to acknowledge it? I know I have. And God is a LOT greater than I am. So there is no way that I'm capable of doing something he's not...
@prettygirlxx23@xanga - Well, I'm just quoting from the Bible...
@Tiny_Tim_01@xanga - Lol. true enough, you were. I was just asking what you thought about it.
I lean to the literal interpretations. God's requirement that we confess our sins is not because He somehow 'carries a grudge', it is we who need to realize and admit our wrongdoing. James 5:16 instructs us to confess our sins to one another. I think one reason for this is for us to 'own up' to our short comings, and second to have accountability to prevent us from going down the same road again.
@LadyLibellule@xanga -
Um, people ARE allowed to not be Christians. The tone of the original poster comes from the fact that it's a Christian website. While anybody is free to read and comment, it doesn't make much sense to whine about a Christian tone in a blog whose author and intended audience are Christians.
It's like me going to an economist's blog whose writings are intended for other economists and complaining that all the things they're saying don't make sense, and trying to tell them that not all people are economists. The comment is going to be out of place, and doesn't really add anything to the conversation. That may not be the best analogy, but it's the best I could come up with on the spot.
Granted, it's not just you. People do this all over Revelife. I really don't get the point.