February 17, 2013
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Sunday Devotional: Hated for Faith
In this country, Christians are sometimes accused of having a persecution complex. "Oh you Christians, always thinking the media/Hollywood/your neighbor is out to get you!" And I admit, it can be true sometimes. Christians at times tend to either fall for elaborate conspiracies (That Disney movie totally has hidden messages!!?!!) or to blame others for their own bad behavior.
But let's not go too far. Sometimes, Christians are indeed hated for just being Christian. Take the Christian sorority girl who tries to live a pure sexual life, living in a house with her sisters who live promiscuous lives. No matter how nice she tries to be to them, how kind, her very existence is a sort of testimony that sex is not necessary, and that one can find fulfillment in life without man's approval. They find her eating breakfast calmly at 10 AM while they slink in from various empty exploits from the night before. No surprise, then, that she feels unwanted and a bit disliked, although no one is ever quite clear as to why that is.
Usually, it's the Christians who are expected to compromise. The non-Christian hints, "Don't say anything about my drunkenness: don't wince when I curse in your presence." And a Christian can fool themselves into thinking "Oh, I need to be a nicer person to those who don't believe the same things I do." But in reality, often, there is nothing the Christian can do to be acceptable to non-Christians. Because when we abstain from what they do, our abstinence makes them think twice, and inspires anger. Saint Peter tells the story well: "They insult you now because they are surprised that you are no longer joining them in the same excesses of wild living."
I have to admit, for the most part, my attempts to be more friendly to those who made different lifestyle choices than I have failed. One cannot be a true Christian without being hated: the absence of hatred indicates the presence of compromise.
Comments (28)
Quite true. Our love fails to win them over. They don't understand how our love for Jesus can enable us to say no to base instincts. They also don't realize that we have not said that we are better than they. If they were to ask us, we would tell them that we are like them, and that is why we need Christ and His new life.
The dark does not like when light reveals its filth, they run for the corners and wish, rather than to come out of the dark, to ban the light. They must become tired of the coldness of the dark and learn to seek the warmth of the light.
I've been ridiculed for not having sex until married, and endured many attempts of persuasion to swear. The people who failed to sway me eventually stopped talking to me when unsuccessful, while others who accepted my right to choose a different way of living ended up toning down their own exploits... or at least stopped talking about them and tried not to swear in my presence. I don't comprehend how some people who say they have the right to not share my beliefs don't give me the same right to hold those beliefs.
I think that people (particularly groups of people) tend towards showing dislike of people who abstain from the things that they do because they take it as a judgement on them. If I go out with a group of people who drink a lot and refuse to drink at all because I don't like being drunk they take it as me judging them for their choice to drink. It isn't so much to do with anyone being a Christian or indeed any other religion, just to do with people having a different lifestyle. I think that more people are scared of being judged by others than they would care to admit and when you spend most of your time with people who act in a similar way to you that makes you feel comfortable because they are effectively telling you that it is alright to do what you do, and as soon as you spend time with people who do differently to you it sets off a worry that they think that you are wrong. People don't like to feel that they are being told that they are wrong whether that be by a Christian, an atheist, a Jew, a Muslim or anyone. That doesn't mean that the Christian (or whoever it might be) actually IS telling them they are wrong or even thinking it (though they may well be), but the other people interpret that they are which scares them... usually because subconsciously they actually know that what they are doing isn't really the right thing for them.
But the one chik who broke your heart was a christian...
i think the sadder thing is to see people who claim to love God, and value his word chasing the world like a fat kid chasing an ice-cream truck. people who once said they wanted to do his work and have him at the center of their relationships chasing sex and alcohol and the party lifestyle all with a group of people whom they described as cliquish and judgmental and, by enumerating their words/actions, emotionally abusive.
We bring some of it on our selves at times. But most of the haters just have guilt issues going one. They know what they are doing does not work
We shouldn't be surprised if we're hated. Christ told us we would be (John 15:18-25). Of course we should do our best to not give them good reasons to hate us. I do find, however, that having a positive relationship with someone of different religious or political beliefs is far easier offline than online. Offline we generally have to live with each other. Online we don't and we can get off on feelings of moral superiority.
Having a designated driver who is a Christian sort of exploits the Christian. Having a Christian roomate that is forced to not be at the apartment also exploits the Christian. However if the "sinner" does not feel any guilt, maybe he is a heartless person and beyond redemption? Christians should feel glad that they are sort of feeling guilty, rather than being heartless heathens.
Remember Relevations? Where the folks who are neither hot or cold are really the worst possible candidates for G-d? Yes there is a thin line between love and hate.
I knew god thru my best friend cheryl, she never judged me like other would have, she just listened with a straight face and neither did she like forced her faith on me or invited me to church. I'm so blessed and thankful for her tht she gets me and knows my heart and the words to say or pray to calm me down. Despite the life i was living, it was wrong, i could be honest with her, and not feel comdamned, just wanted to say undeserved grace won me o'er... God is so good and amazing to sent me a pastor's daughter to minister to me at the lowest crazy point in my life.
I don't want to judge anyone or placate to anyone. I don't plan to be condesending. Really though, it isn't any of my business what others think, want, and so on unless they are with Christ. I value lessons that come my way. Sometimes of course, non-Christians have insights. Sometimes non-Christians are open to being moral and to higher ethical values. I want to be there for them. If that be not the case; if my values are thrust aside as though I should repent for loving Christ, well, I don't feel any reret or remorse if I say "Get lost" to a non-believer that wants to flaunt sin.
I gotta be honest, I hate when Christians say things like "there is nothing the Christian can do to be acceptable to non-Christians" cuz it is just so full of Sh*T.
and i first knew her when i was on my way asking her and her mates for directions to the club we were all heeding to in Australia and we became tight ever since... lol I asked for directions to a nightclub but god set me on a path to know him thru her... (:
Very true... when someone is a good person, it puts pressure on others since they realize that they can be a better person too.
I've been ostracized by others because I refuse to join in on gossiping for example. I won't say a word and if someone asks me what I think, I say I don't talk about others when they're not present. It pisses people off.
This is so very true. Thanks for posting this.
If you don't want to drink/have sex/smoke whatever, power to you. It's when people preach and butt in to other's business that problems arise. Doesn't matter what religion you identify with. Unless someone asked, your opinions aren't welcome.
"Because when we abstain from what they do, our abstinence makes them think twice, and inspires anger."
so much for Christian humility... your choices do not affect us heathens that much. it's when you seem to forget to respect OUR decisions that you become unbearable. even this blog is riddled with judgments of those who live lives different from yours. that's not a Christian thing... that's a stuck-up, holier-than-thou, douchebag thing. don't blame your character flaws and ignorance on your religion.
I regret having to be lumped into the group of "them" but understand the reasoning. However, do you think that I pressure my friends to drink when they say no? Do you think that as a non-Christian, I would pressure someone to have sex simply because I am? No. I regret that many Christians feel excluded, pressured to conform. However, the real strength in the Christian religion is to follow Jesus and his teachings, to restrain yourself from certain things and to live your lives as Christ did.
Many people are going to pressure us and wonder at us as we make different choices than themselves. We must simply continue about our business, encouraging others in self-improvement, rather than tearing them down for their mistakes.
Thank you for the good post!
and vice versa
There are those of us who are faithless and yet don't drink to excess, sleep around, or otherwise engage in debauchery. On the flip side, let's consider some of the basketball players I knew of at school/follow on twitter. Most are nominally Christian, many have Bible verses or affirmations of their faith in their 'about me' section there, and most do all of these things. I can still remember the first time my old manager friend told me about 'wifeys' vs the girls on the side that almost every player had and I was inwardly horrified. Of course, if all the girls knew about each other and were OK with the situation, that would be different, but somehow I doubt such a large proportion of the student body would be openly polyamorous like that... I am digressing from my point, though.
The point being that once we start throwing labels into a situation, it becomes more complicated. And 'Christian' is a BIG, BROAD label. There are thousands of denominations, probably millions of different interpretations of what Being A Christian means. I would be willing to bet that if you asked a thousand Christians about what Being Christian entails, you would get a thousand different answers. So if you say a person will be hated for Being Christian... well, what exactly does that mean? It depends entirely on who is making that statement. Clearly the players I mentioned before have a different interpretation of what that means than you do, just as you have a different interpretation from my Mennonite neighbors. Now purists of the faith may say that Jesus said to do X, Y and Z and any deviation from these things is misinterpretation... but this is true of almost every denomination, is it not? They all think they're right, otherwise there wouldn't be so many! And the nature of literature is such that a case can be made for almost any viewpoint, even when they're diametrically opposed to one another. People can't agree on what Shakespeare meant, never mind Jesus!
So where am I going with this. Ok, let's look at your example. You propose that this Christian girl's sorority sisters dislike her because she's never done a Walk of Shame (obviously I'm paraphrasing, you know that I get what you mean). I don't think this has anything to do with her Christianity, unless she's very preachy and goody-two-shoes about waiting for marriage, but you've not said this about her, so I'll assume that isn't the case. There are a lot of elements at play here, most of them cultural. If the other girls feel judged for their promiscuity, it is something that they are putting upon themselves. Why is this? If they are otherwise mentally healthy, are not being coerced into sleeping with many partners, and are using appropriate protection, I would say that there is nothing wrong with their behavior. (Obviously if they're doing it for the wrong reasons something is awry, but this is psychological, not religious.) The unfortunate cultural trope is that men who sleep around are studs while women who do so are sluts, which is an antiquated notion at best. Girls can enjoy sex, too. Even casual sex! Why didn't you use the example of a Christian guy in a fraternity in this same situation? Probably it didn't occur to you, because men in this culture aren't expected to be pure snowflakes, and in that stereotypical situation it would probably be the virgin guy who would be put upon by the other frat members for being a loser/weirdo/etc. where in your situation you have elevated the virgin female (so really it is you who are being judgmental in this case, not them). This is again less to do with Christianity and more to do with our culture than anything. Also, since we're speaking in stereotypes, let's remember that girls in a confined space like a sorority house will probably find reasons to hate each other anyway, regardless of religious affiliation.
And one last question- you needn't answer it, but something to think about- do you believe that if the girl in question was not religious, but simply wasn't a fan of heavy drinking or promiscuity, would the reaction of the other girls be the same?
Now you know that I like and respect you, and you know that I understand where you're coming from. Your interpretation of your faith means that you must do x and you mustn't do y and so on and so forth. So I will put this as nicely as I can- yes, as a person of faith in a secular society, it is you who must do the compromising if you care to be friends with us, the Godless. Because to us, your rules are arbitrary, and asking us to follow them is just silly. Imagine if you were spending time with the Amish and they wanted you to stop using electricity, wear plain, homemade clothes and grow a chinstrap beard. Extreme, no? Ah, but their branch of Christianity tells them that is what is required of people! But you say wait, the tenets of their faith don't apply to me- well that is how we feel about religion, period!
If you abstain from some things, it won't cause you to be hated (so long as you are friends with reasonable people). Whether you abstain because your arbitrary rules say you must or because your tastes are simply different doesn't make a difference. But if you abstain from a thing and make a fuss about it because of your arbitrary rules and imply that others shouldn't be doing it either, even though they have no expectation of heaven or hell or all the rest of it, that is where dislike will come from. You absolutely have every right to believe what you like and you even have the right to proselytize, and the godless have just as much right to say hey, dude, that's annoying, cut it out- and to stop hanging out with you if you don't. You can also choose not to be friends with the Godless, if it bothers you that much.
Whew, that was a rant. If you made it through all this, I congratulate you on your patience. Apologies if I've missed the point entirely. (Also for the record I think you would look cool with a chinstrap beard.)
one of my bestfriend is an atheist (but maybe closet agnostic because she kinda believes in superstitious beliefs) and my other one is agnostic. we kinda just learn to agree to disagree. but they're like, "seriously, you're only going to have sex with one guy?"
eh... Justin Bieber is also hated for just being Justin Bieber, lol
Maybe I'm just terribly anti-social, but I haven't met anyone who hated a Christian simply because of their religious affiliations. Most people I know simply hate the religion itself, not necessarily the people within it (at least not without reason). It's when Christians start pushing their you're-going-to-hell-for-being-a-godless-heathen crap down my throat that I start to get angry.
I want to high-five you for this post but a couple of things irk me and I thought I'd share because most of the comments have been encouraging (as far as I have read). I agree completely with @chronic_masticator. And what irks me is based on two assumptions: 1) You live in a 1st world country due to your connection to Xanga 2) Abstinence is not a christian ideal. Are any 1st world country Christians really persecuted? If someone give you the stink eye or says I don't like person A because they're Christian an example of hatred? In my opinion, no, and I, as many an American-Christian, fall in the trap of complaining about circumstances and using harsh words to label my situation. In all honesty, with a little bit of historical/political knowledge one can come to the clear conclusion that, in fact, 1st world country "Christians" are not persecuted. In your example the other sorority girls' anger wasn't towards the fact that she was Christian, it was that the Christian had a positive self-image while they did not.
Believers need to be showing others the gospel of grace and love....if we dont then we are just people that wont do this or that....the heart behind that girl not sleeping around might be more important than her not sleeping around....if her attitude is "im better than you"...then that's not the gospel....but if her attitude is "im worse than you and God forgave me!..."...that is the gospel....if it does not come from a humble place we just might be missing its true worth.... "Something is wrong when our lives make sense to unbelievers.” ― Francis Chan
I follow a very spiritual path in my life and have a relationship with G-D, the Divine, the Universe, Goddess, whatever one's word may be. I do not exclusively asociate with one religion. I follow G-d. I know of Jesus and consider him a powerful and true teacher. I believe the New testament has been considerably edited and while it still contains much of Jesus's essence, it does not fully capture it. I think one thing you've left out in your post is compassion. Do you enjoy being hated? I understand the need for speaking truth. I have learned this often upsets people, so I relate to what you're saying. Yet I don't focus on the negative - what their negative reaction could potentially be. We are all capable of love and light and divine connection. We are all on the path we are on to learn some specific lesson, and who are you, or I, to judge another for not agreeing with the view I or you have learned as truth on our path? We are not in control. G-d is. Speaking truth is one thing, but giving compassion and love seem preferred to assuming hatred. And that's not easy. And that why Jesus said it, and that's why so many rejected it.
Anyway its not about you or I being acceptable to others. Its about us accepting others and ourselves the way they/we are. this si also what Jesus taught. Acceptance and love! That doesn't mean a person can't change.
Luke 6:26: Woe to you, when all people speak well of you, for so their fathers did to the false prophets. // John 3:13: Do not be surprised, brothers, that the world hates you.
I am an atheist but I know many Christians. I'll admit that sometimes I get annoyed at some of them just for posting one too many Bible verses that end up in my news feed and also for "praying" as a status update. An example of this : "Please God help me feel better soon. I know I haven't been doing the best lately, but I really need to get back to work" or "Thank you God for this beautiful day!" It just seems odd to me to put something like that on Facebook when it sounds more like a prayer. It seems more like they are trying to show off how spiritual they are rather than being genuine. Facebook itself may be the problem since I tend to get annoyed with anyone who overshares or posts the same types of things over and over again.
Sometimes, I get annoyed at Christians on facebook simply because they are free to post what they want about what they believe while if I posted anything even hinting at atheism, they would jump on it immediately and likely scold me. It's my fault I guess for having so much family on there.
There's definitely a lot of hate out there for Christians. I would say though that if I dislike someone, it's for their personality and not for their beliefs.
I think that in the case of the sorority example, the annoyance probably stems more from thinking that the Christian girl thinks she is better than them or perhaps they have their own insecurity and think she's better/stronger than they are. I also think it's a common thing for non-Christians to assume that all Christians think that they are better than them. I hate those kinds of assumptions. Not everyone fits into a neat little category.
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