My Views of Jesus
Posted by Chris | Filed under Family, Religion
This past week has been an interesting one spiritually. My wife has gone to OK, and so I think God is using this alone time to knock me over the head with some things.
I’ve seen several different versions of Jesus this week. From the “You’re all going to Heeeeell!” Jesus, to the All-Up-In-Your-Face-With-Love Jesus, to the Jesus I thought I knew. This week God has made it into several media outlets, mainly websites and blogs, in very different forms.
Two Christian group is calling for the ban of SpongeBob SquarePants, because he supports gays (and could be gay himself).
I read an article on MSNBC.com where even Dr. James Dobson is getting in on the act (actually, he started this whole thing!). During a black-tie event celebrating the President’s re-election, Dr. Dobson said, “Their inclusion of the reference to ‘sexual identity’ within their ‘tolerance pledge’ is not only unnecessary but it crosses a moral line” (referring to the We Are Family Foundation who made a music video with over 100 cartoon characters singing “We are Family”). As Christians, isn’t our job to include everyone, rather than make war against groups that supposedly promote tolerance? Wait, isn’t that our job? To promote tolerance? Sure, we may not agree with everyone, but isn’t it our duty to love and accept all people? I respect Dr. Dobson and what he has to say, but I do disagree with him on this one. I’ve seen the video and the closest it gets to “promoting homosexuality” is 1) the rainbow-colored logo and 2) Bert from Sesame Street sliding across the screen singing a line (even though there was no sign of Ernie). No sexual reference was made. In fact, you only saw about 5 seconds of SpongeBob—Total. Seriously, FIVE SECONDS!!! I say, let the kids watch SpongeBob, Bob the Builder, and Sesame Street, because they are doing way more good than harm.
My second version of Jesus comes from my alma mater—Oklahoma State University. When I was there (makes it sound like 10 years ago), there was a guy who would come out every spring, stand on Library Lawn with a whistle, a Bible, and usually some kind of visual aid (most of the times it was a poster or graph. One time he even brought a wine glass). He told everyone they were going to Hell because the girls had short hair, were part of a sorority, wore short skirts, kissed boys, chewed gum, or painted their toenails. The boys were going to Hell because they had long hair, was a brother in a fraternity, wore short shorts, kissed girls, drank beer, or painted their toenails. To this guy, EVERYONE was going to Hell because only he and a few of his friends were good enough to go to Heaven. His name: Preacher Bob.
My last year at OK State, a friend of mine (and everyone else for that matter—this is the friendliest guy you’ll ever meet) started standing out on Library Lawn with Preacher Bob. I must admit I never heard an entire message from either guy, but everyone knew what Bob was about. This year, the friend is back; no word from Preacher Bob. From a few articles from another friend, Will, I’ve come to verbalize why this thing bothered me (this style has always bothered me—either from a lack of courage to do it myself or seeing it as a slick salesman approach or shoving it down people’s throats). Will compares this style to spam, an unsolicited message of Jesus Christ. I have to say I agree 90%. I think that the soapbox method can be used in an effective way, but it only works on people that are ready or searching and it’s risky (hence, it only works 10% of the time). It’s risky because it can quickly turn people off to the message of Jesus. From what I’ve seen and heard, more people are turned off to it, than helped by it. I know that there are those people that agree with this method and feel it works, and can “see the Spirit move” in it. I invite those people to show me one person, a non-believer that accepted, or even listened, to the message of Jesus after hearing these people. I know that these “public preachers” are helping each other and encouraging themselves, but they are already Christians! “For the Son of Man, came to seek and to save what was lost.” [NIV Luke 19:10]
Note: I still love these people and still consider them my friends. I just disagree with how they are going about spreading the Word.
The Jesus I thought I knew is the farmer who worked out in the fields with other workers—talking, fellowshipping, laughing, and working hard together. More of a behind-the-scenes, helping-hand kind of Jesus. A Jesus that helps you up when you fall down, and smiles as He reaches his hand out to you. I know God has an anger. But His is a righteous anger, where he doesn’t want to smite me, but to smite my sin and burn it from me. That’s the kind of Jesus I thought I knew—and still know. I know that I have issues that me and my God need to deal with. I know that I need to spend more time alone with Him. I know that I need to read my Bible more. But I also know that I help people when I can and I’m nice to people and I’m a hard worker and selfless. And I say these things, not to boost my ego or make myself look good, but because I think those are the qualities that Jesus has. I know that I am scum, but those qualities are the things that I think help me along and help people to see Jesus in my everyday life.
Here I lay, naked and ashamed. But it’s who I am and I know that You accept me despite that. Change me to be like You. Burn away everything that You wouldn’t have in me.
Links to articles and sources I used:
MSNBC - Christian groups go after ‘SpongeBob’
Will Phillips - Open Air Preaching on Campus
Will Phillips - Guestbook spam teaches me a lesson on public preaching.
Beliefs. Why do we believe what we believe?
Posted by Chris | Filed under Religion
Regardless of what you believe, you have reasons for them. Right? Well, it seems you should. Otherwise beliefs have no basis.Let me explain—I go into the computer lab during my break. Usually, I am one of those antisocial types who likes at least a one computer “buffer zone.” However, a third of the lab was closed b/c of a class and I was forced to sit between two guys. This wouldn’t have been so bad, except they knew each other—and proceeded to talk around me. Eventually, I was drawn into their conversation, despite my best attempts.
The guy on my right was writing an argumentative paper against gay marraiges. {Disclaimer: Whether or not he actually believed what he was writing, I do not know.} He could only come up with 1 good reason against gay marraiges (and being the atypical college kid, the paper was due in 3 hours and he wanted a nice 3 point paper). Eventually, I butted in and asked why do you think gay marraige is wrong? He said, “It’s unfair to the children (if the couple adopts).” I ask what else? He says the Bible. We look up scripture supporting our truth. We found mostly Levitical law.
After that, he kind of left me alone. But I kept trying to think of another reason against gay marraiges. And the thing is…I couldn’t. I couldn’t think of a single reason (other than it being gross) that a man (or woman) and a man (or woman) shouldn’t marry. It still bothered me a couple days later, so I did some research and came to the conclusion that I couldn’t argue to an unbeliever that gay marraiges are wrong!!! So, instead of finding answers, I found more questions.
How are we supposed to argue the Bible to those who don’t believe in the Bible?! How can we argue anything (homosexuality, abortion, assisted suicide, etc.) to unbelievers without using the Bible? I thought there had to be some universal law where we could use the Bible as a reference point and not a argument in and of itself.
I still really haven’t found a conclusion. The Bible is enough for me, but how do I convice others without using it? By the way, it’s unnatural. If everyone was gay, we couldn’t reproduce.
one love.
