It's Gotta Be Up to Us

Generally, I believe in refraining from comment on religion. Personally, I'm a nondenominational Christian with widespread views. However, a particularly well-loved Jesus Freak friend of mine confided something in me recently that I'd like to open up for discussion.

Recently the church that I attend has had some policy changes that are somewhat annoying to those that take everything literally or, more appropriately, attempt to incorporate their religious beliefs into every facet of their lives. Some see that as having great integrity, and others as impossible but a noble attempt. I'm a noble attempt kind of person. The changes that the church made, for the record, have not been publicly enforced upon its members at any point. However, serious concerns have arisin in my friend's mind. The first; gimmicks. Is everyone focusing more on marketing than mannerisms here? Another; is the leadership of the church taking the issues of denomination and church membership too far? I believe that question is harder to answer.

Recently, several incidents have occured between church leadership and the members of the church, especially in the student ministry. I will assert no opinions about the specific instances, only make them known for examination.

The first happened between my friend and the youth minister. My friend, who is (and I mean this with all love and in moderation) a little over-aggressive about religion at times, noticed the gimmick-frenzies and many hypocritical activities and, in a move that I think was a bit too much, posted a bullitin on myspace calling said church a "cult". The youth pastor is a myspace friend to most of the students at the church, and eventually saw the post and confronted my friend, which I acknowledge he had a right to do. After a spat, my friend and the minister worked the problem out like adults and my friend assumed that the air was clear. However, the youth pastor later brought my friend's family and other members of the church into the argument to assail him. That is what truly made the action of the administration questionable.

A more recent incident involves a student minister and the hierarchy above him. Said minister has been visiting other churches for some time due to the annoying changes mentioned at the beginning of this blog. He contuinued to treat fellow church members with love and respect, and took it upon himself to withdraw his membership from the church in an orderly and polite manner. His meeting with the head pastor over the issue was not entirely lovey-dovey, but the minister did successfully resign his membership without too much trouble. There were no problems until he attempted to attend a Christ-centered recovery group which he had helped lead and, though hosted by his former church, is and always has been open to the public (note: minister is an upstanding member of the community and does not abuse alcohol or drugs, but simply used his kindness and knowledge to help those that wanted to kick habits). When minister arrived at the meeting for the group, its leader approached him and told him that he was no longer welcome in the recovery group, and that these orders were from the lead pastor of the church. The minister later found another branch of the same recovery program, attended a meeting and, lo and behold, discovered more displaced, former members of his old church that had been kicked out of the program because they no longer chose to worship there.

Reserve of my opinion ends here.

This is so wrong. A pothead seeking sympathy can walk into a church off the street and get a pat on the back from a Christian support group, but an earnest Christian man with a desire to help people cannot attend a meeting of the same group because he, like the pothead, does not attend that church. The church opens its arms and says, "All are welcome, no strings attatched" but excommunicates a man that was once a valued member? No one is ever required to join the church to attend such meetings, but God forbid you withdraw your membership. It simply isn't right.

Jesus Christ offered salvation to the Jews and the Gentiles. He spoke words of love and healing to fishermen, tax collectors, prostitutes, religious elders, and anyone else willing to listen. His mercy is undeniable and His grace sufficient. So where is that of the people that call themselves His body? Is a man with a mind of his own any more unworthy of God's infinite love and acceptence than the other sinners doomed to die...is a free-thinking man worth less than anyone else? Free-thinking men founded the country that gives us the right to worship the God that these people so horribly represent. I am no angel; I do not claim to be perfect or even acceptable by any specific Biblical standard...but I will not stand silent among a group of people that I feel blatantly misrepresents the God that I love. Religion is relitive. Ultimately all responsibility for actions made based on religious views or beliefs lies on the shoulders of the person making those actions. If a person knows that, let them be. Their beliefs are their own and they are not required to apply any more or less of any structure or set of standards than they want to. A relationship with God does not require anyone but God and man, though iron sharpens iron. If there is to be a church may it do its best to guide those that seek a home inside its walls, not to mandate what is wrong or right for them and their unique situation. If God is displeased with the actions of a believer, He will chasten them. That is not the job of any preacher, priest, or reverend. No denomination has everything figured out the way God means for it to be, so instead of fighting without grounds, how about just focus on enriching our lives? God wouldn't have us arguing, and no living man can know where every trail ends. So shouldn't each human being be able to apply to his own life what beliefs are close to his heart?

Christians today are so busy fighting one another that they don't realize what jackasses they look like to the unsaved world and to each other. God made us beautiful and intellegent and gave us a choice...HE made us that way. Who are we to tell another what he may or may not believe? Christians so harass one another that many are turned away form organized religion altogether. Should a man be excommunicated by another man for doing what he feels will guide him to appropriately folllowing the God in which they both claim to believe?

My quotes on this entry: "Live as if you were to die tomorrow. Learn as if you were to live forever." ~Gandhi~

"I love your Jesus, for he is a very good man. I do not love your people. They are nothing like your Jesus." ~Gandhi

"Live and let live."

"Who are you to tell me that I'm less than what I should be?" ~Barlowgirl~

"For all have sinned and come short of the glory of God." ~The Book of Romans~