Christianity has taken a lot of hits over the years. There was that whole Crusade thing, which in retrospect really didn’t turn out that well for us. We’ve been involved in inquisitions, witch burnings, suppression of minorities. Hitler claimed that God was directing him. So did the IRA. The British believed that it was there God given right to oppress India. Most of the people with baseball bats who were attacking the blacks in Selma were Christians too. At least in name and culture.

You see, that’s the problem with Christianity. It’s become a cultural thing. If you ask the average person on the street what a Christian is they will talk about Jesus Fish bumper stickers, and tithing, and not having any fun. They think of Christianity as a cult. They really do.

Christians listen to Christian music, not good music. Christians don’t smoke drink or chew or go out with girls that do. Christians are uptight, and judgmental, and narrow minded. Christians don’t like gay people. TV Christians are rich and tacky and basically evil.

Even within the Christian world itself it’s hard for some of us to identify with Christians. The Christians leading the charge have it together, and they don’t struggle like we do. They are pushy and close minded and being a Christian sometimes feels like a list of rules, more than a relationship with Christ.

Christians are supposed to believe in the in pre-tribulation rapture. Christians vote conservative and don’t care about the environment. Evangelicals have to believe in the inerrancy of the bible. Basically Christianity is about believing the right stuff.

I’m finding that I want to be called a Christian less and less, and an evangelical not at all. Don’t get me wrong, I still believe in Jesus, I still want to be sold out to him and his cause. I just feel like there is so much baggage with that title. So much narrow-mindedness.

I don’t care if the rapture happens in my lifetime or at all. I want to still be friends with people I don’t agree with. I don’t want to feel obligated to listen to bad Christian music or send my kids to Christian schools or home school. If I was an American I would definitely not vote republican. I don’t think the bible was intended to give us a template for creation. I don’t believe the world is 6000 years old. And the worse part is, if you have been raised in the narrow Christian worldview, some of that might really bother you. You see, you’ve been DNA’d, if you are a Christian, to be offended if people sound different...even about things that don’t matter.

at least i'm not an atheist...