Maybe what we need is a good Christian Persecution

We all know about the early days of Christianity. It was an illegal religion. Believers were arrested, tortured, and executed is the most barbaric manners. Something strange about it though. The Christians who were persecuted went to their deaths praising God. 

Today Christians in the US are not persecuted. Not only is freedom of worship guaranteed by law, but we can be totally open about our faith without fear. Just one problem, we don't praise God as much as we complain. We whine like babies every time we don't get our way. We whine every time someone criticisms us, even if we deserve it. We whine when we don't get to make the laws to suit us. We whine because non-Christians have rights too. We whine when we have to sacrifice for our faith. I wonder what the early Christian martyrs will say to us. I wonder what He who died for our sins will say to us.

I'm not suggesting a return to the "bad old days", but maybe it would be good if one could no longer claim to be a Christian without the understanding that it is going to cost us something. What if we were in the minority.   Maybe then we would offer our sacrifices to God without complaint and with joy. Maybe then we would be more certain about what we believe. Either Christ would be worth giving our lives to, regardless of the cost, or He isn't. Its do or not, no half way.

Falling in the Cracks

First of all I would like to offer a farewell to Bruce Gerencser's Falling From Grace blog. Bruce stated that he no longer enjoys doing it and has closed down the site.

If you are wondering why a believer would want to read an atheist site, there are a couple of reasons. First, there are times an atheist will tell you the truth when a Christian won't. Bill Maher made it plain that one cannot call themselves a Christian and delight in the death of Bin Laden or condone the torture of prisoners.  Do you think you would have heard that on Sunday morning?

Then too, I have never been one who could be comfortable following along with the crowd. I have always had the need to think and ask questions, some of them which will never be answered by the minister. Former believers can talk about the  struggles with their former faith. Believers are not always so free.

Its not always a problem with the church. Some of us don’t always find it easy  to take our minds off of our own struggles. Yet I have to say that too many times I find my faith far too abstract to be of value in the moment.

My question is how some of us are to fit in. If you are Gay or Transgendered, have emotional or physical difficulties, or just have needs, are we just tolerated, or is our unique situation something that can glorify God?

Happy Election Day

“Careful, Evil has a way of making friends with Good and dragging them into the Darkness” --Dr. Al Robbins to Ray Langston (Lawerence Fishburn),  CSI: Crime Scene Investigation

Isn't it the truth? The scriptures themselves warn us that Satan can disguise himself as an angel of light. Still we seem to fall for the deception more often than not. Sometimes I can't help but thinking that Christian involvement in politics is like making a deal with the Devil. No matter who you vote for, you're going to lose.

An atheist blogger pointed out that Christians use the same book, we rely on the same Gospel and he same Holy Spirit, yet we are all unbelievably fragmented. Try explaining that. Maybe we just do not really believe in the power of God to change lives. We rely on human solutions instead.

Sure, I voted, but I am under no delusion that voting democratic or republican will accomplish God's will. "Issues" will not save anyone. Only the power of the Gospel can do that.