Ever heard the phrase "Christians are intolerant?" Ever seen it play out in society?
The truth is, Christians often believe that theirs is a religion that comes with many rules. It starts in Genesis, where God commands Adam not to eat from the particular trees.
The story famously moves on to Moses who receives 10 commandments on the mountain.
Then we have entire books stuffed with law - Deuteronomy, Numbers, Leviticus.
We have punishment after punishment given out on those who break the law, and this comes up to the time of Jesus. In John 8, the people bring a adulteress before Jesus to ask if they should stone her, as according to the law.
Jesus ignores them at first, then finally tells them - "Let him who is without sin among you be the first to throw a stone at her." Sure enough, nobody throws anything and they leave eventually. Jesus too, forgives her, and tells her to sin no more.
Well, what have we learnt out of this example?
1. Judgement belongs to the one who is without sin.
There is only one lawgiver and judge; He who is able to save and to destroy. But who are you to judge your neighbour? - James 4:12
Before anyone claims this is out of context, I should put in that this was written in reference to disputes within the Christian community.
2. Our faith is to be kept within ourselves and God
Who are you to pass judgement on the servant of another? It is before his own master that he stands or falls - Romans 14:4
The meaning of this is that unless explicitly stated in the Bible, (and I don't mean implied, because everyone has their own ideas of what is implied - so long the implication is valid and consistent with other Biblical texts and God's character), we have no right to claim authority over issues of righteousness for those God has chosen to be his people. This is the very thing the Pharisees and scribes aimed to do, and look how they were rebuked by Jesus again and again for their false superiority. Here Jesus challenges this authority of theirs and they realise that their authority no longer holds.
What I really mean to say is this -
For non-Christians:
Christianity is exclusive by the fact that we believe things to be clearly right or wrong. This makes Christians judge every action by its' value - thus the oft condemning statements and actions. I don't support this. My belief is that Jesus Christ came and died for all who sin - myself included, and that every person, regardless of how they have rejected God in the past, are offered God's free gift of salvation through faith in Jesus's death, resurrection and hope in His second coming. Christians need to stop seeing non-Christians as different, but instead the same. Because there is nothing inherently different between us and them, the difference lies in how God has forgiven. Nothing changes who we are from who we were before - we are sinners all the same.
For Christians:
The universal church is divided over a multitude of opinions. Everyone has their own belief over baptism by immersion or sprinkling, the taking of the Lord's supper, wearing slippers to church, the style of music we play.
Read it again - who are you to pass judgement on the servant of another? Who are you to judge your neighbour? Are you without sin that you might cast the first stone?
If you are don't clear these 3 criteria, which I assure you, you don't, then stop insisting your authority of knowledge of the Bible. Stop telling people that you are the only right one. Stop telling the world that you must (or must not) speak in tongues. Stop assuming you have some privilege to be the best interpreter of the Bible, because you don't. Reading the accounts of the New Testament, we see that the churches around the world are united in their purpose of bringing the gospel to the rest of the world, despite their slight differences - the Jew/Gentile discord, the Corinthians (wrong, as pointed out by Paul) focus on intellectual superiority, it doesn't matter. The universal church does not glorify God when divided. We are all parts of the same body, to play different purposes, and this applies not just within a local church but even at a global level.
Of course, I take this stand as a Protestant who believes everyone has his own right to read the Bible and know what it says for themselves. It's in line with my own beliefs. There will also be interpretations I continue to discount as Christianity because they speak against the character of God or the text of the Bible directly - I don't promote a all-encompassing Christianity where anything goes.
The truth is, Christians often believe that theirs is a religion that comes with many rules. It starts in Genesis, where God commands Adam not to eat from the particular trees.
The story famously moves on to Moses who receives 10 commandments on the mountain.
Then we have entire books stuffed with law - Deuteronomy, Numbers, Leviticus.
We have punishment after punishment given out on those who break the law, and this comes up to the time of Jesus. In John 8, the people bring a adulteress before Jesus to ask if they should stone her, as according to the law.
Jesus ignores them at first, then finally tells them - "Let him who is without sin among you be the first to throw a stone at her." Sure enough, nobody throws anything and they leave eventually. Jesus too, forgives her, and tells her to sin no more.
Well, what have we learnt out of this example?
1. Judgement belongs to the one who is without sin.
There is only one lawgiver and judge; He who is able to save and to destroy. But who are you to judge your neighbour? - James 4:12
Before anyone claims this is out of context, I should put in that this was written in reference to disputes within the Christian community.
2. Our faith is to be kept within ourselves and God
Who are you to pass judgement on the servant of another? It is before his own master that he stands or falls - Romans 14:4
The meaning of this is that unless explicitly stated in the Bible, (and I don't mean implied, because everyone has their own ideas of what is implied - so long the implication is valid and consistent with other Biblical texts and God's character), we have no right to claim authority over issues of righteousness for those God has chosen to be his people. This is the very thing the Pharisees and scribes aimed to do, and look how they were rebuked by Jesus again and again for their false superiority. Here Jesus challenges this authority of theirs and they realise that their authority no longer holds.
What I really mean to say is this -
For non-Christians:
Christianity is exclusive by the fact that we believe things to be clearly right or wrong. This makes Christians judge every action by its' value - thus the oft condemning statements and actions. I don't support this. My belief is that Jesus Christ came and died for all who sin - myself included, and that every person, regardless of how they have rejected God in the past, are offered God's free gift of salvation through faith in Jesus's death, resurrection and hope in His second coming. Christians need to stop seeing non-Christians as different, but instead the same. Because there is nothing inherently different between us and them, the difference lies in how God has forgiven. Nothing changes who we are from who we were before - we are sinners all the same.
For Christians:
The universal church is divided over a multitude of opinions. Everyone has their own belief over baptism by immersion or sprinkling, the taking of the Lord's supper, wearing slippers to church, the style of music we play.
Read it again - who are you to pass judgement on the servant of another? Who are you to judge your neighbour? Are you without sin that you might cast the first stone?
If you are don't clear these 3 criteria, which I assure you, you don't, then stop insisting your authority of knowledge of the Bible. Stop telling people that you are the only right one. Stop telling the world that you must (or must not) speak in tongues. Stop assuming you have some privilege to be the best interpreter of the Bible, because you don't. Reading the accounts of the New Testament, we see that the churches around the world are united in their purpose of bringing the gospel to the rest of the world, despite their slight differences - the Jew/Gentile discord, the Corinthians (wrong, as pointed out by Paul) focus on intellectual superiority, it doesn't matter. The universal church does not glorify God when divided. We are all parts of the same body, to play different purposes, and this applies not just within a local church but even at a global level.
Of course, I take this stand as a Protestant who believes everyone has his own right to read the Bible and know what it says for themselves. It's in line with my own beliefs. There will also be interpretations I continue to discount as Christianity because they speak against the character of God or the text of the Bible directly - I don't promote a all-encompassing Christianity where anything goes.
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