Quote:
Christian, but I hate what often passes for Christian 'culture' these days. Usually this 'culture' is a blend of Republicanism and cheesey 'wholesome' bastard versions of whatever the secular folks are doing.
I had to laugh when I read this. I see "Christianity" in the US as 80% liberal, ritual and inertial activity that would evaporate in a second if there were any real persecution. The other 20% of Christianity I see as various forms of trying to do or be good. This usually involves hitting each other over the head with various rules and voting Republican.
I was raised LCMS Lutheran and lost interest in my teens. When I was 30 I read the Bible and slowly started to find my way closer to Jesus. The problem was that churches usually interfere with this process.
For example, we visited one church and struck up a conversation with an elderly lady at the fringe of the usual bustle of church activity and I asked her how she was doing financially. She admitted that things were a little difficult and we were able to help hel a little. What struck me was that she had attended the church for over 30 years and even her best friend did not know she was having trouble. I am sure the church leaders would have been angry at her for not telling them of her difficulty. But to me, this highlights the problem with churches, they are by definition organizational and run as systems when Christianity was always intended to be relational and reflect the actions of individuals.
I am Christian and if I can answer any questions for anyone, please feel free to PM me.