I have been reading a book lately called Secret Believers by Brother Andrew. It's about these Muslims in the Middle East who have converted to Christianity and it talks about their struggles with other Muslims and with being persecuted because of their faith. It's a true story and it has helped me to really understand what so-called "Muslim background believers" have to go through when they convert. It's pretty tough.
One thing that has struck me is the fact that Muslims associate America with Christianity. They have a very low view of Christians because they see the sinfulness of Western culture - alcohol, sex, pornography, lying, cheating, stealing, murder, etc. When they look at America they see Christianity, and this fuels their zeal for their own religion. Muslims, for the most part, live by strict rules and ethics. They abstain from alcohol and adultery and try to maintain a clean life and conscience. To them, Christians are foul heathens who partake in all sorts of sins and who will never measure up to Muslims.
Question: Are they right? When I look at the church in America today I think I can see what Muslims across the world see. I see Christians who live freely in sin, who have never repented, who engage in activities that put Christ to shame. Our churches are, tragically, filled with people who have professed a faith in Christ, or asked Him into their hearts, but have never shown any indication of a true conversion. This saddens me and frustrates me at the same time!
Brother Andrew stated the need for a "cultural reformation" in the American Church. I agree. I believe that it is time for Christians to take a stand for righteousness and to flee our "youthful lusts."
The Christian rapper Lecrae, in his song "Rebel," says that Christians need to rebel against the culture. We need to forsake the sins that have held us down for so long. It is time for us to stop doing the things that we know we shouldn't do. God has called us to a life of holiness and godliness. When that happens, I believe a change will take place in the American church.
With millions of Muslims across the world, God has put a huge mission field right in front of us, even here in our own country. But how will we reach them, or anyone else for that matter, if we, as professing followers of Jesus, fail to live up to His standards?
We need a change! Think about that today. Take a look in the mirror and decide if you are in need of a reformation, of a drastic change in your heart, and join King David when he cried out to God, "Give me a clean heart, oh God, and renew a right spirit within me!"
"To them, Christians are foul heathens who partake in all sorts of sins and who will never measure up to Muslims.
ReplyDeleteQuestion: Are they right?"
They are absolutely right. Of the ten or so Christian families I know, I only see three of those families actually living the tenets that they profess to. (And yes, those three families are the three families that I quietly take delight in watching hunt Easter eggs every year.) I also know one Buddhist who is also the "baby-daddy" to five different women, and a Hindu who illegally has someone transcribe his official state documents. Christians aren't the only ones who don't always take their religion seriously enough.
I'm sure everyone (Christian, Hindu, Buddhist, Jew) wants to grow spiritually and live life according to their beliefs to the best of their abilities both for personal fulfillment and the betterment of society. I know that continuous reminding, guidance, and support is needed and John your message is understood and received.
What if we looked at the bigger picture?
Even if EVERY believer in US lived the life he or she ascribes to, our culture would still fall WAY short in the eyes of Islam. In Islamic culture religion touches almost every single aspect of life and society. In the US religion is an individual choice; not just what religion to practice, but whether or not to practice a religion at all. With all the hustle and bustle of this modern technologically advanced society, religion seems to be an after-thought at best. No wonder we look like a bunch of heathens to the Muslim world. The only way we Americans as a nation could ever match the dedication of Muslims would be to make religion mandatory and change all of our laws to conform to religious creeds.
What can be done if the US doesn't want our country to be seen as sinfully barbarian by the Islamic community? And just how far are the American Churches willing to go? Even if every religious believer in America were the most devout, straight-living person their Church hoped them to be, our culture would still appear a decadent mish-mash of hedonism to the Muslim outsider. There are just too many Americans who don't STRONGLY believe in ANY religion (including myself, sadly.) Without belief in some religious doctrine non-believers have only the secular dictates of the government and their personal ideology to direct them. These people will often fail to choose to do the "right thing" due to their inherent weakness as humans. The government gives them a lot of options to make poor choices. So many vices are perfectly legal.
This non-believing segment of our population leaves a huge emotional void just ripe to be filled. And as the second largest and fastest growing religion in the world, the Church of Islam has the numbers and the zeal to fill that void. At this rate the majority of Americans will be ringing in the next millennium at the neighborhood mosque.
As a temporal agnostic I don't see the US adopting Islam as a threat. Believing in ANYTHING is better than believing nothing. (I just hope burkhas come in my extra-plush size.) But I understand the Christian Church's fear of global Islam.
Regardless of the Muslim fear factor there's no denying that American society is in a dismal state of slow self-destruction. I doubt that we disorganized non-believers are going to fix it.
Beyond encouraging and enabling the personal growth of its members and the ensuring of its own survival as an entity, what duty does a Church have to change the society around it? What ability? And constitutionally, what right? What is the Christian Church's view on this subject?
Zeke's wife,
By the way, I wasn't always a temporal agnostic.
As a teen I was a member of an organization for future ministers.
Somehow I lost my faith and have been missing it ever since.
I agree with you...we have to truly open our hearts to God...if we are going to represent ourselves as Christians then we need live in a manner that shows the world how a true Christian carries themselves. This will inspire others to want to learn more about their faith.
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