Christianity

Hi! I wanted to talk a little tonight about Christianity and what it means to me. First of all, I want to say that I am a believer, and I do consider myself to be a Christian. Unfortunately, my version of Christianity and the church's version of Christianity are not exactly the same. I believe that Jesus really meant it when He said that we should love another and that we should welcome one another in, even if they don't agree with us. However, I have noticed that the church seems to feel that it's perfectly acceptable to leave certain people out and control the way people behave.

Example #1: I went to Pensacola Christian School (now known as Pensacola Christian Academy or PCA) from nursery school to 5th grade. While I was there, I was told how to dress, what music I was allowed to listen to, and what television shows I was allowed to watch. If I deviated in any way from this, I was sinning against God. Since those days, I have noticed that Pensacola Christian College's main goal is to keep its students separated for the most part from mainstream society. In fact, they are trying to close down part of a public road to suit their purposes. Also, they tell their students how to dress and behave and do not allow them to date.

Example #2: I was raised in the Baptist church. This time, there was a pastor telling us what to do and how to live. Also, no other belief system in the world was correct except Baptists. Everyone else was simply wrong. I was also taught not to associate with people who did not believe, but in the same breath was told to witness to people about Jesus and tell them that they would burn in Hell forever if they did not accept him. Needless to say, it left me very confused. The Baptist church was where I first encountered the Rapture doctrine. You know the one. Jesus will return to earth and take away all the Christians, leaving everyone else to die horrible deaths at the hands of the Antichrist. Then all the Christians and Jesus would come back to a new earth and reign it forever. Again, there they go leaving people out again. I have always had a problem accepting a loving God wanting to see people suffer, but that's just me, I guess.

Example #3: I was a member of a small church here in Pensacola for 9 years. I did learn a lot there, but even they thought it was okay to leave some people out. They claimed to welcome everyone, but then they would use terrible, hateful words to describe people that were different than they. Again, in one breath, they would say love everyone and then call homosexuals a terrible hate word that I don't want to repeat here. The pastor of the church was very domineering and expected everyone to do everything he said. This is the same church where I was dismissed from a leadership position in a very humiliating way.

These experiences have led me away from church as I previously stated, but it does not change my faith in Jesus Christ and in Christianity. You see, true Christianity is not about following some doctrines and laws. It is about love. That's it. Pure and simple love, nothing more and nothing less. God IS love. And he loves us unconditionally, no matter what. I find it very unfortunate that the church and organized religion has taken Christianity and twisted it into something that people have no desire to be a part of. They are told, in essence, that in order to be accepted by God, they have to change everything that some pastor tells them they should. However, that is really not true. God accepts us just the way we are, and He wants us to accept others just the way they are. He said nothing about telling them everything they are doing wrong. What he did tell us to do was show them love and mercy because that is what Jesus would have shown if He was here. Telling people that they are bad all the time does nothing but encourage that person to be upset and angry all the time.

I believe in accepting everyone. I wish I could start a church because if I did, I would welcome anyone, no matter how they look or how they dress or what kind of lifestyle they lead. Yes, that means anyone from the LBGT groups are welcomed in. I just want a chance to let everyone know how truly loved they are. That is the one thing that Jesus stressed the most. If more people would show love and support to one another, how much better do you think this world could be?

Listen to the words:

If We Are the Body--Casting Crowns