Don’t Judge Christianity by Christians
If you do, you’ll be disappointed (or even angry)
Christian-bashing stories are all over the place and I usually ignore them, but a recent one on Medium.com has stayed with me.
The writer moved into a new house in Florida. When she met her next-door neighbor, he welcomed her to the neighborhood and made some racist comments about the school her children would be attending. Though some of his behavior was not Christ-like, because he invited her to church, she assumed he was a Christian.
After describing his conduct, her story went on to paint all Christians with a broad, messy brush of hateful narrow-mindedness.
The best way to judge Christianity is by what Jesus Christ said and did and invited his followers to say and do.
Have you ever wondered how someone could claim to be a Christian and still do something evil or sinful?
It’s simple: Like people of all faiths and even no faith, Christians are fallible humans. They’re not perfect, they make mistakes, and sometimes they give in to temptation and frustration.
Jesus is quite clear in his teachings about what we should believe and how we should behave.
And one of the most important things he taught was not to judge but to forgive others when they fall short of perfection.
Because even when they try their best, most people will at times miss the mark.
There are Christians who lie, cheat, and steal. There are Christians who gossip, indulge in gluttony, and betray people who trusted them. There are even Christians who commit murder.
When Christians sin, they don’t stop being Christians. If they believe that Jesus Christ is their Lord and Savior, no matter what they do, they’re still Christians. If they repent, they’re forgiven—but they will still face the consequences of their sin.
When people make the choice to follow Jesus, they are not automatically imbued with all the knowledge and wisdom of the Son of God. They are works in progress.
Judging Christianity by the behavior of sinful, imperfect people will blind you to the amazing peace and joy that comes with following Christ.
The way to judge Christianity is to know what it is, and you do that by learning it. As in all things, begin with the source: the Bible.
Instead of looking at what people do, look at what Jesus did, said, and taught.
That’s the only way to judge Christianity.
Jacquelyn's latest book is Christian Business Almanac: The Ultimate Daily Guide for Kingdom-Driven Entrepreneurs and Leaders.
She is the author of the nonfiction books Simple Facts About Self-Publishing (Second Edition), Words to Work By: 31 devotions for the workplace based on the Book of Proverbs and Finding Joy in the Morning: You can make it through the night as well as the novel Choices (A Joyful Cup Story). With her husband, she is the co-creator of several coloring books for adults and the novelty My Book About series.
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