The other day I heard someone start a sentence with "It's not that I'm ashamed of my faith it's just..." I wanted to reassure him that it was ok to be ashamed about publicly declaring himself a Xn, because I too often feel ashamed to call myself a Xn. Of course I didn't tell him that in front of the group... That would have involved me public declaring myself as a Xn.
I'm sure when I was a teenager there was a crappy Xn song some youth group friends played to me with the lyrics "no way I am not ashamed". I wanted to sing along but there was always something a bit awkward, and something I couldn't articulate as a young teenager. But now I thought I'd have a crack at articulating why I am ashamed to call myself a Xn.
I am ashamed to tell people I am a Xn because Xy is synonymous with...
I'm sure when I was a teenager there was a crappy Xn song some youth group friends played to me with the lyrics "no way I am not ashamed". I wanted to sing along but there was always something a bit awkward, and something I couldn't articulate as a young teenager. But now I thought I'd have a crack at articulating why I am ashamed to call myself a Xn.
I am ashamed to tell people I am a Xn because Xy is synonymous with...
- Homophobia and a belief that sexual preference is a lifestyle choice some what akin choosing whether to drive a 4 wheel drive or a station wagon.
- Right wing politics & Conservative American values.
- An inability to think rationally.
- An inability to understand how someone could think differently to me.
- An inability to have fun.
- A commitment to 1950s gender roles.
- Such a strong disapproval of your sexual choices that I would be unable to be your friend anyway.
- Being someone who is very easily offended.
- Having no taste in music, literature or the arts. The only way something can become artistic or beautiful is by having a bible verse written below it or fish sticker on it.
- Someone who would think it is more important to give a starving person a pamphlet explaining the gospel than some food.
- Someone who believes their theological choices and beliefs make them a better person and the only reason you haven't made the same choices is that you are rebellious.
- A belief that the earth is around 6000 years old and that climate change, like most of science, is a conspiracy theory.
- A belief that God helps those who help themselves.
Of course these are not only things I vehemently disagree with but things I disagree on because of my Xn convictions.
6 comments:
Hey Chris,
Thanks for your thoughts. I'm interested to know whether you think the synonymity (is that the right word) between Xy and these 13 things is likely to change if Christians who DONT hold to these views are ashamed to say they are Christians? Surely the synonymity will continue if the 'Christians' who hold to these views continue to not be ashamed, and those who reject them are unwilling to proudly say they are followers and worshipers of Jesus.
Hey Luke,
I think your right and it's probably wrong for me imply that I never declare myself a Xn. I do, it's just I usually do after someone has got to know me enough not to align me with the 13 points I listed. However it struck me, talking to two non Christian friends about Xy, how they would talk about Xy in the negative ways I have listed and then turn to me and say "present company excluded" like I was this one strange exception to the rule.
Maybe you haven't met many Christians.
Mmm I'd say I've met than my fair share of Christians.
I often feel that if I lived in the US, there would be no way I would be associate in any way with Xy. Thankfully, I don't but the 13 points you point out seem to be extending more and more into Europe (often via US influence on the European church)...
I completely agree. And when I talk about being ashamed of calling myself Christian, the people who make me ashamed twist my words around and say that by saying that, I'm ashamed to believe in God. That is not what I mean at all. I'm just ashamed to be associated with people who really do not understand the core values of Christ. They pull out bits and pieces of the bible to go with what they believe and ignore the rest.
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