I’m through with Christianity

Since the election Newsweek has resorted to running more and more sensationalistic headlines each week. A few weeks ago the cover screamed "WE ARE ALL SOCIALISTS NOW" followed by "STRESS COULD SAVE YOUR LIFE"; the editors have obviously decided the only way to survive the digital onslaught is to follow as closely as possible behind The National Enquirer. I'm sure "ANGELINA JOLIE GIVES BIRTH TO 72 YEAR OLD MAN!" is not far behind. So when I got this week's issue I was reluctant to read the cover story, The Decline and Fall of Christian America. Since Christopher Hitchens, author of God is Not Great, How Religion Poisons Everything, has recently become a regular contributor I knew that Newsweek would take great delight in the latest statistics showing that religion in America is sliding into the abyss. What I did not expect was to be heartened by the article.

You see, I am one of the many Americans who would no longer describe themselves as a professing Christian. I cannot in good faith associate any more with what the label Christian has come to represent in America. Christianity is now a set of political views, a way to distinguish different groups of people (Jews, Muslims, Christians, Hindus), a movement to impose a certain view of morality on others regardless the condition of their hearts.

In order to be a faithful Christian I can only vote for politicians who say they hold the party line on the right issues. It does not matter if I agree with their economic views, their foreign relations policies or their theory on education; if they pass the Christian litmus test they are my candidates. The fact that voting for these Christians again and again has produced little change, in fact we see abortion more acceptable and gay marriage legalized at a faster pace, can't be factored into the equation. As a member of the Christian party I have to toe the line.

Christianity in America seems to be led by self-appointed spokesmen who attack others without charity, seek places of prominence wherever they go and live outrageously extravagant lifestyles. They are so important that they can't possibly be expected to fly with commoners on commercial airlines. One leader needs a jet that costs $3000 an hour to operate so they can get from one Christian event to another and be home in time to record their Christian television show. But it is my duty to defend them because they are on my team. Jesus' commands to serve, to do acts of kindness in private and to prove your discipleship by pure love for others seem to be secondary for Christian leaders in America.

The main goal of Christianity in America is to build a Christian society where Christian values are taught in the schools, Christian morals are enforced in the workplace and Christian laws are followed in the courtrooms. And if Christians can't force non-Christians to act like Christians, we'll just build our own separate society. We'll shop in Christian stores, buy from Christian salesmen and live in Christian neighborhoods. And if we need to we'll buy guns and defend our Christian values to the death.

I am flawed in my faith and every day I make mistakes that I am ashamed of. But I love Jesus more and more the older I get, and I love the church with all my heart; I just can't buy into the Christian thing anymore. So I quit. I am resigning from the Christian party, the Christian club, the Christian religion. I am going to devote the rest of my life to loving God with all my heart and loving my neighbor as myself. I am going to spend all of my energy learning more about Jesus so I can follow him as closely as I can. Every day I am going to pick up my cross and follow Jesus; I am going to try be a light in my community and salt in a desperate world. I'm just not going to be a Christian anymore. Are you with me?

Comments

[Chris Russo]

Geoff, I'm definitely with the heart behind what you're saying. Not sure I'm with saying "no" the next time someone asks me if I'm a Christian. I certainly feel at the same time that I would have to explain what I mean when I call myself that.

Great thoughts though!

Russo

[Carey Nieuwhof]

Geoff...Great post. Me too, and I don't even live in America.

Sometimes I wonder if one of the shifts happening in the church right now focuses on Christian culture v. Christian essence. So much of what passes for Christianity is just Christian culture that passes as the real deal. It's secularism in a politer form. You can have a good band, vote the right way, believe the right things and have a hip preacher with good delivery but only really reach Christians who already agree with what you stand for.

I think the real shift that's coming will be marked by leaders who are willing to be unpopular with normative contemporary Christianity and actually hang out with non-Christians and do things that speak to the hearts of non-Christians.

Keep going. I quit too.

[Chris Lockhart]

Seems to me that this is the very reason that a lot of people are calling themselves "followers of Jesus" or "disciples of Christ" or whatever other term denoting the same without saying, I'm a "Christian" when asked. It's definitely mine...
Good stuff, thanks for sharing.

[Geoff Surratt]

Russo, I think the opportunity to say "no" if I'm asked if I am a Christian is a great chance to distinguish faith from policy, but I hear what you're saying.

Carey, I think you've nailed it. Being unpopular with normative Christianity sounds pretty Christ-like, doesn't it?

Chris, I agree. I think word mean something and I am ready to move away from a word that has been denuded of any real meaning. Thanks for the comment

[Chuck Barrineau]

Geoff, I totally agree! I have a growing frustration with how Christ is being displayed on popular "Christian Television." I just want to be pure, authentic, and really "right" with God. Bravo!

[Casey Henagan]

Geoff - Great word. That is exactly what Jesus did. He came against the so called religion of that day. I am disgusted with the "Christianity" label as well. Means absolutely nothing. No wonder it is on the decline. But what they fail to report is that churches all over this country are teaching about personal relationship and servant hood and loving your neighbor as yourself and that is growing tremendously. Let us invite people to a personal relationship with Christ and not to just simple be a Christian.

[Chris Russo]

All I'm saying is where do you draw the line? A lot of words have become deluded. People think the Bible is a book of fabels and that Jesus is Mr. Rogers...when do you just choose to re-define words as opposed to refraining from using them?

Chris

[Will]

Geoff

Great thoughts. I've always felt weird having to tell someone that I was a Christian. Seems like people should know that about you by the way you live your life.

This whole following Jesus thing isn't supposed to be an exclusive club rather an inclusive family!

Your post goes right to my heart. Thanks for you honest take

[Brock Neal]

Geoff, thanks so much for this post. This is something I have felt for a while now. I was just setting in an interview this past week with a pastor and his wife who actually said that you were not a "christian" if you did --- or didn't ---. I could not believe what I heard and they claim to be a church for this generation. As a PK I have always thought that we "christians" have done nothing more then bicker and fight over lines and who is closer to God (so we think) because of are particular beliefs, that we have in just 2 generations been able to go from 63% of the generation on its way to heaven to now 3% of my generation on its way to heaven. Its time to stop fighting with each other and fight the real problem, ourselves.

[Missy]

Crap, this is good. Uh-oh not so sure that word has ever been acceptable.. looks like I'm out too.

[Dewaine Cooper]

Usually when someone asks me what religion I am, I say, "NASCAR racing." Getting a double-take, I then explain that I'm not a part of any religion. I'm a part of a relationship with the One true God through Jesus, my Savior.

[Bruce]

Some time back I declared myself a "Word of Mouther" due to the abuse of the word Christian, anymore.

I don't think I can flat our say, 'No, I am not a Christian', as I would feel that I was somehow denying Christ, but would prefer to say 'Yes, I am a follower of Christ'.

IHS,

Bruce

Christian Soldiers Word of Mouth Ministries
http://christiansoldiersonline.org
http://christiansoldiersonline.ning.com

[Abbie Gonzalez]

Thank you for this post. It is terrible what people have done to the word "christian." I have many issues with "christian" organizations in the past. I worked for one that considered me to be actively working against Christ for voting for Baldwin last year! And that same place just recently cut ties with a Christian school only because the pastor likes to place his emphasis on the Resurrection. The place I worked for is no better: they place their emphasis in good works to save.

And recently, it seems the trend is that to be a christian(at least where I am) you need to: hate homosexuals, hate muslims, hate mormons, hate democrats, etc.

Even so, I consider myself a Christian (a follower of Christ, or Christ like one), because I tend to use original definitions for everything :). I am also a hacker (a word not intended for anything malicious), anarchist (a word simply meaning: no ruling class; it would include many of this countries founders, who did believe in order, but not the crazy people that blow stuff up), and a libertarian (in spite of Bob Barr). It seems that words are always being redefined to fit some nuts definition, and I don't like being at the short end of that.

[LoneWolf]

I remember when Flight Attendants were called Stewardesses and they wanted to change that name because of the connotations associated with that word. I don't think that it did much, just moved the connotations to a new word. The change only came when airlines started giving them more respect in what they were made to dress as and how the passengers were to treat them.

We don't need to renounce Christianity. What we need to do is embrace true Christianity and show the world who Jesus Christ is by our lives and our churches.

Change the connotations, not the name.

[Thomas Vanderbilt]

Thanks for your post. I agree with you that many want a "Christianized" world and that Christianity has become political. However, if someone is a follow of Jesus, then that person is a Christ. Also, if a person is a follower of Jesus and also has certain political beliefs, I don't think that is a bad thing either. But, I totally agree that using a person's faith for the purpose of pushing a political agenda or a "get rich" agenda is truly terrible and does Christianity a great disservice!

[Austin]

I agree with you to a degree Geoff. Yes in America the term Christian has been taken advantage of, BUT we have to take the name back. When someone uses this name improperly the Lord will deal with them. But when we say we are done with Christianity we are saying that we are done with Christ. I am done with American Christianity. I am a Biblical Christian, Christ follower, Christ Lover, whatever you wanna call it I LOVE CHIRST. But to say you are done with Christianity, I am sorry you feel like you have to go to this point.

[Geoff Surratt]

I agree that we should not abandon words out of convenience or because it is politically correct. On the other hand there are times when words get so loaded down with baggage that the actual meaning is changed.

The most obvious in my time is the word gay. When a man is described as gay in 2009 there is no doubt what the meaning is, but the definition is completely different than it was in 1959, 1909 or 1859. For me Christian and Christianity in America have completely changed meaning from Christ Follower to all the things I outlined in this post.

My goal is to become a more committed Christ follower while distancing myself from the 21st Century American definition of Christian.

[Ron Jones]

The Church has had to contend with cultural Christianity for a long time (nothing new under the sun), but that's no reason to become a Christian quitter, which seems to me is an oxymoron. I still celebrate Christmas even though others commercialize Jesus's birth, believing that perhaps God's can use the way I celebrate Christmas to, in some small way, help redeem the culture. I'll continue to use the word Christian for the same reason, and because in the Bible the early followers of Jesus were called Christians.

[Will]

I think an interesting side note to this is that the term "Christian" was initially intended to be somewhat of an insult and literally taken to mean "little Christ".

Geoff I couldn't agree more with your take that the word Christian today means anything but "little Christ". When people look at our lives, the power of God should be evident (as it was in Jesus' life) and so often it is not. I know on more than one occasion I have felt like a pharisee

It may sound judgmental, but considering that I am a part of the group I'm talking about, it's more like looking in the mirror.

[Tristan Neville]

I understand your message but I am confused about what to do next. Why should we have to continually move away from a word that has identified us. I think we should work hard to re-identify that word. Does it not seem like we are continually running from the next label that gets thrown at us? By abandoning the term are we not succumbing to what we always have? In today's society we must always be accepting of others actions because shame on us for being elitist by not approving. Going back to Greg's sermon a few weeks ago, it seems almost impossible to be in this world without being of this world.

Basically, I understand the idea, but am confused about how to implement it. Time for me to go read and study and "feed" myself.

Thanks Geoff!

[Geoff Surratt]

Ron, good point on Christmas; it certainly does not have the connotation that it once did, but I still celebrate Christmas. I guess a difference for me is that Christmas is not a label I wear, it is a holiday I celebrate. Santa Claus and commercialism do not define me just because I celebrate Christmas.

Will, I like the term "little Christ". I wish that was still the connotation of Christian.

Tristan, it is very frustrating to have words redefined by others. My point is that I think at this point Christian has been so muddied that it actually gets in the way of reaching people for Christ. To paraphrase Paul I am willing to be all things, even a non-Christian, to reach as many as possible for Christ.

It is not without precedent to change labels for Christ followers. We were originally of the Way.

[Dennis McGowan]

Geoff, you have properly named one of the greatest hurdles for the unbelievers; Christians. We want to show them christianity and not Christ. We learn and promulgate apologetics before we ever introduce them to Christ the Savior. Tony Evans said years ago, "you can't blame sinners for sinning; its their job description." The Christian community is so busy setting folks in bondage to "our" way that we don't allow them to experience Jesus' way. If Jesus changes their heart, we don't have to change their head.

[Tristan Neville]

Geoff, you're blowing my mind with phrases like this....

"I am willing to be all things, even a non-Christian, to reach as many as possible for Christ."

Kinda like..."The answer to the problem that we didn't know we had until we invented the answer"

I'm so excited now.

[Joe - church musician and singer/guitarist of the band My (R)evolution]

(Great read and great thoughts, by the way.) I couldn't agree more. I have spent the majority of my life either blindly following a Christian 'religion' or (in previous years) living in fear of it... and often times what I followed (or feared) was in direct opposition of what I hold to be the teachings and EXAMPLE of Christ. I have seen for quite some time a similarity between Christianity and any other political group out there. (Not targetting any specific denomination or church either. I am not here to attack, but rather to share my thoughts, in the truth of how I see them.) We speak cool Christian phrases and terms. We say love your neighbor as yourself, and then we stick our nose up at those who do not fit our ideal mold. The crack addict, the hooker with the heroine lines, the alcoholic, the guy with the weird political views, the atheist, etc. is seen in the eyes of God far differently than apparently we do. (He loves these people.) I had to reach a similar point in my life where I had to choose which was it going to be - Christianity or my faith in Jesus (and the grace and love He came to bring). And I made that choice. And I no longer am so worried about whether the 'Christians' will like or not like that. Granted I have so far to go before I will even touch the tip of the iceberg of what that looks like, but I am done with the 'Christian-only fraternity'. I will love them just as I love anyone else. But hopefully there will never again be a preference as to which I will love more. So if asked, "are you a Christian?", I think I would prefer the term "follower and believer in the grace and love of Christ." There is nothing else that compares to this. Thanks for your writing!

[Kit Palmer]

I love your take on this Geoff. I understand some of the commenter's points about not throwing the term out altogether. However, I have often found it counterproductive to my witness in the workplace when I take on that label because there are so many bad connotations associated with it.

Jesus wasn't a Christian, and neither am I! Down with Christianity, Up with Christ-Following! (Just sayin')

kp