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

[Paul Baldwin]

Carey nailed it below: "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." I think that is how this whole started nearly two thousand years ago . . . I quit too. But I'm just getting started. Thanks Carey and thank you, Geoff.

[Gino Cosentino]

Bravo! In one article many of the problems with Christianity are summarized. Sadly though I say this in regards to both the Christianity critiqued and the Christianity abandoned. The critique has many valid points (but also just as many questionable) and the route of abandonment to "just following Jesus" sounds profound & full of authenticism, but to me, you are running away from 2000 years of Christian history. Do you really think you are going to solve this problem this way? It sounds very much like what you criticize. I say stop running & be bold - have a "I am not ashamed of the gospel" kind of Christianity. Don't abandon it.

[Dave DeCook]

Dear Friends,

"By this shall all men know that you are my disciples: If you have love one to another." I am trying to remember who said that...

We don't get to tell the world what to call us or what to think of us. Why should we shop around for the most pleasing sounding moniker when Paul accepts the label "scum of the earth" I Cor. 4:13? Its almost like we expect some slick marketing department to do our evangelism for us.

They were called Christians by the world and slandered horribly for two hundred years as immoral atheists and cannibals. They didn't go looking for a new name. They stuck together and let their deeds do the talking like I Peter 2:15 says.

To say "I am not a Christian" in favor or "Christ follower" or some such, fools no one and leave a testimony of division and disloyalty. As soon as you say you believe Jesus is the way, the truth and the life, they will say, "I know what you are. You are a Christian!" Then comes the question of why you are trying to differentiate yourself from your brothers and sisters. Our love and unity is an important part of our witness, according to John 13:35 and 17:23.

I identify with the feelings behind this post (20 years of pastoral ministry can deliver a boatload of frustration with the bad reputation of Christians), but it is time to humbly acknowledge that it is a broken church that brought me the Gospel and it will still be a broken church doing the job when Jesus comes back for His precious bride.

So let's improve the Church's witness. Loving each other in a way that is obvious to the world is a good place to start. Name changing is not.

[Brian]

seems to me saying "I am not a Christian anymore" is just lazy...not to mention misleading and false if you are a follower of Christ

Christian means follower of Christ or one who is associated with Christ

the diligent thing to do would be to correct people that are falsely claiming to be Christians, correct them, inform them of their error, inform other people of their errors, etc etc...

if you are no long a Christian then you are no long associated with Christ or a follower of Christ, so I would use that type of wording cautiously

[Ron]

Gents, while I am pretty sure that Geoff is taking full advantage of hyperbole to make us all think hard, he has a great point. This is not a new phenomenon; it's just that more folks are talking about it with a new edge. I remember back when the Jim Bake/PTL scandal was going on and it was practically the end of evangelism altogether for some. While it was a pretty big black eye on the movement, there were certainly the exact same things in the first century when The Way was getting a foothold. Check out 1Cor for a shocker. That was all going on in First Church of Corinth. There are a multitude of reasons for this kind of stuff; way to many to mention here. But, for sure we can say that it's because we all forget about God in the equation. In fact, that's why we'd want to stop being Christians...because we forget how little we have to do with all of God's Kindgdom. We just have to lift Jesus up as The Christ before men, and HE calls all men to Himself. Not us. So, I say, get back to lifting! Those HE calls to himself are sealed. Have a great day!

[Geoff Surratt]

Thank you to all who have commented. A couple of responses:
Gino: I am not ashamed of the Gospel (The good news of Christ's death and resurrection), I am ashamed of the baggage we have attached to the Gospel. I am distancing myself from the Jesus + aspect of 21st century American Christianity.

Dave: I have no problem being considered a fool for Christ as Paul said in 1 Corinthians 4; my challenge is when the world misunderstands the truth of the Gospel because of the actions of Christians. Paul reserved his strongest condemnation for Christians who perverted the Gospel. I'm trying to follow Paul's example by disassociating myself from what Christian has come to denote.

[B.Hall]

This post is funny to me for two reasons:

First, Christians are used to such a dichotomous world-view, that I suspect the author's reward will be the tried-and-true response of "you're either with us, or against us". Their thinking being that you can't separate Christ from Christianity, therefore your options are to come back to the flock, or reject it completely. One of those usually ends with pitchforks and torches. How dare you cherry-pick the good parts of religion while rejecting the obvious flaws!!! Get him!

Which leads to the second reason this post is funny to me: it won't last. Thanks to the good/evil mentality of the people your argument will resonate with (and I suspect the people you associate with), you'll get a lot of grief and be unable to sustain a balance. You'll either run back to religion prodigal-son style (to be accepted warmly and forgiven for thinking on your own), or you'll be repulsed by the negative tone of responses to such reasoned thinking and wash your hands of the whole mess.

I wish things could work out for you (I can appreciate anyone who can think for themselves), but experience has shown that all this lasts only as long as your patience & stamina to keep up the argument. Eventually, everyone has a quitting point - and they far outnumber you.

Good luck anyway!

[Dave DeCook]

Geoff, sorry for judging your heart with my marketing comment ("It's almost like WE...). I do find myself sometimes blaming my brother for my weak witness. Sorry if some of that got on you.

My main point is that this approach will fail just as did the change from "Amway distributor" to "Quixtar Independent Business Owner." It will only make people wonder why the slight of hand.

The Word does give us some hints about evangelistic strategy. Distancing ourselves from brothers doesn't seem to be one of them. As you mention Paul: personal confrontation and arguing for the truth (central truths of the gospel), yes. But I don't see Paul saying, "Whatever you guys call yourself, I'm going to call myself something different." One of the miracles we have to show the world is the unity of the Body. To that end he says (Eph. 4) we must "make every effort."

That's all I have, Geoff. I accept you and trust the Holy Spirit's work in your life. We need each other to keep this whole ship balanced. Thanks for listening.

[David P]

I gave my heart to Jesus 33 years ago. I’ve had the privilege of sharing in the joys and sorrows of serving Him as a Pastor for over 25 years. If truth be told, people don’t care what label we wear, they care what they see in us. When you are one on one with someone they don’t care if we have flashing lights over our heads labeling us whatever. If they cannot look in our eyes and see Jesus in our hearts, we could call ourselves whatever we want and it won’t make one bit of difference. The Devil is laughing while we have been distracted from our mission – making disciples. As the church has thrown itself into the political arena we have dirtied ourselves. You can’t legislate Christianity! That was tried before and it didn’t work. Christianity is relationship, not religion. When the Apostle Paul was in prison he did not get political and ask the Philippians to petition Caesar on his behalf, he did not say to have a letter writing campaign to the Senate, rather he said, “But whatever happens to me, you must live in a manner worthy of the Good News about Christ, as citizens of heaven.” Phil.1:27 I believe your heart is pure Geoff, so feel free to wear whatever label floats your boat, because people will label you something, but whatever you do live in a manner worthy of the Good News, and they will see Jesus in you, and want to follow, many blessings on your ministry.

[Lou]

Firstly, I hope that Rick Warren is okay. He may be going through what Peter went through when he denied Christ ... I don't know. My prayer is that he stands firm on God's word ... no matter what.

Secondly, I agree 100% with the author about the damage caused by some of the "superstar" "Christian" leaders ... but the author seems to contradict himself many times. We know that the church is contaminated by false Christians ... we
know that because Jesus told us that it would be in the last days. These false Christians are giving God (and His church) a bad name ... and they want to destroy God's people from the inside out (and it seems to be working). But ... why doesn't the author mention all the other Christians who are quietly working in the background ... the ones that are not looking for self-glory or for a book
promotion or for more money for a new jet? What about all of the thousands of sincere Christians who are working hard everyday doing the good and true work of the Lord? It's funny ... the media never mentions them (they only mention the bad apples or the obviously false ones).

What does the author mean when he says, "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"? How can you follow Jesus and be light and salt in your community if you are not going to speak out against crooked politicians and religious leaders (like Jesus did) and sin filled agendas like abortion and homosexuality (two very obvioulsy hot "political" issues). It would be nice to completly separate ourselves from "politics" like this author seems to suggest ... but we can't because "politics" is the main force behind the push for murder of the innocent (abortion) and the
promotion of sexual sin (especially homosexuality)!

People are free to believe whatever they want to believe ... but, as Biblical Christians, we can not have one foot in the world and another foot in for Jesus (like this author seems to want to do).

[Brandon McGarity]

I'm a proud nephew right now after reading this. i was just saying pretty much exactly the same thing to my mom the other day and I've talked with a few other people about this very same thing. i resigned from the Christian party as well but i hadn't really made an official announcement so i guess this can serve that purpose. i don't think Jesus would be in the Christian party either, in fact I'm pretty positive He wouldn't, so thanks but no thanks. Now if we can just come up w/ a different term besides "church" to describe the building where we generally meet to worship so i can stop having to trick people into coming... got any ideas?

[Kari]

You have to see this youtube video and the related ones on the side. SO FUNNY

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HjwZXfxwx4Y&eurl=http%3A%2F%2Fdivine%2Drevelations%2Eblogspot%2Ecom%2F2009%2F04%2F5%2Dkinds%2Dof%2Dchristians%2Ehtml&feature=player_embedded

[chrissulli]

Thanks for this post Geoff. It is easy to get caught up in a semantic debate or be offended by the concept but at the end of the day Christian is a label we were given by outsiders not one we claimed for ourselves so I'm with you. I'm reminded of the song "they will know we are Christians by our love". Here is to hoping they will know Christ by our love and they can call us whatever they want.

[Attila Uregen]

Geoff, Thanks! I was lead to your postings and thoughts by my pastor, Perry Noble...whom I admire ,and respect, not only for his wisdom, but his love of Christ!, and now I can add you to my list!
Jesus had many opportunities to bestow wealth and riches, and fame on himself, but chose to lead us in a different path. Many of our so called "Church leaders" have forgotten, or forsaken that. Thanks for the reminder!

[Jason Chatraw]

I agree with your sentiments here, Geoff. However, it's Christians who have given the word "Christian" a bad name and misappropriate a noun as an adjective like some seal of approval. ... As a follower of Jesus, the same Jesus who is in the business of redemption, I say we redeem the word and make it meaningful again instead of ditching it altogether.

For example, a liberal person renaming himself "progressive" doesn't fool anyone. The person is still a liberal. It's just slick marketing. Calling yourself a follower of Jesus and allowing redemption and transformation to occur in your heart--that's the only thing that's going to help people escape the poor representations of Christianity that the media has seized upon and burned into our minds.

There are a lot of great Christians out there. And I'm proud to be one. You wouldn't change your family name just because you've got a crazy cousin--instead, you'd endeavor to make that name stand for something good. I think we Christians who don't bilk the poor and instead help the poor, who don't care about big buildings but building big people (authentic disciples), should take back our good name through doing the work God has called us to.

Here are my other thoughts on the article ... http://cli.gs/pHZV9M

[Matt Stone]

If you abandon the name to the nutcases we'll be even worse off. The real thing will become even more invisible. The complaint I constantly hear from non-Christians are like, "Where are the counter voices?", "Why aren't more Christians challenging Phelps and Co?" If we cease to call ourselves Christians the militant extremists will consolidate their position even more. We need to be prepared to call this militant extremism false teaching. We don't need to mirror their tactics but we do need equal or greater resolve.

[Ryan Murphy]

Good Post! I agree with you, I said the same thing a few weeks ago.
http://ryankellymurphy.blogspot.com/2009/04/christian-what-does-that-mean.html

[Janis Meredith]

I understand the hesitancy to label yourself as a "Christian" because many Christians do have a bad rep, but I am still I Christ follower, so saying I'm NOT a Christian is an oxymoron. I'm not responsible for how all other Christians represent Christ, God will deal with them; I'm only responsible for how I choose to represent Christ.

[Gino Cosentino]

Geoff, sorry to respond so much later but been away for a bit.

I still don't agree with your conclusion - it's still a cut and run. You say you are not offended with the Christian gospel just the baggage that has become attached to it. So maybe what you don't like is the 21st century brand of discipleship or are you saying that American Christianity is no longer presenting "a saved by grace through faith" gospel? Do you not like that Christians are against gay marriage and abortion? Do you want us to keep quiet about those things and only do positive things like help the poor? What does it mean to be salt of the earth and light of the world?

Also, in your comment to Dave you said that Paul reserved his strongest condemnation for Christians who had perverted the gospel. Really? And was his response to alter what he called himself? Paul did confront Peter to his face but the "Judaizers" in Galatia were anathematized. I don't believe Paul would say they were believers at all. On top of that he never walked away from being called "Christian." So I disagree with your statement.

Finally, the world will disagree with the truth of true Gospel - Jesus Christ and Him crucified will always be a stumbling block and foolishness. That is just a fact. Surely there are many Christians living out that reality. You are right to disassociate from some forms of Christianity (if they truly are) but shouldn't you be as concerned for the Body of Christ as you are for the lost world?

[Tom Ahlberg]

Gino:
Jesus served harsh criticism to the religious leaders of the 1st century, not simply because they were corrupt, prideful and self-serving, there were plenty of folks who fit that bill and didn’t receive the same (e.g. Zacchaeus). As it was then and is today, these leaders were criticized because they were supposed to serve others - not themselves; to live simple and humble lives – not given to the excess that characterized pagan leaders; and they were to be a reflection of the goodness and purity of God that would cause the world to stand up and take notice. Jesus didn’t cleanse the temple outer court simply because there was scum on the grounds; He scoured the court because this was the only place where the gentile world could witness and worship the living God; temple leaders had turned it into a mockery of Almighty God. Much of western “Christianity” is, quite frankly, a distorted religious corporation (we call it “the Church”) and it is scorned by the world, not because we are profoundly different, but because we claim to be different and while we live just like the pagan world…and worse.

While “Jesus Christ and Him crucified” will always be a tripping point to the unbelieving world, the bigger “stumbling block” today is the charade that has become “Christianity” and “the Church”. These words have become perverted and void of meaning, like so many other words (consider “gay”, “choice”, “freedom”, etc.), because of careless usage and corrupt culture. As nouns they speak of an organization and lifestyle that the Bible does not recognize and, as adjectives, they have become mere marketing words for religious enterprise.

500 years ago, Martin Luther could no longer remain silent while “the Church” machine macerated human souls for selfish causes. For Luther, this was not a snap decision or a knee-jerk reaction; he was a devoted believer and a faithful Catholic (Christian). If you read your history, very similar conditions exist today (in both religious and secular leadership) as were prevalent at the turn of the 16th century. The excess and arrogance of religious leaders and the distorted organization that has become the “Church” no longer reflects the God of the Bible. As for myself, with conviction and sadness I have chosen the Body of Christ and the fellowship of believers over the contemporary “Church”. I reject contemporary “Christianity” because I love Jesus and the saints, not because I wish to "cut and run". The time has come, once again, for reformation and, once again, religious leaders and the corporate religious institution are demonstrating an inability and unwillingness to restore order to the temple. Intoxicated by the wine of indulgence and deafened by the sound of their own words, they are oblivious to the cracking ice beneath their feet.

In Revelation 3, Jesus says, “Behold, I stand at the door and knock…” These words were not to the world of unbelievers as we loosely use them; they were (and are) to an apostate church that continued in function but had left Jesus outside. While I am not necessarily a dispensationalist, I am sobered by the reality of Jesus’ words in these last days.

[David A. Lewis]

May the day find you well and full of God's Love!

It seems to me that Geoff Suratt has gone a bit overboard and fell in the water. I am certainly not with him! He makes a point of how to live and basically defines Christianity through what he says he wants to do in his life. So why drop the identity to Christ our Savior? Wonder what he will call himself??? He did not seem to say.

We let society distort alot of things regarding Christianity when in fact us Christians (as a whole) are the ones not living up to our calling, distorting Christianity ourselves. Maybe Geoff needs a vacation.

As for me, I will always be a Christian! Yes there are many religions and a fair number of Christian religions. The wonderful thing about Christianity is the fact that it is a way of life, Christ's way to live; not a religion (all man made). The world can define Christianity any way it wants to. However, I will remain steadfast in what Christianity really is.

We should not leave the "Christian Label" behind. Are we going to compromise yet again? Call it what it is, or do we put softer names on things like mistakes versus sin? (Certainly not all mistakes are sin.) Let us really be radical and call a spade a spade. It seems to me that Jesus did not sugar coat anything.

Hopefully I will be a better Christian every day and people will see the real meaning of "Christianity" through my life as I grow closer to God.

Running away and making or attempting to make our own society is futile and not what God wants. Christians can not reach the world if we isolate ourselves from the world. If we do that, we are not doing what God calls us to do. We are put in the world to help it find God and preach the good news that Jesus is Christ the Lord and our Savior, not to be of the world.

The world may have its own definition of Christianity...it is up to us Christians to make it right!

2 Chronicles 7:14 and My people who are called by My name humble themselves and pray, and seek My face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, will forgive their sin, and will heal their land. (NAS)

The onus is on us Christians! (like that word; onus)

I will remain on the Christian team and keep trying and keep seeking God!

Always in Love, David A. Lewis
Liberty Assembly of God Community Church, Bealeton, Virginia
One of the Praise Team drummers
SFC U.S. Army Special Forces (Retired)