Let me explain:
If being a Christian means that I must be a Republican, I am lost.
If being a Christian means that I am required to believe in the complete 'inerrantness' and infallibility of the "Word of God", i.e., the Bible, I am lost.
If being a Christian requires me to believe that the "Holy Canon" is the last word on what God's word is, I am lost.
If being a Christian means that I must believe that homosexuality is wrong, I am lost.
If being a Christian means that I must believe in the "doctrine of authority," I am lost.
If being a Christian means that I must believe in hell as eternal damnation in a lake of fire, I am lost.
If being a Christian means that I must believe that the only way to God is to believe in Jesus Christ, I am lost.
If being a Christian requires me to "check in" with God for every decision on every detail in my life, I am lost.
If being a Christian requires me to know all there is to know about God, I am lost.
If being a Christian means that I completely understand who God is, I am lost.
If being a Christian means that I must have all the answers to all spiritual questions, I am lost.
If I cannot say, "I don't really care about that," when asked my opinion on, or interpretation of, a spiritual question, I am lost.
If I cannot say, "I just don't know," when asked my opinion on, or interpretation of, a spiritual question, I am lost.
If, to be a Christian, I must settle on whether I am pre-trib, mid-trib, sort-of-mid-trib, post-trib, or no-trib, I am lost.
If being a Christian requires me to settle on the question of eternal security, I am lost.
If being a Christian requires me to believe in exclusivity of a certain creed or message, I am lost.
If being a Christian means that I must believe that people are predestined to go to heaven or hell, I am lost.
If being a Christian means that I must agree with all confrontations our military engages in, I am lost.
If being a Christian means that I must require my wife to be in submission to me and my children to obey me at all times, I am lost.
If being a Christian requires me to beat my children so that they learn to love God, I am lost.
If being a Christian means that I must pray and read my Bible, I am lost.
If being a Christian means that I must be at peace with all men and ignore blatant indiscretions against the "least of these," I am lost.
If being a Christian means I must submit myself to any earthly authority rather than God himself, I am lost.
If being a Christian means I must school my own children, I am lost.
If being a Christian means I cannot immunize my kids, I am lost.
If being a Christian requires a diet of organic foods, I am lost.
If being a Christian means that I must reject the mainstream medical field, I am lost.
If being a Christian means I cannot listen to secular music, I am lost.
If being a Christian means I cannot disagree with any writers of the collection of books, letters, and historical documents that have been concatenated by men into what we know today as The Holy Bible, I am lost.
If being a Christian means I cannot view many of the stories in the Bible as man's best interpretation of the events, using the limited knowledge of the period, I am lost.
If I cannot laugh at some of the foolish conclusions of the writers of the Bible, I am lost.
I am very happy to be a Christian. But, none of the above "requirements" reflect who I am. I believe in Jesus Christ, God, and the Holy Spirit. I am very far from a final conclusion on anything spiritual, including who God is, but I have thoroughly rejected the narrow bounded "faith" I grew up with. I am still working out my faith in fear and trembling, as I write. I hope that when I pass from this life, I can still say the same. I attempt, as best I can, to love God with all my heart and love all people. I never could do that when I adhered to the above rules.
If I have missed any foolish definitions, please feel free to add them to the comments below.
Update 3/7/2012 12:28 AM: Since writing this post, I have left the Christian faith and am now an undefined agnostic. Regardless of who I am, I am convinced that the above words will still be very meaningful to people of faith at any level. I know for a fact that the most conservative of Christians identify wholeheartedly with this post.
If being a Christian means that I must be a Republican, I am lost.
If being a Christian means that I am required to believe in the complete 'inerrantness' and infallibility of the "Word of God", i.e., the Bible, I am lost.
If being a Christian requires me to believe that the "Holy Canon" is the last word on what God's word is, I am lost.
If being a Christian means that I must believe that homosexuality is wrong, I am lost.
If being a Christian means that I must believe in the "doctrine of authority," I am lost.
If being a Christian means that I must believe in hell as eternal damnation in a lake of fire, I am lost.
If being a Christian means that I must believe that the only way to God is to believe in Jesus Christ, I am lost.
If being a Christian requires me to "check in" with God for every decision on every detail in my life, I am lost.
If being a Christian requires me to know all there is to know about God, I am lost.
If being a Christian means that I completely understand who God is, I am lost.
If being a Christian means that I must have all the answers to all spiritual questions, I am lost.
If I cannot say, "I don't really care about that," when asked my opinion on, or interpretation of, a spiritual question, I am lost.
If I cannot say, "I just don't know," when asked my opinion on, or interpretation of, a spiritual question, I am lost.
If, to be a Christian, I must settle on whether I am pre-trib, mid-trib, sort-of-mid-trib, post-trib, or no-trib, I am lost.
If being a Christian requires me to settle on the question of eternal security, I am lost.
If being a Christian requires me to believe in exclusivity of a certain creed or message, I am lost.
If being a Christian means that I must believe that people are predestined to go to heaven or hell, I am lost.
If being a Christian means that I must agree with all confrontations our military engages in, I am lost.
If being a Christian means that I must require my wife to be in submission to me and my children to obey me at all times, I am lost.
If being a Christian requires me to beat my children so that they learn to love God, I am lost.
If being a Christian means that I must pray and read my Bible, I am lost.
If being a Christian means that I must be at peace with all men and ignore blatant indiscretions against the "least of these," I am lost.
If being a Christian means I must submit myself to any earthly authority rather than God himself, I am lost.
If being a Christian means I must school my own children, I am lost.
If being a Christian means I cannot immunize my kids, I am lost.
If being a Christian requires a diet of organic foods, I am lost.
If being a Christian means that I must reject the mainstream medical field, I am lost.
If being a Christian means I cannot listen to secular music, I am lost.
If being a Christian means I cannot disagree with any writers of the collection of books, letters, and historical documents that have been concatenated by men into what we know today as The Holy Bible, I am lost.
If being a Christian means I cannot view many of the stories in the Bible as man's best interpretation of the events, using the limited knowledge of the period, I am lost.
If I cannot laugh at some of the foolish conclusions of the writers of the Bible, I am lost.
I am very happy to be a Christian. But, none of the above "requirements" reflect who I am. I believe in Jesus Christ, God, and the Holy Spirit. I am very far from a final conclusion on anything spiritual, including who God is, but I have thoroughly rejected the narrow bounded "faith" I grew up with. I am still working out my faith in fear and trembling, as I write. I hope that when I pass from this life, I can still say the same. I attempt, as best I can, to love God with all my heart and love all people. I never could do that when I adhered to the above rules.
If I have missed any foolish definitions, please feel free to add them to the comments below.
Update 3/7/2012 12:28 AM: Since writing this post, I have left the Christian faith and am now an undefined agnostic. Regardless of who I am, I am convinced that the above words will still be very meaningful to people of faith at any level. I know for a fact that the most conservative of Christians identify wholeheartedly with this post.
