Choosing Your Faith

Have you ever wondered where to begin explaining Jesus to a non-Christian? Have your efforts ended up in arguments and frustration?

Choosing Your Faith (in a world of spiritual options) by Mark Mittelberg is an invaluable tool for fixing the unique problems raised in our postmodern world. Postmodernism not only creates communication barriers blocking the Jesus Way, but the climate also confuses Christians about their own beliefs. Such is the atmosphere where Postmodern Christianity makes more sense than the Bible does for emerging generations of Christians.

Foremost is the problem where postmodernism often leaves people with beliefs they barely understand, which obviously makes them more susceptible to deceit. Postmodern dogma teaches all belief or “faith” is blind faith, no different than a personal opinion. People avoid the question of validity for opinions, so Christians with postmodern faith are  unconvincing and ineffective.

Mittelberg wrote  this book to eliminate the vague faith, and he does it by focusing on the element of choice. His case is quite simple:

1. Understanding the choices available…
2. by understanding how choices are made…
3. then choosing to trust Jesus Christ becomes the best and only real option.

These points vital for the postmodern thinker, and despite much broadcasting, publishing and talking, the Christian voice is not connecting effectively with postmodern faith issues. But this book is truly an excellent read and highly recommended as a useful solution in the current culture.

Faith Paths

In the first half, Mittelberg describes how people choose their faith, which he calls faith paths:

1. The relativistic faith path - belief that there are differing truths that are based on personal perception and experience… truth is perspectival (p. 22)
2. The traditional faith path – probably the most common, the passive reception of truth — a hand-me-down religion that has never been critically examined (p. 45)
3. The authoritarian faith path – similar to tradition, since it is passively received, however, here it is an issue of submission to a religious leader (p. 60).
4. The intuitive faith path – real perception resides in feelings and instinct (p. 83).
5. The mystical faith path – based on claims of an actual encounter with a supernatural entity (p. 102).
6. The evidential faith path – logic and experience — reasoning of the mind combined with real-world information that we gain through the five senses (p. 129).

Right away we can see why people get frustrated talking about Jesus. Each faith path is not complicated to understand, but the broad spectrum of faith paths shoves people into the apathy of postmodernism as a way to handle the conflicting diversity.

Christians need to see the different foundations people use to determine truth and arrive at conclusions in order to communicate effectively. Each faith path is vulnerable to deceit in different ways, and understanding this makes it possible to have exciting conversations about belief and faith when the light goes on.

Arrows

The second half of the book concentrates on the evidences for belief in a personal God, particulary Jesus Christ. Mittelberg called these lines of evidence arrows because they all point to Christ.

The book provides twenty such arrows, and one or two are sure to be effective with that frustrating person you know. Arrows include the design argument, the reliability of the Bible, fulfilled prophecy, the dramatic change and testimony of the disciples and so many others throughout history. These are not exhaustive treatises, but they do provide the major evidences for belief in Jesus. (For those wishing to dig deeper, he provides great references.)

Objections and Smoke Screens

Finally he deals with the common objections people raise against belief in Jesus which were particularly profound. We often encounter things like, “We really don’t know enough”, or “there’s so many inconsistencies in the Bible”, or, “what about all that suffering in the world?” Answering these is simple, which makes it possible to see if someone is truly concerned about the issue or using it as a smoke screen to cover up a deeper issue.

Mittelberg takes a refreshing approach by writing about these issues in a conversational manner without the philosophical ramblings. Yet he treated tough issues and nonsensical beliefs with great respect, graciously challenging false beliefs and claims.

Here’s something you don’t see every day: Mittelberg introduces the reader to logic in a practical and simple way. For example, for the Traditional Faith Path, “somebody’s parents and teachers have to be wrong…opposites cannot be true… ” (p. 50).

Mittelberg has conversed with various people from Mormons to Muslims, from New Agers to hard-core atheists, so there’s much to learn from this writer.  He demonstrates how to witness with some levity and yet realism.

Reading the book takes the fear out of witnessing. The fact is that most people have little basis for what they believe. Why be fearful? Why not instead illuminate people about truth and its implications in a non-threatening way? Christians have such a wealth of refreshing truth to offer, and so many people wish they knew these answers, isn’t that what we are here for?

The only real critique is the book’s price: $19.99 new! Mittelberg has to make a living, but why Christian book publishers charge so much for resources so badly needed to equip Christians is puzzling. (You can get used copies for $5 at amazon.com, or for $9 as an eBook.)

Additional Information

Sourced from: Morschmellow

Love the books!

“The Library Thing” is a non-profit, open community for sharing knowledge about books. It provides a great way to promote reading, which is so highly-neglected in today’s MTV world of fast-paced “blurbs” and disjointed Twitters.

Intellectual decline is a well-documented phenomena today, as measured by the ability to read:

• 50 percent of American adults are unable to read an eighth grade level book.
• The educational careers of 25 to 40 percent of American children are imperiled because they don’t read well enough, quickly enough, or easily enough.
• More than 20 percent of adults read at or below a fifth-grade level – far below the level needed to earn a living wage.
• 58% of the US adult population never reads another book after high school.

Proclaim the Revolution!

It is no coincidence that God used the Bible (which means, “The Book”) to communicate with humanity. Unlike word-of-mouth, the written word lends itself to widespread distribution, which makes it our most-powerful weapon for inciting Revolution. Even more important, the written word is subject to verification and objective truth, unlike other “scriptures” people are trusting around the world.

Especially today it is vital for Christians to stand out as Revolutionaries with literate thinking (as opposed to illiterate speculation), which gives our Revolution a respectable intelligence. Postmodern American minds are confused with imaginary religions lacking any literature to support their positions. These New Age religions are so fragile, they can’t be defended. By contrast, as Christians we have a long recorded history of God’s activities and revelation to humanity, and nobody has been able to punch a hole in it even after thousands of years and hundreds of thousands of scholars devoting their entire lives to finding a weakness. Still “The Book” stands, unspoiled and completely intact.

I dare anyone to offer any proof that the Bible contains any errors. I’ve spent a lifetime tracing these so-called errors which everyone supposes to exist, and I have yet to find one with any credibility. But if I wasn’t well-read, my own claims would be quite ridiculous. Reading makes it possible to take strong stands based on facts.

This is what the Bible calls the Kerygma, a Greek word translated “the proclamation”. Our Revolution is not an idea and it’s not a speculative philosophy like the crazy imagination of Karl Marx. Rather, the Kerygma is an historical fact, and its history is recorded for us in “The Book”.

What a difference it makes to be able to make a bold proclamation rather than a weak suggestion about Jesus Christ! Weak suggestions don’t change lives or challenge the deception and ignorance that alienates humans from their Creator. And all these Postmodern attacks against Jesus Christ are so flimsy to an educated mind–educated, that is, in the broad literature and histories of humanity, which also must include Christian literature. Postmodernism is woefully ignorant of the Christian worldview. These new, imaginary religions are attractive only in the absence of the Kerygma.

Check it out!

Join Our Reading Group!

Winter is the best time to curl up with a book and get armed to proclaim something worth listening to! Join us at The Library Thing and start sharing your library and knowledge of books with the other brothers and sisters.

Join us at The Library Thing and you can:

• Add The NeoZine as a friend.
• Join our reading group called Revolution of Joy and make contact with other Christian Revolutionaries!

No, God has not revised His Incredible Plan. But our book reporting that plan is now revised and published free, online, for your ministry’s use. It’s our Christmas gift to you, our readership!

See the NeoXenos Library Web pages, or download the ePub format (used in the new generations of eReaders like Amazon’s Kindle).

Are you thirsty? Do you feel the desperate need for the Holy Spirit in your life and ministry? Do you want to learn how to lean on Him more?

“’If anyone is thirsty, let him come to me and drink. Whoever believes in me, as the Scripture has said, streams of living water will flow from within him.’” –John 7:38

Brother Yun told the story of his persecution as a church planter and evangelist in China in The Heavenly Man. He suffered brutal beatings, electrocution, malnourishment, and repeated imprisonments for the gospel, and he considered it all joy to join in the fellowship of Christ’s sufferings.

Brother Yun told the story of his persecution as a church planter and evangelist in China in The Heavenly Man. He suffered brutal beatings, electrocution, malnourishment, and repeated imprisonments for the gospel, and he considered it all joy to join in the fellowship of Christ’s sufferings.

Living Water

His new book Living Water is collected from his teachings, many of them given to Western churches. Some of the principles may seem basic to Western Christians with theological knowledge, but his challenging calls to obey the Bible’s teachings are anything but boring.

Brother Yun is the only Christian I know of today who is writing in a radical way about the necessity of persecution for Christians. Listen to these quotes and consider how they apply to your walk with the Lord, our fellowship as a whole.

Quotable quotes:

“Do you want to follow God and do something great for His kingdom? If so, then good. But first you must realize that the pathway to bearing fruit for the Lord is strewn with much opposition, slander, criticism, false accusation, and pain. People will misunderstand you and doubt your motives, and Satan will throw many roadblocks in your path in a bid to thwart your progress. This has been my experience over the years, and it has been the experience of every person I have known who has been used by God, from the apostles to the present day.”

[pull]I can assure the Western church with absolute certainty that you don’t need any more church buildings.[/pull]

“The true gospel, when it is preached with power, always results in either revival or riot. Just read Paul’s experiences in the book of Acts.”

“Did you ever consider that Jesus sent His own followers on suicide missions? He knew His disciples would be killed as they attempted to take the gospel throughout the world.”

“We need to get our minds off man-made temples, churches and buildings and realize that God no longer dwells in structures made by human hands.”

“When I’m in the West, I see all the mighty church buildings and all the expensive equipment, plush carpets and state-of-the-art sound systems. I can assure the Western church with absolute certainty that you don’t need any more church buildings. Church buildings will never bring the revival you seek. The pursuit of more possession will also fail to bring revival.” Instead he says we need teachings that contain the “sharp truths” of Scripture, and obedience to those truths.

“In China we always teach five things that all disciples need to be ready to do at any time. We need to be ready to pray, regardless of circumstances. We must always be ready to share the gospel and always ready to suffer for the name of Jesus. We also teach every disciple in China that they must be ready to die for Jesus Christ, and finally they should be ready to escape for the gospel if the opportunity presents itself, for Jesus said, ‘When you are persecute in one place, flee to another’ (Matthew 10:23). There is great power when we suffer for the gospel.”

[pull]…the most fruitful times of ministry have come [with] great opposition and persecution… [so] we can laugh and rejoice![/pull]

“I have found over the years that many of the most fruitful times of ministry for the Lord have come at the same time as great opposition and persecution. There seems to be direct correlation between effective work for God and intense opposition. We can grow to such a place in Christ where we laugh and rejoice when people slander us, because we know we are not of this world, and our security is in heaven. The more we are persecuted for His sake, the more reward we will receive in heaven.”

“China is not being transformed for Jesus because we sit around thinking and talking about God’s work. No! We invest all our energy, time, and resources in reaching the lost. The church prays hard and works hard for the Lord. Many thousands of Christians have willingly endured brutal treatment and imprisonment in order to see the vision of a redeemed China become a reality.”

“Have you ever felt you would die unless you shared the goodness of Jesus Christ with others? If not, it is time to kneel down and ask God to give you a fresh revelation of the joy and presence of the Lord.”

My Take

I still have a few chapters left to read so more quotations may be forthcoming. I do recommend the book for if you are willing to look past the “basic teachings” and question whether you are really following them. In other words, be forewarned: contains highly convicting material.

The Meeting House in Canada gets it–Jesus Christ came to disestablish religion, not establish it. And even more, he blazed the trails to revolution, as their handout says:

I’ve always considered Christ to be one of the greatest revolutionaries in the history of humanity.~ Fidel Castro

Bruxy Cavey

Castro endorsing Christianity!? Imagine visiting this place to be  handed this subversive material!

The Meeting House is a refreshing iconoclast, demonstrated in their take-no-prisoners approach to the Jesus Revolution. Canada boasts less than 5% church attendance, but this group is growing by leaps and bounds.

Listen to Bruxey’s “Jesus Revolution” and then it makes sense…

Listen to the podcast:

Or watch the video:

People who say “nobody can really understand the Bible” are describing conditions during the Middle Ages, when scholarship was locked away in a distant monastery. Those of us who actually teach and study the Bible can easily access the world’s greatest scholarship from modern tools like the NLT Study Bible.

But what if you left your Study Bible it at home? Are we to be guided by our own ignorance as we teach it? Hopefully not!

Now it’s online, and it’s simply marvelous! If you already own an NLT Study Bible, you can use this service for free at http://cti.nltstudybible.com/

If you don’t own an NLT Study Bible, you have to go through this more-complicated link (in order to pick up a cookie): http://www.christianitytoday.com/global/scripture/redirect.html . (NOTE: the page may look blank at first, but there’s a little box up there in the corner–click it to pick up your free cookie, and enjoy!  If anyone asks questions, just say, “that NeoZine sent me!”)

John 1:1 displayed with tons of notes and scholarship

Some books make you angry. Others make you drowsy. Why We Love the Church manages to do both, often simultaneously.

I should’ve known it from the subtitle: “In Praise of Institution and Organized Religion.” I had to read it, because I’m baffled that anyone would defend institutional Christianity and organized religion. It certainly wasn’t a convincing defense, by any means! (How could it be?)

He loves those institutions!

Co-authors Kevin DeYoung and Ted Kluck , pastor and “member” of University Reformed Church in Michigan, denounce “revolutionaries” (that would include the NeoZine, we presume) in favor of the “traditional and old.” They discount the statistics showing Americans’ mass exodus from church only to argue a page later such an exodus isn’t a bad sign since Jesus said “small is the gate and narrow the road that leads to life, and only a few find it.” Along with such tragic (and conflicting) assertions, they bring a quasi-humorous writing style which only adds to the irritation of a rather indefensible position–that we should persist in the old, humdrum way of doing church (giggling as it shrinks?)!

Amazingly, they assert there’s no New Testament command or emphasis to grow dead and dying churches!  If growth isn’t emphasized or at least valued, why does Luke repeatedly record the number of believers being added in Acts? Why does Paul praise the churches (the Thessalonians, for example) for spreading the gospel? Jesus does say, “Go! Make disciples!” doesn’t he? But they sweep aside concerns for growth with the statement, “no one can change the number of God’s elect” (i.e., free will choice doesn’t play any role with God).

We should stop right here and acknowledge these two writers normally offer well-researched, excellent, profound and biblical  arguments, such as those found in “Why We’re Not Emergent.” Oddly enough, they took a different course with this book.

The authors are committed to the gospel and its love ethic, but they don’t see this as revolutionary because they’re enamored with tradition. Consequently they cannot conceive of church without a worship service, or Christian fellowship without professional clergy.

Ultimately they advocate a Madison Avenue approach to church. Kluck writes:

“I’m also glad that my church is ‘organized.’ I’m glad I know where to put my toddler on Sunday morning. I’m glad somebody was institutional enough to think through topics for a Sunday school class or two. I’m glad my pastor, rather than just freewheeling it, cares enough to study Scripture and a bookshelf full of dead authors to give me real spiritual food each Sunday….I’m glad somebody (not me) makes sure the kids are learning something biblical in their classes. It is, at its most basic, organized religion. And I love it.”

It’s good he appreciates the ways his church is serving him, but isn’t this an argument from the “me-first” American consumer mindset? Besides, just because we like something, does that make it good for us? I love eating ice cream, but that doesn’t make it good for me.

Bruxy Cavey offers a brilliant counter-argument in The End of Religion: “The problem with organized religion isn’t that it’s organized. It’s that it’s religion.” Amen!

The authors wrote this book to stop the current migration away from church institutions in favor of frequenting Starbucks and soup kitchens. The authors correctly assert that believers need to commit to serving in a local body instead of whining and loitering around coffee shops, but what should the disenchanted people do? According to the authors, we need to revive our fascination with infant baptisms, the “turn and greet your neighbor” ritual, the greeters, the open mic nights, home-schooling, and other relics of the Christian ghetto. Such is the snapshot they provide of the ideal church.

But how many Millenials from broken homes would love such a church?

What the authors fail to see is an option somewhere between leaving church for golf-outings, and loving the worn-out traditions called “”worship service”.  Are there no alternatives in-between? After 1,500 years of the Ritual Singing Worship Service, is it not possible to upgrade it?

Here’s a radical idea: how about Christian fellowship revolving around high-quality Bible teachings, discussion, prayer, and cool fellowship? But the authors would object–“Where’s the music? Where’s the nursery? Where’s the greeters?” They predict home churches will be the next hot trend in Christianity (is this really a prediction?), but they can’t imagine how a church would work without a clergy-laity model.

So it goes, for two-hundred pages. There is very little substantial content. (Thus, the type is double-spaced and filled with “personal” pieces by a sports writer.) Assertions are supported by a few Bible verses, but they often don’t explain the verses. In the end, their support relies on historical (i.e., “tradition”) more than biblical evidence.

The book demeans those who employ the early church model (i.e., home churches), arguing that such meetings were done merely from necessity. (Hey, we could use that necessity again–Christianity grew back then!) They think highly of Constantine’s Roman Empire hijacking the name of Jesus Christ. (Jesus, the great Roman conqueror? Does anyone see anything wrong with this picture?)

Speaking of history, the writers actually defend the Crusades! (Yes, let your mouth fall open–mine is still gaping open with shock!) The rationale?  Since Muslims took over “Christian lands”, the Christians had to go reclaim them for God! If Muslims stormed Washington, he reasons, would we not defend our nation’s capitol?

Wait, what? How is national defense really a religious war? And why drag Christ’s name into all the atrocities and bloodshed of our wars? Can’t we commit atrocities without Christ’s name attached?

So that’s why I hate Why We Love the Church.

I appreciate their argument against the Uncommitted Emergent Church-Leavers. But in the end they really offer nothing better or more-biblical for all these “Leavers”, so they essentially chide and whine at all these Uncommitted Emergent Leavers. The intention is probably good, so why not offer better solutions than just “Go back to church!” Why not join a revolution?

Read Cavey's book on 'The End of Religion' -- at least he offers some answers!

Until we get better material, check out Bruxey Cavey’s End of Religion. This book is the polar opposite of Why We Love the Church, from its revolutionary subtitle “Encountering the Subversive Spirituality of Jesus” and message, to its quality writing and biblical content–it carries an appealing and fresh tone.

If we want to see spontaneous expansion, we must establish native Churches free from our control. — The Spontaneous Expansion of the Church”, Roland Allen

To read this book is to be struck by the beauty and genius of God’s kingdom:

“One or two little groups of Christians organized as churches…could spread all over an empire.”

Christianity is a whimsical and sanguine movement propelled by the Holy Spirit, Allen says. It can’t be manufactured by institutions, programs, choirs or worship services, he says:

“…this is what I mean by spontaneous expansion. I mean the expansion which follows the unexhorted and unorganized activity of individual members of the Church explaining to the others the Gospel which they have found for themselves; I mean the expansion which follows the irresistible attraction of the Christian Church for men who see its ordered life, and are drawn to it by desire to discover the secret of a life which they instinctively desire to share; I mean also the expansion of the Church by the addition of new Churches.”

Allen’s expansion means native people evangelizing native people–14-year olds witnessing to their peers, auto-mechanics sharing with auto-mechanics. Allen writes as a missionary, but “Spontaneous Expansion” is just as applicable to Christians working to establish churches in their backyards. Youth ministry in particular often resembles strange soil, even to those who aren’t that far removed from their adolescence.

Allen advocates a Christian faith unlike any we see in our tired and failing churches. He envisions a powerful force, a revolution. Our job is not to try to control this force, but light the match and drop it in a dry, fire-hungry forest.

In Allen’s words, “If we want to see spontaneous expansion, we must establish native Churches free from our control.” However, this is a problem for missionaries who would rather come in and impose their ways and rules for doing “church” than raise up a competent indigenous person to do their own church. It flies in the face of institutional Christianity that would rather prevent cussing than unleash a revolution.

Allen gives a stern warning to those trying to control a movement of the Holy Spirit:

“We fear [spontaneous expansion] because we feel that it is something that we cannot control. And that is true. We can neither induce nor control spontaneous expansion…simply because it is spontaneous.”

Implementing rules is easier than starting a revolution, but actually it’s death warmed over. This is why the Church’s youth are getting lost in the universities and the sultry seduction of the Kosmos.

To laaunch a spontaneous, sweeping, Christ-like revolution is impossible for men. As Allen says:

“The great things of God are beyond our control. Therein lies a vast hope. Spontaneous expansion could fill the continents with the knowledge of Christ; our control cannot reach as far as that.”

The church has driven today’s youth away with stale rules and moldy traditions that block access to authentic Christianity. Usually we are quick to admonish cussing teens, but the radical message of Allen’s thesis means let them teach Bible studies among their peers, and don’t worry about the cussing.

At Kent State, what started out as a Bible study of a half-dozen Junior High kids expanded spontaneously into a ministry of almost 40-strong when they entered college–and it’s only been a few weeks!

The Holy Spirit is manifesting himself in the most unlikely ways, such as knuckle-headed teens praying with their friends to receive Christ. This seems improbable, but after all, as Allen points out:

“For centuries the Christian Church continued to expand on its own inherit grace, and threw up an unceasing supply of missionaries without any direct exhortation.”

by Coalition Against Lame Christianity

Betrand Russell

(Updated, with apologies to Mr. Bertrand Russell)

Ed. Note: In March, 1927, the world’s leading mathematician delivered his Magnum Opus diatribe against Christianity: “Why I Am Not a Christian”. We take the liberty of updating and enhancing his arguments here.

Objection #1: Their Leader Is An Executed Criminal.

History records that Jesus of Nazareth was condemned to death as a criminal by the legal Roman authorities—the most shameful and excruciating forms of execution ever devised.

How then are Christians able to promote a convicted criminal as “The Savior of Mankind”? It is absurd—he was unable to save himself, but he can save mankind! And this is their leader? Even the prophet Mohammad found this a most-distasteful aspect of Christianity.

Christians should be forced to defend this embarrassing fact! Why let them dodge it? Why not make this a major topic of conversation for Christians to answer?

It’s simple and embarrassing: why did they execute him, Christians? Or better still: why worship a criminal?

Objection #2:  His Teachings Are Impractical—Even Dangerous.

“Turn the other cheek” when punched, and “the greatest of you must become the servant of all” are famous teachings and attributed to nobody else but Jesus of Nazareth. No other religious teacher taught anything resembling these absurdities, and for good reason: these teachings do not fit the real world!

Friedrich Nietzsche despised Christian "meekness"

These are victim-behaviors, and dangerous to follow. Would a parent teach a child to “turn the other cheek” to the playground bully? Can anyone lead a nation as a servant of everyone? Christianity lacks common sense.

Friedrich Nietzsche properly called it “slave-morality” and said nothing is more contemptible than “Christian charity.”

Objection #3: Salvation Is For Any Lowlife—Period

Charles Manson, Stalin and Hitler might be in heaven if they became Christians, according to their own scriptures:

Ephesians 2:8-9 (NASB) For by grace you have been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God; not as a result of good works, so that no one may boast.

Since salvation is a “gift of God” and “not as a result of good works,” then anyone can become a Christian—even serial killers! Ted Bundy was a famous serial rapist and killer who received the “gift of God” shortly before he was executed, he said—so he must be going to heaven, according to Christianity.

No other religion on the planet teaches such nonsense: “salvation” or “heaven” is always the destiny for decent people. The place for criminals, rapists and evil people is called “hell” by every other religion on the planet. Jesus turned religious sensibilities upside-down and inside-out.

Objection #4: Jesus Made a Farce of Moral Behavior

All decent religions try to impart decent moral behavior on their followers, but Jesus made a farce of ethical behavior by creating laws which are impossible to follow:

Matthew 5:21-22 (NASB) “You have heard that the ancients were told, ‘You shall not commit murder’…But I say to you that everyone who is angry with his brother shall be guilty…and whoever says, ‘You fool,’ shall be guilty enough to go into the fiery hell.”

Such moral standards are impossible to keep! A morality that equates murder with insulting someone is unheard-of, and clearly absurd. This is not a distortion of the real Christian view of morality, because other writers of the New Testament agree, like James, supposedly the half-brother of Jesus:

James 2:10 (NASB) For whoever keeps the whole law and yet stumbles in one point, he has become guilty of all.

Christians may pretend their religion teaches moral goodness, but their holy scriptures teach moral goodness is beyond human reach. How are Christians allowed to criticize gay lifestyles without admitting that everyone is equally “dirty” by  standards such as theses?

Objection #5: Jesus Was An Intolerant Bigot

Christians are fond of depicting their “Savior” as a kind and gentle man, but he was actually violent, abrasive and narrow-minded, according to their own scriptures:

John 14:6 (NASB) Jesus said* to him, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father but through Me.”

He insulted decent religious people all the time, just like this:

John 8:23-24 (NASB) And He was saying to them, “You are from below, I am from above; you are of this world, I am not of this world. Therefore I said to you that you will die in your sins; for unless you believe that I am He, you will die in your sins.”

Everyone knows Jesus flew into a public and violent rage at the Jerusalem Temple, so why do Christians pretend their Savior is so kind and gentle? The Buddha was kind and gentle, and he taught religious tolerance—but Jesus was intolerant towards other religions and religious teachers.

Objection #6: Jesus Was a Low-Life Who Socialized With Vermin

Christians may be squeaky-clean, upstanding citizens, but their leader was undeniably crude, rude, and socially-unacceptable. Jesus acknowledged this criticism with his own words:

Luke 7:34 (NASB) “The Son of Man has come eating and drinking, and you say, ‘Behold, a gluttonous man and a drunkard, a friend of tax collectors and sinners!’

He went to wild parties and spent time with dirty vermin which no decent person would allow into their house. The “tax collectors” and “sinners” are certainly the equivalent of today’s Mafia or drug dealers, and it can’t be denied that he befriended prostitutes.

Religion usually cleans-up society, but Jesus defied social norms and ignored social decency.

Objection #7: Jesus Promoted Rebellious Attitudes

This is, of course, why they felt it was necessary to execute him, even if it caused great controversy—publicly and daily on the steps of the Jerusalem Temple he shouted insults at respectable officials:

Matthew 23:13 (GW) “How horrible it will be for you, scribes and Pharisees! You hypocrites! …Blind guides!”

His targets were were decent, religious people by all accounts. Why allow Christians to suppress the embarrassing truth that their leader was a disrespectful, rebellious madman who screamed at good people from the steps of that nation’s Capital Building?

He taught seditious attitudes which scandalize any decent citizen, such as the story of an embezzling, low-life steward:

Luke 16:7 (NLT) “‘And how much do you owe my employer?’ he asked the next man. ‘I owe him 1,000 bushels of wheat,’ was the reply. ‘Here,’ the manager said, ‘take the bill and change it to 800 bushels.’

Jesus then praised this man’s criminal behavior! Who can possibly respect a religion that extols such anti-social behavior?

Objection #8: The Resurrection of Jesus Is Insulting

No religion on this planet makes such grandiose and absurd claims: we are asked to believe the tomb where Jesus was buried is empty. Jesus simply rose from the dead and walked away?

The story leaves no room for rational thinkers: Jesus was speared, declared dead by the Roman experts of execution, mummified, and lay rotting in a tomb for days. Then he suddenly jumped up, pushed aside a 2-ton granite rock, beat up a cohort of Roman soldiers, and began making public appearances everywhere around Jerusalem, the location of his sensational execution. The story is so outlandish, it insults the intelligence.

Any religion that defies rational, scientific explanation is a religion hatched by superstitious, uneducated minds and doesn’t belong in the 21st Century.

But we don’t need to deny that something dramatic did occur—the followers of Jesus (like Peter—he denied he knew Jesus) were spineless, incompetent, uneducated and unlikely leaders of a movement. But they suddenly became vocal advocates, and Christianity did spread across the Roman Empire before the end of the 1st Century. (Their numbers were great enough for Nero to try stomping them out in Rome by 64 AD.)

Whatever happened, we don’t have to believe it was a bodily resurrection that occurred. We might find Christianity more agreeable if they used metaphorical terms—the spirit of Jesus lives on, for example. Other religions teach this about their leaders, so why must Christianity cling to such an untenable story?

Objection #9: Christianity Is Cosmic Child-Abuse

We are told that God (the Father) put His “only begotten son” Jesus in harm’s way. Even worse, God assigned “the sins of the whole world” to his son—and then punished Jesus for other people’s wrongdoings!

Not only is this unfair (what did Jesus do to deserve the punishment of creatures like Stalin or Hitler?) but it’s inhumane and cruel. What father could do such a thing to a son he loves? Is this not “Cosmic Child Abuse”?

How can anyone be drawn to a Deity so cruel?  The entire account is unparalleled and would be condemned by any other decent, modern religion.

Objection #10: Christians Don’t Believe in Christianity

Perhaps the biggest reason why I’m not a Christian is the long and dirty history of Christianity. How many Jews were tortured, how many Muslims were killed, how many women were suppressed, how many blacks were enslaved, and today how many gays are victimized by Christians who can’t tolerate the teachings of their own leader?

A few examples of the diffidence Christians hold toward their own religion:

• Jesus taught “my kingdom is not of this world,” but Christians have been building Christian Empires to rule this world for centuries.
• Jesus taught, “Let him who is without sin cast the first stone,” but Christians have been the leading executioners and persecutors of people deemed immoral for centuries.
• Jesus taught there is no such thing as a “holy place” or holy temple to worship God, but Christians built the most elaborate, expensive temples and holy places on the planet for centuries.
• Jesus and the entire New Testament teaches that the only important thing is to learn how to love others. But Christians are more famous for their rigorous morality, not their warmth and loving relationships.

The list is endless, but the fact is simple: Christians don’t like Christianity very much, so why should I?

Howard Snyders book is online

Learn about biblical and practical ways to build Christian Communities. Some of these books can revolutionize your Christianity, and others may seem boring, but still they provide excellent scriptural feedback on what Christianity looks like, in a practical way.

• Radical Renewal: The Problem of Wineskins Today by Howard Snyder: the original, influential picture of Christian Revolution. A must-read. His two followup books, The Radical Wesley and the Community of the King pound his earlier points home, and are phenomenal reads for those who have already read Wineskins.
• 5 Views of Polity – for advanced readers. A challenging, biblical look at different leadership models in the church.
• Pagan Christianity and Rethinking the Church  – Both are written from the viewpoint of those involved in the recent home church resurgence. Pagan Christianity is especially easy to read, and although it exaggerates the influence of secular culture on some Christian practices (like teaching), it is still highly-recommended. Even if 80% of what this book describes is incorrrect or irrelevant, the 20% that does identify “Pagan Christianity” is still significant and worth studying.
• 5 Views of the Church Growth Movement – For advanced readers concerning the famous “Church Growth” movement, which played a significant role on our own ministry development at Xenos.
• Roland Allen’s books — both radical and practical, recommended for intermediate Christian readers, these books are available in the public domain and downloadable here: Paul’s Missionary Methods and Spontaneous Expansion of the Church. Summaries from Darlene and Kathryn list the implications today (from the 2009 FST Retreat).
• Body Life – This is a must-read, especially for younger readers.
• Vintage Church, by Mark Driscoll, Gerry Breshears. A relatively recent book, a little dry, but a good introduction to Reformed Theology and its view of the church.
• You will need a Bible (We’ll give you one if you can’t afford it)