Jesus said that the most important thing we could do in this life is learn to love God with all of our heart, soul, mind, and strength (Mark 12:28-31).  I’ve use Jesus’ command as a template for a discipleship model in a previous series of posts (part 1 is here), and have come to see how powerful this approach to discipleship can be if one uses it.

In setting his expectations for Christian life and ministry, Paul challenges Timothy with the words, “…train yourself to be godly.” (1 Timothy 4:7).  Discipleship isn’t a passive activity; it’s like training for an athletic event.  An athlete doesn’t go through their day and hope their skill, discipline, strength, etc., increases.  An athlete has a plan in place for how they are going to develop themselves.

It’s the same for a disciple.  Christians who just go through their day assuming/hoping that grow and maturity will occur will be dissapointed.  Following Jesus doesn’t allow us to addicate taking responsibility and initiative to grow; it catalyzes it.  As Dallas Willard is fond of saying, “Grace is opposed to earning, not to effort.”

We are saved by grace (Ephesians 2:8-10).  And now that we are saved and “in Christ,” we must train ourselves to be godly so that  God can reshape us into people who can step into his mission and purposes for us; clearly displaying his light, love, grace, and power to the world.

This month, my personal heart, soul, mind, strength plan breaks down like this:

Heart (building godly relationships):  I’m doing to be setting aside time for four “dates” with my family: Heather, Kara, Lauren, and Brayden.  Each time will be focused on something the other person would like to do, and I’m going to give each of them a note sharing how much I love them and things I want to encourage each of them with.

Soul (deepening one’s prayer life/reflection space):  I’m reading Richard Rohr’s The Enneagram: A Christian Perspective.  This book has really helped me understand the fault lines of my own soul, and yet offers so many rich insights into how to persue restoration in Christ.  I also find it incredibly helpful as a tool to increase my compassion and understanding towards others, and a resources that helps me to more effectively pray for others.

Mind (learning more about the Bible/discipleship):  I got my Bible reading plan in full swing, and will also to be reading through Scott McKnight’s One.Life book.

Strength (sacrificially serving/giving to others):  I’m going to be setting up some volunteer shifts at Helping Hands Street Mission.

Responding to Suffering: the Way of the Buddha

Buddha taught that we should respond to suffering by embracing the Four Noble Truths:

1. Life means suffering. Life as we know it ultimately leads to suffering in one way or another.

2. The cause of suffering is attachment. Suffering is caused by the desire/craving for what we do not have or the desire/craving to have a certain state of affairs not exist.  As these desires go unfulfilled, we experience suffering and pain.

3. The end of desire is the end of suffering. Suffering ends when desire/craving ends. This is achieved by learning detachment and reaching a liberated state of Enlightenment

4. The path to enlightenment is the Eightfold Way. By following the Buddha’s eight part “way,” one can learn detachment from desire and craving, and thus free themselves from suffering.

In summary, the Buddha called one to deaden desire and detach from the things of this world because he believed that an attachment to these things inevitably led to suffering.

Here’s the irony: When it comes to responding to suffering, many Christians are practicing Buddhists.  This is precisely the approach many of us use once we experience deep pain and loss.  We kill desire, numb ourselves to hope, and keep expectation, anticipation, and longing at bay so we won’t get hurt again.

We stop dreaming, stop hoping, and stop desiring because we believe we’ll just be disappointed in the end anyways.  So we shut down and detach.  In the posture of our heart we don’t let people get too close.  We stop expect anything than runs the risk of going unfulfilled.  We don’t get your hopes up so we won’t be disappointed.

This is a terrible way to live.  But a lot of us choose this path; the Buddha’s path.  Admittedly, it “protects” us from suffering to an extent, but look at the cost:  deadened desire, hollow hope, superficial joy.

Is that what spiritual depth and maturity looks like?  Is that what God wants for us?

No. If it’s God’s Spirit directing our growth, and not our own ego-driven concerns, our hearts will be softened and sensitized to reality in ways that lead to an increase in desire and an increase in attachment!

“I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit in you; I will remove from you your heart of stone and give you a heart of flesh.”  Ezekiel 36:26.

Responding to Suffering: the Way of the Christ

The Christ calls us to something very different than the vision offered by the Buddha.  Jesus invites us into truth through the re-ordering of our attachments, not their rejection or dismissal.  Jesus changes our hearts and opens our minds so that we learn to attach to the right things! Scripture never rails against “attachments” (caring deeply and feeling deeply connected to things).  However, Scripture does warn us against false attachments; false gods (i.e. idols) that distort and pervert our understanding of our identity and purpose.

Ultimately, for the Buddha desire is the source of suffering.  But for Jesus, desire is the source of spirituality.  If we move away from longing and desire, we’re moving away from something that is “very good” about our humanness and what it means to be an image-bearer of God. 

Buddha was concerned with the cessation of suffering.  Jesus was concerned with the cessation of sinful self-absorption.  That’s why Jesus’ greatest commandment was focused on more than simply negating suffering; it focused on overwhelming suffering with love and grace (Mark 12:28-31).   It’s simply impossible to move out of sinful self-absorption and into what Jesus calls us to without an intensification of godly desire and attachment: “Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled” (Matthew 5:6).

These new, intensified desires will mean new, intensified expressions of suffering.  But they will also lead us into a transformative experience of God as we learn what it means to share in the sufferings of Christ (2 Corinthians 1:15).

Someone asked me to comment on the viral video making its way around the interwebz: Why I Love Jesus, But Hate Religion by Jefferson Bethke.

Kevin DeYoung has written the best overall response to the video (found here).  I can’t improve upon his analysis, so I just want to outline a few lessons the video shows me.

1. Just because a video is cool and packs in “subversive” one-liners, doesn’t mean it’s true or helpful.

DeYoung:

This video is the sort of thing that many younger Christians love. It sounds good, looks good, and feels good. But is it true? That’s the question we must always ask.

I’m still surprised at how easily influenced I can be when a video a) is well produce b) has some moving music in the background, and c) has someone speaking confidently about Jesus and the Bible.  I need to remember that none of those things have any bearing on the truthfulness of the message being presented.

2. We love the Jesus that hates religion.

“Jesus came to abolish religion” seems to be the driving thrust of this video’s message.  And I think that statement is completely false.

Jesus did not come to do away with belief in and worship of God.  That is the definition of religion, and “freeing” us from this wasn’t on Jesus’ radar (Matthew 5:17).

DeYoung states it clearly and brilliantly:

Jesus was a Jew. He went to services at the synagogue. He observed Jewish holy days. He did not come to abolish the Law or the Prophets, but to fulfill them (Matt. 5:17). He founded the church (Matt. 16:18). He established church discipline (Matt. 18:15-20). He instituted a ritual meal (Matt. 26:26-28). He told his disciples to baptize people and to teach others to obey everything he commanded (Matt. 28:19-20). He insisted that people believe in him and believe certain things about him (John 3:16-18; 8:24). If religion is characterized by doctrine, commands, rituals, and structure, then Jesus is not your go-to guy for hating religion.

So why are we so interested in a Jesus who hates/dismisses religion?  Could it be that our Western, consumeristic worldview loves the idea of someone who loves us and is for us, but with “no strings attached?”  When I look back to my “I’m into Jesus but not religion” days, that’s what was at the heart of it for me.  I loved all the promises and affirmations of Scripture, but was turned off by the demands of discipleship.

3. We still think religion is the enemy.

Because so many of us have uncritically bought into the New Atheism’s insistence that “Religion is Poison,” we’ve come to love the idea that Jesus came to set us free from the ultimate oppressive force in the universe: religion.

Well, if religion really was the enemy, that would be an idea to love.  Except…uh…religion isn’t the enemy.

“Imagine no religion” Lennon penned.  Ok, I did.  And the world (and humanity) is just as messed up.  That’s because religion isn’t the problem: Sin is.

Sin shuts down, breaks down, dismantles and deconstructs every part of God’s “very good” creation.  It’s the reason for the bloodshed, the tears, the oppression, the injustice, and the self-centeredness that characterizes each of our lives and hearts.  We are crooked, broken, self-centered, and misguided creatures (e.g. Ecclesiastes 7:20; Romans 3:23).  Sin makes our propensity for self-destruction and violence towards others and God immense and thorough.

That’s an important distinction.  Jesus hates sin and all that detracts from God’s glorification and human flourishing.  Religion can (and often does) amplify the sinfulness of the human heart, but to make religion the bad guy is to be hacking at the leaves of evil instead of the root.

If we still think religion is the enemy, then we’ve completely missed the point of the gospel and the core message of Jesus.

Final Thoughts

I get it.  Videos like these are cool and definitely contain some important truths (I don’t disagree with everything in the video!).  However, it’s important that we always think carefully and thoroughly about the messages contained within videos like these, otherwise we’ll be in danger of following the wrong Jesus, fueled by misguided motives, focused on the wrong solutions to the wrong problems.

Jesus wants us to do everything he has commanded (Matt. 28:20).

To a lot of people, that will sound and feel very religious.  But that’s our problem, not Jesus’.  If you want a religion that doesn’t demand something of you—something difficult and real and substantial, then Jesus and Christianity isn’t for you.

Personally, another Strong was added to our clan in July: Brayden Michael. At five months, he’s grown into quite a cutie. However, the first few months were rough. Heather and I now realize why sleep deprivation is considered a form of torture! As 2012 emerges, Heather and I feel like we’re just getting our legs back under us.

There were lots of highs and lows (as there always are), but overall I think 2011 will be remembered as a year of major transitions on a number of levels. I definitely feel like 2012 is the year were I need to focus on adjusting to those transitions while seeking to discern what God has been trying to teach me and our community through it all.

As I look ahead to 2012, these are the personal goals I’m decided on:

Heart: I’ve always leaned in the direction of workaholism. My work is my passion, and it’s difficult for me to say no and establish boundaries that allow me and my family to flourish and enjoy life within regular rhythms of work, rest and play. I’m going to be much more intentional to invest in my core relationships, and do a better job of being “home” when I’m home, instead of being “at work” when I’m home. I also want to give my permission to have more fun, and not be so hard and demanding on myself (easier said than done).

Soul: Through all of the transitions of 2011, a lot of insecurities, doubts, and anxieties came to the surface. Some were on my radar, and others took me by surprise. I want to dedicate a lot of this year to working through each of these and praying that God will help me deal with them openly and honestly.  Specifically, I spent a lot of 2011 feeling very incompetent as a leader, and feel like 2012 may afford me more time to process why those feelings were so strong and persistent throughout last year.

Mind: I’ve decided to take up the 3650 Challenge.

Strength: A few things here. Financially, I want to continue reducing our family’s debt while trying to push myself beyond the tithe (giving 10% of our household income to the church). Physically, I want to get more rest, eat healthier, and continue to run.

1. “What do you think is the role of the young adults at Grindstone?”

That’s an interesting question.  I’m not sure I’ve ever thought there’s a specific role for young adults at Grindstone.  I think more along the lines of expectations: what do I expect from young adults at Grindstone?

I expect them to take increasing ownership for their discipleship journeys.  The days of hand-holding discipleship need to begin to die at this point.  New habits and patterns need to be established that move them into a more mature understanding of, and engagement with their faith. This will only happen if they begin to realize they are responsible for their spiritual growth and maturity, not their church, their pastor, etc.

I expect them to begin to think seriously on how to use their spiritual gifts, talents, passions, and experiences to bring God’s beauty, justice and truth into the world and into the church.  They have a ton of free time and creative space (more than they realize), and I want to see them reflecting deeply and consistently on the vocational question, “What is mine to do?” instead of being dominated by the question, “What job am I going to do?”  I believe if you dive into the former, the latter takes care of itself (Matthew 6:33), but it doesn’t often work the other way around.

I expect them to begin facing the demons and the skeletons in their closet.  Often young adulthood is a time when people start to become aware of the larger patterns of dysfunction and brokenness that exist within their own lives and hearts.  It’s important that young adults begin to really process through these experiences (which is often painful and difficult to do), so that they aren’t hundered and entangled by the sins of the past (Hebrews 12:1).

I expect them to begin moving into areas of leadership and service.  Young adulthood, while many going through it might be offended at what I’m about to assert, is a deeply self-centered and self-motivated time.  It’s a time when people are focused on “my” future, “my” studies, “my” plans, “my” job, “my” challenges.  In a lot of cases, a young adult’s entire life is structured around preparing them for the future, and to a certain extent this focus isn’t unwarranted.  However, this focus can easily become anti-kingdom and  anti-Christ if it becomes the pervasive, unexamined assumption through which the young adult lives.   So to counterbalance these foci, I expect young adults to serve, give and lead in ways that are costly and require a fair degree of self-sacrifice.  That’s very important to their short and long-term spiritual health.

2. “Explain the summer program ‘Launch’. What are your goals for this program?”

We run a weekly Bible study/discussion for young adults (18-25) within our church, but only for the months of May-August.  We do this because it’s important for this group to have an age and life-stage appropriate context to grow in their faith.

I try to stay away from any explicit goals for this program because I find the needs and desires within the group shift pretty significantly from summer-to-summer.  Instead, I try to get a pulse of where people are at in the Spring, and then begin planning for the upcoming summer accordingly.

We intentionally shut down the weekly study once we hit September.  We do this because we want to integrate our young adults into Grindstone small groups, serving teams, and other opportunities that give them a bigger picture of what it means to be the ekklesia of God.  It’s not easy.  A lot of young adults would love us to offer a year-round program of some kind, but I think that’s letting them off the hook.  We recognize how important and helpful a group focused on the unique needs young adults have can be, but its important for those at this stage of life to get involved serving and building community with those outside of their demographic.

So in nutshell, The Launch Network “program” is:

1. May-August: Create a weekly study for young adults to build community and focus on demographic specific issues, questions, and realities.

2. September-April: continue help connect young adults to opportunities to serve and build relationships outside of the Launch demographic.

3. “There are many young adults that attend Grindstone. How does the large presence of this age group affect your ministry?”

This may sound a little strange, but I’m not sure it changes our overall focus very much.  In recent years Grindstone has shifted heavily in the direction of discipleship.  We are serious about thinking and rethinking the question of how we make disciples in our particular context.  I think that’s attracted a number of young adults who resonate with that focus.  But now that we have a fairly large number of young adults, I’m not sure it causes us to re-evaluate what we do.

We don’t cater to young adults at our church.  We try not to cater to any demographic in particular.  Our church obviously has a certain vibe and way of doing things, but I don’t think that should change based on shifting demographics.  You need to stay true to yourself as a leadership team and true to who you are as a church.  Maybe that’s why we have a lot of “any” aged people at Grindstone, because we’re not focused on attracting or maintaining a certain demographic;  we are focused on discipling whoever calls our community home.

I do see, however, the unique energy and enthusiasm that young adults inject into our church.  While having a large group of young adults doesn’t change what we do, it enriches and enlivens what we do.  I’m often personally encouraged on so many levels after spending time with our young adults.  They help me stay connected to central issues of discipleship and the kingdom.  As you get older, it’s easy to get caught up in “worries of this life” (Mark 13:22), and spending time with our young adults helps me to reconnect with the undiluted passion for Christ that I can allow to be suppressed and quenched.

4. “What would you like to see from this age group in the future?”

I think the biggest challenge I have for all young adults within their churches is to stop waiting for leadership to present an opportunity for you to get meaningfully involved, and create one yourself!  Sometimes church leadership isn’t open to experimentation and risk-taking, but at Grindstone my one desire would be that I’d have more emails coming from young adults that would start with, “I’ve been thinking and praying about how to build into what God is doing at Grindstone, and I have some ideas.  Could we talk?”

Young adults are bursting with energy and talent and vision, but to wait for leadership to ask you to vision something isn’t a good idea, because as much as it’s on our radar as a leadership, the reality is there are pressing issues that can sideline other, “big picture” dreams.

I’m always disappointed when I find out a particular passion/talent that a young adult has, and realize they’ve never thought it was their place to come to me and say, “What should I do with this?  How can I leverage this for the kingdom?  How can this be used to teach/encourage/challenge the larger Grindstone community?”

Part of my goal for 2012 is to get better at making sure the young adults within Grindstone know we want and need their input on everything we do as leadership, and create space for them to bring their unique gifts forward, even if they don’t have a sense of how it can be used for the kingdom.

In the decades preceding Jesus’s birth, if you would have asked Israel to chart where they were along the spectrum of hope and fear, they’d have leaned pretty heavily in the direction of fear.

Fear that their redemption may never come.

Fear that God’s judgment lay heavy upon them.

Fear that their current (oppressive) plight wouldn’t end.

Fear that their suffering was meaningless.

Do you relate to any of these fears?  Where are you along this spectrum of hope and fear as we move towards Christmas?  Are you filled with anticipation over what God has done and will do?  Or are you filled with questions of whether or not God is good, and fears that overtake you in your quiet moments alone?

If you’re leaning in the direction of fear, listen to Isaiah’s prophetic words for those living within Israel in the days before Jesus’ birth:

2The people walking in darkness
have seen a great light;
on those living in the land of deep darkness
a light has dawned.

⁶ For to us a child is born,
to us a son is given,
and the government will be on his shoulders.
And he will be called
Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God,
Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.
⁷ Of the greatness of his government and peace
there will be no end.
He will reign on David’s throne
and over his kingdom,
establishing and upholding it
with justice and righteousness
from that time on and forever.
The zeal of the LORD Almighty
will accomplish this.

There was hope for Israel’s deep darkness, because God himself entered into their situation; into their “deep darkness” and brought his grace, light, and salvation (i.e., rescue).

There is hope for your deep darkness, because God himself can enter into your situation; into your “deep darkness” and bring his grace, light, and salvation (i.e. rescue).

***

Within Christmas lies the most basic proclamation of the gospel: that God does for us what we can’t do for ourselves.  God saves us, not in response to our religiosity or moral credibility (we have none!), but simply because he loves us.

That’s grace.  And grace upends the expectation that we can earn anything from God.  We are only and ever in the mode of reception. We simply and humbly receive Jesus’ light and love, and it casts out the darkness.

***

This Christmas, gather up your hopes and fears—hopes and fears that may stretch back many, many years—and bring them to Jesus.

But go to Jesus prepared to have him step into your darkness and bring a light that overcomes and overwhelms.

For he is Wonderful Counselor.  He is Mighty God.  He is Everylasting Father.  He is Prince of Peace.

He is the Dawnbringer.

The greatest impediment to tithing is often the feeling of being overwhelmed with where to start.

Most Christians want to give faithfully to their church, but feel trapped and defeated by a combination of out-of-control spending habits, consumer credit card debt, and the resulting pressure of living paycheck-to-paycheck.

All of us struggle with money. Last week my wife and I had to sit down and reassess our spending habits because they’d gotten out of control, so I know how challenging it is to faithfully live out our calling as Christians in the area of finances and wealth.

This past Sunday I mentioned the importance of giving and tithing during a message, and wanted to follow up with a step-by-step guide on how to tithe for those wanting to honour God with their finances. These five steps aren’t exhaustive, but for those out there who are eager to do “the next right thing,” these steps may be helpful.

Step 1: Pray. In 2 Corinthians 8, Paul notes that the key to the Macedonian church’s generosity to others was that “they gave themselves first of all to the Lord” (2 Corinthians 8:5). I think it’s important to hit the “reset” button on your financial habits by taking time to confess the selfish and reckless use of the wealth God has entrusted to you, and then tell him what you want: to learn to honour him in all things, and specifically your finances. You will not become faithful to God in this area without pray and the Spirit’s help.

Step 2: Start Small and Build. While some would argue that anyone could start tithing with their next paycheck if they were serious, I don’t fall into that camp. I know I didn’t have the faith for that large a step years ago. Instead, I started by committing to give 2.5%. On a $50,000 gross income, 2.5% works out to $25 a week. From there, work hard to bump up the percentage to 5% within 6-12 months. Then keep learning about giving and pushing yourself until you are at the tithe (10%). My experience is that God will honour you with each step you take.

Step 3: Don’t Wait for More Money. I used to think, “I’ll tithe…when God supplies me with more money!” Wow, that was the wrong way to approach things. If I’m not faithful with the little I have now, why would God supply me with more money?–so I can just squander more of his wealth? Stop waiting for more money and shift your focus to spending less on stupid stuff.

We all waste a large amount of money on dumb stuff. Last week when my wife and I sat down and looked at what we were spending money on, it was pretty embarrassing how much was being squandered on impulse items: lattes, lunches out, and other $5-$25 impulse purchases. Our finances were being eaten away $5-$25 at a time (death by a thousand pin-pricks!). Committing to reigning back on these expenditures is often the best first step to freeing up the resources to tithe. Most people can easily find $50-$100 a week that is being wasted due to a lack of intentionality and impulse spending.

Step 4: Start a Budget. Finding that $50-100 per week means that you’ll need to start budgeting and tracking how you’re using your money. This is a step a lot of people often don’t want to take (I didn’t). Swallow your pride and just get honest with yourself and God. My favourite budgeting software is You Need A Budget. It’s easy to use, and really coaches you on how to see and use your money (instead of having it use you!). Budgeting may seem like “work,” but the peace of mind it brings and sense of control over your finances is worth the few minutes a week it takes to keep yourself organized and on track with your giving and financial goals.

Step 5: Sign-up. Most churches has some kind of pre-authorized tithing/giving program, and if you’re serious about faithfully giving, you need to sign up for it. It will ensure an amount you stipulate will be deducted from your paycheck either once a month or with each paycheck. This was the most important step Heather and I made in terms of giving. We started by setting a small amount and then altered our giving every few months until we arrived where we are now. Having our giving come “off the top” of our paycheck eliminated giving God our “leftovers” and forced our lifestyle to work around the God’s call to tithe, instead of having the God’s call to tithe work around our lifestyle.

Step 6: Don’t Give Up. You’ll experience setbacks and failures as you try to change how you’ve been using the money that’s been entrusted to you, but that’s ok. Don’t give up. Learn from each mistake. The goal is greater faithfulness to God, not mechanical perfection. I still find myself making adjustments (large and small) with each year as it relates to my giving, spending, and saving habits. Remember, the goal isn’t simply to tithe–the goal is to become extravagant, gracious, opulent givers like our God. Tithing is just the training wheels that get us started on that journey. And that journey is exactly that, a journey. Transformative obedience in this area doesn’t happen overnight. No meaningful growth does. Perseverance is an important virtue within the life of a disciple, and especially in the area of reforming our finances to the glory of God.

I feel like I’ve heard all of the rhetoric from those seeking to bash and belittle the movement. To me, the anti-occupy sentiments boil down to a redunctionistic view of what is happening through these protests.

My sense is that many outside of the OWS have generally missed the depth and magnitude of what is happening through these gatherings. Ian MacKenzie’s video “Occupy Wall Street – The Revolution is Love” is a brilliant testimony to the deep spiritual longings that undergird the movement.

The values of community, love, creativity, joy–humanity–are missing from so many people’s lives, and while Wall Street (i.e., our economic system) isn’t “the” enemy, it stands as a monument to the social contract we’ve entered into as a society; one that is making us all sick. It’s a social system that is anti-human, anti-life, and anti-God.

More and more people are waking up to the fact that we’ve decided to build our society within a worldview that sees people as bricks instead of stones–as reducible, functional “bits” that are there to serve functional goals, instead of irreducible, creative elements that are there to serve goals that result in human flourishing (cf. Genesis 11:3-4). That’s disastrous, because when you build with bricks it’s all about efficiency and effectiveness. But when you build with stones, so much more care and craft is involved because you build using the unique, God-given shape of each stone (i.e., person).

OWS is giving voice to those who realize the systems we’ve created have become monsters that are turning us into bricks, and as a result are stripping us of community, identity, and humanity. OWS is giving voice to the longing so many have to reconnect with ourselves, each other, and our world (and I would argue, our Creator).

At its best, the OWS movement is fighting to envision a world where values like community, love, creativity and mutuality reign supreme, and that’s why I support it and pray for its highest ideals to penetrate our collective consciousness.

A Portrait of Christ from Jeremy Cowart on Vimeo.

Watching this video brought to mind Colossians 1:15-20.

15 The Son is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation. 16 For in him all things were created: things in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or powers or rulers or authorities; all things have been created through him and for him. 17 He is before all things, and in him all things hold together. 18 And he is the head of the body, the church; he is the beginning and the firstborn from among the dead, so that in everything he might have the supremacy. 19 For God was pleased to have all his fullness dwell in him, 20 and through him to reconcile to himself all things, whether things on earth or things in heaven, by making peace through his blood, shed on the cross.

This week, in putting together a response to the question, “How should we respond to people who say Christianity isn’t true or that it’s stupid?” I came across this post by a guy named Chaz Bufe.  He listed 20 reasons to abandon Christianity, and I thought I’d throw up my (brief) responses to each of them.  I fully acknowledge I’m not trying to deal with each of these objections in exhaustive detail, but I wanted to give our high school students examples of how to think through things biblicallly when they’re confronted with similar ideas.

1. Christianity is based on fear

This one has some legitimacy.  Christianity is based (in part) on “the fear of the Lord” (Proverbs 9:10).  However, “fear” in the Bible usually means a deep, thoughtful reverence and not terror.  Do some people embrace Christianity out of fear?  Yes.  However, Jesus never uses fear (in the way Chaz describes) to “get” people or intimidate people into his way (go ahead, try to find an example!).  Instead, he offers healing, hope and power to overcome the power of sin in their life.  Sure, Jesus does have some harsh words of judgement (check out all of Matthew chapter 23!), but these words of condemnation and judgement are directed at those who use manipulation and fear to control others–the religious leaders of Jesus’ day!

Christianity is based on the redemptive and restorative love that Jesus offers everyone.  Christianity is not based on fear.

2. Christianity preys on the innocent

The claim that Christians jams Christianity down children’s throats using judgement, hell and fear is a caricature of the highest order.  I’m sure there are some churches and Christians who do this, but that foolish and coercive tactic is nowhere advocated within Scripture.  Instead, Christians are called to wisely and carefully train up their children in the ways of the faith.  In fact, Ephesians 6:4 commands fathers (the seat of familiar authority in the 1^st century) to not exasperate (irritate, provoke, annoy, etc.) their children via power trips and “because I said so!” tactics.  Instead, God calls them to “bring [their children] up in the training and instruction of the Lord.” The implication is that this training and instruction will be done in a way that allows the child to flourish and not be psychologically oppressed through fear.  Jesus himself modeled what our interaction with children should be characterized by: a) not hindering them (psychologically, physically, etc.) and b) blessing them (Matthew 19:14).  Most churches I’ve been a part of get this and practice it faithfully.

3. Christianity is based on dishonesty

It seems as if this is a catch-all reason that is basically summed up by the idea that Christianity is clearly a fabrication, holding no historical or evidential truth, so the leaders of Christianity try desperately to fool and fleece people, hoping they won’t “think for themselves” and discover the truth.

Well, that really doesn’t make much sense, since a) Christianity’s integrity has been established for some time now, and b) from the earliest records of the early church, we see the Scripture praising nad celebrating believers who didn’t just take their church leaders’ words for truth, but “with great eagerness and examined the Scriptures every day to see if what Paul said was true” (Acts 17:11).

Are some (many?) Christians dishonest?  Sure.  But that’s a different issue.  Christianity is based on truth that can be examined and verified on many levels.

4. Christianity is extremely egocentric

The argument goes like this: if Christianity is focused on “saving souls,” then it is egocentric in its essence.  I see where he’s going here.  If one understands Christianity as basically about “saving souls,” then his argument is valid.  However, the Christian gospel (“good news”) is a gospel about the rescue, redemption, and restoration of creation, not a gospel on how God is solely interested in “saving souls.”

History shows us that when a Christian deeply and authentically embraces the gospel of Jesus, it leads them to become (re)formed as a person who is anything but egocentric.  They become a person who self-sacrificingly serves, gives and loves others and the world in ways that are heroic and beautiful.

Tagged onto this claim that Christianity leads people to be egocentric is this quote:

Another manifestation of the extreme egotism of Christianity is the belief that God is intimately concerned with picayune aspects of, and directly intervenes in, the lives of individuals. If God, the creator and controller of the universe, is vitally concerned with your sex life, you must be pretty damned important.

Actually, Chaz is onto something here!  God is concerned about our sex lives, our finances, our social structures, our economic models, our educational paradigms, precisely because we are “pretty damned important” (cf. Luke 12:7).  :)

5. Christianity breeds arrogance, a chosen-people mentality

I think the human heart breeds arrogance.  Because of this fact, Christians who do not understand the purpose of their chosenness can succumb to arrogance.  However, God’s people are always chosen for a purpose and not for privilege.  A few examples:

Colossians 3:12 “Therefore, as God’s chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience.”

Ephesians 2:10 “For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.”

1 Peter 2: 9, 16-17 “⁹But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God’s special possession, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light,” “¹⁶ Live as free people, but do not use your freedom as a cover-up for evil; live as God’s slaves. ¹⁷ Show proper respect to everyone, love the family of believers, fear God, honor the emperor.

Christianity does “breed” a chosen-people mentality.  BUT, when Christians understand why they have been chosen (not because they are superior to others morally!) and what they’ve been chosen in order to do (serve and bless the world!) they will dispense with any arrogance and launch into other-centered service and love!

6. Christianity breeds authoritarianism

This one is a bit muddled.  I think the basic charge is that Christianity leads to oppressive political systems and repressive social policies that are forced on everyone, regardless of their beliefs.  Basically, Christianity shuts down democracy and inevitably seeks to institute a tyrannical theocracy.  That’s a lot of big words that basically accuse Christianity of shutting down social progress while legislating Christian morality for the masses.

While this has been true within particular times and places, the overall history of Western civilization reveals that the Christian faith has been a catalytic agent for social progress and human flourishing.  The abolition of slavery, the suffrage movement, and the civil rights movement (all off the top of my head), were founded on a biblical vision that celebrated the equality and dignity of all people as image-bearers of God.

True Christianity breeds social structures and policies that lead to human flourishing, because true Christianity calls all Christians to “Love your neighbour as yourself.” (Luke 10:27), and part of what this means is to shape culture and society in ways that are not dehumanizing, oppressive, tyrannical, or regressive.

7. Christianity is cruel

You may be picking up on a pattern at this point:  Chaz believes the sinful, hypocritical lifestyle of some Christians becomes a reason why Christianity itself is the problem.

So we arrive at an interesting one.  Christianity is cruel.  Well, I think everyone can agree that some Christians can be cruel (and have been historically), but that is because they have been completely unfaithful to Christianity’s core emphases!  The Christian faith simply does not advocate or even tolerate cruelty towards one’s fellow man in any form.

From the lips of Jesus himself:

⁴³ “You have heard that it was said, ‘Love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’ ⁴⁴ But I tell you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, ⁴⁵ that you may be children of your Father in heaven. He causes his sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous.  (Matthew 5:43-45)

Christians can be cruel.  But Christianity chastises them at every turn for this!  The way of Jesus, when seriously practiced, will lead the human heart in the exact opposite direction as hate and cruelty, even causing Christians to love and bless their enemies—those they are tempted to hate and be cruel towards.

8. Christianity is anti-intellectual, anti-scientific

First, is Christianity anti-scientific ?  Nope.  An interesting fact is that the vast majority of all scientific development has come out of western civilization, which has Christianity as its basis. Christianity views God as rational and trustworthy, which implies that His creation is rational and orderly and thus can be examined. Nature in the Christian view (as compared to non-Christian, pagan worldviews) was no longer an object of fear or worship.

The idea of laws of nature came from Christianity. And the concepts of subduing nature and being stewards of nature are right from the first book of the Bible—Genesis.

Second, is Christianity anti-intellectual?  Nope.  Christianity emboldens and empowers its followers to seek out truth in all dimensions, using all of one’s God-given faculties.  Do Christians believe there are limits to reason and one’s intellect to arrive at truth?  Sure, but that isn’t the same thing as holding to some form of anti-intellectualism.

9. Christianity has a morbid, unhealthy preoccupation with sex

The Bible does address human sexuality directly (e.g. 1 Corinthians 6:18-20), but not as often as people might assume.  So, to say that Christianity has a preoccupation with sex is to betray just how thin your understanding of Christianity is.

Maybe certain Christians Chaz’s knows are preoccupied with issues related to human sexuality, but that preoccupation doesn’t directly stem from the Bible.  That being said, there’s no doubt that Christians throughout different times have elevated certain sins to an almost ludicrous level of being “extra bad.”  Sexual sins would probably top that list over the last hundred years.  However, an enormous amount of human suffering is connected to the misuse and abuse of sex, so I’m glad God gives us counsel on how to understand and use our sexuality in ways that cause human flourishing and not human dis-integration and degradation.

10. Christianity produces sexual misery

“Christianity produces great misery among its own adherents through its insistence that sex (except the very narrow variety it sanctions) is evil, against God’s law. Christianity proscribes sex between unmarried people, sex outside of marriage, homosexual relations, bestiality, and even “impure” sexual thoughts. Indulging in such things can and will, in the conventional Christian view, lead straight to hell.”

Uh…I don’t even know how to address this one.  If Chaz’s argument is that activities such as adultery, bestiality, and sexual promiscuity produce sexual ecstasy, then we are living in two different worlds.

Also, homosexuality, bestiality, sex outside of marriage, “impure” sexual thoughts—none of these lead “straight to hell.”  As Timothy Keller wisely jabs back, “And having heterosexual, married sex won’t get you into heaven either!”  No one is saved or damned because what they do with their genitals!

The sexual ethics outlined in the Bible (and specifically the New Testament) are there to move us into sexual intimacy and enjoyment, and help us move beyond superficial, self-centered sexual gratification.  That is why many mature, married Christians enjoy a rich and transformative sex life.