Today I find myself struck by the ways in which Christians are viewed/portrayed by the writers of some mainstream television shows. Most folks are viewing (as evidenced by the writing) Christians as ultra-conservative, insensative phrase using, condesending, judgemental, holier-than-thous. Let me start by saying a few things...
First, most Christians today, at least the ones with voices in the mainstream aren't really doing anything to bust the stereotype. I think it might be because the backlash is the sort of 'persecution' Jesus talks about in Matthew 5. Anyone can turn on the 700 club or any number to TV preachers to get enough ammo in their gun. In fact, if you have the time search 'God Stuff' or 'This Week in God' on You Tube and you'll see all the stuff that 'Christians' do to give such a bad taste to folks.
Second, it is nothing less than frustrating that I, as a Christian (a 'pastor' no less) that I get to be painted with that brush. Woo frickin' Hoo, I say. So, the loud voices of the minority of Christians need to use their voice to start entering into some dialogue with others in the church, and quit using it to tell us who's going to Hell for reading the Da Vinci Code or how soon I'll be into guys by watching SpongeBob or playing with a purple Teletubbie. I send out a resounding 'thanks for that.'
Third, I am a Christian, and I am painted with all sorts of brushes. So, I feel compelled to say something I think is very important in the conversation. I'm sorry. I apologize to all the folks that have a serious problem with the way some evangelists do their thing. I apologize on their behalf. Oh, and if you have disagreed with most of what I've said to this point...spare me the "Jesus used harsh language, so we should too" crap. The truth is that the vast majority of the time HE WAS TALKING TO RELIGIOUS LEADERS OF THE DAY and not the 'so-called' heathens when using that particular lexicon. Jesus' harshest words came out against those who were supposed to be getting it and they weren't.
So, again, I'm sorry. I know it isn't much, but it's a start...
One last thing though, all the folks on the tolerance band wagon as in, 'the Christians don't have any of it.' (tolerance that is) Maybe you all could do a little better job tolerating the views of the percieved 'wack-jobs' and try to enter some sort of conversation with those folks just like you have said you have with the Bhuddist, Hindu, Muslim, homosexual, atheist, white-collar criminals etc. Maybe it isn't fair to put a characture of a personality type on a television show just to prove a point.
It's not quite fair to put that picture of Christians at their worst against people at their average...maybe even their best. If you wanted to be fair, perhaps a worst versus worst would illicit a more accurate picture...
...but that's not always the best TV now is it...
1 comment:
Wow ... so sorry that something set you off ...
However - you make good points. Here's what I don't appreciate (in ANY situation) ... people use what's convenient to make their point ridiculously clear. Great. Good for them. But why is it that doing so often requires comparing apples to oranges? And how is it that people so often overlook that fact?
Very well written Ryan. Way to get people thinking.
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