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Originally Posted by Terumoto
What would you say is the common conception of christianity? I believe the message Jesus was trying to convey was one of peace, deliverence from suffering, cultivation of limitless love and compassion for everyone by everyone, becoming non-judgemental, and ultimately trusting in Jesus by aspiring to act and think like he did (a by-product of this is your own savior).
However, what I would say the majority of people think christianity is about (in my limited opinion) is saving themselves. They ignore almost every message of Jesus except for "he died for our sins, so we are forgiven." Religion and God are not their first priority, they rarely uphold the teachings, they preach their limited understanding of the message to others who are put off christianity and spirituality because of misunderstanding.
There is another kind of christian that i've come across that is usually over 40 years of age. An example is the chaplain of the christian school that I work at. He is very closed minded, preaches without discussion, dismisses any questions that seem to attack his rigid beliefs or provoke thought. There are a lot of these types around...
I think (mainstream) christianity is headed in the opposite direction to where it should be headed. There are many christians who uphold the teachings and are open minded about things, but the outward image of christianity (which is important because its the image that non-christians are exposed to) is not very appealing.
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1st off, not all people who claim to be Christian are knowledgeable of the bible. And, those who are that fit the description of that chaplain may well be closed minded. The truth of the matter is, there are many false prophets out there. Jesus' message was one of love and redemption. However, we are living in a time now where tough love is also needed to reach many people. There are many interpretations of scriptures in the bible. But, if you really take things in context, the message of Christ is quite clear: Reach others through the gospel.
As far as people just trying to "save themselves", that's a possibility. However, it must be noted that not everyone is called to minister, or to have an "official" ministry. Jesus commands that all of us, in our own rite, serve as living testimonies to those around us of His saving/delivering power. But, that doesn't mean everyone is meant to stand up behind a pulpit and preach. The same can be said with other statements Jesus made. This walk is personal. And, no one is perfect. So, while it would be ideal to be like "little christs", the truth is, most Christians fall short of that.
As a believer, I have my own struggles, even as I continually dedicate my life to serving and acknowledging God. Every person who commits to this walk will have a struggle that is there own. Jesus said, "take up your cross and follow me." We all have one to bear. That is, however, no excuse to fail. It's just a constant reminder that no one is truly "good" but God.
With that said, Christianity is very strong right now. We may not all agree on the specifics of certain scriptures. But, the main point of Jesus being the reason for our faith unites us in the end. The problem is, weeding out the false prophets from the real ones. The bible says, "You'll know them by their fruit."
P.S. The "image" of Christianity, like any image, is determined by the viewer. Don't be fooled. God has a purpose for every one. The fact is, NO ONE can turn to God unless God firsts reaches out to him. We don't have the mind to.
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