From: lungtt@gus.ecn.purdue.edu (Terence T. Lung)
Subject: Eric Marsh (was Re: You should be a Christian...)
Organization: Purdue University Engineering Computer Network
Date: Sat, 2 Jan 1993 01:46:14 GMT

Subject: Re: You should be a Christian because (30 words max):
To emarsh@hernes-sun.Eng.COM.
Here's a belated entry (perhaps even a dead topic), but in 
mailing you, it bounced.  Please let me know if you see this.

In article <lipjktINNfut@exodus.Eng.Sun.COM> emarsh@hernes-sun.Eng.Sun.COM (Eric Marsh) responded to what I wrote a long time ago::
>>...I hate being Christian...
>     ! ? !
For me, being Christian makes things difficult in a worldly sense.
You're automatically associated, by the society at large, with being
a nut-case (the media does this all the time), with every disgrace 
ever associated with the church, and with any combination of pew-warming
mainstream facades.  You're also kind of expected to have answers to
everything.  Then there are people that've never even met you before
that do violence to you based on these curious notions.  No thanks.
For this reason and others like it, I strongly recommend not becoming
a Christian.  Why [not how] would anyone put up
with this outside of personal gain [e.g. business, social life, 
political statement]?  What benefit is there in persuading someone
else in doing this?  The polar-bear club is a better venture.

>>...To hell with its [Christian] beliefs too.
>>They are not essential and I do not venture to persuade
>>anyone to become a Christian.  Centering one's life and
>>following Christ, on the other hand, is *statistically*
>>a different story.
>
>Please explain.

(1) With respect to *its beliefs*, this also makes for a flaky
reason to *become* a Christian.  In fact, I personally don't 
know of any good reasons to become Christian.  You can get most
of the same beliefs elsewhere.  For its beliefs, rules, dogma,
etc [this is redundant already], like most others, you'd fail or 
go mad on a guilt-trip if you try to follow these on your own
initiative.  For that reason, I don't care for them.

(2) ...following Christ [is a different story]--For many years,
I considered myself Christian perhaps because it was the thing
to do.  It was also an easy and viable thing to rid myself
of that coining--I could simply deny it.  But many years later, 
Christ changed my life and came into my life.
[I believe it's Him in any case.  He certainly takes up all the
room that I cleared (with His help) for Him in my heart, in my
mind, in my soul, in everything that is me.  Invite someone to
a cesspool and he probably won't want to come in.]  Since then, 
the world seems to revolve around Him and becomes a lot easier 
in a curious way.  [suffering has become somewhat enjoyable, etc] 
The act of *being Christian* has now become a by-product of a more
fundamental action.  I don't like being Christian.  On the other
hand, I do like following Christ.  I look forward to His return
in full glory. [whether it be me going to Him or He coming to us
It's all relative.]  In the meanwhile, He is among us in plenty.

It's easy to call oneself Christian but have Christ nowhere
in your life.  However, by following Christ, we've got a
different ballgame.  Choosing to be Christian is no longer
much of a choice.  You will know it if He is in your life.
There would be a massive change in one's life in either 
His entrance or departure.  This goes for non-Christians too.

>>Let's confuse the consequences with the reasons.
>>
>>Not by or for being Christian; nor by or for any church,
>>but foremost, by and for Christ and His Resurrection,
>
>No comprende. [No comprendo?]
In my life, my priority is Christ.  Consequences of that (like
consequently being labeled Christian), any church (man-made
organizations), or anything else are completely outshadowed
by Him.

>>Have a Christ-centered Christmas or don't have one at all.
>Can I have a non-Christ-centered Yule then?
Without Christ, you can have a mas [pronounced "mess"].  
A good mess should satiate your appetites.  A bad mess
is just a mess.  

That you might receive the bread and the wine,

Terence
Newsgroups: talk.religion.misc