From: jayne@mma.beltrix.guild.org (Jayne Kulikauskas)
Newsgroups: soc.religion.christian
Subject: re:Dislike of Christians
Date: 8 Apr 92 08:44:31 GMT
Organization: Martin McCubbin & Associates Ltd.

I agree with Mike West about most North Americans' lack of critical 
thinking abilities.  I agree that the influence of television and public 
education usually works against Christianity. (I teach my four children 
at home and carefully monitor their and my own TV viewing.) I suspect I 
will agree with his actual objections to the self-esteem and 
enviromentalism movements, when that post appears.  However, I disagree 
with his way of expressing himself.  To make blanket statements, to call 
these things heresies gives a misleading impression of Christianity.
 
The problem with his form of expression is illustrated in the response 
of DGraham who appears to be a thoughtful, sincere non-Christian.  This 
person had been left thinking that Christians believe that self-esteem is 
wrong and that they have a right to exploit the earth.  This creates a 
stumbling block for him.  Indeed, why shouldn't he dislike Christianity? 
I know that I wouldn't be attracted to such a religion.  
 
I had a strong negative reaction to Mike West's post.  I think this is 
because people have a tendency to react most to their own faults when 
seen in others.  Sometimes I feel angry about the influence of secular 
values and react to them unwisely.  Sometimes I will refuse to do 
something just because it's trendy.  My husband points out that this 
makes me just as controlled by society's values as the people who adopt 
what is trendy.  Christianity is for following Christ not for reacting 
to secular humanism.
 
I have been learning that there is some good in humanism, communism, and 
every religion I've ever heard of.  I think that Christians should look 
for what is good, pure and true in other beliefs and recognize it as 
coming from God. We will be building bridges to others instead of making 
ourselves disliked.  We might even learn something.
 
For example, as a parent I make a goal of building self-esteem in my 
children.  I read secular books on the subject but I impliment the ideas 
within a Christian worldview.  I tell my children that they are precious to 
God, that they belong to Him, that it is a privilege and a gift to me to 
be allowed by God to care for them.  I say that God loves them and I 
love them for who they are, not for what they do. I tell them that they 
are gifted and special because God made them that way.  I try to show 
them that the implication of our giftedness is gratitude to God and a 
responsibility to use those gifts for the good of others.  
 
This post is already pretty long but I want to answer DGraham's 
accusation that Christians tend to bigotry.  I plead--guilty.  
Christianity interacts with personality development just the way other 
religions do.  One may observe two main patterns.  There is a positive 
interaction in which religion is integrated with the personality.  This 
pattern is charaterized by maturity and altruism.  However, the more 
common pattern is the negative one, characterized by immaturity and 
bigotry.  BTW, for discussing effect on personality, even atheism can 
act as a religion. This is not meant to be a justification.  I'm not 
saying everyone else does it, so it's OK.  I'm only using this model to 
describe the problem. (A good author on this topic is Gordon 
Allport--further references available on request.)
 
At one time I would have responded that the bigots weren't really 
Christians since they were not doing what Christ wanted.  I am no longer 
prepared to say that.  St. Paul refers to weaker brethren.  Weak and 
immature Christians are my brothers and sisters.  I, too, am weak and 
need to grow.  I sometimes do things that offend God and make 
Christianity unattractive to people of good will.  I can ask God for 
forgiveness but what can I say to DGraham?  My brothers and sisters and 
I have created an obstacle preventing him from discovering the most 
wonderful truth in the universe, that God loves him with infinite love.  
I am more sorry than I can say.
 
He asks what we can show him to make him feel more at ease about 
Christianity.  There are examples of people who show the positive aspect 
of Christianity; many of the posters to SRC seem to fit this category.  
But this kind of Christian is in the minority.  Ultimately, there is no 
reason that he should feel at ease about Christianity.  And I don't want 
to show him, or anyone else, Christianity.  I want to show them Christ. 
 
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*  Jayne Kulikauskas  (jayne@mma.beltrix.guild.org)        *
*    ____________________________________________          *
*  disclaimer-I don't really work for mma; my husband does *
*             Even he doesn't always agree with me.        *
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