There Goes the Neighborhood

[junior]

There Goes the Neighborhood
by Greg Albrecht

It's time to shed the anger and hatred, the holier-than-thou superiority that is everyone's worst nightmare of a next door neighbor.

A friend of mine just returned from a conference reporting disturbing results from a new survey. North Americans were asked to name the type of individual they would least like to have as a next door neighbor. The most feared and least liked next door neighbor -- a serial killer, a drug dealer or a terrorist? Not according to this survey!

The number one, least liked and most feared potential next-door neighbor (imagine a drumroll here) -- a conservative Christian! Let's examine ourselves. Have we Christians earned and now richly deserve this dubious new tribute, or is it unjustly given by those who are out to persecute us without cause? Let's assume we aided and abetted this negative public perception.

Recently I received a letter from a reader asking Plain Truth to help call a halt to mean-spirited Christians who seem to proclaim a message of intolerance and anger.

Our reader comments, "My own experiences have shown me that I am far more likely to be deeply wounded in my spirit and heart by a brother or sister in Christ than a non-believer. I am more likely to find safety outside the church and feel love and acceptance from non-Christians than I am inside the church.

"I found that if I was deeply hurting and in need of help, my brothers and sisters in Christ would quickly condemn me and decide that they wanted me to suffer pain and be broken...all in the name of God's love."

The reader continues, "I feel that it is this refusal to see things from any other perspective than our own that keeps our churches segregated by race, by class and by denomination. It keeps us from being united against the true enemy. I do find many Christian leaders preaching veiled hate, racism and anti-Semitism, and I feel hurt.... I know that the early church centered on the idea of loving one another and reconciliation. No one would have referred to the leaders of the early church as mean-spirited preachers of hate, judgment or intolerance."

Somewhere along the line we have lost our way. We have bought the idea that Christianity is defined by boycotting Disneyland and organizing political action committees against politicians whose religious (or even denominational) views are different than our own.

Where did we get this idea? Where do we see biblical examples of Christians organized into angry goon squads intimidating pagans? Where do we see biblical Christianity modeled as believers living in holy huddles, excluding all others, with the exception of warning non-believers of impending hell?

Jesus would not get along or go along with much of our sectarian Christianity. As far as we know, he didn't carry around a Christian Study Bible with resource notes written by his mega-church pastor. We search in vain to find Jesus protesting or boycotting against secular authorities.

But he did throw the moneychangers out of the temple, didn't he? And he continually confronted religious hypocrisy. Remember the Pharisees? Actually, Jesus' actions would more closely resemble a condemnation of our current ideas of Christian culture and behavior than they would joining a boycott of Disneyland.

It's time to shed the anger and hatred, the holier-than-thou superiority, the in-your-face church-ianity that is everyone's worst nightmare of a next door neighbor. Let's get real about our faith. Let's stop the angry protesting, condemning and partisan politics and be what we say we are. Christians.

What ever happened to things like helping, serving, ministering, loving, reaching out? After all, who wouldn't want the Good Samaritan living next door?

http://www.ptm.org

 

[Pard]

Wow, I guess no one is gonna want me for a neighbor!

Anyways, I do agree with this. The lack of love between fellow Christians is appalling. There are even some mean-spirited Christians who like nothing more than to condemn fellows in Christ on this very forum. The real enemy is out there, not in here. It is not through anything but a faith in Christ that we are saved, we can set aside the petty differences and unite ourselves against the evils that are set before our lives. On the narrow paths we Christians walk along someone to lean on is most definitely needed, and it is always best if that person is a Christian.

 

[GojuBrian]

I don't believe that at all. Where is this poll? :eyebrow

 

[jasoncran]

some, but not all christian act that way.

 

[junior]

Wow, I guess no one is gonna want me for a neighbor!

Anyways, I do agree with this. The lack of love between fellow Christians is appalling. There are even some mean-spirited Christians who like nothing more than to condemn fellows in Christ on this very forum. The real enemy is out there, not in here. It is not through anything but a faith in Christ that we are saved, we can set aside the petty differences and unite ourselves against the evils that are set before our lives. On the narrow paths we Christians walk along someone to lean on is most definitely needed, and it is always best if that person is a Christian.

I agree with all of your reply, however, when or how will we set aside the petty differences?
Also, we as Christians need other Christians to lean on, but how can we or I lean on other Christians with our trials, tribulations, personal problems, or anything else that has to do with confessing our sins to one another, unless there is trust in another Christian that we can come to, without being condemned or preached too? In other words, just listen. In my experience, I have not found too many Christians that I can have confidentiality with accept two pastors. But we need to be able to confess our sins and faults to other lay members without snide remarks and clichés.

Before I became a follower of Christ, I came into a few quote/unquote, Christians that did not necessarily live next door to me, but were in the neighborhood and by their questions, remarks, and outright holier than thou attitude, I did not want to have anything to do with Christianity, because being a non-believer at that time, I was in the same mind set, until. I won’t elaborate on the until, but will leave the elaboration to you.

 

[Pard]

I guess I am very lucky. I attend a youth group twice a week. With the guys in youth group I can talk about anything without worrying about trust. It's a very close-knit group, and we do many things together. I really enjoy the experience and what's more, they are baptist and I am pentecostal. One might think there would be issues, but none at all. In fact I even have gone to the pastor's office during the week and he has helped me with some of my issues. They really could care less.

 

[destiny]

Somewhere along the line we have lost our way. We have bought the idea that Christianity is defined by boycotting Disneyland and organizing political action committees against politicians whose religious (or even denominational) views are different than our own.

The reason patriotism has become such an idol in America is because Jesus has been dethroned in the hearts of man. Same thing with preaching the truth of scripture, when it stopped moral legislation moved to the forefront. Neither has done anything to change society and never will.

We have forgotten who Jesus really is, what He requires, and what our true mandate is. This has been the problem all along.. and the crooks in Washington and apostates in the pulpits are only symptoms.

 

[mr. angstrom]

i don't think this problem will ever be solved. to a certain extent, i think every Christian has this problem. its only natural to unfairly judge people. much like every other thing that christians are accused of, atheists suffer from this tendency to a far greater extent. we just get judged for it more harshly because we claim to know the Truth.

the only solution for this problem is set forth for us in the Bible, and that is to lead by example. obviously we arent going to provide a good example all the time, so we are pretty much going to be plagued by this same problem until the end of time, just like we will be plagued by all sin until the end of time. the best thing any of us can do is to put forth our most sincere effort to do good.

 

[junior]

some, but not all christian act that way.

I know. It was one reader's comments amoung others, including myself.

 

[junior]

I guess I am very lucky. I attend a youth group twice a week. With the guys in youth group I can talk about anything without worrying about trust. It's a very close-knit group, and we do many things together. I really enjoy the experience and what's more, they are baptist and I am pentecostal. One might think there would be issues, but none at all. In fact I even have gone to the pastor's office during the week and he has helped me with some of my issues. They really could care less.

You are fortunate indeed. Maybe, the youth have a thing or two to teach us old folks. ;)

 

[Lewis]

If you want a bunch of mean people, the church is a good place to look, not all of us are that way, but you have a lot who are. Paul had to contend with them all the time, and I mean all the time, and they are still with us.

 

[randon]

Sadly, becoming a Christian does not automatically make one a nice person. For example, someone who has always been confrontational and/or obnoxious could well be, upon accepting Christ, a confrontational and/or obnoxious Christian.

To truly become more Christ-like we need to take an honest look at ourselves, and purge those traits that reflect poorly on our walk with Christ.

As Christians, we live in glass houses. Neighbors, friends, aquaintances, etc., will be watching you, and many will measure your acts against your proclamation of faith.

Just saying...

 

[junior]

Sadly, becoming a Christian does not automatically make one a nice person. For example, someone who has always been confrontational and/or obnoxious could well be, upon accepting Christ, a confrontational and/or obnoxious Christian.

To truly become more Christ-like we need to take an honest look at ourselves, and purge those traits that reflect poorly on our walk with Christ.

As Christians, we live in glass houses. Neighbors, friends, aquaintances, etc., will be watching you, and many will measure your acts against your proclamation of faith.

Just saying...

:verysad

 

[peter33]

i think there can be obnoxious christians, or even worse, someone who says they are christian but then goes and does very un-christian things, like christians "liberals" who say they are christian but then go and vote for gay marriage. its just wrong and hypocritical. however i know that even if i dont agree with ones lifestyle choice, you should love the sinner, not the sin. you can still be nice to people, even if you dont agree with there choices in life. you must lead by example. you dont want to become like mrs. olsen from little house, lol.