I am not a Christian, I am a Protestant!
“*huff!* I am not Christian, I’m a Protestant!”
Well, that was not precisely the way the lame rebut went down. However, what it does mean is they do not really know the source of their belief, nor could they make a well-reasoned apologia for their religion.
I suppose that is why the visible church today has become the butt of jokes that it has. I often find myself defending Christians when I myself am not one. I am embarrassed for them because of their lack of knowledge, and have frequently felt the need to protect them in debates because of that naiveté. You would think that of all people, they would know the words of their Messiah, who he was speaking to, the culture from which he sprang. You would think they would not dismiss two-thirds of their Holy Books as useless, because their God who does not change suddenly changed his mind.
Here you have a visible “church” that moved in great power for three centuries before its power vanished, never to return. Yet its devotees never ask why. More, they will drive a thousand miles to bring in a new convert to their powerless fellowship so that they can worship impotently together.
They will tell you of miracles that happened over there or over here, but they cannot demonstrate one miracle in front of a disbelieving audience. They dress their clergy in gold and purple to perform solemn rites that their god never asked for. They build vast empty cathedrals that are just as empty of authority as they are themselves. They sing majestic paeans to an almighty God that hasn’t stepped off His pedestal in 1700 years. They dance in victories they never participated in nor won.
So why do l love these people so much?
Rusty's Armory 
October 21, 2014 at 11:04 am
Wha? So you’ve recanted and moved on? “I often find myself defending Christians when I myself am not one.” I don’t blame you. Christians suck. They’re the weak who need a crutch to get through life. They’re like sheep needing a shepherd because they’re too inadequate to succeed.
You are right. Christian, Protestant, Wanderer… It’s best to avoid labels that are ambiguous or inaccurate. There is a lot of guilt-by-association going around. Christians are an out of touch lot with their fundamentals and disapproval and weird traditions. Theirs is cheap grace, and it doesn’t matter what continent they’re on. What crap, taking on the label of Christian then proceeding to carry on with life like they’re somehow different than everyone else.
They have completely hijacked Christian. “…the disciples were first called Christians in Antioch.” That was a coined word for believers in Yeshua, the Messiah and it was a mixed bunch – Jews with their stellar understanding of God’s word and will – along with unwashed Gentiles who stank of human effort. Those Gentiles completely reduced Christian to a base belief in Jesus. The label became a clumsy effort at grouping. I don’t blame you for not liking it. It is best to distance yourself from the fundamental stench.
Of course, there are others that travel with baggage.
Atheist, Muslim, Buddhist, Agnostic, B’Hai, Jew. Whoops. That last one carries a real charge. Better move away from that one too.
Who knows what sort of associations that label bring to mind to those who don’t know the inner-workings. Which is a shame, really.
Damn it, why can’t everyone get to know everyone on a deeper level rather than relying on labels? That shorthand is simply laziness, even though there are simply more people on earth than seconds in the average life time. It’s just so frustrating to have someone who doesn’t know you, rely on a label to categorize you.
I can understand why you would distance yourself with the statement, “I myself am not one.” Christian? Nope. Not a believer in Jesus.
Well played. There’s no time like the present to let the world know concisely that a messiah named “Jesus” never existed. That name is a Greek construct of a Gentile messiah. The real messiah, who’s name is something else, will not endure Gentiles who aren’t Jewish enough, what with their unclean cold-cuts and mis-timed worship services and skipped holidays.
And now, the damnedest thing has happened in my mind. You are protesting Protestants who are Christian and have unequivocally stated that you are neither Christian or Protestant. But in doing so you have become a Protestant. Of course, you’re not a Protestant in the commonly understood definition, but in a more individual Protestant who won’t be labeled.
Guys like you who create conundrums like that make we want to distance myself so that no one would associate me with such confusion.
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October 21, 2014 at 12:06 pm
LOL! Well, perhaps my post was a bit overstated. I DID close it with “So why do l love these people so much?” … perhaps it is because even though I disagree with much of their theology, they are still my family, and my roots …
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October 21, 2014 at 11:11 am
Wha? So you’ve recanted and moved on? “I often find myself defending Christians when I myself am not one.” I don’t blame you. Christians suck. They’re the weak who need a crutch to get through life. They’re like sheep needing a shepherd because they’re too inadequate to succeed.
You are right. Christian, Protestant, Wanderer… It’s best to avoid labels that are ambiguous or inaccurate. There is a lot of guilt-by-association going around. Christians are an out of touch lot with their fundamentals and disapproval and weird traditions. Theirs is cheap grace, and it doesn’t matter what continent they’re on. What crap, taking on the label of Christian then proceeding to carry on with life like they’re somehow different from everyone else.
Christians have completely hijacked Christian. “…the disciples were first called Christians in Antioch.” That was a coined word for believers in Yeshua, the Messiah even though it was a mixed bunch – Jews with their stellar understanding of God’s word and will along with unwashed Gentiles who stank of human effort. Those Gentiles completely reduced Christian to a base belief in Jesus. The label has become a clumsy effort at grouping. I don’t blame you for not liking it. It is best to distance yourself from the fundamental stench.
Of course, there are others who travel with baggage.
Atheist, Muslim, Buddhist, Agnostic, B’Hai, Jew. Whoops. That last one carries a real charge. Better move away from that one too.
Who knows what sort of associations that label bring to mind to those who don’t know the inner-workings. Which is a shame, really.
Everyone is a unique individual. Why can’t each of us get to know everyone on a deeper level rather than relying on labels? That sort of shorthand is simply laziness, even though there are more people on earth than seconds in the average life time. It’s just so frustrating to have someone who doesn’t know you rely on a label to categorize you.
I can understand why you would distance yourself with the statement, “I myself am not one.” Christian? Nope. Not a believer in Jesus.
Well played. There’s no time like the present to let the world know concisely that a messiah named “Jesus” never existed. That name is a Greek construct of a Gentile messiah. The real messiah, who’s name is something else, will not endure Gentiles who aren’t Jewish enough, what with their unclean cold-cuts and mis-timed worship services and skipped holidays.
And now, the damnedest thing has happened in my mind. You are protesting Protestants who are Christian and have unequivocally stated that you are neither Christian nor Protestant. But in doing so you have become a Protestant. Of course, you’re not a Protestant in the commonly understood definition, but in a more individual Protestant who won’t be labeled. It’s downright confusing.
Guys like you who create such conundrums make we want to distance myself so that no one would associate me with such a confusing association.
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