Why I am no longer a Christian.

[substitute]

In 1991 I underwent a religious conversion during a time of great personal stress. Since then I have been a Christian, but I’ve only gone to church for the first two years and very intermittently since. My particular faith is most easily described as “evangelical”.

The reason I haven’t had much to do with churches is that nothing about the culture of American evangelical Christianity is tolerable to me except the Gospel itself. This is a big problem, because you’re not just supposed to pray and learn, you’re supposed to interact with others. I’m instructed to be a member of a spiritual group and also to share the faith with others. At first it was just the problem of everyone being sort of corn-pone and not culturally aware, which is a lot more important when you’re in your 20s. Increasingly I ran into disagreements about science and politics that were a bit worse, and I stopped spending a lot of time with churchy people. After this election, though, I’m through. I’m walking out.

It’s time I stopped describing myself as Christian. I can’t do it. I look at the people who claim an evangelical faith and they make me physically ill. I can’t break bread with them.

The first thing that happens after a fellow believer discovers my spirituality is congratulation and a big smile.The second thing that happens is some political or theological litmus test. We are all supposed to support the war, support the current government, love capitalism, despise “liberals”, hate homosexuals, and deny the last 300 years of Western civilization. I am not to agree with the theory of evolution. I must support not only my own government’s wars but all those of the state of Israel. I am supposed to care very deeply about unborn children but let them starve or be bombed once they’re born. I’m supposed to reject the last 200 years of biology and embrace crackpot pseudo-science.

I look at the people around me that I love and you want me to hate all of them. I refuse. Hate me too, instead.

You people physically disgust me. All of you. I can’t be in fellowship with a nation of murderous ignorant hypocrites. Go back and read Amos and Isaiah, and think on this: are you the prophet, or the faithless nation?

You can call me a “liberal”, and I’ll thank you. You can call me a “humanist”, and I’ll smile. You can even tell me, as you have been lately, that I’m un-American and unwanted in your country, and I’ll respectfully disagree. But don’t call me Christian. My conscience won’t allow it.

Comments

[rance.livejournal.com]

You seem to operate under the assumption that all Christian denominations are conservative, anti-science, culturally benighted, and proselytizing. That simply isn't the case. Some of the most intelligent, in-touch, politically active, culturally aware, liberal and faithful people I have ever met are Christians -- are motivated in very direct ways to do what they do based on their relationship with Christian scripture. They're members of the United Church of Christ, they're Quakers, they're Epsicopalians, they're Methodists and Unitarians and Church of the Brethren. Why give up on something you belive in -- something that has been of personal importance to your life -- just because you feel uncomfortable about the beliefs and practices some other people have used the same scriptures to justify? That's why there are hundreds of different denominations within Protestantism. If the emphasis on proselytizing makes you feel squicky, if you don't like the politics of the other members of the church, if they don't share your worldview and commitments, then you find a group that does. I have no doubt you could find a faith community that's more appropriate to who you are, if you take a few of them for a test drive. They're all just different rides to the same destination, so why not try trading up to a more comfy model before you abandon the entire enterprise?

[thiscantbesoy.livejournal.com]

Oh no you DINT. Oh I know you di'int list "MUSK LIFESAVERS" as one of your LJ interests.

That's too cool.

I have three rolls sitting right beside me here at work. True story.

They're awesome. Like eating perfume. Like sucking on incense. In a GOOD way.

[rance.livejournal.com]

That's exactly how I describe them to people who haven't tried them: like edible incense. I haven't had any in over a year now. A friend in Australia used to send me several dozen rolls at a time, but she's gotten slack.

[thiscantbesoy.livejournal.com]

That's where I ordered them from. Well, not Australia exactly, but the Australian Catalogue Company. (http://www.aussiecatalog.com/) Which appears to be in Georgia. :)

[rance.livejournal.com]

Oooo thanks! And they have "musk sticks" too!

[thiscantbesoy.livejournal.com]

And chicken-flavored...chips, too...mmm?

[rance.livejournal.com]

I want koala-flavored vegemite.

I don't feel like church shopping

[substitute.livejournal.com]

And that word "Christian" now means those people. And if I go to a church I see those people. And if I say I'm one, they want to know all about my politics. And then they hate me.

Forget them and the word "Christian", and the whole business. Christ died for nothing.