Christianity - Not what you think it is.

What is Christianity? What comes to mind?

For many outside of the faith, the first thing that comes to mind is that Christianity is part of a grand conspiracy. Come to our church service. Donate. Leave. And don't tolerate other views - take what we teach you blindly! (...Mind control anyone...)

The point of this post is to not convert anyone, but instead to demonstrate the error in some of the views of those who do not take part of the faith. To promote unity among the human community, so to speak.

Here are some very common objections that need clarification:

1.) Christians are discouraged from seeing if their faith is true. Same goes for Christians and science.

This pains me to see this every time. Christians are actually instructed to test everything, See 1 Thessalonians 5:21, ESV

"but test everything; hold fast to what is good."

What is good!?! What does that mean? Some arbitrary Christian definition? 

No - Christians define good through the lens of Love. Love is honest, kind, patient, and a whole host of other admirable quantities. For something to be honestly good, it must be true. So, we are actively (at least we should be) looking for the truth. If something is not true, it is rejected.

2.) Christians are intolerant. I will live my life, and you shouldn't say anything otherwise!

Christians receive a lot of flack for this. Because of point #1 in this post, we know that God is real, and our faith is true. Since we know God is real, and we follow Him, we detest what is evil. 

Want to be LGBT? Support abortion? Don't expect Christian support. And the same goes for a whole host of other practices. 

Why do we do this? 

These practices that Christians reject are known to be unloving and objected to by God. God is literally Love (1 John 4:8). Love seeks the best for others - and while objecting some things will upset some groups of people, when Love prevails, we all are better off for it.

3.) How can you even begin to claim your God is loving? He sends people to Hell that simply disagree with Him!

People send themselves to Hell. 

How?

By rejecting God. God desires that no one should perish, and go to hell - which is literally eternal separation from Him. All of mankind has offended God eternally, and all are deserving of this punishment. God, out of love, sent Jesus to be a stand-in replacement for us. Jesus took our punishment, so those who believe on Him dying and resurrecting from the dead may have eternal life. 

This is the Gospel message - God loves people. 

God's love has an intensity to it that humans will never be able to match. He will not force Himself on people. People in this life can either choose to follow Him, or to reject Him. Those that follow Him will be with Him for eternity. 

Those that reject Him are literally separated forever when they die. This is Hell.

So Why is Hell so bad? 

All good things come from God (James 1:17). Since Hell is the complete separation from God, there is nothing good there. No light. No joy. Only suffering, despair, and pain for eternity.

As I mentioned at the top of this post, This was not written to attempt to convert people. Christianity is not as shallow as some make it out to be - we are a faith based on history, reason, truth, and love. 

What do you think about this post? If you are Christian, please consider sharing with some of your friends, and open up a discussion. 

If you are not Christian, what do you think? Agree or disagree, please comment below!