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No Christian anything Friday, June, 18, 2010

by John Fischer

Did I ever tell you about the guy I read about who thought he wanted to start a Christian coffeehouse to try and reach people in his neighborhood for Christ until he realized that they already had a coffeehouse right up the street and perhaps he should just go there? Don't you like this guy? Don't you wish he'd been around years ago before a whole enterprise of Christian stuff was invented that has only proven to isolate Christians from the world rather than help them be a part of it?

In fact, I think it is high time to declare anything that has to use the adjective "Christian" to describe itself is most likely not.

The best way to keep this straight is to simply remember that "Christian" is a noun. Only people can be Christian.

Try going through your day noticing all the times you use Christian as an adjective to describe something other than a person. I bet you will be surprised. The only Christians I know are people. Let's try and weed out these artificial renderings of faith and re-establish the noun of belief. There is no such thing as a Christian anything.

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Today's date: Friday, September 10, 2010
Meg Thoutenhoofd Sunday, June 20, 2010
Calgary, Alberta, Canada
Sorry, guys. I don't agree. The definition of a noun is a person, place or thing - things CAN be "Christian" and should be labeled as such. Don't we have to tell people WHY this particular thing is different/appealing? I don't think the problem is using the word "Christian" to describe something, I think the problem is that we use it too much! We have included its use to describe such a broad spectrum that we have dummied-down the real meaning. What is wrong with declaring something is Christ-like? If I hear something described as "Christian", such as music, my expectation is that I will hear something uplifting and encouraging about my Lord and Saviour. If society has used "Christian" to describe things that are "iffy", whose fault is that? Have WE allowed things to be called "Christian" when really they're not? I don't think the problem is in the description, I think we need to be more intentional in what we're describing and HOW we're using the word.

Jeff Clark Friday, June 18, 2010
Beaverton, OR, USA
Good! Let's start with Christian Music...

Suzan Friday, June 18, 2010
NE
I couldn't agree more! Making Christianity a club that only the "in" people belong to goes against Jesus' entire message. He didn't just hang around with the "in" people. His message of love was for ALL people. Jesus especially focused on those who were on the "outs."

Roger Friday, June 18, 2010
State College, PA, USA
THANK YOU! I thought I was the only one! Yesterday I was at a company picnic, and a friend was talking about how his wife worked for a Christian company. The product is a very commercial product, but the company has a time every morning to open in prayer, they have an on-staff chaplain and a internal prayer request system.

Now granted, these are wonderful things and sound like something you would want. But I wonder how uncomfortable it would make it for non-Christians to work there, and if a person's faith is an unofficial employment criteria. I also wonder how much peer-pressure evangelism takes place where people claim conversion, but it really is just to get folks off their back. I'm not saying this company is doing this, but from past experience and stories from others, I worry that this is what happens.

We already have problems with churches withdrawing from society. I hope that when fellow beleivers start companies and try to bring that faith into the compay, they don't wind up seperating themselves from society in that arena as well. We don't want to be so heavenly mindedthat we are no earthly good. We have to remember John 17:15-18. Thanks for all you do John. Blessings!

Lyn Carr Friday, June 18, 2010
Thompson's Station, TN, USA
One day a friend of mine told me that she knew this great Christitan painter. I asked her if he was a good painter? She seemed surprised by my question. I don't really care if he is a christian painter, just a good painter. I think God wants us to be in this world to draw his children to him. The good painter may need someone to tell him about Jesus! Thanks for the reminder.

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