Based on the title of this blog, you
may be thinking I've jumped on the bandwagon and decided to write
about why you should or should not read the new book 50 Shades of
Grey. If so, you are about to be
sorely disappointed. I titled this blog post 50 Shades of
Red because of my growing anger
at other bloggers and Facebookers who find it necessary to rage a war
against all things non-Christian. This would include things like the
popular, steamy novel by E.L. James and Target's new campaign
supporting gay marriage. After much deliberation and repentance, my
sinful anger has evolved into concern for a new generation of
believers.
It
started several months ago when I began seeing blog posts shared on
Facebook about the controversial novel and why these certain bloggers
would refrain from ever letting the book enter their home, much less
the home of a fellow Christian, without the use of some holy water
and an 11 foot pole. After reading their entries and the string of
encouraging comments attached to them, I thought to myself, “Wow,
these are some really holy
people.” What these bloggers had done, whether knowingly or
unknowingly, was alienate and judge their fellow Facebook friends and
blog-followers who had read the book (and possibly enjoyed it), all
in the name of holiness. This attitude has also been evident in the
new boycott against Target because they support gay marriage, and the
rallying for Chick-Fil-A because they don't. What these Christians
have done is set themselves apart, but not in a good way.
The
problem with the mentality behind the boycotts of literature and
stores that do not support Christian values is Religion—that's
right, with a capital R. Religion muddies the water of true
Christianity. It's confusing to the non-believer. Through this lens,
being a Christian is now about not supporting gay marriage,
boycotting anything and anyone who does, and not reading erotic
novels. To some people this is a relief, because they can hold to
rules like this, and do so with fervor! In the Bible, these people
were called the Pharisees.
I want
to be clear in that I do believe in personal conviction. Some
Christians feel they must refrain from certain things in order to
keep their focus on Jesus and remove stumbling blocks from their
lives. Personal conviction is just that... personal. It is not
something to hold over another person's head as a marker of spiritual
maturity. It's between you and Jesus, not you and social media.
I also
realize that it's okay to have your opinion. However, if you are a
Christian, the way you make your opinions known, will
reflect on Christianity one way or another. Before sharing your
opinions on an important matter ask yourself a few helpful questions:
Is my opinion worth sharing? Will publicly sharing my opinion on this
matter take away from the loving, merciful message of the gospel that
I am trying to live out among those around me?
Why am
I so passionate about sharing my own opinion in this? Because Jesus
called us to love our neighbor, not condemn them. In 1 Corinthians 8
(read it if you're not familiar with it), Paul is writing to the
church in Corinth about eating food sacrificed to idols. He assures
the believers that it is okay to eat the food, whether it was
sacrificed to idols or not. The food is not defiled because God is
the only true God; idols have no power. However, Paul does go on to
encourage believers not to eat the meat if it will cause another
brother to stumble. But he does this out of a concern for his
readers' hearts. He is telling the Corinthians to consider the
welfare of their brothers as more important than their religious
freedom.
The
root of the issue in expressing your opinion is your heart. When you
discuss these controversial issues with a religious, holier-than-thou
heart you are causing other Christians to stumble because they think
that's what the gospel is really about. You're also causing
non-believers to think that Christianity is something it's not. Think
about it; you're teaching a false gospel. Your heart is not concerned
about anyone else, only how you are perceived.
I keep
hearing statements like, “We have to stand up for what is right,
for what we believe in, for truth, etc.” To this, I would say: I
agree. We need to stand up and proclaim the message of salvation that
God in his great mercy, “caused us to be born again to a living
hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, to an
inheritance that is imperishable, undefiled, and unfading, kept in
heaven for you...”(1 Peter 1:3-4). This inheritance is available to
anyone
who surrenders their life to Jesus. If we are holy, its because God
made us holy through his Son, not because we follow a checklist.
Being
a Christian has nothing to do with what books you read or don't read,
where you shop or don't shop or whether you
support gay marriage or not. It's all about a relationship with
Jesus. Surrendering your life to him will change everything, but it
does not produce the arrogant “Christianity” I have seen
displayed over these issues.
