Via Richard Beck, here’s an interesting social phenomenon: faking being a Christian so Christians don’t ostracize you from your child’s playdates.
We are agnostics living deep in the heart of Texas and our family fakes Christianity for social reasons. It’s not so much for the sake of my husband or myself but for our young children. We found by experience that if we were truthful about not being regular church attenders, the play dates suddenly ended. Thus started the faking of the religious funk.
It seemed silly but it’s all very serious business down here. We don’t go to church or teach or children one belief is “right” over another. We expose them to every kind of belief and trust that they will one day settle in to their very own spirituality. However, for the sake of friends and neighbors, we pretend we are Christians. We try not to lie but rather not to disclose unnecessary information. As the children are getting older, this isn’t so easy for them and an outing is probably eminent.
Fascinating: people who fake being Christian so that Christians will accept them. I’m much less insulted by the fakers than I am by the Christians who don’t express radical hospitality to other faiths/agnostics. There’s more than one person faking Christian values in this story.
Thoughts?
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This is the exact reason why I left the faith. As much as I appreciate the values of the faith itself, and the rare few who actually practice them, it just got to the point where it wasn't worth the effort to swim against the stream anymore. To this day, I'm not sure who Jesus would be more disappointed in – me or them.
Dear Anonymous,
Them.
~Jeremy
Craziness! I am appalled at so-called Christians. We too have stopped attending our local church for the same reasons – we want more authenticity in the practices of the two Great commandments.
I agree with Jeremy. True Christianity reaches out and engages with those around them, not end play dates because someone was honest.
It is easy to judge other people, but what about our own personal integrity? What kind of lessons do children learn in a house that practices deliberate deception, calling it openness? What about humility? What about genuineness? What about faithin God? As consumer Americans, we are so ready to decide whether we are getting a bargain for our money or even getting our money's worth, but Rick Warren has it right when he says, "It's not about you." It is about God.
I had a woman in my office just this week tell me about a former church where a woman in her small group chastised her for letting her kids watch T.V. and go to public school. That woman of high Christian values was having an affair. Amazing the kind of damage "Christians" can do!
This is why I believe God is raising up a generation of young believers who don't talk, they just walk. Those who boast and brag are usually the ones hurting inside from past wounds they haven't dealt with. There is so much pride in the world today, and sadly that pride has crept into the church over the years. Now I can't tell the difference between a mega church sermon and a secular motivational speaker on tour. Instead of judging though, let's keep the body of Christ in our prayers lifted up before God. We all could use a little prayer now and then…