It's your fault I'm not a Christian

How many Christians have heard these words, or similar, as an explanation for why someone rejects Christianity? We must certainly take responsibility for how our actions present Christ to the world. When we act in such a way that all that is presented is a caricature, something that one who is searching for truth and justice would rightly reject, we have become a stumbling stone to their achieving the blessings of a loving relationship with God in this life. We can be certain, from scripture, that God does not judge people because their rejection of the truth was based on ignorance. But, is the responsibility always completely on the shoulders of Christians, who have fallen short at times?

Could it be, that if one is deterred from searching for truth and righteousness, by the actions of others (is it surprising that humans fail us?) that they may have other priorities in the forefront? It would seem that one's feelings and personal validation are more important in this case. When personal slights take precedence over a search for the holy, it can very easily become a case of pride, of putting oneself above what is truly most important. The focus becomes what the I or ego wants and feels, rather than what is right and true.

It may be, that many times we deceive ourselves when we claim to be searching for God when we turn away from that quest due to perceived wrongs by those claiming to be Christian. Besides one's particular level of sensitivity being placed higher than searching for truth and knowledge, there is also the possibility that one has too easily accepted everyone's claim to being Christian. We must also not forget that we all are human and hardly any of us perfectly lives up to even our own standards day in and day out.

How important is truth and righteousness to us, if we allow wounded feelings caused by other imperfect individuals, or those only masquerading as Christians, to keep us long from continuing on the journey for answers? Do we really have no responsibility if we give up so easily? Perhaps, such an excuse was what was actually being sought after. Maybe we are relieved that we can justify not searching for this God, after all, if we kept looking, we might actually find Him.

We must be careful that we are not conveniently self-deceived. Otherwise, we may find, in the end, that our reasons for not being concerned for truth and answers concerning God, will be just so much chaff, blown away by the power of God's holy presence and leaving only the simple truth, that we cared not for the only answer there could be.

I ended my first book with the words no answer. I know now, Lord, why you utter no answer. You are yourself the answer. Before your face questions die away. What other answer would suffice? Till We Have Faces - C.S. Lewis

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Previous posts:

The Chinese telephone and oral transmission
The fewer assumptions the better
Blind Faith
Yes, there is a God

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