Don’t get me wrong. It’s not as rough as it is in Muslim countries. I can declare my faith openly here without fear of being killed, tortured, losing property or being imprisoned. Being a Christian doesn’t mean that I’ll lose my job. Before you throw stones at me or crucify me, hear me out.
In the US, people assume that people of faith lack intelligence. I can’t really blame them for that assumption. Look at the people who supposedly represent me and my faith! They preach how we need to help the poor from their luxury cars, surrounded by body guards, flying in their personal jets and living in opulent mansions, never interacting with their parishioners let alone actually meeting or personally practicing what they preach. Don’t get me started on the gospel that’s so watered down and sweetened that most should be charged with the Philadelphia soda tax. Ugh.
Job was disgustingly wealthy. God allowed him to lose EVERYTHING, including his sons, BECAUSE of his faith. Moses. That dude led a nation of the most ungrateful, sniveling brats through the desert for 40 years. He saw the promised land, but never ate in the land flowing with milk and honey.
Jesus. You know. The Messiah. The Savior. Never sinned. People spit on him, reviled him, mocked him, betrayed him. He begged God to take the cup from him…but submitted to God’s will. They CRUCIFIED him. After literally beating him to a bloody pulp, they put nails through his hands and feet, propped him up on a cross in a way to make sure that he died as slowly as possible after they banged a crown of thorns into his bloody, raw skull.
The disciples. Those guys were all KILLED, aside from John, for being associated with Jesus. Paul…you know…they guy who wrote 2/3 of the New Testament? Yeah…he had fun after he started following Jesus. In and out of prison, beaten, beheaded.
Yet, despite this short overview, these fools who supposedly represent me as a follower of Christ tell me that if I send $10 to their cause, that I’ll live a prosperous life. So, yeah, I understand why you may think I’m stupid for being a Christian.
Let me tell you my story.
When I was a kid, I became a Christian at a young age. As I went through school, I was indoctrinated to question anything about God. I remember senior year being pissed that I had to read Paradise Lost. Fast forward to my early 20’s. I’m working, partying, living at home. My mom has this Bible study going on in the house. I was always on the periphery with snide comments, asking hard questions they weren’t equipped to answer. They were always gentle with me…but I was a jerk. One day, a guy at the Bible study offered to pray for me. I rolled my eyes and said okay. When he prayed for me, something happened. I can’t logically explain it…but I knew then and there that God is real.
Before you start being judgy…let me ask you a question. Have you ever been in love? I mean fallen hard for someone? Can you logically explain what made you fall in love with that person at that moment?
Being a person of faith is not easy for someone like me. I am logical. My brain actually appreciates algebra and science. I have a shelf or two of books on theology, church history, apologetics. I can have an intelligent conversation with you on how it is actually illogical scientifically that there is NOT a creator. Yup. I’m THAT girl.
So yeah…being a Christian in the US is hard if you are an intelligent person who has read the Bible and studied the faith…mainly because of uninformed zealots who profit from the emotions of people who don’t know better and who are so complacent that they don’t want to know better.
Deneen White 