{"id":454,"date":"2010-04-28T05:20:00","date_gmt":"2010-04-28T11:20:00","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/69.195.124.95\/~redletu4\/losing-my-religion\/"},"modified":"2010-04-28T05:20:00","modified_gmt":"2010-04-28T11:20:00","slug":"losing-my-religion","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/davidrupert\/losing-my-religion\/","title":{"rendered":"Losing my religion"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<\/head>

A strange dichotomy exists all around us.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

The vast majority of Americans claim<\/a> to know Jesus. But they call themselves \u201cspiritual.\u201d They have\u00a0a visage of a Savior who has good moral teachings. He might have even come to them in a moment of personal trial to lift them up. To them, he\u2019s an olive-skinned Galileen who slept in a manager, dressed in a robe, and got treated badly by the Romans. <\/span>They might even go to church, claim to be a Christian and live a good life. <\/span><\/p>\n

\nThom Rainer of Lifeway Christian Resources says<\/a> that most people are \u201cjust indifferent. The more more precisely you try to measure their Christianity, the fewer you find committed to the faith,<\/em>\u201d he said. \u201cThey are mushy<\/em>.\u201d Only 40 percent of evangelical<\/em> young adults say that sharing the faith is important.\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/span>\n

It takes\u00a0a conscious effort for many of us to convert our personal Jesus<\/em> to a public Jesus<\/em>.<\/span><\/p>\n

I think I am too in love the \u201creligion\u201d of Christ \u2014 the sweet songs and happy thoughts. I love the comfort and safety of the four walls of faith, but don\u2019t dare ask me to talk about it. I am often retiscent to share the most amazing thing I\u2019ve ever known. I keep the secret of the ages a \u2026 secret.<\/span><\/p>\n

We\u2019ve been conditioned to not talk about religion and politics. \u201cAfter all,\u201d we\u2019ve been told,\u00a0\u201cit\u2019s a personal thing.\u201d George Carlin said the 11th commandment was, \u201cThou shalt keep thy religion to thyself.\u201d<\/em><\/span>\n<\/p><\/div>\n

<\/span>

<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n\n
\"Steve<\/a><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Steve Taylor<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n
Steve Taylor satirized this double think in song<\/a>:<\/span><\/div>\n
<\/div>\n

<\/span>
\u201cIt\u2019s a personal thing, and I find it odd<\/span><\/em>
You would question my believing in a personal God<\/span><\/em>
I\u2019m devout, I\u2019m sincere, ask my mother if you doubt it<\/span><\/em>
I\u2019m religious, but I\u2019d rather not get radical about it\u201d<\/span><\/em>
\u201dI\u2019m devout, I\u2019m sincere, and I\u2019m proud to say<\/span><\/em>
That it\u2019s had exactly no effect on who I am today<\/span><\/em>
I believe, for the benefit of all mankind,<\/span><\/em>
In the total separation of church and mind<\/em>\u201d<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

We have\u00a0a hundred reasons\u00a0for keeping this God-thing to ourselves, but they\u00a0are all shattered with this one verse from Jesus:<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cBut whoever disowns me before men, I will disown him before my Father in heaven.\u201d<\/span><\/em> \u2014 Matt 10.33<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

That\u2019s enough to make we want to lose my religion\u2026and find a Jesus that I can talk about. <\/span><\/p>\n

Please, share with a friend if you feel moved.
\nRead all past issues at http:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/davidrupert<\/div>\n<\/body><\/html>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

A strange dichotomy exists all around us.\u00a0 The vast majority of Americans claim to know Jesus. But they call themselves \u201cspiritual.\u201d They have\u00a0a visage of a Savior who has good moral teachings. He might have even come to them in a moment of personal trial to lift them up. To them, he\u2019s an olive-skinned Galileen […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2375,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[633,668,675,713,831],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-454","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-personal-thing","category-private-faith","category-public-faith","category-religion","category-steve-taylor"],"yoast_head":"\nLosing my religion<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"A strange dichotomy exists all around us.\u00a0The vast majority of Americans claim to know Jesus. But they call themselves "spiritual." 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