The Flaws in our Heritage
My throat constricts in angst as I sweat a bit when asked what church I go to. It's not that I'm a people-pleaser or that I'm ashamed of going to a baptist church. Okay, I am a bit of a people-pleaser but I'm working on it. I simply detest the negative association with the word "baptist" and quickly say "I'm not that kind of baptist!" I love and follow Jesus Christ."
But I rarely cringe when I say "Christian." Why is that? Was it not crusaders in centuries past who, in the name of Christ and the Church, slaughtered men, women, and children if they didn't obey the Church.
European explorers, funded by European countries, were driven to conquer new lands for God and King are guilty of demolishing native people groups if they failed to immediately convert or bow to the crown as they were considered savage and unworthy of living. Europeans plundered the land and it's resources believing that their way of life was the best way. Many Americans have European blood, including myself, so this is our heritage - our shared story.
And I don't cringe when I call myself an American knowing that our countries founding fathers owned slaves. And sold slaves. Even if they were working to abolish slavery, it was their cultural norm. Slaves, servants, and 'help'.
Many God-fearing, "good Christian men and women" a few generations back (our grandparents) had servants or hired help - many were treated as less than the breathing, loving, precious beings they are. We're quickly reminded in, The Help.
And speaking of slaves, I will most likely watch the Super Bowl this year with family and friends knowing that tens of thousands of sex slaves will be shipped into NJ as Super Bowl the most lucrative event for sex trafficking. Will I actually do anything about it? Will any of my average American football loving-friends?
(Okay - confession time: I did send money after I initially posted this blog to a well-trusted organization who's objective is to rescue women and children from sex trafficking. I hate to admit that my hypocrisy drives me to address social issues and yet not act to change the situation -so this time I did something about it. I'm not trying to brag - I'm hoping that others will follow suit.)
Best-selling author of Blue Like Jazz, Donald Miller, set up confessional booth on his college campus with a few other Christian pals and instead of listening to confessions, they actually apologized for all the horrific travesties imposed on humanity in the name of God. They apologized for the lack of love, compassion, and action. How humbling and eye-opening to apologize to strangers for your heritage. How brave.
I sincerely want to apologize to a hurting and bewildered world on behalf of the crusades, explorers, slave-owners, and complacent Christians. I'm so sorry that people are so broken, sinful, and hurtful. I'm one of those people and I'm responsible for my part. As we all are.
So back to this issue of being a baptist...
The word 'baptist' conjures up images, even in my mind, of narrow-minded, unsmiling, anti-fun, hellfire and brimstone maniacs. I'll admit that my mind drifts there too.
Baptists can be technically defined as a people who believe in baptism by immersion. This is a baptism where person is dunked under water then brought out of the water to symbolize death to self then resurrection and new life with Christ. That's it. Easy peasy. From that point forward, every church has it own set of governing policies or doctrine based on how they interpret the Bible. Granted, these policies and doctrine can easily dabble (or plunge) the individual church into the pool of religious rule-following and forget the purpose of the faith: passionately engaging in relationship with God and loving others like Jesus. But that's a discussion for another time.
I can't undo or explain away the past of native-killing explorers anymore than I an undo or explain away the graceless baptists of the past or present. I can only do my best to represent the amazing God that I serve. I don't refer to myself a baptist as my church affiliation doesn't define me. I love Jesus and his life-changing love. That relationship does define me, no matter how imperfect I am.
And BTW, many of my baptist home fries are super cool people despite being a bit vanilla. There are some crazy whack-job baptists running around somewhere out there but I'm not one of them. If you come across one of these colorful personalities, I simply ask that you extend forgiveness and mercy towards them, just as you would want them to do with you.
Resources you may enjoy:
*2014 Article by the Huffington Post 'Sex Trafficking a Big Concern Ahead of Super Bowl in New Jersey
*Relevant Magazine / Reject Apathy Article - 'What it Takes to Free A Sex Slave'
*'The Campus Confessional Story' by Donald Miller - well worth the read. This was my favorite story from Blue Like Jazz.
*American Colonies by Alan Taylor was an intensive look at what what happening around the globe politically, culturally, and religiously as the world was being explored. A very thick read on many levels.
Question: Where do you think we tend to get our religious stereotypes?
But I rarely cringe when I say "Christian." Why is that? Was it not crusaders in centuries past who, in the name of Christ and the Church, slaughtered men, women, and children if they didn't obey the Church.
European explorers, funded by European countries, were driven to conquer new lands for God and King are guilty of demolishing native people groups if they failed to immediately convert or bow to the crown as they were considered savage and unworthy of living. Europeans plundered the land and it's resources believing that their way of life was the best way. Many Americans have European blood, including myself, so this is our heritage - our shared story.
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| National Archives USA |
Many God-fearing, "good Christian men and women" a few generations back (our grandparents) had servants or hired help - many were treated as less than the breathing, loving, precious beings they are. We're quickly reminded in, The Help.
And speaking of slaves, I will most likely watch the Super Bowl this year with family and friends knowing that tens of thousands of sex slaves will be shipped into NJ as Super Bowl the most lucrative event for sex trafficking. Will I actually do anything about it? Will any of my average American football loving-friends?
(Okay - confession time: I did send money after I initially posted this blog to a well-trusted organization who's objective is to rescue women and children from sex trafficking. I hate to admit that my hypocrisy drives me to address social issues and yet not act to change the situation -so this time I did something about it. I'm not trying to brag - I'm hoping that others will follow suit.)
Best-selling author of Blue Like Jazz, Donald Miller, set up confessional booth on his college campus with a few other Christian pals and instead of listening to confessions, they actually apologized for all the horrific travesties imposed on humanity in the name of God. They apologized for the lack of love, compassion, and action. How humbling and eye-opening to apologize to strangers for your heritage. How brave.
I sincerely want to apologize to a hurting and bewildered world on behalf of the crusades, explorers, slave-owners, and complacent Christians. I'm so sorry that people are so broken, sinful, and hurtful. I'm one of those people and I'm responsible for my part. As we all are.
So back to this issue of being a baptist...
The word 'baptist' conjures up images, even in my mind, of narrow-minded, unsmiling, anti-fun, hellfire and brimstone maniacs. I'll admit that my mind drifts there too.
Baptists can be technically defined as a people who believe in baptism by immersion. This is a baptism where person is dunked under water then brought out of the water to symbolize death to self then resurrection and new life with Christ. That's it. Easy peasy. From that point forward, every church has it own set of governing policies or doctrine based on how they interpret the Bible. Granted, these policies and doctrine can easily dabble (or plunge) the individual church into the pool of religious rule-following and forget the purpose of the faith: passionately engaging in relationship with God and loving others like Jesus. But that's a discussion for another time.
I can't undo or explain away the past of native-killing explorers anymore than I an undo or explain away the graceless baptists of the past or present. I can only do my best to represent the amazing God that I serve. I don't refer to myself a baptist as my church affiliation doesn't define me. I love Jesus and his life-changing love. That relationship does define me, no matter how imperfect I am.
And BTW, many of my baptist home fries are super cool people despite being a bit vanilla. There are some crazy whack-job baptists running around somewhere out there but I'm not one of them. If you come across one of these colorful personalities, I simply ask that you extend forgiveness and mercy towards them, just as you would want them to do with you.
 |
| GRANDMOTHER BARBARA KOCH (COOKIE’S) RESTAURANT IN CHINO CALIFORNIA. |
Resources you may enjoy:
*2014 Article by the Huffington Post 'Sex Trafficking a Big Concern Ahead of Super Bowl in New Jersey
*Relevant Magazine / Reject Apathy Article - 'What it Takes to Free A Sex Slave'
*'The Campus Confessional Story' by Donald Miller - well worth the read. This was my favorite story from Blue Like Jazz.
*American Colonies by Alan Taylor was an intensive look at what what happening around the globe politically, culturally, and religiously as the world was being explored. A very thick read on many levels.
Question: Where do you think we tend to get our religious stereotypes?
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