Religion? Your first post is about religion?

I never intended my first blog post to be about religion, but it’s been on my mind for a few days after reading, The Case for Faith. In fact it’s been on my mind for awhile now, and seeing my perspective change on Christianity is crazy. Having finished reading two books, The Case for Christ and The Case for Faith, I have a completely different view of what it means to be Christian. In my exploration of Christianity, there are a bunch of obstacles in the way. This proverbial path towards becoming Christian is littered with questions and concerns. Let’s look at one.

So Many Christians, So Many Sinners
One of my obstacles centered on why so many horrendous things were done in the name of Christianity such as The Crusades. Heck even normal people living their lives perform obviously sinful actions and still call themselves followers of God. Why would I want to be a part of a religion whose people can’t seem to help themselves from doing immoral things?

Then I read this. Gandhi said of Christianity, “I love Christ, but not Christians”. It’s so simple, but powerful. Think about it. The one and only representative of Christianity should be Jesus Christ and how he lived his life. He was loving, cared for the poor, the sick, the weak. He embodied what it means to be a great person. That is what it means to be Christian. Ignore the Christians, focus on Jesus. Honoring him and living your life after what he taught, that is what Christianity is.

I’ve come to believe that 80% of Christians are not people you want representing Christianity. Whether it’s because they live a purposefully sinful life or because they simply cannot help it, these so-called Christians are poor examples. So, I’m trying to separate the two, trying to separate Jesus and Christianity from Christians because the two are not the same. Christianity isn’t about these people, it’s about living your life honoring God.

It’s an interesting revelation for me because it allows me to ignore all the junk said about Christians, ignore all the negative news, and focus on how Jesus lived his life and understand what that really means.

I can tell that as I learn more and more about Christianity, I’m going to write more and more about this and what I’m finding. Hey it's a big piece of what's going on in my life, gotta write about it. It’s forcing me to focus on each obstacle and clarify my thoughts.

Does Gandhi's quote have the same effect on you as it did on me?

EDIT: What are your thoughts on Gandhi's quote?