Snapshots and Synapses

Why would anyone looking from the outside want to be a Christian? And why choose Christianity over the many other religions out there? In this ever-growing, post-Christian America, I’ve heard commentaries on all sorts of threats to Christianity: Secular Humanism, Islam, New Age Spiritism, Wiccan Paganism, etc. To be sure, these are all different world views, competing in each of us as well as the culture at large for our habits of thinking. But in reality, the greatest threat to Christianity in America is Christians. One of the most critical statements I heard about Christianity in America came shortly after the tragedy of September 11th. I read: “We went back to church after 9/11 only to remember why we left in the first place.” Ouch. Going along with this line of thought, I had read something years ago attributed to Mahatma Ghandi: “If it weren't for Christians, I'd be a Christian.” Or as C.S. Lewis put it: “Of all bad men religious bad men are the worst.” The church i...

Shortly before the ball dropped in New York, signifying the start of 2013, Train sang John Lennon’s song: Imagine. I think the band, Train, is very talented, and I don’t want to sound critical of them or anyone who enjoys this song, but I disagree completely with the philosophy behind the lyrics. Now there’s a goal behind the song that I completely agree with and which everyone can get behind: aspirations of brotherhood and peace. And according to the song, the strategy for getting there is to eliminate those things that prevent men from attaining the desired goal: faith in God, patriotic affiliation, religious affiliation, and personal possessions. In other words, the solution to all the world’s problems is communism: “from each according to their abilities and to each according to their needs”, fueled by the understanding that “religion is the opiate of the masses”. These concepts are attributed to Karl Marx and are cornerstones of his vision for communism. Now I believe it’s ...