Shame For Being A Christian Research Paper

Over the course of history, the historical information regarding Jesus Christ has been interpreted by many different individuals and has led to different beliefs and views regarding the existence of Jesus Christ as a real man. Today I will be interpreting this evidence and i will be attempting to answer the question “Was Jesus Christ a real man?”. The evidence I will be looking at to answer this question will be information regarding the context of Jesus Christ, the historical accounts of non-Christian authors as well as the evidence for the Bible which is the main source regarding the life of Jesus Christ.

Being a Christian is great. You have God; the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. You have all three behind you and there for you no matter what. You can always count on God, no matter what you do as God forgives you and your sins. God is good. God gives Christians life after death; eternal life. (Kingsley, Charles, 2004) All you have to do is believe, have faith, trust, and love god. God is love. According to the Christian worldview, one gains eternal life by believing that Jesus died for our sins. We have to believe in God and trust and ask for forgiveness for our sins. We have to let God in our lives, talk to God every day. I have to use John 3:16 "For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish, but have eternal life," as bible verse that supports this because I remember this verse perfectly from going to Sunday School and Bible School as a child. The thing that could be confusing or troublesome is not actually seeing God as a person, as a physically human being. We are supposed to believe that God is there for us, but we never see him. This may be confusing to some. Also we are never told about Jesus’s childhood. He is just there, born to an unmarried mother and father from a rather backwater town in Palestine and an embarrassment to his family. (Diffey, 2015, Ch. 5) Yet we are supposed to be married before children and so on. I can see where this would be confusing to some Christians. You teach and preach it one way, but Jesus’s life was not that way? Also according to the textbook, when did Satan exactly become evil? (Diffey, 2015, Ch. 4) Christianity could influence one’s thinking and behavior because if they live a Godly life, they will be more forgiving, faithful, and loving. When I think of “Church People” or Christian’s, I think friendly and always there for you. As you become a Christian you put yourself out there for people, you become more personable

When we express ourselves as Christians, such as posting on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, etc., they automatically put us into the stereotype. They think all Christians are the same. We have gained this stereotype that does not describe us at all. They think that we think that we are at a higher level than them. In order to keep us from thinking we are better than them, they think they must make it where we cannot show that we are Christians. In high school, we would make signs with Bible verses on them and people would be so upset because the signs had Bible verses on them. They would say nasty things to us and tell us that they were going to report our school. I never heard of my high school being reported, but that does not mean it was

Anti-Christians group Christians in the same category as the Catholics, Jewish, Baptists, etc. When in reality, we are all in separate categories and have quite different beliefs. They will purposely call us unpleasing names such as “Bible thumpers” and “Holy rollers” to…. The Non- believers “pre-judge” us and think that us as Christians see ourselves better than what they are. I have evangelized with people in the past and have had numerous people tell me “not come to them with all that Jesus stuff” and have had questions thrown at me like“ Why do y’all think that you are better than us?” James M. Jones, executive director for public interest at the American Psychological Association suggests to “Think of your role as that of an educator.”

Nearly every Sunday my family and I get up, get ready, and drive less than a mile down Old Hickory Boulevard to Forest Hills Baptist Church. We participate, teach, and volunteer for a majority of the events that our church puts on throughout the course of the year. Over time, I have learned many things. For example, as a communal body, Christians are inspired through a conviction, which calls them to action, therefore, motivating them to be more like Christ every single day. This is accomplished through the teachings of the Bible, regular prayer, etc. All of these things are fundamental parts of my religion, but they all mean nothing if we are not allowed to have a relationship with Jesus.

Having fear of people knowing that, yourself has commit an action that wasn’t really polite or in a religious point of view “sinned” … automatically makes our inner conscience embarrassed. From personal experience it also makes one want to hide in shame. I recall when I was younger, agitating the teacher with missing assignments. So unfortunately I was going to walk into a speech from my mom when I arrive home about what happened earlier. She would advise to my aunties and uncles over the phone on how my behavior was school. I felt ashamed knowing the fact that my family members would judge me in a negative perspective by the actions I performed in school. Noticing them at family events made me abashed, so I hid away. I sense that’s why

I grew up as a Catholic in Vietnam. I have never been in an environment truly united with faith outside of church. As I went to school, we Catholic students were surrounded and outnumbered by other religions or non-believers or agnostics. Though we usually receive an understanding and tolerating stance, some still find it a “cool” and funny act to tease or make fun of one’s religion and beliefs. At sixteen I traveled to America hoping I’ll get a better education. Here, I was introduced to a whole new environment: most of the people were Christians. The opportunity not only boosted my confidence but also enriched my knowledge and understanding in Christian belief. For the first time, it felt like “home” (I found no better way to express this

“When you argue against Him you are arguing against the very power that makes you able to argue at all: it is like cutting off the branch you are sitting on.” I got that quote from Mere Christianity. God is omnipotent and He is all- powerful. He knows and sees everything, God is unlike Santa Claus, God is something to really believe in. God has given C.S. Lewis a very intriguing way to spread his word. Mere Christianity has many ideas on faith and truth that helps my walk with the Lord.

Kinnaman’s assessment of how Christians are perceived by non-Christians should motivate us to go back to the drawing board, analyze ourselves, and put a new plan of action together. Christians should care what outsiders think about them because we are Christ’s ambassadors (Kinnaman, 2007). As noted by Kinnaman (2007), “when outsiders question our motives, it neutralizes their interest in Christianity” (p. 69). Christians should embody love, compassion, patience, forgiveness, and service, among other things and if this is not the case, then, we are clearly misrepresenting the love and the grace of the Father (Kinnaman, 2007). Therefore, we cannot stand aloof from these negative perceptions and pretend there’s nothing wrong.

While the world can attempt to degrade our identities to mere numbers or label with demeaning names nothing in this world can take away the identity of a believer as a child of God. As God's children we should respond to trials and tribulations by looking through lenses from a heavenly perspective. Everything in this world is temporary …. 2 Corinthians 4:18 says "So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen, since what is seen is temporary,

I remember one girl asked me “Is that how Christians dress”? This comment angered me and I decided to speak up and ask her “How exactly do Christians dress because I’m not aware of the Christian dress code”. She kept quiet and I remember no one else spoke to me that day. I was well aware that they were talking about me behind my back. It was quite pathetic to see how hypocritical these people were to me. One day I wasn’t able to bear my silence anymore. I had to speak up and stand for what I believe in. And so I did. During the youth meeting, the Youth Instructor was talking about how Matthew 6:1 talks about hypocrisy. Then I stood up and interrupted her. I remember saying, “With all due respect, there’s a question that has been on my mind. Why do some Christians I know try to use Christianity as a way to judge others and put others down? From what I’m hearing we should not judge others but at the same time every time I walk into this church someone judges me and calls me a sinner but yet they’ve forgotten we’re all sinners. Is it right to act holy but yet so impure”? Silence echoed the room and no one was able to utter one word. I decided to get up and leave and before I did, I added, “It’s amazing how some Christians can’t practice what they

God expects individuals that call themselves “Christian” to grow spiritually. The Word of God encourages personal examination as a part of the growth process, as found in Psalm 139:23-24: “Search me, God, and know my heart; test me and know my concerns. See if there is any offensive way in me; lead me in the everlasting way.” Becoming more Christ-like focuses on how He works in us and not on our work for Him. The Cycle of Works demonstrates that regardless of work we complete, the acceptance of others, the sustainability of our works and the significance it brings, we cannot compete with God’s Cycle of Grace that show us that we are significant in His sight and that brings us sustenance and acceptance

We must understand different worldviews in order to defend our faith against other worldviews so that our faith is not shaken by other worldviews, by understanding the mayor worldviews we, as Christians, can stand strong in our faith and tell others about Christ. Having a Christian worldview means that we do not follow the flesh but we follow those things that God has commanded us to do. It means that Christians think about their actions and do their best to treat others with love and respect as God has loved us no matter our gender, race, or sexual orientation. We must follow the Golden Rule stated in John 13:34 – “A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another: just as I have loved you, you also are to love one another.” Doug, you must feel in your heart that you are saved, you feel happy and all the sins you struggled before in the past are now a lot easier to avoid. Being a Christian is no easy task at all; you face persecution and testing from

In fact, Emerson goes on to say, when Christians do not conform to the world they “shall be sure to be misunderstood.” When Believers are not living by the world’s ideals they will most likely be shunned by non-Christians. As John says in the Bible, “Do not be surprised, brothers, that the world hates you.” (1 John 3:13). Although this may sound morbid, the reward is eternal life in perfect happiness and unity with Christ. We can also use our difference as a light in the world, “so that whoever believes in [God] may not remain in darkness.” (John 12:46). Secondly, Emerson says, “What I must do is all that concerns me, not what people think.” (Emerson par. 2). As Christians, we should not care what the world thinks. Solomon gives evidence for this in Proverbs when he writes, “The fear of man brings a snare, but he who trusts in the LORD will be exalted.” In the end, we should not live according

Within my growth as a Christian, I have usually surrounded myself with others who possess the religious beliefs that I hold. As a result of my