Today marks the day that Christians throughout the world celebrate the resurrection of Jesus Christ. His death and subsequent ascension to heaven provides salvation with everlasting life for all who believe. I am one whom is not bashful in proclaiming that I subscribe to the Christian doctrine. And I am not alone. It is estimated that 33.1% of the world’s 7 billion people are Christians1 and 76%2 of the 313,325,3993 people in the United States, 76% claim to be Christian.
Yet, not all Christians are created equal. There are some fundamental tenets that all Christian religions hold sacred. One for example, is the events that mark this day as significant for all Christians. Another is the commonality among all Christian denominations that The Holy Bible is the transcript of Christianity which was written by man, but inspired by God. From that one book, there have been multiple meanings people have taken, hence, multiple religious denominations.
Each religious faction within the Christian world worships differently. Some have communion, some don’t. Many have some form of baptism, some require a declaration of “being saved, and the list goes on. Some groups suggest condemnation for non-believers. Some believe that the Bible is wholly literal, while others contend some of it is metaphorical. Which group is more right or truer than the other?
The allure of temptation can be overwhelming for many. There are people who claim to be Christian, but their behaviours do not reflect “What Would Jesus Do?” Some find Christ after committing a heinous crime. Can or should they be forgiven for their sin(s), especially if it was a crime that resulted in premeditated and intentional harm or death? Would a self-proclaimed Christian be able to forgive this same criminal if his/her parent, spouse or child was the victim? A debate I often hear about Christian behaviour is “what does a Christian act like?” Many people attend a religious service regularly, while others don’t. Does attending a service make a person any more a Christian than someone who doesn’t?
The longer I live, the more I learn. The more I learn, the more I think. The more I think, the more I question. My beliefs are the function of what has been handed down and taught to me (culture) coupled with life experiences. I am comfortable in what I believe. I am proud to say I am a Christian. I am the first in line to say that what I believe will be largely or slightly different than what you believe. I will also be the first to say that what you believe may be no more right or wrong than what I believe and I respect your beliefs. Be clear though, that in my world respect does not mean agreement. Yet, however different we land on what our beliefs and hopes are, we have them and it is what we call Faith.
1 World Christian Database of Gordon-Cromwell Theological Seminary
2 The American Religious Identification Survey (ARIS) was conducted in 2008
3 http://www.census.gov/population/www/popclockus.html
