And I'm not talking about either of the four-letter ones. I'm talking about the nine-letter one.
This word, these days, carries a heck of a lot of baggage with it. Oh so much baggage it's not funny. As soon as you say that an event, or a cause, or a group, or an idea, or a song, or anything is Christian - in some places, you're suddenly going to be very unpopular. You're not going to reach the people you were hoping to, some may label you with all the bad things they've expereinced from other Christians - it's hard.
So what do you do? Do you call it something else - humanitarian, or social, or philosophical? Or do you try and fight all that baggage that comes with the word?
It's a difficult decision, never really made any easier. Nor do I think it probably ever will be, really. Not in this world.
I just don't tell people unless it comes up. Generally suprises them.
ReplyDeleteHonestly, I curl up when I hear the word "Christian" because it conjures images of people with a holier-than-thou attitude trying to convert so-called "heathens" to Christianity.
ReplyDeleteI think that's partly a hangover from colonialism.