In today’s world when someone announces they are coming out of the closet, it is usually to reveal their sexual preference and that they now intend to lead a gay or homosexual lifestyle. They no longer choose to hide behind closet doors for fear of being ostracized or discriminated against. From that point on their lives change dramatically.
I would like to suggest to you another type of coming out, and that would be for Christians to announce they are choosing to reveal their Christian preference and to lead an openly Christian lifestyle. No longer choosing to hide their faith for fear of being ostracized, or discriminated against.
We would not be Christians in name only, but Christians in action. One who bravely steps out in front of family and friends and says “I choose to live my life openly as a man or woman of God. I will no longer hide my belief in Jesus Christ.”
Banding together, we would have our own slogan: “CLOSET CHRISTIANS NO MORE“. Our own colors, our own flag, our own symbol, our own song, our own magnetic ribbon for our vehicles and our own Christian pride parades. I realize, of course, that different religions have their own ideas for some of my suggestions. But it is imperative that we are united as Christians not separated by religions. United we stand, divided we fall.
When people label us and call us derogatory names we shall shout, “discrimination” and fight back with every law afforded to us. And while we are at it, we will fight to have reinstated every right that has been taken away.
We will protest against certain words used to describe us such as, “Jesus Freaks, bigots, or the religious right.” Standing strong we will have such words or phrases banned from the lips of newscasters and print media.
Writing Op-ed pieces, we will open the eyes and ears of the world to the persecution of Christians’ taking place. The media has chosen to ignore these atrocities, but we will let the world know through the power of the internet and social networks such as facebook, twitter, you tube and other outlets to bring awareness.
We will change the wrongful image of us which secular groups have painted. We will proudly walk the walk and talk the talk. There will be no more secrets about who we are and to whom we put our faith.
Of course we will be under attack. But what else is new? Persecution and silencing of Christians has been going on since Jesus walked the earth. Jesus was our first sacrifice, then the disciples and those who were followers. To provide light for his soirées, Nero used Christians as human torches. Today, churches are being burned in record numbers, as in Bagdad two weeks ago , resulting in the death of 21 Christians and a 200 year old church in Jamaica, which was burned to the ground by arsonists, their Pastor shot and left for dead two years earlier just to mention two of many. We know in China Christians are jailed or killed, their bibles burned. They are not allowed the luxury of worshipping in churches. They go underground, much as the first Christians did. Where is the outrage? Where is the support for human rights? Certainly that cry is not focused on Christians.
Recently in our country, a New Hampshire mother was told by the states judicial branch she could no longer home school her daughter. Was it because her daughter’s education was sub par? No, in fact the child, when tested, passed with high marks. The decision was made because “they” felt the mother was too religious. Think about this; a state government steps into your home and tells you are too religious to home school your child. Are we not concerned for what will come next? Where is the outrage?
We are not second class citizens in this world. If we are truly proud of our faith in Jesus Christ we need to stop pandering to the world and hiding our faith in the closet, only bringing it out on Sunday for the few hours we attend church .
We need to stop feeling as if we our beliefs are offensive. Our silence is deafening and it allows others to dictate when, where, and how we can worship, or when we can say the name Jesus, or have a manger scene, or post the ten commandants. We are allowing others to set the rules, enabling them to make us feel as if there is something wrong because we “fix our eyes not on what is seen, but what is unseen” 2 Corinthians 4:18.
In C.S. Lewis’s book The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe, Aslan, the great Lion representing Jesus, is captured and bound. The witch and her people then shave off his magnificent mane. Aslan is ridiculed and jeered in an attempt to strip him of his dignity, but it only serves to emphasize his greatness and dignity under pressure.
We too can withstand ridicule and jeering. Our Aslan withstood it on the way to the cross and on the cross. He did not reject His Father. He did not beg for mercy. He did not apologize for his beliefs. All of this served only to emphasize his greatness under pressure.
It has been said a Christian group cannot lose if it has the sincere conviction that Christ has to become more than a figure of history. As His followers we cannot attain this goal in the closet. And it can not be done by individuals alone, it must be a team effort. Working together as united Christians we can withstand whatever comes our way. Our strength is in our convictions and in our numbers and our faith is in our Creator.
So will you stand up for your Christianity, your faith, your God, or will you stay in the closet? Will you define yourself and your beliefs or will you be defined by others.
CLOSET CHRISTIANS NO MORE, are you in or are you out?
I would like to suggest to you another type of coming out, and that would be for Christians to announce they are choosing to reveal their Christian preference and to lead an openly Christian lifestyle. No longer choosing to hide their faith for fear of being ostracized, or discriminated against.
We would not be Christians in name only, but Christians in action. One who bravely steps out in front of family and friends and says “I choose to live my life openly as a man or woman of God. I will no longer hide my belief in Jesus Christ.”
Banding together, we would have our own slogan: “CLOSET CHRISTIANS NO MORE“. Our own colors, our own flag, our own symbol, our own song, our own magnetic ribbon for our vehicles and our own Christian pride parades. I realize, of course, that different religions have their own ideas for some of my suggestions. But it is imperative that we are united as Christians not separated by religions. United we stand, divided we fall.
When people label us and call us derogatory names we shall shout, “discrimination” and fight back with every law afforded to us. And while we are at it, we will fight to have reinstated every right that has been taken away.
We will protest against certain words used to describe us such as, “Jesus Freaks, bigots, or the religious right.” Standing strong we will have such words or phrases banned from the lips of newscasters and print media.
Writing Op-ed pieces, we will open the eyes and ears of the world to the persecution of Christians’ taking place. The media has chosen to ignore these atrocities, but we will let the world know through the power of the internet and social networks such as facebook, twitter, you tube and other outlets to bring awareness.
We will change the wrongful image of us which secular groups have painted. We will proudly walk the walk and talk the talk. There will be no more secrets about who we are and to whom we put our faith.
Of course we will be under attack. But what else is new? Persecution and silencing of Christians has been going on since Jesus walked the earth. Jesus was our first sacrifice, then the disciples and those who were followers. To provide light for his soirées, Nero used Christians as human torches. Today, churches are being burned in record numbers, as in Bagdad two weeks ago , resulting in the death of 21 Christians and a 200 year old church in Jamaica, which was burned to the ground by arsonists, their Pastor shot and left for dead two years earlier just to mention two of many. We know in China Christians are jailed or killed, their bibles burned. They are not allowed the luxury of worshipping in churches. They go underground, much as the first Christians did. Where is the outrage? Where is the support for human rights? Certainly that cry is not focused on Christians.
Recently in our country, a New Hampshire mother was told by the states judicial branch she could no longer home school her daughter. Was it because her daughter’s education was sub par? No, in fact the child, when tested, passed with high marks. The decision was made because “they” felt the mother was too religious. Think about this; a state government steps into your home and tells you are too religious to home school your child. Are we not concerned for what will come next? Where is the outrage?
We are not second class citizens in this world. If we are truly proud of our faith in Jesus Christ we need to stop pandering to the world and hiding our faith in the closet, only bringing it out on Sunday for the few hours we attend church .
We need to stop feeling as if we our beliefs are offensive. Our silence is deafening and it allows others to dictate when, where, and how we can worship, or when we can say the name Jesus, or have a manger scene, or post the ten commandants. We are allowing others to set the rules, enabling them to make us feel as if there is something wrong because we “fix our eyes not on what is seen, but what is unseen” 2 Corinthians 4:18.
In C.S. Lewis’s book The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe, Aslan, the great Lion representing Jesus, is captured and bound. The witch and her people then shave off his magnificent mane. Aslan is ridiculed and jeered in an attempt to strip him of his dignity, but it only serves to emphasize his greatness and dignity under pressure.
We too can withstand ridicule and jeering. Our Aslan withstood it on the way to the cross and on the cross. He did not reject His Father. He did not beg for mercy. He did not apologize for his beliefs. All of this served only to emphasize his greatness under pressure.
It has been said a Christian group cannot lose if it has the sincere conviction that Christ has to become more than a figure of history. As His followers we cannot attain this goal in the closet. And it can not be done by individuals alone, it must be a team effort. Working together as united Christians we can withstand whatever comes our way. Our strength is in our convictions and in our numbers and our faith is in our Creator.
So will you stand up for your Christianity, your faith, your God, or will you stay in the closet? Will you define yourself and your beliefs or will you be defined by others.
CLOSET CHRISTIANS NO MORE, are you in or are you out?
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