Modern Christianity. A Question.

[That Dude]

I know quite a few people from different countries who think that being a christian in America is easy compared to, say, being one in Kenya or other African countries. And while I agree that you have to take you're salvation seriously and think through it before you become saved out there, I've come to the conclusion that though it's harder to become a christian in those areas it's much easier to maintain your salvation there than it is here in the US. Out in the persecuted areas you either are hot or cold there is very little of the inbetween. And in America we embrace the mediocre in christianity. It seems that the modern church here doesn't want us to examine our salvation and those who live their lives based on their conviction are pariahs. It seems like the bulk (not all the churches) of churches are focused mainly on the emotional aspect of worship and they obey only one part of the verse that says "worship in SPIRIT and in TRUTH."

So my question is, do you think it's harder for christians in other countries to be christians, or is it harder for Americans and other privileged christians?

[Kkun]

EDIT: I'm going to amend this for clarity.

I think I agree with you. I think that while the Christians in non-American countries face a greater deal of persecution, they have to struggle for their faith, "fight the good fight," as it were. This desperate struggle makes their relationship with Jesus far more real for them.

I believe it is difficult to be a Christian in America. For one thing, I think that here in America, we're so distracted and bombarded with noise, unbelief, sex, and our own selfishness that we take Jesus for granted very often. Post-modern America has adopted a very epicurean lifestyle that sees no need for a messiah, because the purpose of everything is self-gratification. If you're going to just turn into dust, you might as well do what feels good while you're here. We don't need hope or peace because we can drown out the weight of being human with temporal pleasures. To be blunt, though, all this is going to do is numb a great deal of people right into hell, and I think that the church should be doing more to combat this. It's a difficult problem to face in our politically correct society.

Yeah. I definitely agree: I think it's for more difficult for Americans to retain a passion for following Christ than it is for people in other countries where Jesus is truly all they have to life for.

[termyt]

I think it is hard to be a Christian period.

True Christians are a minority everywhere - including a lot of church sanctuaries.

But, to say it is harder here because of the many distractions and detractors we face here I think is treading dangerous ground. Here, we have the right to worship as we choose and there are no shortages of churches with which to commune. Whether or not to truly devote one’s self to the service of our Lord is left mostly up to the individual to decide. There are cases of abuse, of course, but even if such abuse was commonplace, we have a government with which we can address our grievances to and it is illegal to truly harm anyone because of their religious viewpoints.

By the above statements, you seem to be implying that it is harder to be a Christian here than in a country where it is illegal to preach the gospel. As though it were easier to be a Christian in a place where you may not have even heard the gospel, and if you have, you can be executed for it.

My point is that is not easy to be a Christian anywhere, but in no place on Earth is it any easier than it is here.

[USSRGirl]

Hmm... I agree with Termyt, though it depends on what you mean by "harder." I have a huge amount of respect and awe for people and missionaries in places like the Middle East, Africa, North Korea, ect. Christians who convert in countries like those will ultimately face more terrifying physical hardships because of their belief than we can even imagine. However, as for being "harder to be a Christian," it seems to me that people in those areas generally have more of a zeal for God and stronger faith than we have in America because of their extreme circumstances. There's just no denying that Americans are cushy, lazy capitalists. The average Christian basically holds the belief "well, I'm a nice person, I go to church and sing songs on Sundays so that makes me a Christian." See how "Christian" that person will be when their life is being threaten because of their faith.

However, that's not always the case. There are many strong Christians fighting an equally hard spiritual battle against immoral, unGodly American society. Because so few liberal churches are even preaching the gospel nowadays, it is actually "harder" to become a Christian and stay a Christian in a society whose attitude is "anything goes."

So my point is that there is no "harder" situation, just different situations. Whatever your cross is to bear, its just as heavy as the next guy's.

[EireWolf]

This is a very interesting question, and you've all had good things to say.

I think it is certainly easier to become a Christian in America, where we are free to worship as we please, and where there are churches everywhere. But I think what the others are trying to say, termyt, is that persecuted Christians have a daily struggle which forces them to take their faith seriously, whereas Christians in free countries find it far easier to fall into complacency. If you might be killed for your faith, you're not likely to take a ho-hum attitude towards it. Something that might cost you your life has got to be the most important thing in your life, or you might as well abandon it.

Of course, it is a life-and-death situation no matter what, in the grand scheme of things. But the immediate possibility of a very tangible death has a tendency to make people pay closer attention, I think.

[termyt]

I think I see where the thought comes from, but the way I see it, the lack of persecution and our Christian heritage simply enables a lot of folks to be Christians in name only. So there are a lot of people here apply the label of “Christianâ€

[Dai-go]

Termyt, I'd have to agree with all of what you've been saying.

It is hard to be a Christian anywhere. I do think that the reason we see alot of hardcore-devout Christians is because over in places like the middle-east and china, you die! if you confess Christ. And I think that, because of that fact, you weed out alot of the "I'll be a Christian in the easy time" people.

I mean, it is different everywhere you go. Here, we have social pressure, sex, drugs, media; Japan, sex, drugs, media, social pressure; England, sex, drugs, media, social pressure.....Maybe not? I dunno.
Maybe Japan has it worse. Our culture teaches you to stand out and defy norms. Japan, you must stick in! "The nail that sticks out gets pounded down", that's been their saying for generations and I'm curious to see as to when it started. They're more spiritually confused than we are I believe. XD They love gospel music, go to shinto shrines, have buddest statues, the list goes on.

So, maybe it's not harder to be a Christian over in those areas. Just different. Maybe if we'd all come together to strengthen one another in prayer, we'd have a whole clearer picture of what Christ's kingdom looks like.

[Kkun]

I think it is certainly easier to become a Christian in America, where we are free to worship as we please, and where there are churches everywhere. But I think what the others are trying to say, termyt, is that persecuted Christians have a daily struggle which forces them to take their faith seriously, whereas Christians in free countries find it far easier to fall into complacency. If you might be killed for your faith, you're not likely to take a ho-hum attitude towards it. Something that might cost you your life has got to be the most important thing in your life, or you might as well abandon it.

This is all I was trying to say. I could, and should, have put it much more clearly, but I'd just woken up at the time.

OBVIOUSLY, being a Christian in countries where you're persecuted is harder than being a Christian in America, where we have freedom of religion. What I MEANT to say, rather, is that in America, being a Christian can seem totally pointless because we (it seems to me) live in a society that basically wants to ignore God. That makes maintaining genuine faith more difficult than in places where it's all you have to depend on. That's all I was trying to say.

[That Dude]

All of you have brought up good points that I agree with and sadly I wasn't thinking deeply enough to when writing to bring up all the points.

I believe that it's hard to be a christian anywhere...But where there's persicution your faith is forced to either grow or die. In America where mediocrity and recitation of what you've heard takes precedence over truely examining your salvation and listining to God above all else, but you still have the freedom to do what you want, I think that it's easier for your faith to stagnate.

[Doubleshadow]

I have a friend who was a missionary in China. She said when they told the believers there that we pray for the min the US, the Chinese believers said,"Oh, we pray for you." They felt they were better off in a country that persecutes them because it made their faith stronger. They prayed for those of us who live in an environment ripe for incubating mediocrity and lukewarm attitudes, knowing that death (which has been beaten anyway) should not be a real concern for a believer when compared to a vibrant, active walk with Christ.
To be very general and not factor in individual differences and circumstances, I think having a strong faith and being a, outspoken, Spirit-filled Christian is easier in poor or persecuted countries, but having a lukewarm faith and thinking Jesus is the Truth but a second or third priority is not. In the US it's easy enough to hear the Gospel if you want, but hard to be discipled. In persecuted countries, Christians may have to sneak the Bible to you, but there is no passive expression of faith.

[ChristianKitsune]

I was about to say what Eirewolf said, lol. She has a very good point.

Being a Christian in America is easy...almost too easy. Something that we take for granted. In other countries where you have to almost hide to stay alive because of your faith, I think people take it more seriously.

Also, It's very hard to find serious Christian people here. At least in my area..-_-

[Sammy Boy]

There are different types of "hardness" when it comes to being a Christian in different countries.

I live in Australia, a mostly secular country where going to church is "not cool", and where many people make the assumption that just because you are a Christian, you are not intelligent, or have "blind faith".

My life is not in danger because of my faith, but I believe it is hard in a different way.

[Jingo Jaden]

*Do indeed hope I don't misstype anything here*

You can look at Norway in this matter. Pressure is applied by the public and the media for example to make large areas of the church accept things such as church gay marriage. Now, even the state is involved in the activities that largely determins the outcome of the main church here in Norway, you see dicussion at so many places accusing christians of being generaly stupid and without care for others than themselves. It seems that many also look at other figures to determine the moral value of christianity, and by saying that I mean they look at other people who call themselves christians and reflects upon it from that afar, rather than seeing it reflected in the one who really showed the world what christianity is and never failed. I am of talking of Jesus Christ. The mainstreem media seems to go largely against the idea of religion and nearly every article you can find about the subject are either some professor who is trying to disprove, or a ranting debatant on the debate section. It is as they want to set the idea of atheism as the universial standard with no possible execption allowed. Some international organisation is trying to ban religius symbols as well, such as the cross. However I don't think they would have banned symbols reflecting the idea of satanism, it was mostly an attack on the christian cross and the thing muslim females did wear over their head. *Cannot remember the name of that*. So for the next generation I fear that the influense some of the public opinion is forming along with some church reformation and media bashing will limit the oppretunity for the youngsters to get to know what christianity is all about. The goodness and love applied to it and the great sacrefise our lord made for us, so that we could be saved.

And I think it is fair to say a few years ago I personaly was the weakest person in the classroom if not the school. I was pretty much a loner, different and very energetic. And boy was I against the idea of religion. However one day that changed dramaticly with the simple yet incredibly strong idea that God loves us. So I decided to give myself to Jesus. And the development which is still ongoing is something I am glad for. Sure I am becomeing a grown up and still useing alot of money on myself, but I am also feeling that I have become more careing for other's around me. That I dare to give sum's of money to poor people on the street or those who publicly entertain. Baby steps perhaps, I hope it will develop. I also hope that in the future I will be able to give alot to others and not get swallowed by greed. Anyhow it is a bit personal. I am just saying that alot of the media is not helping, the public veiw of christianity for many people here in Norway is turning red and that the church is pretty much at times forced to act in favor of the state's veiw. Who knows, the future may be bright in Norway, it is just hard to see as things goes now.

[Okami]

I do agree, that here in America being Christian is so easy and common, it almost makes us look bad, due to the enormous activity of sex, drugs, and other immortal things around us. All that bad stuff is so common here that it's easy to get sucked into sin, unfortunatly enough.

Actually now that I'm thinking about it...*whips out a pencil and stickynote and writes: "If temptation gets tough...TURN IT OFF!" and sticks it on her laptop, by the mouse*

There's so many fakes and hipocrites out there...you could call me one of them. But I'm trying, I really truly am! It's tough, but compared to the other countless countries out there, we've got it real easy.

*is currently listening to 'How many Lashes' on the Passion of the Christ songs cd* "How many lashes, for my sins, Lord?"

[PigtailsJazz]

Mostly in response to what Jaden Mental said:

I have heard from a good friend who does many mission trips to Europe, more specifically Holland, that the climate of Europe is changing in this way and that the US follows the trends of Europe...but a few decades behind. What you described is probably how the US will be in about 20-30 years. Though we in the US are comfortable now, what you described is very likely our future here.

I am encouraged by your story.