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Christianity without Christ, an American specialty. [View all]
https://goodfaithmedia.org/what-a-followship/#
The earliest followers of Jesus would be greatly baffled by what it means to be “Christian” today.
The ever-changing lists of “essential” beliefs and organizational expectations would certainly be unfamiliar to those who encountered the radical love and grace of Jesus and, in response, left their familiar and comfortable ways to follow in his risky footsteps.
Oh, it took belief to heed the call of Jesus to “follow me.” But Jesus never required a test of orthodoxy, put them through a six-week doctrinal course and then gave them a membership card to The Jesus Club.
Today’s Americanized Christianity gives little to no attention to following Jesus. It is about affirming some human-formed list of “essentials” that tend to leave Jesus out – and often require attitudes and acts of exclusion at odds with how Jesus actually related to others.
I have no particular belief ]in the divinity of Jesus, or even if he actually existed. I do, however, have a particular affinity for the teachings of Jesus as distilled down to us today. Jesus certainly wasn't the only great spiritual leader, but he is the one this Westerner is most familiar with, and see no reason to pledge allegiance to Buddha, or someone else. Ultimately, it is all very much the same.
But, I digress... Like most here, I cringe when I see the universal parables and prayers of the Gospels suddenly perverted into calling for political positions. Unless I missed something, Jesus said render unto Caesar that which is his, and not to put God into the middle of it.
Separation of church and state was actually one of the first Christian principles.
Carry on.
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