I am glad that I am not the only one who objects to the way in which a growing number of Christians, especially among those who would in some way call themselves emergent, are rejecting the term Christian. They prefer to label themselves Christ-followers.
Jason Byassee has some good arguments against this rebranding.
Anyone can understand the desire for an alternative to the word “Christian.” There are plenty of “Christians” I’d rather not be associated with. I’d much prefer to maintain my relationship with Jesus while making clear to others I am not in relationship to Pat Robertson or Jack Spong …
There’s some sleight of hand here. Imagine a banker in the current financial crisis objecting when you name her job description. “I’m not a banker, I’m a cashier.” You would be unimpressed. …
One could come up with some new way to follow Abraham Lincoln or Ayn Rand and give it a brand new title. But Christianity joins us to a body of other believers. …
This is especially important to reassert when we are tempted to say we’re with the head, but not the other parts of the body. We are all tempted to pick and choose our fellows, buffet-style. “I’m with Desmond Tutu, Nelson Mandela, and Mother Teresa, but not the Southern Baptists.” …
It’s as though we get off scot-free for historical Christian sins (the crusades, racism, you name it) by just calling ourselves something else. Christians believe there is a way to forgiveness and purity—but it passes through confession, restoration, and repaired relationship. The much more costly way to disassociate from those who have done ill in Christ’s name is to set about loving as fanatically as they hated.
(HT Mark Sayers)
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i’m disinclinde to us ethe term “christian” for those very reasons, but reading this article proposes some argument I’d not heard before, and I think they’re right.
Those of us who chose to buy into the “christian tradition” must be aware of the sins of that tradition, and must be humbled and repentant by this. Claiming to be something “better” seems lke nothing short of pride now. Thanks for posting the link.
Anyways, why not redeem the term, rather than run from it? The gay community has turned insulting terms (queer etc.) into terms of pride. What’s to stop the christian community from doing the same?
apologies for the spelling in my last… I wrote in a hurry… as usual.
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