Two subjects in this note: the word Christian and betraying God living in American Materialistic life.
The disciples were first called Christians in Antioch. Now look at the word Christian. A meaning of 'little Christ'. It feels wrong for me to say."Yes, I am a Christian" if someone asks me if I am one. I am a follower of Christ. But knowing the word Christian means 'little Christ' and looking at my life I don't think it would be right for me to self proclaim myself as a Little Christ. In Antioch the followers of Christ were preaching and teaching there for a whole year when the gentiles came to them calling them Christians. They could see the transformation in the disciples lives. They could see Christ in their lives. REALLY see Him in their lives. If someone has to ask me if I'm a Christian then I am clearly not doing my task of showing Christ off in myself. He is supposed to be the spotlight not myself. This life isn't about me it is about Him. Only Him. I feel like I betray God by living here in America with all this materialism and worldliness that I am FORCED to live in. Yet it still feels like betrayal. It is betrayal. I say I follow Christ but I let Americas standards keep me down from living for him. When the Bible says "Whether you eat or drink do all things to the glory of God" and when Christ demands us to "Go out and make disciples of all the nations" I don't think its possible to do either or both in America to its full extent of the way Christ wants us to live it to. It really isn't. I mean you can say it is but then you go watch TV or hang out on the internet doing whatever you do. Sorry but I don't see how that glorifies God at all.
Christ didn't say if you wanted to follow Him you could do it lukewarmly. He said "Take up your cross and follow me" He spoke in parables so that those who truly weren't interested in following Him would not be able to be fake. He said this: luke 14:31-35
31. "Or what king, when he sets out to meet another king in battle, will not first sit down and take counsel whether he is strong enough with ten thousand [men] to encounter the one coming against him with twenty thousand? 32. "Or else, while the other is still far away, he sends a delegation and asks terms of peace. 33. "So therefore, no one of you can be My disciple who does not give up all his own possessions. 34. "Therefore, salt is good; but if even salt has become tasteless, with what will it be seasoned? 35. "It is useless either for the soil or for the manure pile; it is thrown out. He who has ears to hear, let him hear."
We try and give Him less than He deserves and less than He demands of us. This isn't right. He says that you have to give up all your possessions and follow Him. He says that, like tasteless salt, lukewarm people are useless. When salt is still salty it helps manure fertilize. But lukewarm and uncommitted faith is useless. It can't even benefit manure.
The term Lukewarm Christian really is an oxymoron. If anyone calls himself a believer and doesn't obey Christ commands the Truth is not in him.
Showing posts with label writing. Show all posts
Showing posts with label writing. Show all posts
Saturday, August 1, 2009
The Use Of Such A Descriptive Word
The use of the word “nigger” in the novel The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn has continually boiled hot water over the proverbial pot of controversy over again and again. The controversy word in Twain’s novel is a very obvious, simple but complex, and major element of this novel. He uses it to convey a sense of companionship as a major literary device. However the controversy seems to be of bigotry and ignorance of just the meaning of the word itself and not how it is used.
Ignorance is a starving buzzard circling the controversy of literature. “The crusade of [John] Wallace, who has described his nemesis as ‘the most grotesque example of racist trash ever written,’ is the extreme example of the animus that has coalesced around the novel.”(Styron) If Wallace and people like Wallace would have taken the time to actually sit down and read into the novel and possibly use their brain for analyzing instead of coming up with haphazard, imaginative creations of stupidity then there would be a strong lack of controversy surrounding this topic. Instead these bigots believe in the notion that everyone must be a hate driven racist if they use the word “nigger” in any context what so ever. David Bradley, a black man, African American, or Negro, whatever you want to call him, recognizes that in Twain’s Adventure novels the word “nigger” is used in two separate contexts. “When Huck said ‘nigger’, he meant Negro. When Tom said ‘nigger’, he meant liar.”(Bradley) Bradley understands the importance of analyzing both sides of the argument instead of pulling a Styron on everyone. The definition of the word “nigger” to Huck was clearly stated over and over throughout the novel to plainly mean “a black man”. It was never used by Huck towards Jim to mean “slave” or anything derogatory. Some bigots read or hear the word “nigger” and verbally or physically attack that person or work of literature, thus showing their immaturity and ignorance in not analyzing the context. The branching of this controversy of the word “nigger” in Huck Finn is sparked more by confusion, frustration, and the lack of a universal understood definition of the word. (Skoler)
In conclusion, the use of the word “nigger” at any time in history, present day, or future years is only offensive to people because Blacks were once slaves to Whitey. It has everything to do with context. If Huck were mad at Jim, and he called Jim a nigger then I would understand the willingness to take that word out of the book and frown upon it. However, I agree with this statement: “For bad or for good, “nigger” is thus destined to remain with us for many years to come – a reminder of the ironies and dilemmas, the tragedies and glories, of the American experience”.(Kennedy) Most Blacks I know would rather be called Black than African American. They see African American more offensive than Nigger or Black. They descended from generations of people shipped from Africa but are not directly from there. If the general population is going to refer to Black people as African Americans then I would prefer to be referred to as German Irish American. So they are really begging the question of a much larger issue than just simply taking a word out of a book. They are begging the question “What shall we properly call them?” The answer is simple- American.
Ignorance is a starving buzzard circling the controversy of literature. “The crusade of [John] Wallace, who has described his nemesis as ‘the most grotesque example of racist trash ever written,’ is the extreme example of the animus that has coalesced around the novel.”(Styron) If Wallace and people like Wallace would have taken the time to actually sit down and read into the novel and possibly use their brain for analyzing instead of coming up with haphazard, imaginative creations of stupidity then there would be a strong lack of controversy surrounding this topic. Instead these bigots believe in the notion that everyone must be a hate driven racist if they use the word “nigger” in any context what so ever. David Bradley, a black man, African American, or Negro, whatever you want to call him, recognizes that in Twain’s Adventure novels the word “nigger” is used in two separate contexts. “When Huck said ‘nigger’, he meant Negro. When Tom said ‘nigger’, he meant liar.”(Bradley) Bradley understands the importance of analyzing both sides of the argument instead of pulling a Styron on everyone. The definition of the word “nigger” to Huck was clearly stated over and over throughout the novel to plainly mean “a black man”. It was never used by Huck towards Jim to mean “slave” or anything derogatory. Some bigots read or hear the word “nigger” and verbally or physically attack that person or work of literature, thus showing their immaturity and ignorance in not analyzing the context. The branching of this controversy of the word “nigger” in Huck Finn is sparked more by confusion, frustration, and the lack of a universal understood definition of the word. (Skoler)
In conclusion, the use of the word “nigger” at any time in history, present day, or future years is only offensive to people because Blacks were once slaves to Whitey. It has everything to do with context. If Huck were mad at Jim, and he called Jim a nigger then I would understand the willingness to take that word out of the book and frown upon it. However, I agree with this statement: “For bad or for good, “nigger” is thus destined to remain with us for many years to come – a reminder of the ironies and dilemmas, the tragedies and glories, of the American experience”.(Kennedy) Most Blacks I know would rather be called Black than African American. They see African American more offensive than Nigger or Black. They descended from generations of people shipped from Africa but are not directly from there. If the general population is going to refer to Black people as African Americans then I would prefer to be referred to as German Irish American. So they are really begging the question of a much larger issue than just simply taking a word out of a book. They are begging the question “What shall we properly call them?” The answer is simple- American.
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