on the identification with the weak, sick, poor, underpriveleged, oppressed and even the moral failures?
on forgiveness without end, mutual service regardless of rank, renunciation without a quid pro quo?
on the removal of barriers between associates and non-associates, distant people and neighbors, good and bad, in a love that does not exclude good will even to opponent and enemy?
on the norms, precepts and prohibitions, which exist for the sake of men, and on the men who do not exist for the sake of norms precepts and prohibition?
on the institutions, traditions and hierarchies, to be relativised for man's sake?
on God's will as supreme norm, which aims at nothing but man's well being?
on this God himself who identifies himself with the needs and hopes of men, who does not demand but gives; who does not oppress but raises up; who does not punish but liberates; who establishes the absolute rule, not of law , but of grace?
on this death finally and it's forsakenness and on the hope of new life and the consumation in God's kingdom?
Does it need much imagination to see that things would look different, not only in man's heart, but also in society, its structures and institutions, if this message were really lived? or indeed that things look different even now whenever this message is lived? We do not really lack a fundamental Christian program, there is nothing wrong with this Christ Jesus himself: it is entirely the fault of Christians if too little is changed in the world.
Christiansthemselves are the strongest argument against Christianity: Christians who are not Christians. Christians themselves are the strongest argument for Christianity: Christians who live a Christian life. Faced with the familiar and hardly pleasant history of the Church, we often forget the very much more encouraging history of Christians- unfortunately only to a very limited extent an object for the historian"
Hans Kung "On Being a Christian" London:Collins, 1977. pp558
7 comments:
You should read Leithart's "Against Christianity", which might be better understood as "Against Christianism." Great stuff.
thanks for the recommendation Mike, I've always enjoyed Leitharts stuff in the past
well, i like kungs positive note at the end too. Christians are, in the end, pretty cool.
"Christians themselves are the strongest argument against Christianity: Christians who are not Christians. Christians themselves are the strongest argument for Christianity: Christians who live a Christian life."
Great quote.
"I would believe in a redeemer if his followers appeared more redeemed." - Nieztsche
"I would be a Christian if it weren't for Christians." - Ghandi
We do, however, have a political agenda. We are to achieve it the way Joseph, Daniel and Jesus did. We are obedient no matter what, then God gives it to us on a platter. Christ will conquer in every sphere.
And also the way that Jesus and Paul did - by proclaiming the kingdom of God in word and deed - and then Caesar will kill us for subversion.
Yes, well we know what happened to Rome when they did that, don't we? Christians ruled the world.
And then lost the plot until the Reformation, when they died again, and ruled the world again.
And lost the plot... time to die again chaps.
Yes, let us proclaim the gospel, whether we live or die.
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