***Disclaimer: If you’re a good little fundamentalist, begin picking up choice stones to throw now. Better yet, go read John 8:7b, 1 Corinthians 9:22b, and Luke 10:27.***

Why have we, as followers of Christ, allowed “Christian” to mean “second-rate” instead of merely “different?”

“Christian” has become a sub-culture. Examples abound: “Christian” music, “Christian” radio, “Christian” books, and “Christian” stores. This is nothing new. The Christian sub-culture has been around for a long time but has, in the last 25-30 years, become very pronounced. And the quality and purpose have become worse and worse until most things “Christian” have become second-rate. The music is largely “cookie cutter,” the movies are generally pathetic, and other art forms are almost non-existent. Dancing is still out, although it’s all over the Old Testament. I cannot think of one “Christian” painter other than Thomas Kinkade, whose work is all over the “Christian” bookstores.

When did verses like Luke 10:27 become “’Love the Lord your God with most of your heart and with some of your soul and with little of your strength and with hardly any of your mind’ and Love your Christian neighbor as yourself?” When was creative thought banned from the mainstream of Christian life? When was it demoted to the fringes of “Christian” society? Why aren’t we loving God with ALL OUR MINDS?

To clarify, I don’t outright object to having “Christian” music, etc. The problems come when “Christians” forget to turn on their brains. Jesus (Remember Him? Radical, liberal type who hung out with whores?) told us to love God with ALL our mind(s). That covers anything that comes out of your head, including, but not limited to: thoughts, music, ideas, art, screenplays, sermons, words in a conversation, recipes, and ranting essays. Making music that sounds like somebody (everybody) else is not using ALL your mind. Making a movie or writing a screenplay that preaches to the choir is not using ALL your mind. Not recognizing dance or visual art as worship is not using ALL your mind. Saying that God hates “fags” is not using your brain at all and means you did not read the New Testament at all. (See www.godhatesfags.com and prepare to puke.)

There is a point buried here somewhere.

God did not call us to make mediocre music, produce happy movies, sell t-shirts with lame slogans, and jump on the “bracelet-with-a-message” bandwagon. He called us to be Ambassadors. He called us to be creative, thought-provoking weirdos who aren’t afraid to leave the Christian ghetto. People who claim to follow Jesus should actually do it. Read the Gospels and make a list of the places He went, who he interacted with and what He said to them, and what the results of His interactions were. Now compare that list to the modus operandi of most modern, Western Christians. Shocking difference, isn’t it?

Why am I writing this? Because last night Bethany and I watched Woman, Thou Art Loosed and it is the only “Christian” movie I would ever recommend to anyone. And “Christians” largely ignored it because it shows real life. It doesn’t have a happy, “inspirational” ending. I never cry in movies, but both of us were wiping away tears at the end of this one. The reality and the spirituality of the film hits you right between the eyes, if you aren’t afraid to watch an R-rated movie. It seems that we forget that life is R-rated. For that matter, the Bible is R-rated; it’s full of sex, drugs, and rock and roll. Woman, Thou Art Loosed actually had an impact on me and no other “Christian” movie has ever done that.

To look into this problem further (and I hope you will), read Michael Spencer’s essay on “Christian” movies at http://www.internetmonk.com/archive/riffs-112006-why-bad-christian-movies-succeed-and-better-movies-never-will and read the lyrics of Derek Webb (www.derekwebb.com). Derek addresses many different problems within Western Christianity and the Christian sub-culture.