Meet Jesus first
I Like Jesus but Not Christianity
You are far from alone. Many people are drawn to Jesus, his mercy, his fearlessness, his heart for outsiders, while being repelled by much of what flies under the banner of Christianity. That is not a contradiction to apologize for. It may be the most honest place to start, as long as you let Jesus, and not his worst representatives, define who he is.
If the person of Jesus moves you but Christianity leaves you cold, the politics, the smugness, the hypocrisy, the culture wars, you are not being difficult. You are drawing a distinction most Christians should draw too. The question is simply which one gets to define the other.
Jesus is not his worst followers
It is only fair to judge any person by who they actually are, not by the people who misuse their name. Jesus knew he would be misrepresented, and he told his followers that the only credential that mattered was love, not slogans, not power, not being right online.
Where that love is missing, whatever the label, something has gone wrong with the Christianity, not with Christ. He even warned that many would use his name without knowing him.
Who Jesus actually was
The Jesus of the Gospels befriended the people religion despised, refused to shame the ashamed, told the truth to the powerful, and gave his life for his enemies. If that is the Jesus you like, you like the real one.
Let him define himself
You do not have to sign up for anything to keep reading. Meet him first, in his own words, and let your sense of him come from the source rather than the noise around it. Then you can decide what you make of Christianity.
Honest questions
- Is it okay to like Jesus but not Christianity?
- Yes, and you are in large company. Many people love the person of Jesus while being repelled by things done in his name. Jesus himself said his followers would be known by love (John 13:35), and where that is missing, the fault is with the Christianity, not with Christ.
- Isn't that just cherry-picking?
- Not if you let Jesus define himself. The healthiest starting point is to read the Gospels and meet the actual Jesus, rather than accept a version handed to you by his critics or his worst representatives.
- Where should I start if I like Jesus?
- Read one Gospel slowly, Mark is short and vivid, and watch how Jesus actually treats people. Let your impression of him come from the source. You can visit /meet-jesus for a gentle place to begin.
Meet him before you decide about the rest
You do not have to defend the church that wounded you, or the Christians who let you down, or any argument anyone has ever made in his name. Set all of it down for a moment. Before you decide what you think about Christianity, meet the man at the center of it, in his own words, without anyone standing between you and the page. Watch how he treats the tired, the shamed, and the ones religion threw away. Then decide.
Read Mark 1: begin with him, not the argumentsMeet JesusHurt by church?Jesus Christ is Lord.