The essay, by pastor Mike Glenn, argues that people watch Christians' conduct long before they listen to their message, and that many respect Jesus but reject Christianity because of how Christians treat one another. It criticizes the constant negativity and public infighting in Christian media and argues that such conflict tells outsiders they would not be loved in church. As remedies, it urges following Matthew 18 to settle disputes privately, praying for one another instead of judging, and loving fellow believers as a witness to Jesus' love.
Reviewed
Its text teaches none of the positions Doxa lists.
Keyword counts
Woke keywords
Counted1.5 points from 1 keyword, 1 match in 928 words
- toxic 1
Doxa counts words and phrases from a fixed list, each worth some points. It doesn't read context, so a word counts however it's used, and a keyword ending in … counts every word that starts with it.
Congregations watch how a pastor lives and treats others, especially family and members, long before they choose to listen to the pastor's preaching.
People watch how Christians behave for a long time before making decisions about Christ, and most reject Christianity while still respecting Jesus because of how Christians act, especially toward each other.
Much Christian media and religious commentary is constantly negative, fixated on infighting over worship songs and obscure theological points, with endless charges and countercharges.
When outsiders see Christians tearing into each other, they conclude they would not be loved or welcomed, and many decide never to go to church.
Outsiders value Jesus' teachings but treat him as one moral voice among many, and they do not trust his people, whom they find too judgmental, hypocritical, and sometimes mean.
Christians should follow Matthew 18 by going privately to a brother or sister with whom they have a problem, rather than airing disagreements on social media.
Christians should pray for one another and refrain from judging others, because they never have the full story of another person's struggles.
Rather than complaining about a hostile world, Christians should first learn to love fellow believers in their churches, and that visible love will help neighbors understand how much Jesus loves them.
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