A lot of what is called Christian
morality today is not necessarily Christian, but more accurately described as
Middle Class Christianity. It is the Christianity influenced by the Victorian
era politeness and the rather quiet in door working spaces of many Christians,
who tend heavily towards the middle class.
Here are examples of the difference:
Middle Class Christianity: Don't be harsh and use mean words to
those who come to you, especially if they are in need.
Christianity: Jesus said to the Syrophoenician woman: You don't give the
children’s food to the dogs (Matt 15:21-28, Mark 7:24-30).
Middle Class Christianity: It is wrong to even insult those who
reject the message of Jesus.
Christianity: Jesus said to the disciples to shake the dust of their
feet when leaving an unbelieving town or even home (Matt 10:14). A visible and
very offensive gesture in his day. Use your imagination to think of similar
offensive gestures
Middle Class Christianity: Quiet kindness and addressing your
audience in calm smooth tones is the way to address people. Don’t use
ad-hominins, stereotypes, or harsh language.
Christianity: Jesus in the gospel of Matthew: Woe to you Pharisees, you
brood of vipers, you snakes, you white-washed tombs, you rotten corpses twice
dead, you sons of hell (Matt 23).
Middle Class Christianity: Always use reason, dialectic and let
your passion be bridled.
Christianity: Paul to the Judaizers: why don't you go and cut of your
manhood’s (Gal. 5:12) you dogs (Phil. 3:2). Now that is powerful rhetoric.
Indeed Paul was very good with rhetoric. Though yes, like all rational
thinkers, he preferred dialectic, he still used rhetoric when it was
useful.
Middle Class Christianity: Never, ever use bad words. Bad words
are sin, bad words are never to pass your lips.
Christianity: Use bad words for bad things. For example: Paul refers to
anything we would trust in for salvation other than Jesus as ‘skubala’ (Phil.
3:8). The Greek word 'skubala' is translated often as 'refuse' or 'rubbish' in
English, but the KJV translated it 'dung', which is closer to its actual
meaning. The word was actually the 1st century version of the word crap/B.S.. I
am not making that up, everyone who has studied Greek knows this. Then there is
Jesus using the word "Raca", a harsh and brutal insult (Matt.
5:22-23). Key
point: they did not use these words to curse people. But the words themselves
are just words, with a proper use in context.
Middle Class Christianity: Don't insult people.
Christianity: "The devil rides you", my favourite Martin
Luther quote. Jesus, John the Baptist, Paul and John the apostle all insulted
people. John the Baptist seemed to have a favourite: “You brood of vipers”
(Matt. 3:7).
Middle Class Christianity: Is over-weighted with quiet middle
class people who work in quiet controlled environments, where politeness and
other such manners are part of the culture of the home and work environment.
Christianity: Is vibrant and open to many different people from
various cultures, and is not just confined to the quiet submissive types who
frequent office buildings, and knitting circles. Christianity is a religion
that is for all people. Not just people who tend towards quiet and calm and
polite conversation.
Now this post is not
arguing that we should always use these harsher tones and harsher words, just
that they are not always sin, if used properly, as Paul, Jesus and other
Biblical people used them. This is not a summary of all of Christianity, there
is much more to Christianity. But don't confuse actual Christianity, with
Victorian niceties, and white, middle class culture.