Dana Bell

I've always liked starting religious exhortations with some mention of 1st century Christianity, as if that it the purest form. Why change now?

I was raised in a Baptist church and I wouldn't doubt that the clinic I was born in wasn't a weekend location for Baptist services. When I became a "born-again", "spirit-filled" Christian, one of the things that bothered me about Baptist services was the invitational hymn and the aisle-walkers.

For those of you who don't know much about Baptist tradition, in order to be saved in a Baptist you have to walk the aisle down to the front of the church in order to be saved.

The problem with aisle walking is not the act itself, but the many things that are ignored about it. Walking down the aisle doesn't insure that whoever it is has truly repented and made a decision about following Jesus. Based on observations of the lives of many of them, it's hardly the case. The gentle intimidation, mild conviction and public discomfort has a tendency to make you feel "religious", and thus saved.

The preacher will often point out that if you deny Christ before the world, He will deny you, as if your presence in the front of the church is a proclamation to the world. In reality, your willingness to stand up for the faith has to be tested in front of a world outside of the church.

Then, there are the Baptist revivals. They are not all like that, but I remember living in rural Mississippi where the annual hell-fire revival helped to save all of the 6-8 year olds in the congregation.

Yes, I AM a Christian and No, I'm not mocking Christianity. But, there is still a lot of dross in the church and its traditions, and I believe bringing it to light will help the world see what the church is, or should be all about. We need to see what being a Christian is all about. It's not the guilt, the conviction, the fear of hell, or walking down an aisle because God was speaking to your heart (pulling at your heart strings).

Jesus advised us to count the cost, to seriously evaluate the situation and make a thoughtful decision to trust Him. It's much more than believing that he exists and saying so. Jesus said, follow ME.