Jesus > Imperfect People

6.6 million hits on YouTube. Over 60,000 comments under the link, with many more circulating among social websites and pervading conversations. I'm talking about the recent video "Why I Hate Religion, But Love Jesus". If you choose to watch it, I strongly recommend putting on your critical thinking cap, and take captive in your minds every claim that is made. Here is the link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1IAhDGYlpqY&feature=g-logo&context=G2474ba1FOAAAAAAABAA

This post is intended to relay my thoughts and comments on the video. I'll say up front that I dislike it; it was something I couldn't bring myself to finish while watching the first time through. But, as encouraged by friends, I'm going to remain positive, such as making statements like this: I think that 99% of the video's caption, standing by itself, is great stuff. The problem, however, is the spoken word. My challenge: to include Scripture as my bases for objections.

Here is what I find convincing and true about the video (POSITIVES):
(1) Religion itself was never meant to be about self-righteousness or about following a set of rules. Jesus did indeed bust people's chops for doing so.
(2) That's how we, as imperfect people, have perverted something that God set forth as holy. We have let our bone-headed mistakes discourage others from wanting to be a part of the Family. I call these "church owies". It's reality, and it deeply saddens me. And if you are reading this and have become a product of one of these owies, I apologize to you for whatever it was. But I strongly encourage you not to allow what imperfect men have done to taint your image of what God has set forth. We'll talk about that in a minute.
(3) Church is not meant to be a place where people come to have all the mistakes they did Monday through Saturday cleansed so they can repeat the same mistakes again the next week. Nor is it meant to be a museum of the pious and perfect. It is, indeed, a gathering where Christ-followers come to seek edification from brothers and sisters who, in all likelihood, find themselves making the same mistakes you do.
(4) Yes, the family of believers has hypocrites, and it's a shame.

On the other hand, these statements are where I take issue with the spoken message (OBJECTIONS):
Before I start, I want you to do two things: (a) Define for yourself what "religion" is. The way the video uses it, I think, has to do with organized bodies of believers. Personally, I feel that it is critical to make the distinction that "religion" is a set of beliefs and the actions carried out in support or response, while people are a different subject. Religion is inanimate; people do the acting. (b) Secondly, I want you to put on your thinking caps and make decisions for yourselves. 1 Corinthians 14:20 says "in your thinking, be mature."
(1) This guy makes tons of claims about Jesus. Where is His scriptural support? I know it's meant to be a poem, but putting Jesus' life and mission into words is something that is never meant to be taken lightly. Thus, it needs absolute backing from the Bible. I didn't hear a single Biblical support. Again, I'm going to try to avoid being hypocritical whenever I possibly can, so I'll try my best to cite.
(2) Fallacy #1 (even though this is point #2): the claim that "Jesus came to abolish religion". This claim is not only completely irrational, but not scripturally supported. Objection: Matthew 5:17 "Do not think that I have come to abolish the law or the prophets; I have come not to abolish but fulfill." Appealing to logic, why would Jesus come to destroy what His Father set up (note the temples where people gathered in the Old Testament)? Or why, then, did Jesus send apostles out to different cities?
(3) Fallacy #2: Claim: "If religion is so great, why has it started so many wars? Why does it build huge churches, but fail to feed the poor?" Objection based on logic: Again religion is inanimate. It cannot by itself do anything. People start wars, based on imperfect qualities about them. It is people's jobs to feed others; an inanimate object cannot do so. That's about as rational as saying "Guns kill people; people don't kill people." Or "I didn't hit you with my car; my car hit you." Or "you can't get mad at me; I didn't say those words - it was the keyboard that typed them." Of course, the institution itself cannot do, it is up to the individual person to make the decision.
(4) Fallacy #3: Claim: "Jesus and religion are on opposite ends of the spectrum... One is made by God, the other by man." My objection is based on the assumption that "religion" = the gathering of Christians. Sure, we have imperfections, but that doesn't dismiss the command to gather. The Bible doesn't make that exception. As a matter of fact, I don't find many exceptions to what we are instructed to do, if any! And to point out, the gathering was most certainly not created by man.
(a) Matthew 18:20 "Where two or three are gathered in my name, I am there among them." Doesn't sound to me like Jesus came to abolish this. In fact, Jesus blesses the gathering and says that He is with us when we congregate.
(b) 1 Corinthians 14:33 "For God is not a God of confusion, but of peace, as in all the churches of the saints." So I'm being told by an imperfect man that church wasn't ordained by God and is an ugly thing, yet the Bible tells me that God's peace rests with the gathering of His imperfect children? I think I'll go with the Bible.
(c) Hebrews 10:24-25: "Let us consider how to provoke one another to love and good deeds, not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another"
(d) 1 Corinthians 14 entails instructions for when we gather together.
(e) 1 John 1:7 "If we walk in the light as He is in the light, we have fellowship with one another."
Therefore, God doesn't separate himself from things that are holy. From my recollection, the only thing that God separates Himself from is sin. But He loves us unconditionally, imperfections and all.
(5) Claim: "Religion says Do, but Jesus says Done." What's wrong with that? Objection: "Faith without works is dead"...? James 2:17. Plus, the speaker was wanting the "church" to feed people, right? Isn't that a "do"? 
(6) Claim: "Religion puts you in bondage, while Jesus sets you free." Objection: Again, this is a personal choice. You must accept the gift for Jesus to set you free, (even though we are told the Truth sets us free in John 14). But, if we apply that same logic, wouldn't it be our own personal choice if we ALLOW the church to hold us in bondage? It's a simple choice: shuck it and don't let it bind you!
(7) What this guy is doing is exactly the opposite of what he is pointing fingers at. He wants us, as bodies of believers, not to make claims about what is right and wrong, yet he points out the many imperfections of people. In voicing some of my objections, a few friends pointed out that I shouldn't allow my objections get in the way of me seeing the good... yet, here is the speaker's problem. I wouldn't be surprised if he has once been the object of a church owie, but in my opinion, he has effectively allowed it to taint his perspective of something ordained by God! He overlooks what a church does right. Instead, we hear a laundry list of complaints (to keep myself from falling into the same trap, I have listed my positive remarks). Yes, a church, or body of believers, has hypocrites, but you can't allow what a certain person does taint your view of the whole.
(8) In the caption, the speaker says that religion can end in either one of two ways: pride or despair. Now that, to me, totally misses the mark. I know he said he loves churches, but that statement is highly deterrent of others wanting to become a part of a body. When religion is pure, it brings a person closer to God (thus, a third end, if you will). James 1:27 says "Religion that is pure and undefiled before God is this: to take care of orphans and widows in distress, and to keep oneself unstained by the world." It brings us closer to God as mentioned in Proverbs 27:17 - "As iron sharpens iron, so one man sharpens another." See? There's some great stuff that association brings about.

I fear the video is going to discourage association. And that's purely contradictory to what the Bible tells us to do. I feel (personal opinion) that Christ didn't intend for us to go stag. He wired us to want to be associated and be able to fit in, so He gave us the church for that. A church that was intended for building others up and strengthening each other. Again, man misses the mark when that goal is not accomplished. But it is wrong to blame the institution when one man's words or actions hurt another. That's like blaming your entire body for stubbing your toe. Satan is stronger when we don't have other Christians to strengthen us (there is strength in numbers), and his attacks are stronger in those scenarios.

Even if we accept the whole as a compilation of imperfect people, we still must love each of those people and forgive them as Christ loves and forgives us. See Matthew 5:43, 1 John 2:9, and 1 John 4:19-21. We are called to see them as Christ sees us - He loves His children and calls them His own.
Please don't let what one person or a group of men taint your view of what God set up as holy. Peace be with you.

My Thorn in the Flesh

2 Corinthians 12:7-10: "In order to keep me from becoming conceited, I was given a thorn in my flesh, a messenger of Satan, to torment me. Three times I pleaded with the Lord to take it away from me. But He said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for My power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me. That is why, for Christ’s sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong." Amen. And such a powerful passage.


God knows me so well, and this verse speaks to me. This is how I perceive myself. Frankly, my thorn in the flesh is being quick to action. I feel that I respond to adversity by objecting, making my voice heard, and standing fast and firm. I take an active approach, not passive; I am a do-er. My problem is I lack sufficient discernment; I don't take a lot of time to think before doing. 


I don't follow James 1:19-20 as well as I should: "Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to become angry, because human anger does not produce the righteousness that God desires." And personally I feel like anger could perhaps include incitement to action, not just ill feelings.


That's me (Part 1). In being quick to action, I am about as gentle as a fire hydrant. That's one of my side effects. I turn people off from listening to me because I unintentionally become harsh and brash. Apparently, I get "lawyer-y" on others. Ouch.


I want to change. I have been praying to God that He changes that about me. I feel so far that my answer has been no several times, but I am open to considerations: (a) I may not have been ready or open to it, (b) God may choose to say "no", or (c) God is giving me opportunities to develop the change. It has been, and continues to be, a tough process. I'm trying, and I hope I am receptive to what He has in store for me.

Federal Government Spending

In the wake of Obama's budget/fiscal/whatever speech recently, I shared a stimulating conversation with one of my law school buddies. He and I were mainly focusing on how many in America don't know how to live within their means, and how we spend more than we have. In essence, it's poor accounting (moreover, common sense) skills. You just don't "spend" what you don't have in the tank.

In essence, it's what our President is in the business of doing - pledging money in the red. Some might say he "has" the money (referring to taxpayers), but in reality, it isn't in his hands. My friend then took this conversation in the direction of "infrastructure" and how too much is spent on it. Interesting thought. I wasn't sure at the beginning what it meant, but I think Mark Cuban, interestingly enough, has a great perspective on it from a businessman's standpoint. I'll just let him take over:

In the case of China, They spent . The economy grew. Correct, but very misleading, but also very informative. Infrastructure spending is VERY BENEFICIAL when the spending creates new commerce opportunities. So in China, when roads were built where there previously had not been a road, thats a good thing. It enables commerce. We have seen it in the US with Dams, Highways, Bridges and more.

With the possible exception of the enhancement and building of schools, the only infrastructure investment that makes sense is where COMMERCE THAT WAS NOT PREVIOUSLY ABLE IS NOW ENABLED BY NEW INFRASTRUCTURE.

The problem in the USA is that those opportunities are few and far between. We have been there and done that. The BIGGER PROBLEM WITH INFRASTRUCTURE is that in the name of creating jobs we actually inhibit commerce and possibly cost jobs. How ? When we rebuild or expand roads as a way of creating jobs, what happens ? We shut down or reduce the traffic on the roads to be rebuilt. The net effect is that during the construction period we CREATE PROBLEMS rather than solve them. We slow down commutes. Which costs people valuable time (and yes time is still money), wastes gas/oil/energy as we sit in traffic and forces traffic to streets not designed for the additional traffic. Not Good. The same could be said with building /bridge remodels or updates and other projects. We all want to see the potholes in our streets filled, but now is not the time to do it, and federal funding is not the way to pay for it.

The bottom line is that we have to understand the difference between Maintenance and Infrastructure. Infrastructure creates opportunity where there was none. Maintenance gets things back to where they were. You INVEST in infrastructure when you can see a return. You SPEND money on maintenance when you not only have the available funds to do so, but also the ability to withstand the downtime and negative productivity impact that comes with the impact of the maintenance work. Yes there are times when you need maintenance to return to a steady business state (ie your computer is broken or safety is an issue with a bridge), but again those have an obvious return.

We have to know the difference and the right time to spend . Otherwise a well intentioned availability of capital not only won’t generate a positive return, but could have a negative local impact.

Handgun Rights, 2nd Amendment

I'm a Christian, but I also believe in defense. My interpretation of scripture, particularly 1 Timothy 5 and Ephesians 5:25-33, calls me to protect my wife and others. I feel it is my Christian duty to take care of others whenever I can. Because of that, I own guns - some for hunting, some for defense. I know that there exists strong disagreements with my view on this, as I have engaged in pretty vehement debate on this particular topic over the past 6 or 7 years. And that's fine. Nevertheless, when it boils down to it, I'd rather look Jesus in the face and say, "Yes, I did what I could to keep my wife safe," rather than, "No, I stood by and watched when my wife's life was in peril."

This is not to say "I'm ready for a man hunt." I'm not looking for trouble in any way and would prefer to be free of incidents as such. As Concealed Handgun course instructors will reiterate time and time again, this is only in instances of last resort. Never should this be a first response.

Anyway, I found this article and thought it was interesting:

Gun laws in the UK are among the most restrictive in the world.  In March of 1996, a deranged man walked into a school in Dunblane, Scotland and killed 16 children and one teacher. In the aftermath of this tragedy, British politicians sought to reduce violent crime by enacting a ban on all handguns. Handgun owners were given a February 1998 deadline to turn in their firearms--and they did. The UK was supposed to become a much safer place--but dramatic increases in crime following the gun ban proved it didn't.   A July 3, 2009, Daily Mail article reported that "Britain's violent crime record is worse than any other country in the European Union, it has been revealed. Official crime figures show the U.K. also has a worse rate for all types of violence than the U.S. and even South Africa."

And we now see the riots and mayhem taking over Britain today. People are living in fear. That's no way to go.

Again, I understand this to be a touchy subject, and many people hold a different view than mine - fair enough. I can respect that. Sometimes, my own view is a tough pill to swallow and come to terms with. I just have to view it as preparedness and love for others.

Tribute to My Father

Today is Father's Day, and I have been reflecting on my life and relationship with my dad. If you're interested, I invite you to learn about the special bond we share. I just wanted to take a minute and jot down my perceptions of what makes my dad a great man, and how God has blessed me with such a great influence. The following is not a fully inclusive list, as attempting to mention all that defines his manhood and fatherhood is almost impossible. These are qualities that I admire about my hero and my role model:

Joe B. Robinette Jr. is one of the most humble men I know; and I wanted to say this up front because some might not know the details about his character and his role in my life otherwise. He probably would refuse the credit given to him. If there is anyone who exemplifies a life of servitude, it is he. I haven't ever known Dad to be a selfish person; rather, the things he does and the activities he chooses to fill his life's jar with are all revolving around others. At age 59, he is still actively involved as an assistant scoutmaster and committee councilman in Boy Scouts, an elder and shepherd in the church, a Bible class teacher, and a friend to many. These go beyond the many things he volunteered for while I was growing up.

Dad was an active participant (and still is) in my development. He made up bedtime stories to share when I was a child. He read to me at night. He took a few minutes out of his day to go play catch in the back yard. He even volunteered as a coach just to spend that much more time with me. He took me hunting and taught me outdoorsmanship. He, sometimes forcibly, took me out to the ranch and taught me how to work and developed my work ethic. Although it was difficult to see and understand earlier on, he spent as much time as he could with me. Spending time together was, and continues to be, a great way to show me how much he loves and cares for me.

Dad was a great teacher and disciplinarian, and he was a master at striking the proper balance. Yeah, he spanked me when I was in need of it, and look, I'm not emotionally scarred or crippled for life. Instead, he cared about me and felt the calling to teach me what is right and what is biblical. Every time prior to my spanking, we read the Bible together. And every time immediately after my reprimand, I was hugged and held. He explained to me that it was necessary because he loved me and it was his responsibility to show that and to show me the way. These two verses he took to heart: "He who spares the rod hates his son, but he who loves him is careful to discipline him." Proverbs 13:24. "Train up a child in the way he should go, and when he is old, he will not turn from it." Proverbs 22:6. I admire him so much for that.

My dad is a patient man. He might disagree somewhat with that assessment, but from my eyes, I stand firm with attaching that quality to his character. I did some stupid stuff as a kid. I made him mad sometimes. We butted heads a few times and didn't always see eye to eye. When I could see that it would be easy to blow up at me, he hugged me instead. Again, I could tell that he focused a large part of his life on me. He was patient to teach me things, about something as small as cleaning a gun, or about larger matters such as being a boyfriend/husband/man that God would have me be. It was a sign of his unconditional love.

Finally (at least the last point that I will mention), what makes my father an incredible man is his zeal in sharing the Gospel with me and bringing me up in the faith. Anyone can read a Bible, but Dad was always intentional in taking the next step (and I need to add that Mom was stride-for-stride in this endeavor). We read the Bible at the dinner table (and when I got my butt busted) like clockwork, we prayed together often, he and Mom took me to church three times per week. But stopping there wasn't an option for him. He made sure that he was the best he could be. He knew that my young eyes were watching his every move, and he was careful to live his life as he wanted me to live mine. THAT is what I define as father.

I pray for Dad. I thank God that He sent me the only guy on the earth that fit that role in my life. My dad is my hero, my best friend, my hunting partner, my teacher, my mentor, my confidant, my Dad, and so many other important figures to me. It takes a true man to take on the responsibilities of a father, and he has done so with flying colors. It would be an honor to be the father that he has been to me. I also pray that God makes me a father like he is, and that should God bless me with children, that they could have the privilege of growing under such a man of honor, wisdom, and integrity as he. I know that my words have not completely done justice to my dad's outstanding character, and I apologize for that.

Thanks for reading and sharing the reasons of why I love my father. Happy Father's Day, Dad. I love you.

Why Bad Things Happen to Good People

Undoubtedly, life brings numerous challenges and trials. Take, for example, the Japan tsunami or Hurricane Katrina. Because of this, it is easy to ask “Why did God allow this to happen, especially in light of Romans 8:28: ‘And we know that God causes everything to work together for the good of those who love God and are called according to His purpose for them’?” It is a question that I often wrestle with. The way that I can sit somewhat comfortably with these situations is declining to focus on the event itself, rather, I focus on the aftermath. I do not subscribe to the idea that God caused the tragedy or put it into effect to wipe people out, rather I see “opportunity”.

In an online forum, I once read a claim that “God and Jesus are the biggest no-shows in history” in light of Katrina. The premise was founded on the belief previously mentioned – that God failed to protect the patrons of New Orleans. I took issue with this statement; this individual did not open his eyes and did not hang around long enough to see the mass influx of Christians who gifted hours, days, and weeks out of their lives to help total strangers get back on their feet. There were few reasons beyond 1 John 4:19 (“We love because He first loved us”) for these Good Samaritans to respond as they did.

There are, of course, other mishaps that people encounter, such as the loss of loved ones, financial instability, miscarriages, and the list continues. I have vast amounts of respect for one of my best friends, who, despite a recent unfortunate circumstance, continues to trust and submits to the idea that God uses such occurrences in ways that we cannot understand in the present. Amen to that, my brother! Indeed, I say that God uses these lowly circumstances so that His glory will be revealed. To elaborate, perhaps God is using an individual's state of financial instability so that the individual, who is no longer dependent on money to carry and sustain his life, may fill those holes in with faith, trust, and love in God and relationships with Christians like those who rushed in after Katrina. (This is the reason I am pursuing a career in bankruptcy law.)

With this, I leave you with scripture.

James 1 (NLT): (2) Dear brothers and sisters, when troubles come your way, consider it an opportunity for great joy. (3) For you know that when your faith is tested, your endurance has a chance to grow. (4) So let it grow, for when your endurance is fully developed, you will be perfect and complete, needing nothing… (12) God blesses those who patiently endure testing and temptation. Afterward they will receive the crown of life that God has promised to those who love Him. (13) And remember, when you are being tempted, do not say, “God is tempting me.” God is never tempted to do wrong, and He never tempts anyone else… (16) So don’t be misled, my dear brothers and sisters.

1 Peter 1: (6) There is wonderful joy ahead, even though you have to endure many trials for a little while. (7) These trials will show that your faith is genuine. It is being tested as fire tests and purifies gold—though your faith is far more precious than mere gold. So when your faith remains strong through many trials, it will bring you much praise and glory and honor on the day when Jesus Christ is revealed to the whole world. (8) You love Him even though you have never seen Him. Though you do not see Him now, you trust Him; and you rejoice with a glorious, inexpressible joy. (9) The reward for trusting Him will be the salvation of your souls.

Perceptions of Christ

I have been in a state of mental unrest for the past few days. I have been sort of disturbed; I am unsure exactly as to why, but I will try to explain. This ailment has come due to several different opinions that expressed what people thought Christ was like. Some were visual -- Jesus had short/long hair, dark/light skin, beard, etc. Others made claims to his political stances -- Jesus was a socialist, Jesus gave free healthcare, Jesus was anti-war, etc.

I will be the first in line to admit that I don't know every corner of the Bible by memory. I can search and find answers with relative ease, but when it comes to actually knowing the Bible (as we "know" our parents), there is certainly room for improvement. That being said, I am just not connecting the dots from the Bible to these claims being made. I am unable to find textual reference to the physical or political characteristics of the Savior.

As an advocate of capitalism, it doesn't rest easy that someone is telling me things such as "Jesus looked at competitors with disdain, and took away to give to those less fortunate for equality's sake." I agree that Jesus had/has sympathy for the poor and calls us to readily give without limits. But to say (for an absurd example) that Jesus is a Tea Partier?... I'm not buying it. It is too much of a stretch to make such assumptions based on tendencies in His treatment of others.

My position is as follows, based on my understanding (or lack thereof): (a) Christ refrained from being caught up in such worldly things like politics, and (b) perhaps the Bible chose to omit a physical description because such things cause us to divert our focus away from the important aspects of Christ. His two commands to us are (1) Love God with everything you have, and (2) love everyone as you love yourself. Luke 10:27.

What I have noticed is that we have a tendency to mold Christ into what we think He is, in a manner favorable to our own contentions. Christ, in our minds, should not be perceived in a certain way because that is what happens to comport with our lifestyle. Now to keep myself in check, I have to consider the possibility that I may not be right, and that Jesus may not have been the things that make me comfortable. But it's not about conforming His life to ours -- it is about modeling our lives after His.