Theme Text– ‘I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners.’ Mark 2:17.
1) What is the one thing that’s common across almost all present-day ‘Christian’ denominations?
Most young people are disenchanted with today’s Christian churches as they see a widely prevalent ‘holier than thou’ attitude and a judgmental mentality among churchgoers. Most of these groups think the world is sinfully partying hard while they live a holy, pure and ascetic life. So they consider themselves superior to the world, and either condemn people to hell or try to control the personal lives of others. They think they’re ‘Christians’ and hence they’re morally superior. But the problem is– moral superiority can be claimed by any good person (Most atheists are humanists!).
2) Does original Christianity support such a judgmental mentality?
Not really. Only the Pharisees displayed such an attitude. They even called Jesus a drunkard and a glutton because he often dined with sinners (Matt 9:11, 11:19). Jesus on the other hand sarcastically told them, ‘I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners (Mark 2:17).
Yes, everyone born of Adam is a sinner. We are not morally superior over anyone else. Jesus made it clear that he’s not interested in those who called themselves righteous, but rather he came to talk to the humble who acknowledged mankind’s fallen state.
