by Danielle Somers

Created on: April 09, 2009

We have all heard the term "Jesus freak" thrown around, but is there any truth behind it? If you ask me, the answer is no. I have been raised in the Baptist church, and have my own very strong beliefs, much like many people out there. Likewise however, I have encountered my share of people that really take it too far, and (in my opinion) push the limits of what being a Christian actually is.

Spoken separately, let us define the two words first.

Extreme used as an adjective would mean of the high or highest degree of intensity, exceptionally severe or unusual, and farthest or outermost. When used to describe an opinion it means beyond the limits regarded as acceptable; fanatical. For the purposes of this article, I believe we should focus on that meaning.

Now let us define Christianity, which is the Christian religion, founded on the life and teachings of Jesus.

Putting the two together then would give us a fanatical religion founded on the life teachings of Jesus that goes beyond the limits regarded as acceptable.

I believe in never telling someone that what they believe is wrong, and also I believe that it is not my job to judge other people for their actions or beliefs. That being said, I really don't think that Christians are meant to be activists of faith. Where in the Bible does it say that we are to persecute our brothers and sisters for their short comings, or their sins for that matter? Instead, the Bible tells us to love our brothers and sisters, and also to treat others the way we wish to be treated ourselves. If Christianity is a religion based on the teachings of Jesus, when did it become acceptable to kill our fellow man?

The Bible in fact is a running history of interpretations. The Bible has been translated so many different times, that it is nearly impossible to trace back to exact translations. Perhaps this is where things become a bit vague. Perhaps it is for this reason that persons claiming to be Christians justify hate crimes against people who don't think like them.

Extreme Christianity. Could be just that, taking the teachings of Jesus too literally. Perhaps not understanding the loss of direct translation. Maybe an excuse to not need to repent for the sins we commit against our fellow man.

At church, we hear prayer for our towns, for our country, for the world. We pray for a revival. We pray that more will come to know Christ so that all the evil in the world will be won over by Christianity. How can we pray for this, if we become part of the problem?

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