My translation of the Bible is better than your translation.
Hymns are better than choruses.
The Contemporary service is better than the Traditional one.
My version of baptism is better than yours……
Source: Stephen Mattson: Stop Comparing my Christianity to Your Christianity! – Red Letter Christians.
Another brilliant post by Stephen Mattson over at Red Letter Christians and it came just at the right time for me. I encourage you to read the full post by clicking on the source link just above. Better yet join the Red Letter Christian’s family on Facebook to see all their posts.
The words that struck me the deepest from the post are:
The temptation is to judge others and self-righteously pat ourselves on the back for being “good Christians.” Or we can become hopelessly depressed. Guilt, shame, pride, and legalism can quickly creep into our spiritual lives when we start comparing, and we often start constructing false ideals that are impossible to achieve. We need to recognize that everyone—including ourselves—is God’s creation, holy and sacred, made in His image.
I have not been posting here much lately due to these very thoughts. It seems I am constantly comparing my version of Christianity with others. It has become very frustrating to be in this mode. I simply can’t understand why other Christians don’t understand the simple messages of Christ as I do. My recent posts seem to be screaming “HERETIC” without actually using those words! I am becoming self-righteous and depressed at the same time. It is time to just step back and celebrate that we are all God’s creation and made in his image.
Recently, and maybe not so recently, I have spent most of my efforts here trying to get others to see Christ as I do. When I encounter other Christians who run counter to my version of Christianity I have become very frustrated and often even depressed and I think that has been showing up on my posts. This eye-opening post from Mr. Mattson ends with the words below. I will try going forward to live by the last paragraph in both my life and this blog. I will just accept the fact that God loves us all.
The world watches as churches split, pastors indict, and Christians accuse each other of being heretics, false prophets, and liars. We positively reinforce the communities we align ourselves with while simultaneously tear down those who disagree with us. Christians have a tendency to self-destruct because we love attacking ourselves. Instead of the fruits of the Spirit, we can easily exhibit the fruits of our secular society: revenge, bigotry, manipulation, disdain, disgust, power, control, profit, and alienation.
It’s easy to lose sight of Christ’s message, one that was simply about service, sacrifice, and love. Let’s not let our hidden agendas—ones that are often based on comparative measures—separate us from the love of God.
I currently don’t know the form or substance but this message will be the focus of future posts here. I will try to find and celebrate those instances of service, sacrifice, and love; I will focus on the love of God and not so much on the differences.
RedLetterLiving 
I find it interesting that what you describe is what I have been going through in my own life including the depression. And reading your blog helped me feel connected as I hadn’t in a long time. It is so difficult for me to be silent about how the simple, “good news” message of Christ has been twisted and fouled and used as a weapon to condemn and injury others, and the blatant hypocrisy now so important to being a “good Christian” and the demonization of anyone and everyone not of your belief that has become the mantra of the “Church”. I also object highly to how even God has negatively characterized by the “Church” as vindictive, mean, petty and without the ability to love unconditionally. I have been “unfriended” by many “Christian” family members due to my “radical” religious beliefs, though I never point a finger at anyone with my comments I guess those have felt “the shoe fit”. I haven’t found the answer in my life but your blog has helped me understand that I am not alone in these struggles. God Bless my friend!
Hi Carrie. No you are not alone in your beliefs. There are probably millions of us around but we stay mostly in the shadows. I will not suddenly lose the feeling that you describe but instead will from henceforth concentrate on what I believe is the nature of Christ (and therefore God). I will try not to criticize others who believe differently but I am sure, as you indicate, that there will be attackers just the same.
I hope you stick around and let me know how I am doing in this regard. Maybe we can help each other to make at least our version of Christianity a little more pleasant. Concentrating on what I believe as opposed to what other believe will free me up to more openly say some things that I have previously held back.
I think I will enjoy this slightly new direction of Red Letter Living and I hope you will too.
I will absolutely be sticking around and will certainly be giving some feedback as well from now on. Previously I had been only taking from your site but plan on chiming in more on the conversations and being a more active member of the “congregation”. 🙂 There is no doubt that our version is much more pleasant, it is the direct result of the beliefs themselves, as no one is left out, marginalized or demonized. I am quite excited to hear what you have been holding back…