There's a very interesting little series on YouTube. Here's the first one (and the others are on the left bar)

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Interesting food for thought - I do think it makes some valid points, but I also question whether this is the best thing for non-Christians to be seeing (just more in-fighting in the church!) And I can't help but think of Steve Taylor's song "I Want to be a Clone."

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by Steve Taylor

I'd gone through so much other stuff
that walking down the aisle was tough
but now I know it's not enough
I want to be a clone

I asked the Lord into my heart
they said that was the way to start
but now you've got to play the part
I want to be a clone

chorus:
Be a clone and kiss conviction goodnight
cloneliness is next to Godliness, right?
I'm grateful that they show the way
'cause I could never know the way
to serve him on my own
I want to be a clone

They told me that I'd fall away
unless I followed what they say
who needs the Bible anyway?
I want to be a clone

Their language it was new to me
but Christianese got through to me
now I can speak it fluently
I want to be a clone

(chorus)

Send in the clones
Ah, I kind of wanted to tell my friends and people about it, you know
What?
You're still a babe
you have to grow
give it twenty years or so
'cause if you want to be one of his
got to act like one of us

(chorus)

So now I see the whole design
my church is an assembly line
the parts are there
I'm feeling fine
I want to be a clone

I've learned enough to stay afloat
but not so much I rock the boat
I'm glad they shoved it down my throat
I want to be a clone

Everybody must get cloned

Thank you for posting this thought-provoking and interesting series.

I was actually a little offended by the series because I don't think the "director" of these videos put enough thought into it. I agree that the videos make a valid point, but it was a bad idea to call the one man a Christian and the other man a Christ-follower, making a differentiation between the two. The name Christian does mean a follower of Christ. In addition, it also means a person belonging to, one who is the property of, or a slave of Christ. Therefore, one who is a follower of Christ, who belongs to, who is the property of, and a slave of Christ eventually grows more and more like Christ inwardly, which would eventually drive how he acts outwardly. As a result of God's grace in giving us His Holy Spirit, we do desire to read more about Him and we are excited to share Christ with others, even if some choose to use a bumper sticker (parody 1) and we desire encouragement and "purity" in the things we watch and hear (parody 3). Then, is it wrong to want to dress your best for your creator, savior, and king (parody 2)? Nothing is wrong with those things.

What this director is mocking are not "Christians", but those who are in bondage to works. If anything, the one man should be called "Works" and the other man should be called "Grace". The man, "Works", displays his enslavement into believing that it is his own good works that will please God. In addition, perhaps the man, "Works", is also enslaved to the idea of pleasing man over God. The man, "Grace", attempts to display the freedom he's received from the work Christ did on the cross for him, grace. The true message that this series is trying to address is the matter of the heart and how some Christians are still enslaved to good works over understanding the work of God's grace. This is the message I think the director should have put more thought into accurately getting accross.

What is offensive is the fact that the one brother is mocking another brother. They are apparently "brothers" as it seems they both confess to be followers of Christ. Rather than mocking a brother who is in bondage to "Works Theology", the man, "Grace", should be helping his brother overcome that bondage by continually encouraging his brother about Christ's work on the cross and by continually opening God's Word so that "Works" will truly understand that he is saved by grace and also sanctified by it too.

What kind of message is this passing on to believers and non-believers? The man "Grace" is still displaying a sort of arrogance and pride and even giving justification to mock another brother.

We are called to love one another and consider others above ourselves, to encourage, and to edify.

Thanks for posting the words to that song (ouch! it totally reminds me of the church I was raised in...) and your response. I stumbled onto it through a fellow Christian's blog - she posted it because she thought it was hilarious. I must admit that I smiled, but I was more bothered than amused. I think you've taken my thoughts on these clips and stated them quite eloquently. Yes, I am a Christian. That's a word found in the scriptures, and I don't think it's lost its meaning. But I never want to forget that it is Christ I am following, not the teachings of a pastor or popular author. And not just going through the motions at church. Being a Christian isn't comfortable, and I do think that many in the American church in particular have lost sight of the Biblical concept of being a disciple. And now another song:

LOVE LIKE CRAZY
Chris Rice

I heard a rumor that love will make you crazy
Well is it true?
Well that’s no rumor, look at the crazy things that love made Jesus do
The friends he chose were thought to be outrageous
And you could even find him touching the contagious
And the craziest is how he chose to save us
He gave his life away
Then he had to go and say
“Gotta love the same way that I love you!”

Love like crazy
We gotta love like crazy
We gotta love like crazy
The way he loves you and me
‘Cause if the world’s ever gonna change
We gotta love like crazy

What the world needs now is for love to spread
As fast as the rumors do
But to make it, we gotta take this thing from another whole point of view
We can start by keeping our vows, and not brreakin’ promises
And bring hope to the women at the well, and the doubting Thomases
And you kids, you gotta cheerfully do what your pops and your mama sez
He gave his life away
Then he had to go and say
“Gotta love the same way that I love you!”

Love like crazy
We gotta love like crazy
We gotta love like crazy
The way he loves you and me
‘Cause if the world’s ever gonna change
We gotta love like crazy

Well I’m tellin’ you boy, you got a lot to learn
I think you’re crazy all right to love for nothin’ in return
You’ve lost your marbles, got a few loose screws
And if you count your cards I’ll bet you got less than fifty-two
But now you got me thinkin’, you sorta planted a seed
‘Cause you know this might be just the kind of love that I need
Naw, your train’s off the track, you’re from the loony bin
You know that brain that you ordered? Well it never came in
Or else you’ve fallen on your head and all your brains leaked out
‘Cause your lights are on, but ain’t nobody in your house
Your elevator doesn’t quite reach the top floor
I think you’re out in left field, and I could say a lot more
But you don’t care what I think, it doesn’t matter what I’m tellin’ you
You got the love of Jesus, and he’s the one compellin’ you to love
Like he does
You gotta love like he does
You gotta love like he does
‘Cause if the world’s ever gonna change
We gotta love like crazy