“I like your Christ, I do not like your Christians. Your Christians are so unlike your Christ”. ~ Mahatma Gandhi
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The Intuitive Life Coach 
I posted this on my Facebook page and have been getting a lot of affirmations about the truth in it. This is very sad. One person could see the truth in it and was embarrased by it. Another went off on a rant because she was so hurt by people from her church. What do you think?
Wow, so true, and yet not all true. For if one truly like Jesus Chist one have to know him, and to like him and to know him one will love him and if one like Jesus Christ and know Jesus Christ and love Jesus Christ Well, One would follow Jesus Christ.
We need to find the root of this problem. I think those who are creating this issue do not know or no longer know Him. Perhaps it stems from ego?
Didn’t Christ say the same types of things? (only much more perfect and holy than Ghandi) Didn’t Paul echo what Christ said in his writings. Our love for Christ should lead to our obediance to Christ which should lead to our devotion to Christ which should take us to our purpose with Christ. Love-Obediance-Devotion-Purpose. Live like Jesus lived and love like Jesus loved. Seems so simple.
It makes me wonder when and why it became so complicated to so many. I suspect it happened somehere in the 13th century during the crusades. The church leaders of the time wanted to conquer, control and condition the people. If they did not comply to the accepted doctrine it would mean death.
My feeling is that the taxing authorities had a large part to play in this imaginary hierachy. Perhaps this tax is related directly to the expected 10% tithing practiced by the corporate church today.
There’s a well-researched radio show I heard about Paul. http://www.blogtalkradio.com/therealrevolution/va/2008/05/05/saint-paul-a-wolf-in-sheeps-clothing-part-i
I’m not following you. Is it called Paul? Is it about Apostle Paul? Maybe your talking about someone named Paul?
i did a post the other day (and facebooked the quote) that had the quote SOMETIMES WE ARE THE ONLY JESUS PEOPLE WILL SEE…. and that is so true. i want to be a good ambassador for Jesus – a true light in the darkness – a good “representation” of my awesome Saviour – a good demonstration of his love and grace.
i know we’re only human and fall down sometimes but i pray that us – the church – the body of Christ here on earth – would really act like Jesus did, that we would see what he did and act like he did and be like Jesus to the lost around us… that they might see our good works and praise our Father in Heaven, as Jesus said.
It’s so interesting to talk to people about being a Christian because all you ever hear about is what a bunch of hypocrites we all are. I think Christians are at a slight disadvantage because the whole point of Christianity is that we are so so so fallen and sinful. That is why we need to be saved. Our faith in Christ does not make us perfect by any means. We sin just like everyone else. But as our faith in Christ increases, His work in us increases and He perfects us more and more until the day when we will go to be with Him. It’s sad that most people lump all Christians together- sinful Christians who know they need repentance and hypocritical Christians who refuse to see their sin or the need to be cleansed of it.
That is exactly the point. We need to distinguish ourselves from the stereotypes. People these days know Christians more for what We stand against than what We stand for. I fear that much of it is by fault of the leadership. They often turn pharisaical on us and fall into self preservation mode. This is what clogs things up. They worry about money and fear being passed over by others in this earhly ascension. Wory and fear are sin! It is a misunderstanding of our connection to God. Where is the example Christ was and is?
Christ taught us humility. We are all equal. Although we have different responsibilities we are all the same under God. We are meant to be one nation under God. It is the “Human Nation.” All the imaginary religious hierarchies and the hoops that go along with them are false/idol Gods. We must never seek the admiration of man over God. Christianity is growing and expanding. We can’t put new wine in old wine skins!
“For from Him and to Him and through Him are all things.”
India is not the only nation to worship many gods. Loving what God is not is a favorite past time for most of us; worshiping God as He is–there is the problem, the deep-seated problem. Its no different for me.
Granted, the real God does enough attractive things that even someone like Gandhi can admire Him, but what about the unpleasant parts of “all things”?–“For from Him and to Him and through Him are all things.”
For example (if the reader will indulge me, including tongue-in-cheek posture, for the sake of argument), the real God has the audacity to declare Himself final arbiter in all matters just and unjust. Perhaps worse, He has the temerity to grant Himself the right to decide who receives mercy and who does not. He hardens the hearts of many while requiring them simultaneously to have soft hearts towards Himself.
Returning to England and India, the East India Company had long disapproved of British Christian missionary activity in their “territories.” Bad for the bottom line.
Under Victoria, British colonists were besieged by a sea of Indian humanity; Christian missionary activity within this sea was so unwelcome that most of the few British occupants, missionary and non-, were physically endangered; Queen Victoria thus forbid propagating the notion of Christian metaphysical exclusivism (no “I am the Way, Truth …”).
Of course, the British system Gandhi knew came from that empire on which the sun never set, along with the hubris that accompanies great empires. Gandhi himself was singularly instrumental in showing the British just how arrogant they had become. And the British church, at least in name, was part and parcel of much of the formalities (rather less in substance) of dominion.
And so, albeit without divine commentary, we may speculate that God hardened Gandhi’s heart through a Christ who sometimes may have appeared to wave a Union Jack.
At the end of the day nonetheless, it was not a British Jesus that Gandhi rejected, nor British Christianity, but incarnate Truth itself. Will we prove any better? If either “no” or “yes,” it is from God and to God and through God.
And yes, we do have a duty to worship Jesus as Lord, God as He is.
While there is definitely a lesson (and a warning) for the modern church in this statement, let’s not overlook the fact the beloved Gandhi was perpetuating a stereotype with this comment. The eastern religions often cling to a Christ of their own making (the philosopher he never claimed to be) and overlook critical qualities (holiness, and the fact that he was God!). So they can make Jesus whoever they want him to be, then fault Christians at large for not living up to the false Christ of their own creation.
That said, our human tendency for legalism, intolerance and in-fighting certainly constitutes an image problem. We need to stand against sin and evil, even when it makes us unpopular (as did our Messiah) but we also need to exhibit love for all mankind (as did our Messiah). Of course, love doesn’t mean acceptance of everyone’s aberrant behavior, either.
So where do we go frome here? Right NOW this instant is the only place that is real. Reality Is that one monent just before thought.
Some of the comments here are pathetic. Quit making excuses for being hypocrites and using God and Christ as your primary excuse.
I’m not really getting this. If you could be more specific about what you are refering to it would be great.
jesus went against the institutions of his time
perhaps if you want to be christlike
don’t think about the name Christian and its many attachments
Love is not an institution, with time, the Church will always take advantage of the people who place their faith in it and not in the sublime teachings of the universe
Good point, but let stay away from “the Church will always” We are only limited by what we think is not possible.
It’s not that complicated folks.
All Gandhi was saying is how “Christians” behave is often inconsistent with what the New Testament teaches us.
Luke 6:31. No other comment is needed.
Luke 6:31 (New International Version)
Do to others as you would have them do to you.
Many Christians get so caught up with what it means to be Christian that they become the opposite of a Christian.
The issue is that people say one thing and do the complete opposite of what they’ve professed. Look at the Presidents, Governors and Congressmen who say or profess fidelity and thereafter engage in very very inappropriate actions….Clinton, Woods etc. This hypocrisy transcends religions, race and learning.
Very good point, many lose track of exactly who Christ was while He walked in the physical realm and who He is today. The secret is to truly understand His personality. The church today is not really what Christ intended His Church to be. It all starts with the pulpit. It is this that creates and imaginary hierarchy in the church. Remember, Jesus taught more than he preached. He put himself on an equal level with all God’s children and sought no worship from the masses. Many Christians today are clinging to doctrine and not to Christ. In this they have taken on the characteristics of the corporation and have wandered off from the Heart of Christ. We are our souls and our spirits created in the image of God.
It is really not about keeping the Christ in Christmas as much as it is about keeping the Christ in Christians.
I have found no authoritative source for Ghandi saying this. The actual quote is attributed to Bara Dada, “Jesus is ideal and wonderful, but you Christians — you are not like him.” Source – Jones, E. Stanley. The Christ of the Indian Road, New York: The Abingdon Press,1925. (Page 114) If you want a good overview of how another culture (Hindu/Indian) views Christianity and missionaries, it is an interesting read.