The Benefit Without Sacrifice Mentality

We are living in an age of entitlement. It is so pervasive that it permeates our society on a level so profound, it unravels the threads of our political and religious foundations.

This is especially true for so many so called Christians.

I say so called because in order to identify yourself with Christ, you have to adopt his mentality and his methodology. Jesus never would have adopted practices such as The Westboro cult that calls itself a church. If Jesus were to campaign, it wouldn't be for the likes of some of these conservative politicians who have made it their job to obstruct things like health care for the poor, charity for the under privileged or amnesty for the "illegal alien".

In fact, Jesus was so socialist that people like Glenn Beck are just a few missed doses away from telling you to boycott your church until he's removed.

But see the problem is a lot of religious folks have decided that they are entitled to stand in judgment of everyone else because of someone else's sacrifice. Christianity has become fire insurance for the soul. There's no transformation to think, act and do as Jesus did; just justification for very carnally minded hatred and bigotry.

Of course Christianity isn't the only religion that does this. Man created religion so it is inherently flawed. That's the reason wars are started in its name, rather than the peace many religions aspire to achieve.

Man is flawed, therefore what he creates is flawed. That's just the way it is.

But we tack on a deity in hopes that we are justified for our misdeeds rather than held accountable for them.

Many folks believe Christianity is nothing more than saying, "I'm sorry". They believe once God forgives them, the slate is wiped clean by the blood of another person.

That may be where it starts... but that's not the extent of true Christianity. You don't get to say what you want, do what you want and then just shrug away a sorry and it be okay.

In order to truly call yourself Christ-like, there is sacrifice. Sacrifice of pride, of self, of baser human emotion. It may be easier to hate someone who is different from you and love only those who share your viewpoint, but that's not Christian. In fact, Jesus even said that the most reviled people can do that. What takes courage, what takes sacrifice, is to reach out and love the unlovable. To give more than what is asked, even when it is taken dishonestly.

But entitlement demands that we deserve to feel what we feel even when we know it is in stark contrast to that which we claim to believe. We are entitled to our anger, to our hatred, to our pride. And since someone made the ultimate sacrifice, we can have all that and get the good stuff too.

This also applies to being an American and all those pious flag wavers who never fought in any war, who only get out and vote when they've been duped into doing so based on all their entitlement trigger points. They're the ones who don't make enough to pay taxes (and get yearly refunds of every dime they paid and then some), yet want to bitch and moan about someone else living for free off of their hard earned money.

Nothing gets someone more entitled to their rage than someone else's entitlement.

We want the right to live in the "best country in the world", yet we don't trust the government and fight against spending even one cent toward making things any better. It's just easier to lament from our comfortable armchairs how bad and scary things are rather than to give anything of ourselves to make sure someone else's existence is any better.

As if where we're born or what we believe is justification enough to wallow in this entitlement.

No one is willing to sacrifice anything more than some hot air to pontificate on how much they deserve or are entitled to. When it comes to paying a few more taxes, God forbid. When it comes to extending Christ like mercy, love and acceptance to someone who is different, we simply turn the Bible page and find scriptures that support our very justified entitlement.

(That means they're telling someone ELSE to change.)

What a self absorbed, selfish bunch of entitled brats we've all become.

You want the benefit of being American... roll up your sleeves and do more than complain about the way things are. Sacrifice to make it so. Give a dollar more, spend a moment more, learn just a smidgen more to become an asset to the country rather than just a leech.

You want the title of Christian - become Christ like. Crucify that selfish nature that says you deserve anything more than what you've already been given. Stop breeding the hate in your heart and calling it holy. Let all biases and bigoted, small minded thinking die on its own cross. Stop using the sacrifice of another as a stepping stone to do all the things he steadfastly spoke against.

Find out the needs of someone else, someone different, a total stranger even, and meet their needs. Even if it's a kind word of encouragement that builds someone up rather than tears them down. Try to look at the world from someone else's point of view and empathize that could have been you, and how you would like to be treated... and treat them that way.

For one day, live this Chinese proverb:

"It is better to light one candle than curse the darkness."

Let the only thing we're ever entitled to is to leave this earth and all the lives we touch a little better than how we found it.