Christianese

In my last post I introduced my theory that all relgions are languages communicating parts of the same thing. Today I want to share my thoughts about the language used in Christianity.

There are many dialects of Christianese, the language spoken by Chrsitians. Some are shared by several denominations, and while some words and phrases are used more in one. There are many words used commonly in songs and sermons that don't mean much, or mean something slightly different to non-Christians, such as righteousness, mercy, majesty, and salvation. Then there is also a lot of ancient imagery used to communicate ideas, that we are still using today, when they are no longer culturally relevant. Shepherds and sheep, new wine in old wine skins, cups overflowing with oil or wine, and cities on hills are all examples of everyday images used in Biblical times to illustrate a spiritual concept. They are good metaphors, but they mean less today because they are not everyday images anymore. Even Lord as a name for God means less to us today because we do not have feudal lords of any kind, and the hierarchy suggested by the term is foreign to us. The idea of God being our king isn't as relevant in our democratic society, because we have no ultimate authority figure like that.

Some of the phrases used by Christians are not directly lifted from the Bible. People will say that something or someone "is really on my heart right now." When someone goes on a trip, they will pray for "travelling mercies" for that person. Some people will talk about being "on fire for God," and when something negative happens in their lives, they might say that they're experiencing "an attack."

I was brought up in a Protestant church, and I have spent time studying my Bible and the teachings of two denominations now. I am also good with words, so I understand the meaning behind most of the words and the phrases and metaphors and similes used in churches today. I understand what is being said, but I don't always want to say it. Sometimes when sitting in church or in conversation with Christians, the words I hear sound hollow to me, as though they are being said out of habit, and aren't really carrying all that much meaning anymore. I wonder if people think about what they are saying, or if the words just rise to the tongue easily without necessarily thinking about it. When I used to attend church regularily, I would sometimes stop singing because I felt that I didn't want to focus on the aspect that we were singing about, or that it wasn't exactly true for me in that moment. I noticed that sometimes the words didn't really mean anything. "Our God is a great God," is one example of this. Great is a relative term. Christians believe that God is the only God, and I believe that all the other gods that other religions worship are one and the same with my God, so who am I comparing God to, to determine that he's great?

I spent some time separating myself from Christianese. I stopped listening to the Vineyard music that I have so much of, because I felt like it was often written according to formula, the way a person can make a paint by numbers painting. Sometimes the same formulaic words and phrases from songs and psalms come to me and bring me comfort. Other times I feel like they aren't theologically on target with whatever situation I'm in. I found myself experiencing a lot of inner conflict at the Vineyard church I was going to, especially when listening to sermons. Finally I stopped going. When I didn't find new people to talk about spirituality, I distanced myself from dialogue about God whatsoever. God as I conceive him/her/it is very important to me. Now I want to return to conversation about God, but with a difference. With the distance that I established, I hope to be able to be more careful and discerning with the words that I participate in. I don't want to say things out of habit that I don't necessarily mean.

There are times when I am grateful to have the words of religion. When I am talking to non-Christians about something, I try to speak in terms that they are used to hearing. Sometimes though, I'll be trying to explain an idea, and I'll say, "I'm sorry, but I only know how to explain this in Christianese." When that happens, they are usually a little distanced from what I am saying because the words carry ideas that are foreign to them. It is nice when speaking to Christians, to slip into Christianese when talking about my life. It is easier for them to relate to what I'm talking about if I use religous words and phrases. Having been brought up in the church, but with many non-believing friends and influences, I feel bilingual in a way.