Critique of Jefferson Bethke’s Jesus > Religion book.
Jefferson Bethke has a brilliant way of playing with words. This is not a surprise to many because he was extensively discovered through his why I hate religion. But love Jesus video that went viral in the year 2012. His words connect well with the culture of many people and the millennial generation. Based on research by Ferguson (55), Reading Bethke’s Jesus > Religion book allows room for breathing fresh air and makes one seldom put down the kindle as long as he’s on the book. However, there are various themes depicted from this book that talks at length about the ethical issues facing our current world
The first theme is divorce. While Bethke was growing up, his parents divorced making him lack total parental love and care. At 22 when he wrote this book, he explained at length and in detail the importance and value of marriage. In current society, divorce is the most common and problematic issue plaguing many marriages. Bethke asserts that through believing in Jesus, he is the ultimate healer, restorer, and redeemer of every broken and unbroken marriage. Even though marriage looks like a prison than the paradise promised during courtship, Bethke avows that marriage was ordained by God to fulfill us, make all of us happy and not to have a lonely feeling, but the truth is marriage is there to fulfill God’s priority of making us holy.
A situation such as that of Bethke’s parents’ divorce is the best example of the importance of marriage. When his parents divorced, he found it challenging to make tough decisions in life, encountered loneliness and inadequate love and care. He deeply understands the pain of divorce. Bethke came to understand that divorce in marriage is a vice that comes after both parties fail to commit themselves in marriage. He adds that it is a waste of time pronouncing vows of until death do us part when it only means until feelings go away. It is quite nonsensical as parents who, after their son makes a mistake, say they no longer love him anymore.
Christians have an obligation of responding to the theme of divorce in various ways. For instance, divorce can be avoided by seeking strength from above. This is because it does not love than sustains the promise but the promise that sustains the love. Bethke asserts that the death of Jesus on the cross was like a proposal to the married couples. He encouraged wives to honor their husbands and their husbands to give up their lives in supporting their wives and children as well as explained in Ephesians 5. Ferguson (54) adds that the same way as Jesus gave himself to the church, so should the men lead by serving through putting their women first. Christians need to die to self and put their flesh on a life sentence. This is because Christians don’t fall out of love, as much as they fall out of repentance.
Additionally, party lifestyle and drug abuse is another theme depicted in Bethke’s book. According to him, many people love spending most of their free time especially weekends to engage in a lot of partying and abusing drugs. However, these acts are vices because good Christians always consider the Sabbath as the day of resting and a day of carrying out celebrations. From the Old Testament, god wants his people to enjoy parties and have feats regularly. And they are commanded to do so through setting aside one day in a week to celebrate and invite God’s presence onto their lives. Ferguson (58) asserts that the true Sabbath cuts against the American culture which involves people working around the clock and keeping themselves busy. Bethke asserts that partying does not talk about the drugs, sex, and the rock n roll. Instead, he passes a message that believers should gather around the dinner tables to eat, drink, and share their experiences. By doing away with this practice, it tends to lessen one’s desire to live on the edge.
A party lifestyle and drug abuse are among the leading negative way of living practiced by the current youths. Cases of drug peddling, misuse of drugs, and abuse are reported regularly in most parts of the world with the majority of the culprits being between the ages of 20 to 35. To curb this menace, the youths need to turn to Christ and be well educated on the importance of attaining salvation or living a Christian life. Furthermore, mass education on the negative effects of drugs should be conducted on various media platforms to help all the youths shun away from misusing drugs. Its long term effects include bringing the world economic growth to a downturn and affecting the fertility of our youths (Ferguson, 60).
Christians need to respond to cases of drug abuse and partying by preaching the gospel and educating the youths and other people affected by drugs to shun away from the behavior. Just like Jesus went out and preached the word, he managed to create a heaven on earth. The job of Christian today entails carrying the mission of taking heaven and pulling it down as a place that god reigns and ruling onto the earth.
Finally, the last theme involves sexual orientation. Most of the youths today indulge themselves in sex and watching pornographic materials. Some go ahead sleeping with multiple partners to prove how masculine or feminine they are. This sexual orientation has affected most youths because it leads them down to a path of more hurt, emptiness, and guilt. However, this negative addiction can be overcome through the youths dedicating their lives to Christ.
A notable example is a case of Bethke himself who in his youthful age engaged in multiple sexes with various women just to prove he was man enough. He developed a lot of interest in the opposite sex and went ahead to even access pornographic materials. The more he engaged himself in sexual malice, he found himself facing depression, addiction, emptiness, and more hurt. Till the age of eighteen, Bethke decided to give his life to Christ while at college. However, being a Christian could not solve his sexual desires especially when he felt he is bored or overwhelmed with thoughts. Having thoughts of why Christians struggle with addictions was his breakthrough towards overcoming sexual addiction and desires.
As Christians today, it is our dire responsibilities to help those who are sunk in various addictions including sexual addiction. The bible encourages us to be like a father, he cannot bear his children to not be free (Ferguson, 59). Through Jesus crucified on the cross paid by our ultimate fee for various specs of dirt like you and me. We should allow god to restore his proper place to us. The same message should be passed by Christians to those who are sexually addicted so that they can be relieved from the bondage of suffering and hurt.
Works cited
Ferguson, Riley. “Where Are We Going?: A Critical Analysis of Millennials and the Traditional Church.” (2018): 54-60.