Why is it that so much of the America's population claims Christianity as its religion, but so few people practice it or "get" it? What I find more than anything else is apathy. People just don't seem to care that much about their faith. When you talk about Christianity as a religion, or our "values" (like prayer in school, abortion, homosexuality, etc.), we get very passionate about Christian ideals. But when it comes to living the way Jesus lived and taught us, we just don't care that much.
It's interesting to me that those who do care, and do get it are looked at like weirdos, while the 'norm' is to not be engaged with your faith in any significant way. This is strange to me. We want to claim Christian values, even the Christian 'religious institution', but we don't want to actually live the way that we're supposed to, using Jesus as our example.
What I'm also surprised at are the number of people who act so much less mature than their age would indicate. People who are otherwise mature, responsible adults, can at times act like children. They become obstinate or difficult, defensive or hurt when they don't get their way, don't get the recognition they think they deserve, or when they feel that they have been slighted in some (usually imaginary) way. Why is this? What drives otherwise normal, mature people to act so childish? I see it again and again, and I'm often baffled that it happens from people who are otherwise mentally stable, intelligent, coherent people. It's like all of a sudden their minds and bodies are taken over by some 10 year old child alien who moans and whines about the most ridiculous situations, usually overanalyzing things and becoming crazily over-sensitive.
Of course, I am a relatively intelligent, responsible and mature adult too. Maybe I act like this sometimes and don't realize it. Perhaps. But usually people who are fairly self-aware are self-aware enough to realize when they are acting petty and immature. This is a strange situation, though, and one that is far more common and frequent than I ever expected. Grow up, people!
OK, rant over for today...
