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How I Love My Bendable Jesus

How I Love My Bendable Jesus

Last updated on: March 4, 2020 at 5:40 pm by Keith Giles

How I Love My Bendable Jesus 2020-03-04T17:40:21+00:00 Keith Giles

LOGO Patheos Explore the world's faith through different perspectives on religion and spirituality! Patheos has the views of the prevalent religions and spiritualities of the world.

Oh bendable, poseable Jesus, how I love thee. Let me count the ways.

I love how I can bend my Jesus away from all the non-violent “love your enemy” talk and dismiss the Prince of Peace stuff by simply twisting my little Jesus over to the “go and buy a sword” version I love so much.

I love how I can pose my bendable Jesus into the war-mongering, sinner-slaughtering white horse-riding Jesus with the sword in his mouth, slashing his enemies into bloody pieces because it helps me forget about how he told me I was supposed to love my enemies.

I really love my bendable Jesus when it comes to nationalism, because even though Jesus refused to bend his knee for political power and saw it as the temptation of Satan, I can pose my Jesus holding an American flag and imagine he’s given this nation a blank check to lord it over every other nation on the planet using our military might to feed the insatiable corporate greed of military contractors and oil companies.

Another great thing about my bendable, poseable Jesus is how I can emphasize things he never once spoke about – abortion and homosexuality, for example – and twist him around so it seems like these were the most important things in the world to him and his disciples. Plus, I get to ignore all the stuff he actually spoke out against – like greed and oppressing the poor and using scripture to control people through fear, etc. – It’s so awesome!

If your Jesus isn’t bendable and poseable, I highly recommend finding one. Because if you can’t bend Jesus into the version of him you prefer, then what’s the point of being an American Christian?

Am I right?

I mean, otherwise we might have to bend ourselves to follow what Jesus told us to do, and that would mean totally changing my life and living like someone who cared more about God and other people than I did about myself. I’d have to let go of my fear and trust God for my daily bread. I’d need to consider loving other people more than I love my Constitutional rights. I’d have to take time to get to know people who are from a different race, or culture, or religion, or sexual orientation and possibly even learn how to love them for who they are.

Can you imagine? It would be total chaos. It would radically change my way of living, and it might even break our entire social system and cause everyone to reconsider our biases and prejudices.

What if people actually took Jesus seriously on this whole “love your enemies” thing, for example. No more guns? No more wars? What would we do with all those extra billions of dollars we’re currently spending to maintain our enormous war machine? Think of the soldiers with no wars to wage. Think of the scientists and engineers with no weapon systems to design. What would they focus on if it wasn’t autonomous heat-seeking infra-red targeting systems?

Crazy huh?

I highly recommend this bendable, poseable Jesus. But the truth is, you might already have one.

Keith Giles was formerly a licensed and ordained minister who walked away from organized church 11 years ago, to start a home fellowship that gave away 100% of the offering to the poor in the community. Today, He and his wife have returned to El Paso, TX after 25 years, as part of their next adventure. They hope to start a new house church very soon.

DID YOU KNOW? The Christian Church has always held 3 views of Hell from the very beginning? Learn more about the 3 Views of Hell in my new online class at BeADisciple.com starting March 9, 2020. REGISTER TODAY>

Keith’s new book, “Jesus Undefeated: Condemning the False Doctrine of Eternal Torment” is available now on Amazon.

Want Keith to come speak at your church or in your home town? Send an invitation HERE

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