Being the Christian among the non-Christians

Having been a faith-based and committed Christian for over a decade, you could easily think I had become accustomed to the strange looks when I tell people more about myself; for example, that on Sunday mornings I go to church instead of recovering from a boozy session with friends, that my life manual is the Bible, and that I have a personal relationship with God.

However, with so many prejudices attached to Christianity, it can sometimes be hard to speak candidly about my faith.

In addition to ‘being strange’, the common labels attached to Christians these days vary from the ‘party pooper’ to cult follower.

As part and parcel as they are of being a Christian today, stereotypical generalisations are not without their impact. A law student and friend of mine recently confided that he was annoyed by the ignorance of many who equate the church with a religious cult without asking what the Christian faith is actually about.

Recently I had a conversation with a group of non-Christians and aside from analysing current affairs, we somehow ended up talking about evangelical Southern Americans. It was clear that the consensus in the group was against the ‘conversion’ aspect of evangelical work and the deprecating tone of the conversation silenced me.

Being a Christian is like a confession we have to make – indeed it is our responsibility to testify - yet even after all these years, ‘revealing my true self’ has not become much easier.

There are many who can relate to my experience. Anna, a chemistry student and a friend back in my native Germany, shares that until the age of 18 she was embarrassed to even speak with her friends about her faith and adds that she still feels uncomfortable bringing it up when meeting new people.

When you are in your 20s, it’s just not what people expect from you. You are in the prime of your life where you have all the freedom in the world to experiment and test your limits. When people learn that you are waiting for the right partner and will not share your bed with him until he has officially put a ring on your finger, they consider you a ‘hard-core Christian’.

Anna shares that “people start treating me as if I was an alien” as soon as they find out she is abstaining from premarital sex.

Even though Germany is a predominantly Christian country, I always found it fascinating how I was put in a box labelled ‘fanatic’ when people realised that I stand by my faith and live according to my Christian values. My family has been especially critical of my commitment.

I recall how my final yearbook at school included personal descriptions and future job prospects for each pupil made by fellow classmates. It must be greatly disappointing for them to learn that the ‘pious’ and ‘very religious’ Charlene has not ended up in a convent as a lot of them expected me to.

The fear of being judged can hinder friendships with non-Christians. Most of Rishab’s friends, for example, are Christians because he feels more “accepted” by them.

Notwithstanding some differences, I have never found it hard to make friends outside of church. They were astonished at first, but have accepted and respected my faith, which is most important for me. It has always been my aim to counter stereotypes and show that we are still “normal people with normal interests”.

As Christians we can sometimes be scared of being discriminated against or mocked because of our faith. However, my experience has taught me that there is nothing to fear. My Christian belief is a substantial part of who I am and many non-Christians have been intrigued by my commitment and admire my positive outlook on life.