Christian Functionalism

I have been struggling to define the details of what I believe and how it should be exemplified in my day to day life. The end result is something I call Christian Functionalism, derived from the philosophical concept. The following is the result of a year of steady prayer, deep pondering while keeping my body busy (I did a lot of this while doing dishes and while in construction at my job at the time), and analyzing the Sermon on the Mount (Matt 5-7). I undoubtedly consider the Golden Rule found in Matthew 7:12 to be the universal rule of common law, and ultimately what separates us as men from animals is that we consider fairness to one another in the course of our own self-interested pursuits. The following is a boiled down version of the tenets that I feel are the crux of how to truly pursue a lasting, potent relationship with Christ, and how we can exist in a world that needs us while not being of it.

Treatise on Christian Functionalism:

1) I believe that the soul lies between our instinctual thoughts and our resulting behavior. Therefore that is where God's place should be in our lives: acting as a moral filter for not how we initially may feel in a given scenario but for what course of action we pursue.

2) Be a good steward with what the Lord has given you. God has called us to be content with what we have while striving to constantly put to use that which He has given us.

3) Fear no man or creature, they will have judgement passed in time. Thus you must not swear an oath to any man. Maintaining the social contract is morally good, but hide your heart for The Lord's needs.

4) Give freely and as much as possible of your gifts. God has not commanded us to passively give the fruits of our toils to others to help those who need. We must be active, persistent, and thorough in charity, ensuring that we have given all we can in service to God.

5) Leave judgement entirely to God. A studious relationship with God provides understanding but we are human, and should admit that we may be wrong. What any individual thinks may be correct in God's eyes may differ from another, we must embrace a communal goal of searching for truth, nothing less.

6) Love.



At a later point I may expand on each of these concepts to further detail each point, to explain how they affect our relationship with God as well as how we should function as Christian outsiders in a secular world. For now, I want to stamp this as eternally a work in progress, illustrating where I am now and how I want to pursue truth in the future.