Okay, so maybe I'm opinionated...

This is why I shouldn't read the newspaper.

Column: Poser Christians need to actually represent values
"Drinking, body piercing, tattoos, drug use and premarital sex; what once were cornerstones of vice and sin now seem to be part of the entrance exam into college. ...Even here at Texas Tech, which is located in the second-most conservative city in the United States, these things have become more common in the past couple of years. Perhaps most disturbing, however, is that they have found their way into the activities of what once were God-fearing Christians."

"With every drunken night you can't remember, piercing you add, or person you sleep with, you might as well be handing nails to the Roman soldiers to affix Jesus to the cross."

***

Dear [Columnist],

Hi! My name is [MullTrain], and I'm a senior here at Tech. I read your editorial on Poser Christians today, and since I'm well aware that you'll be getting some hate mail in response, I thought I'd give you some more constructive feedback.

First, I'd like to say that I feel a great concern for this issue, both as a Christian myself and especially, in more recent months, as a leader in one of the university ministries here in town. I've seen this type of behavior among some of our students there, and it bothers me a lot. It's very easy for young Christians to fall into, and it's also a huge turn-off for non-Christians who have contact with those students. So I'm very glad that you have the ability to recognize, and the gumption to write about, this problem.

I would also, however, like to offer a couple of suggestions for any future writing (or speaking, etc.) you might do on this topic. I've found that any time I teach about a moral issue in my Bible study, it always begs the question of "why?" Why should students follow what might seem like arbitrary rules, one might ask, especially if they are aware that they can never be perfect? So it is always very helpful to mention reasons beyond just the outward, "American-society-is-crumbling" type of argument. I agree with you there, but make it more personal and concrete. Remind people that Christianity isn't just about outward action; it's a personal relationship with Jesus Christ. Be sure to mention that obedience is a natural outflow of a true Christian's love for God and desire to reflect His perfect nature. This makes a lot more sense than just a call to follow some rules.

And speaking of rules, my only other suggestion is to be very careful that you only condemn behaviors that are clearly spoken against in the Bible. I felt that you damaged your case considerably when you condemned tattoos and body piercings right next to clearly unbiblical behaviors like drunkenness and fornication. The Bible never clearly and unequivocally speaks out against either tattoos or body piercings, although there are certainly verses that tell us not to over-emphasize outer adornment. It's one of those issues that isn't clearly black and white, and as such needs to be handled delicately and with charity toward other Christians who could legitimately disagree with you (Paul addresses this in Romans 14). I am not saying that your viewpoint has no merit; but I would suggest that in a medium such as the newspaper, it is better to stick to clearer issues. The danger here is that someone will read a statement like "With every...piercing you add...you might as well be handing nails to the Roman soldiers..." and (legitimately) disagreeing, say to himself, "Dude, that guy is absolutely insane!" and then completely disregard the overall message, which was very important and very good. So, in other words, don't ruin a good overall message by stirring up needless (and ultimately unresolvable) controversy!

So having said all this, I just wanted to encourage you to keep speaking out on this topic. I commend your sincerity and your zeal for change! Just be sure to use caution and discernment to maximize your effectiveness.Thanks for reading all this!

Sincerely,
[MullTrain]