R U "Born-Again"?
Each year, Lake Superior State University releases its List of Words and Phrases Banished from the Queen's English for Mis-Use, Over-Use and General Uselessness. Such words as “get-er-done” and “breaking news” made the 2006 list.
So I’ve submitted a phrase for consideration for their 2007 list – “born-again”. I spent the first 50 years of my life as a Southern Baptist without ever hearing this phrase, which seems to have just sprung onto the fundamentalist Christian scene. And it is increasingly nauseating in its hypocrisy and ambiguity.
I submit it is an invention of man and not God and I am confused and befuddled, as the baptism I received as a child, and in my childlike faith, seems not to have the lifetime warranty I was led to believe.
What is it to be “born-again? Is this hitting bottom and coming to some realization? Is it a religious experience that transcends normal experience? It is merely a renewal of one’s vows? Who knows – but it has become part of the scene, especially for the evangelical and fundamentalist Christians in America.
Personally, I am constantly reborn, each morning and each moment – so to state it would be a bit redundant wouldn’t it?
But with the bully pulpit becoming just that for our born-again President, it just becomes increasingly blurry where government stops and religion starts.
posted by Bill Garnett @ 11:07 PM
4 comments
4 Comments:
Bill,
Thank you for your comments on my blog. They are perhaps some of the most insightful and well-thought out comments I've ever received.
I find your site fascinating and look forward to reading more. In fact, I found all of your sites wonderful and wasn't sure exactly where to post so I thought I'd go with this one. I hope you don't mind if I add you to my blog roll.
This particular quote of yours caught my attention:
What is it to be “born-again? Is this hitting bottom and coming to some realization? Is it a religious experience that transcends normal experience? It is merely a renewal of one’s vows? Who knows – but it has become part of the scene, especially for the evangelical and fundamentalist Christians in America.
I grew up Southern Baptist as well and had heard the term "born again" and thought for years that I had been "born again" when I had given my life back over to Christ in my late teens. This is supposed to be a very different experience from when you first get saved as a young child because you know and have experienced sin, but I didn't really know what it meant to be touched by God at that point.
I did hit rock bottom and it was over being gay. Probably like a lot of other young gay people, I cried myself to sleep, praying that God would just kill me before I had a chance to act on my feelings, before I had a chance to sin. I remember a feeling of utter despair because I couldn't kill myself (that was certain damnation), but begging and pleading with God to die.
Then I swear I felt a hand on my shoulder and a calm came over me, the tears stopped, and I heard a voice that said, "I love you just the way you are."
That's when I was "born again" and I knew that nobody could come between me and God. He knew me. He always knew me, and He never let me go.
The phrase "born again" is most suredly not an "invention of man", certainly not "modern man".
The concept of being born again was introduced in the New Testament book of John, as mentioned by Johnathan Henson. And it isn't a passing reference, it introduces the fundamental precept of Christianity:
John Chapter 3:
1Now there was a man of the Pharisees, named Nicodemus, a ruler of the Jews;
2this man came to Jesus by night and said to Him, "Rabbi, we know that You have come from God as a teacher; for no one can do these signs that You do unless God is with him."
3Jesus answered and said to him, "Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born again he cannot see the kingdom of God."
4Nicodemus said to Him, "How can a man be born when he is old? He cannot enter a second time into his mother's womb and be born, can he?"
5Jesus answered, "Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit he cannot enter into the kingdom of God.
6"That which is born of the flesh is flesh, and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit.
7"Do not be amazed that I said to you, 'You must be born again.'
8"The wind blows where it wishes and you hear the sound of it, but do not know where it comes from and where it is going; so is everyone who is born of the Spirit."
9Nicodemus said to Him, "How can these things be?"
10Jesus answered and said to him, "Are you the teacher of Israel and do not understand these things?
11"Truly, truly, I say to you, we speak of what we know and testify of what we have seen, and you do not accept our testimony.
12"If I told you earthly things and you do not believe, how will you believe if I tell you heavenly things?
13"No one has ascended into heaven, but He who descended from heaven: the Son of Man.
14"As Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of Man be lifted up;
15so that whoever believes will in Him have eternal life.
16"For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life.
Born Again is not something that happens after salvation, nor is it a symbolism surrounding the idea of hitting "rock bottom". It is simply the acknowledgment that humanity is spiritually dead; and just as we must be physically born to have a physical life, we must be "spiritually born" to have a spiritual life.
One can also derive the simply truth that, just as a baby has nothing to do with its physical birth, so the Christian would have nothing to do with his "spiritual" birth; it would instead be an act of the spiritual parent, which is God, by the grace of his son Jesus, through the work of the Holy Spirit.
Being "Born Again" does suggest a new beginning, a new opportunity, a new chance to be different, fresh, clean, pure. But as Paul clearly reveals to us later, being "saved" does not remove the temptation of sin, nor keep us from giving in to that temptation.
This is why being "born again" is not the be-all and end-all of a spiritual life, nor should one judge another's "rebirth" simply by human acts of rebellion.
We all sin, and that is true both of those who are spiritually dead, and those who have been "born again".
I'm not sure why we need to dismiss the word from our lexicon. Surely it is misused by some, but it is an excellent shorthand for those who wish to express the type of christian faith in which our entire spiritual existance is owed to God who both created us physically and re-created us spiritually -- to distinguish from other methods of religion where one reforms oneself, which is more of an "awakening" than a "birth".
Ditto what the last two commentors, jonathan henson and conservative one said for the term "born-again". It IS oft mis-used and I'm not a fan of the term. Many people think it refers only to a sect of radical fundamentalists. It does not. It refers to all true Christians who have begun a personal relationship with Jesus as their savior. That includes me. But I wince whenever someone throws that word around, usually in a phrase like "those crazy religious nut-job born-agains". Your blog is very interesting and I thank you for your comment on mine. While I disagree with many of your ideas, I appreciate your honesty and thoughtfulness.
I've often had the feeling in certain churches- that all we need to do is go up and repeat the right words, the "sinner's prayer", and all will be well with our souls. This idea disregards so many beautiful and varied ways that God can touch our lives. Thoughtful website. Cheers!
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