You must understand an important distinction—there is Christianity, and then there is church culture. They are not the same. Often they are far from the same. The personality conveyed through much of Christian culture is not the personality of Jesus but of the people in charge of that particular franchise. Tragically, the world looks at funny hats or big hair, gold thrones and purple curtains, stained glass or fog machines and assumes this is what Jesus must be like.

When you are confronted with something from Christian culture, ask yourself, Is this true of the God of the wind and the desert, the God of sunshine and the open sea? This will dispel truckloads of religious nonsense.