that's not very Christian

A non-Christian friend of mine works for a Christian boss and other Christians in the office. He overhears some of the people saying, “That isn’t very Christian of so and so.” He asked me what they mean by that. He asked don’t Christians interpret things in different ways? He is right.

I explained it this way. In this context, “Christian” is not an adjective. "That is not very ethical/ just/ courteous/ respectful (choose one)" would be more accurate. If they were specifically referring to information that questions the good news of Jesus as Messiah and Lord, then to say, “That is not very Christian,” could be an adjective. For general behavior, though, it is not as helpful.

God gives all humans a conscience that basically evaluates behavior that seems inappropriate regardless of the cultural or religious setting. As C.S. Lewis has said, there are certain moral principles in various religions which are similar. Here is a sample list:

1. Don’t harm another
2. Honor your father and mother
3. Be kind to brothers, sisters, children and the elderly
4. no sex with another person’s spouse
5. Be honest in all your dealings
6. Do not lie
7. Care for those weaker or less fortunate
8. Dying to yourself is the path to life

Now, as you can imagine, these are not followed at every time and in every place, but they are prevalent enough throughout history up to the present to point to some underlying wisdom that is innately shared by humanity.

Interesting.