Quite aside from what these terms properly mean, there is the matter of what many people think they mean. And many people have concluded that these words stand for a set of moral views, and the more-or-less organized efforts to promulgate these views.
2,000 years ago, when Jesus began walking the rural back roads of the Ancient Near East with twelve assistants and a few other hangers-on, His goal was not to invigorate standards of public decency.
The followers of Jesus certainly strive for moral behavior, and do not endorse amoral approaches to living; but these questions are not their central focus.
The distinctive and unique mission of Jesus followers is to proclaim the unearned, freely-given love of God to all people.
Moral questions are important, but presenting this message about God is more important.
Over the last few decades, the news about God’s generous attitude towards humans has become diluted, even hidden or forgotten, amidst the battles of the culture wars. So much so, that ‘Christian’ is no longer seen as a synonym for ‘Jesus follower.’
Perhaps the time has come for Jesus followers to intentionally take a step back from the culture wars.
This is not to in any way compromise their moral standards. This is merely allocating their energy according to their priorities; time and effort should be put toward that which is most important.
Christians might also experience a pleasant surprise if others step unto the breach. There are Buddhists, Muslims, Hindus, Sikhs, Jews, and others who are willing to defend the cause of life from the moment of conception.
Among those working to protect the institutions of marriage and family are many who are explicitly non-Christian. Not every person working to rid society of the poison of pornography is a church-going, Bible-reading Christian.
In June 2015, New York Times journalist David Brooks wrote:
Consider putting aside, in the current climate, the culture war oriented around the sexual revolution.
Put aside a culture war that has alienated large parts of three generations from any consideration of religion or belief. Put aside an effort that has been a communications disaster, reducing a rich, complex and beautiful faith into a public obsession with sex. Put aside a culture war that, at least over the near term, you are destined to lose.
Consider a different culture war, one just as central to your faith and far more powerful in its persuasive witness.
Some of his assertions might be arguable, but perhaps Jesus followers would be well advised to redirect their energy to the causes of meeting the spiritual and physical needs of their fellow humans.
Those groups which have long followed that pattern have earned respect from friend and foe alike: the inner-city ministries which house countless homeless people and distribute free meals are seen as blessings to the community, even by those who don’t have significant spiritual leanings.
Proclaiming the unmerited forgiveness which Jesus offers to all humans is more central to the proper understanding of ‘church’ than lobbying Congress or funding lawsuits.
There is no compromising morality: Jesus followers fully understand that every human has fallen short, every person stands convicted and guilty before God, and every man or woman on earth is condemned with no chance of helping himself or herself out of a most unpleasant judgment.
If more people learn who Jesus is, and what He does, then it might even happen that some of the moral questions parsed in the culture wars will take care of themselves.
When the followers of Jesus do what they do best, they distribute meaningful help to others - to any and to all - not only to those who believe exactly as they do, but rather also to those who explicitly reject the beliefs of Jesus followers, and even to those who persecute Jesus followers.
In seeing this unconditional help given by Jesus followers, people see the personality and mentality of Jesus. That is an attractive thing.
