A popular YouTube channel called Jubilee asked six people about their views on topics ranging from Christian music to how confident they were they would go to heaven. While there was a noticeable lack of age diversity, “Do All Christians Think the Same?” did a good job of portraying the diversity of beliefs represented in young adults who call themselves “Christians.”
“The video throws a broad umbrella over the term ‘Christian,’” observed Relevant magazine, “but nonetheless, it’s an engaging display of people who identify with the same faith dialoguing over complex issues.”
What’s the Setup?
The six participants walked into a room with lines drawn on the floor that marked a spectrum of responses from “strongly disagree” to “strongly agree.”
The video’s creators had a set of questions prepared. Before each one was read, the participants lined up single file in the center of the spectrum. Then after hearing a question, each moved to the spot on the spectrum that most closely represented his or her beliefs.
There was not one point during the whole video when all six people even generally agreed on the answer to a question. Most agreed with the first statement, “I like Christian music.” One girl pointed out that while some Christian music is good and some is “lame,” the same could be said about any kind of music. The one man who chose “somewhat disagree” said he agreed with her, but probably reacted more negatively because of being forced to listen to Christian music as a child.
Regarding whether or not they agreed with the statement, “I have doubted my beliefs,” the majority did agree, with only two choosing, “somewhat disagree.” The participants included a gay man and a queer woman, both of whom said they had struggled with where they fit in the church because of their LGBT identities. The woman, however, said that while she had experienced judgment from the church, she never doubted that God loved her.
When asked if they agreed with the statement, “I support the LGBT community,” the group spread out along the spectrum. Those who disagreed with the statement said that LGBT lifestyles contradict what the Bible says, while those who most strongly agreed argued that the others were inconsistently applying the Bible and didn’t appreciate the weight of what they were asking LGBT people to do in surrendering their desires.
The woman who strongly disagreed said she chose that response because “support” meant agreeing with an LGBT lifestyle, something that as a Christian she could not do. The woman who chose “somewhat agree” said that she defined “support” differently. While she believes that “homosexual activity” is sinful, she also believes in supporting someone’s right to love and be loved. “All of us should be working,” she said, “not to change who we are, but to become more like Christ.”
Perhaps one of the most interesting responses to a statement was the reaction to, “God loves everybody equally.” Everyone agreed, except for one man who argued that while God does love everyone, He loves His own children more than the rest of the world.
The group was evenly split as to whether they would date someone who was not a Christian. One man who would, argued that such a relationship would work because people of different religions basically believed the same thing. The three who would not date a non-Christian all disagreed with him about that point.
Five of the members of the group were pretty confident that if they died, they would go to heaven. One man said he was confident because he had put his faith in Jesus, who forgave him of his sin. The man who was not sure said, “It’s hard to know exactly what specifically is considered the biggest sins that will keep someone from going to heaven.” He also admitted that he hadn’t put as much thought into the question as he should. One woman who believed she would go to heaven said that she thinks all people are responsible to “do their best” every day, and that is all that God requires of us.
Jubilee’s About page says the purpose of their videos is to “bridge people together, challenge conventional thinking, and inspire love.” While some might see the video as muddying the waters as to what Christianity actually is, it definitely created dialogue about important issues. In doing so, it highlighted the fact that we all approach our beliefs from our own experiences and that it’s important to meet people where they are.
