Every time actions are attributed as Christian without either historical or theological understanding of what such an attribution means, the definition of Christian is twisted and confused.

An often misused instance is when well-meaning folk claim a loved one died because God wanted the dearly departed in heaven more than they were wanted here on earth. One simply cannot find justification for such a conclusion anywhere in Christian scripture.

Another common misunderstanding can be heard nightly on the news, when someone is interviewed after narrowly missing out on some horrendous adventure.

"God spared me" is the usual cry of gratitude and, as wonderful as it may seem, I don’t believe the primary Christian source of faith can justify such a theological conclusion.

Even allowing for latitude in our understanding of what it means to be a Christian, it seems there are some measures of evaluation that will determine if someone or some group merits the adjective Christian.

I would suggest such measuring begins by examining the life of Jesus of Nazareth. Although there are subtle differences and editorial nuances among different sources, Jesus is generally portrayed in the Bible as an instigator of mercy, an initiator of kindness, a spokesman for the outcasts and a critic of the oppressor.

It would seem fair then to assume organizations claiming to be Christian would also evidence such characteristics.

Whenever an individual or group advocates violence, malevolence or hatred to others, such behavior directly conflicts with the image we have of Jesus and therefore cannot honestly claim to be Christian.

The fact that such a claim is made daily by countless fraudulent organizations does not justify its use. Several years ago, a doctor was murdered in Florida, according to the murderer, in the "name of Christ". It had nothing to do with Christ. All the pious language, all the prayerful preparation does not allow such horror to be perpetrated under the guise of being Christian.

Nevertheless, we Christians bear much of the onerous burden of responsibility for such hideous and decidedly un-Christian actions.

The business in Waco a few years back is surely attributable to the too often Christian preoccupation with the end of the world. The peculiar obsession many within Christianity have with images of judgment, punishment and destruction seems terribly incongruent with the gentle and grace-filled life of Jesus.

Such obsession and perversion leads not just to the sadness in Waco or Florida but is vividly in evidence throughout our history.

Although it is often categorized as Christian, it is, most decidedly, not.