The times, they are a-changin' indeed.
Bob Dylan's third album about social change not only epitomizes the zeitgeist of the mid-60s; it also accurately depicts the shifting landscape of religion in the United States today.
The social forces that have created the vast, religiously unaffiliated populations in Europe and other first world countries seem to be having an effect on Americans, according to the Pew Research Center. Twenty percent consider themselves "spiritual but not religious," and young adults, including millennials, are generally far less devout than their parents and grandparents.
"Pew also shows that 78.4 percent of Americans are Christian, and I'm one of them," says Eli Just, a former physics teacher, musician and author of two serial novels, "Manny Jones" and "The Eddy," (www.elijust.net).
"I think too many people, including youngsters, have a boxed-in concept of what it means to be Christian."
Just, who continues to live the rock 'n' roll lifestyle as a guitar-pluckin', whiskey-sippin', hog-ridin' baby boomer, talks about how Christ fits in with all souls with good hearts.
• The Tiger Woods of compassion. Certainly, there have been unfortunate ambassadors of Christ, including scandal-ridden, judgment-prone and hypocritical televangelists who've once been able to claim millions of followers. That, however, is not a fair encapsulation of he who inspired countless believers to lead better lives, inspired the world's largest empire to change its ways and who is the most renowned historical figure to champion compassion - to truly love one's neighbor as oneself.
"No matter your spiritual affiliation - and no matter your lifestyle - it should be pretty clear that Jesus' example was a game-changer for the moral compass of humanity," Just says.
• "I'm a Christian, not a monk." At the core of Christ's message is love for others, and he practiced what he preached. That means helping the neediest, including lepers, and forgiving sinners, including prostitutes.
"Am not I a little angel - far from it! I've played in rock bands for decades, and though I'm a happily married man now, I've had a weakness for firm-feeling blond women," he says. "Imperfection is what makes us human, which is fully addressed in the Bible."
• You're free to be your own Christian. Centuries ago, the various denominations were not only much more restrictive in individual liberties for followers; Christians also killed each other for not being the right kind of Christian. Through endogenous and exogenous social, technological and economic progress, however, followers are free to embrace Jesus' message on a more personal basis.
"This doesn't mean Christians are free to do whatever they want," Just says. "It just means that one's own conscience in the best tool for how to live a good life."
About Eli Just
Eli Just is the author of several books including the popular "Manny Jones" series and "The Eddy," (www.elijust.net). He has a master's in history from Southeastern Louisiana University and is a self-taught student of physics, which he taught at the high school level. He is currently working on several projects, including his newest novel, a graphic comic book and a rock-blues album. As a Christian, Just enjoys exploring themes involving physics and its relationship to religion. He lives in northern Georgia.
