They are:

1) Bible Beaters -- Those who whack non-Christians upside the head with their sins and try to force them to conform to Christianity. They are willing to pick a battle over the littlest of issues whenever they have a chance  There is never any time for discussion or mutual understanding, it's just "us" versus "them."

2) The Backbone-less -- From the outside, you might never know that these people even think of themselves as "Christians." They never talk about their faith--they never allude to it in the slightest. Not only do they accept, but they voluntarily give in to the pressures of society that conflict with their personal beliefs. In short, their lives are no different from those around them. Instead of infecting the world with Christ's love, they are infected by the many idols erected by society around them.

As Christians, these can't be our only two options... can they? No, I don't think so. As one of my pastors and several of my Bible college professors have reminded me, we must strive to remain "at the center of Biblical tension." There are often seemingly two extremes in Scripture (and in life) trying to pull us to either one side or the other. But most of the time, the correct place to stand isn't at one of the poles... it is somewhere in the middle.

The same is true with this issue. As Christians, we must seek the high ground between the Bible-Beaters and the Backbone-less. 

We should live out our faith boldly, and live lives that are different from those around us. Your peers say you're a little weird? Hopefully, that's a good thing: they notice. They notice you live a life of honor, with a loving attitude towards those around you! Obviously we all make mistakes, but the Christian's life should be radically different from those around him.

While we live our lives differently and hope to witness by our actions, the time will come when we have to speak up for what we believe in and defend our faith. Personally, deciding when to step up and defend my faith has been difficult: sometimes I quibble over minor issues, sometimes I let some major issues go by. But the fact remains that at times we must defend our faith, and be ready to provide answers complete with sound logic and evidence. If the Jehovah's Witnesses corner you in a conversation on your doorstep and try to undermine the divinity of Christ, are you going to understand what they are doing and be ready to counter with Scripture? I sure hope so!

Friends, the Bible-Beaters and the Backbone-less are both major problems in the Church today, and I am not sure which is worse. But the good news is that you don't have to be either one of them! Seek to find the high ground between two extremes, and live out Jesus's prayer for all of us in John 17:15-18: "I’m not asking you to take them out of the world, but to keep them safe from the evil one. They do not belong to this world any more than I do. Make them holy by your truth; teach them your word, which is truth. Just as you sent me into the world, I am sending them into the world."