I have read so many brilliant articles and responses by major personalities in faith as well as equally brilliant responses from friends. Why add my voice? I don't want my lack of public response to be interpreted as 'not caring.' So here's my take:
The basic tenet of the church should be unity. The basic tenet of my faith and life speaks out against any type of racism. It's ugly. It's disgusting. It cannot be simplified as a social problem or an economic problem. It's sin.
It's not tolerated in my life, my place of employment, or any relationships in my life. I listen intently to others that are different than me. I have shed tears at a dinner table as I've heard one of my best friends describe treatment he received by others. I've dropped my jaw in unbelief more than once as I've watched others be treated differently before my very eyes. I've also been scolded for an innocent comment that I never realized was racially offensive. I've asked for forgiveness more than once for my sin or even the sins of others. I don't always agree with what I hear, but I listen.
Someday, I will worship around the throne of Almighty God with people from other nations, others that have found forgiveness for sins through Jesus Christ and they will not look like me.
I will not be superior because I am white, an American, Church of God, male, or a Cubs fan! We will be one. And every creature will be adoring the Creator.
I can't wait to see Jesus - I know he will be dark skinned and I'm guessing not speak English, yet I will understand everything he says - I hope he will wear a Cubs hat.
So that's my simple perspective. It's not brilliant. It's just what Jesus, the dark skinned, Jewish carpenter, Aramaic speaking, Son of God has taught me.
Christians say nice things like this, then vote for people like Trump, like McConnell, like Ryan who don't uphold those values. They discriminate against LGBTQ, they want to take healthcare away from millions, they discriminate against Muslims, and I have been called all kinds of names because I'm an atheist. I don't understand how this isn't hypocritical. I am okay with people following whatever religion they choose but they sure don't seem to be very moral.
ReplyDeleteIt is true, Carol, many Christians voted for Trump. But you must carefully consider that the only viable alternative was a racist, pedophile-protecting, lying, corrupt, anti-Christian in every single policy from public freedom of wirship and faith expression all the way to supporting the infanticide evil of abortion woman who is a poster-child example of everything fake about the current leadership of the Democrat Party.
DeleteMcConnell and Ryan are an interesting paradox, as you have named the two RNC establishment insiders who have done the most to support the big government agenda that Trump campaigned against. They are the least likely pair to help Trump accomplish anything that more libertarian Christians would consider to be positive.
But there is no anti-LBGQTXYZ bone in Trumps body...a bitter pill for Christian supporters to deal with, though he has at least brought back some bit of common sense to a few policies.
They want to ENSURE real, actual affordable health insurance is available once again. You cant be so blind as to think the destruction of our healthcare industry by Obamacare was an accident? It was only a first step toward making state-controlled single-payer tyranny the next demand in a move toward greater centralized control of your life, the end of which wad always known to be rationed care (death panels, anyone? Its inevitable under such a system)
There is nothing Christian about stealing money from those with jobs at a governmemt gunpoint to subsidize cheaper healthcare for others who are not paying for it, nor forcing anyone to buy "insurance" to pay for a system that kills babies with those funds.
"They" have never discriminated against Muslims, amd were roundly attacked for simply proposing a delay in the importation of potential terrorists until new staff could verify who was being brought in.
It's a shame you've been called names, just realize that is due to your presence in the Christian-established west, rather than the Islam-dominated middle east, that allows you to keep your head amd your freedom to publicly avow whatever you believe.
The reason you see hypocracy may be because you have seen some, but that doesn't change the fact that most of your assumptions appear to be based on false premises and lies you've been presented and which you apparently believe.
Every Christian faces that same challenge every day, as the same lying and agenda-driven media are the majority of what we have on our TVs and newsfeeds as well.
The very idea of letting people follow whatever religion they choose...but continuing to hold up the Truth of Christ and the freedom, love, and grace available through his sacrifice to redeem us...is the moral foundation that lets a civil discourse exist so that Christians can live out their faith as an example. Hopefully a good one. None of we Christians are perfect, just forgiven.
Thanks for reminding me why I never step foot in a church... even though I was brainwashed as a child to be just like you. Knowing what I know now about this world, and the humans in it... like you... given a "choice" I'd have checked the "be aborted" box... and avoided all this world of hate, and having to live my life to worship some imaginary dude in the sky, and not being able to follow all the discrepancies in your "inspired" book... else have to go to some place called HELL.
DeleteIn Christ Jesus there is no Greek, no Slave, No Jew, no Gentile etc. We are all equal in God's eyes, but only our sin separates us from God. God is a Spirit and spirit is colorless. If God was racial motivated, He would never have offered up His only begotten Son for the whole world. Just because Jesus died for the whole world does not mean God accepts sinful habits denying holiness standards in His Word. God loves the prostitutes, but hates the sine of immorality. Because God so loved the world does not mean He approves of sinful immoral behavior in the world. God's love is not the approval of sin. It is very clear in God's Word that a man shall leave his father and mother to cleave to his wife. Bible does not say a man shall leave his parents to cleave to his husband. God is not prejudice, but hates the sinfulness of lustful behavior in distorting truth that liberates us from unholy behavior when we practice Truth. Truth is a person called Jesus Christ. He was in this world but not of the world. God's kingdom is not of this world and there is no prejudice inside of God's kingdom. Those that are truly born again by the Holy Spirit will not tolerate prejudice behavior. It is also a 'COP-OUT' or a 'Hypocritical' excuse to say that is why a person will not put their foot in a church. God is our creator and every person will give an account one day what you have done with the life of Christ Jesus here on earth. Wrong opinions or fault finding with Jesus Christ does not qualify a person to be right. The real church of Jesus Christ is a personal living relationship with God through Christ Jesus. Your body is the real temple of God according to His Word, not your opinions of indifference.
ReplyDeleteThanks for reaffirming what I said above. For starters, the BuyBull says "let US make mankind in OUR image" (GEN 1:26). And obviously you know nothing about the statistics for INTERSEX births... but I'm wasting my time, because you didn't come here to learn anything. Fortunately I won't be spending eternity with you.
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