You will all be relieved to know in advance that I am NOT going to make this a random rant about ostriches, peanut butter, toast, and/or spoons, and that I actually intend to delve into some deep water today.
Theoretically, I am first and foremost a child of God.
However, the title of "Christian" has many, many unpleasant stigmas attached to it, including, but not limited to, the Crusades, televangelists, witch burnings, abortion clinic bombings, "Christianizing"/killing off millions of Native Americans... the list goes on interminably. It may be fair to say that the number of wrong, messed up things done in God's name is almost equal to the number of good things done in His name. Also, the number of positive things done by non-Christians is probably equal to those by Christians.
We've given ourselves a bad reputation, and, worse, we've turned God into a figurehead for a political agenda.
Christians forget that even homosexuals, women who have abortions, and liberals are every bit as loved by God as "we" are. Sure, they're sinners, but no more so than you or I. I'm not going to condemn them for their actions unless I've got my act together, which is not going to happen. (I believe that humankind is sinful by nature and that we are all doomed to hell unless we throw ourselves on God's mercy, but that's a topic for another post. Most of my Christian readers will agree with me without thinking, but others (this means you, Adam) will question that statement's veracity.) Besides, how exactly is "you're going to hell unless you do what I say" the kind of thing you want to say to someone who needs God? He wants to woo us into a willing relationship with him. Are you helping or hindering the process? Is God working through you or in spite of you?
2 comments:
First, to those who read the comments here, let me point out that Aubrianne managed to make a serious post only by ranting to ME about "Enchanted Toast" which would have saved me from my zombification.
Aub: I long ago shunned the label of "Catholic" because of its negative ramifications. For all the same reasons you said, and also including that nasty priest sex scandal, I'm slowly beginning to feel that labeling your beliefs can be the beginning of a bad thing. Of course, I'm not even sure of that myself and if asked I would call myself a Catholic, so...I guess I'm a hypocrite. Oh well, I took the Hypocratic Oath, so it's okay.
I'll agree that we, as humans, lean toward sin more than goodness, and also that as humans we judge others when it would be more difficult to judge ourselves. "Let he who is without sin" and all often doesn't factor in many people's minds. I've always felt it a bit blasphemous to say "If you do not repent, you will go to Hell" and the like because by doing so you are passing not only judgment, but Judgment (with a capital J), and only God can pass Judgment. Because of that, I tend to keep my mouth shut about religion as a whole, not only because I don't want to feel like I'm blaspheming, but also because I don't want people feeling uncomfortable to be themselves around me just because I don't necessarily approve of what they're doing -- it's their choice, not mine, and I honestly should have no say in it.
Best of luck on the SATs tomorrow. I plan to call you tomorrow morning and wish you the same, but if I don't it's because I didn't wake up, which isn't necessarily a bad thing :). You won't need it, anyhow ;)
good points. haha. yes i do agree.
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