I have been hearing a lot about our current political climate and the fact that I hear that the political parties are dividing us. I don't think the parties are dividing us, I think we are doing that quite nicely ourselves. Who votes for politicians? We do. Our country is greatly divided right now and I think that the media and ignorance have a lot to do with it. People seem to believe anything they are told without researching it. A few forwarded emails and a news broadcast with faulty or misleading information and someone is all up in arms about something that is totally not true. It seems that technology has allowed people to become more uniformed than before.
Another issue is the idea that the "church" is being persecuted. I don't think the church is being shaken. The church has right to worship as they please. They are afforded non-tax status. The church is not under persecution. The President redefining marriage is not persecution of the church. We still have the ability to hold marriage in a high regard. We, the church, still have the ability to say that they believe marriage is between a man and a woman. Why is it so wrong to allow others the rights afforded by marriage who are in love with someone of the same sex? The church is not being asked to agree to it. The church can pray to God. The church can rely on God. The church can pray to whomever they choose. Just because others are given rights does not mean your rights have changed.
Why do nonbelievers look at the church as hypocrites? Because we are. We say that we stand for the sanctity of marriage and commit adultery. We ask for God's blessings in our finances and withhold help from those less fortunate. We worship in well air conditioned, emense buildings and complain about those on welfare not pulling themselves up by the boot straps. We tell people that they are welcome to come worship with us and then we talk about others in the hallways. Everyone makes mistakes, I get that. But it is the attitudes that typically go along with it. Why is it always the one who condemns sexual impurity so strongly that ends up committing a horrid act?
I attended a church for about a year that was formed with the belief that all are welcome. That it was our intent to friend the people who would typically be deemed undesirable, the tattooed, the pierced, the outcast and make them see that christians can be accepting, loving and different from their preconceived notions. It drew artists and oddities. It was a place that was proving that we can look beyond your outward appearance and focus on YOU and your soul. They were trying to prove they were a different kind of christian. You know what happened? The pastor married a woman who was less than honest and she embezzled some money. All these "fresh" converts said, "See! I knew you were just like everyone else." The church folded and everyone went their separate ways. I fear that so many of those "odd balls" have been tarnished on religion for good. We proved that we are no different than Jim Bakker or anyone else who promises and makes a grievous mistake. I believe that is why the Bible says that teachers will be judge more harshly. You have the ability to break trust at a much greater level when you screw up.
We are not being divided by the political parties, we contribute to dividing our country by our attitudes and our hypocrisy. We want to have the freedom of religion that our forefathers came here for, but want to take rights of others. Our country was founded on God, yes, but we are far from him. Where is our compassion, our love, our tolerance, our love, and our peace, our love!? We are called to pray for our nation, but are we praying for God's will or our idea of His will. Who are we to decide? Our rights say we can make the choice to follow God's law, shouldn't someone else be allowed to make the choice not to?
Why do nonbelievers look at what we have to offer and turn away? We come in judgment instead of love. We say that what they stand for is wrong and yet we make the same choices. We say that our way is the ONLY way and then veer directly from it. The political parties are not dividing us, our attitudes of us against them are dividing us. We can stand up as a church and declare our rights, but I don't believe that that means it is alright to take other's rights just because we don't agree with their choices. While the church may be convinced that those choices make them evil, it does not mean that our country cannot afford them those rights.
Another issue is the idea that the "church" is being persecuted. I don't think the church is being shaken. The church has right to worship as they please. They are afforded non-tax status. The church is not under persecution. The President redefining marriage is not persecution of the church. We still have the ability to hold marriage in a high regard. We, the church, still have the ability to say that they believe marriage is between a man and a woman. Why is it so wrong to allow others the rights afforded by marriage who are in love with someone of the same sex? The church is not being asked to agree to it. The church can pray to God. The church can rely on God. The church can pray to whomever they choose. Just because others are given rights does not mean your rights have changed.
Why do nonbelievers look at the church as hypocrites? Because we are. We say that we stand for the sanctity of marriage and commit adultery. We ask for God's blessings in our finances and withhold help from those less fortunate. We worship in well air conditioned, emense buildings and complain about those on welfare not pulling themselves up by the boot straps. We tell people that they are welcome to come worship with us and then we talk about others in the hallways. Everyone makes mistakes, I get that. But it is the attitudes that typically go along with it. Why is it always the one who condemns sexual impurity so strongly that ends up committing a horrid act?
I attended a church for about a year that was formed with the belief that all are welcome. That it was our intent to friend the people who would typically be deemed undesirable, the tattooed, the pierced, the outcast and make them see that christians can be accepting, loving and different from their preconceived notions. It drew artists and oddities. It was a place that was proving that we can look beyond your outward appearance and focus on YOU and your soul. They were trying to prove they were a different kind of christian. You know what happened? The pastor married a woman who was less than honest and she embezzled some money. All these "fresh" converts said, "See! I knew you were just like everyone else." The church folded and everyone went their separate ways. I fear that so many of those "odd balls" have been tarnished on religion for good. We proved that we are no different than Jim Bakker or anyone else who promises and makes a grievous mistake. I believe that is why the Bible says that teachers will be judge more harshly. You have the ability to break trust at a much greater level when you screw up.
We are not being divided by the political parties, we contribute to dividing our country by our attitudes and our hypocrisy. We want to have the freedom of religion that our forefathers came here for, but want to take rights of others. Our country was founded on God, yes, but we are far from him. Where is our compassion, our love, our tolerance, our love, and our peace, our love!? We are called to pray for our nation, but are we praying for God's will or our idea of His will. Who are we to decide? Our rights say we can make the choice to follow God's law, shouldn't someone else be allowed to make the choice not to?
Why do nonbelievers look at what we have to offer and turn away? We come in judgment instead of love. We say that what they stand for is wrong and yet we make the same choices. We say that our way is the ONLY way and then veer directly from it. The political parties are not dividing us, our attitudes of us against them are dividing us. We can stand up as a church and declare our rights, but I don't believe that that means it is alright to take other's rights just because we don't agree with their choices. While the church may be convinced that those choices make them evil, it does not mean that our country cannot afford them those rights.
Very powerful. Anna
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