true colors
Something strange has been happening at my church recently. In the past year, there was a lot of stress and unhappiness there, which is not exactly welcoming in what is supposed to be a House of God. We even had a therapist come in to try to fix whatever was going on. What he eventually managed to get out of us was that there was a small, conservative group causing trouble and disruption throughout the congregation. I had been mostly unaware of these folks, but what I have been finding out about them after this was brought to light was astounding to me.
It seems there were three ultra-conservative families at the church. They had all been attending there for some time, at first laying low and not saying much. I guess because I hadn't attended certain church functions that I had sort of missed out some of their unusual behavior, and since church is not supposed to be a place for gossip I didn't hear what had been going on.
Family #1 was the first to be "outed," if you will. The father announced at a Bible study that the Jewish people were completely responsible for killing Jesus and therefore should still be held accountable. What this guy didn't realize is that the local rabbi happens to be one of our pastor's closest friends. The pastor actually got pissed enough that evening to tell this guy to take a hike, a decision which most people firmly supported, myself included.
Family #2 was disruptive at different church meetings. The parents often picked fights with other church members. It almost seemed like their personal mission to constantly start trouble this past year. They home-school their children and firmly believe in the Bible story of Creation. They told kids at Vacation Bible school that if you weren't a Christian, you were going to hell. Some of these children were as young as 3 and 4 years old (my son missed it - Thank God). I think their oldest is going to be in for the shock of his life when he goes off to college this year (although I would assume it will be a very conservative Christian college, so maybe it won't be as bad as I think). When our pastor made a comment in one of his sermons about how the Old Testament led to three great religions, they yelled at him and told him that there was only one true religion and he had no business acknowledging any other ones. I couldn't believe it. He went to seminary and got his degree in divinity, studied all sorts of languages, knows tons about history and art, and here these two were telling him HE was wrong. After trying to reason with them, the pastor gave up and they left, too.
Family #3 also struggled with the fact that our pastor said there were other religions besides Christianity. They tried to tell him he was wrong about that, too, although I heard they weren't quite as rude as family #2. Ultimately, they left, as well.
The thing I don't understand about these people is that they claimed to be Christians in the first place. Someone who is a true Christian doesn't judge, or cast blame, and understands that every person on this earth is a child of God, no matter what their religion or creed (sure, some people act like jerks sometimes or whatever, but that's their problem). Everyone is worthy of love, compassion and forgiveness (again, that's harder with some than others, but still). Christianity is really a minority religion that isn't even practiced in many parts of the world. To say that all those people are not going to meet God just because they aren't Christians, well, that's ridiculous. I suspect many religions worship different versions of the same God. I don't think Heaven or the afterlife is going to just have Christians and no one else. It wouldn't be a very full place if that's how it is. I think that if God is going to judge you at the end of your life, He is going to look at how you lived and whether or not you were a good person, not what church you went to.
Why do people murder in the name of religion? Why do they use it like some sort of vicious shield? Why do they use it to make it seem that somehow they are better than others? It's a sickness.
Jesus Christ was a Jewish carpenter. He loved everyone, from the apostles to the tax collectors to the prostitutes, because he knew the worst sinners needed the most compassion. Why is this so hard for so-called Christians to understand? Why can't they relate? Do they really think that Jesus would have turned his back on a Muslim and told him he or she was going to hell? Because I don't think that was how Jesus worked at all.
I can't understand why at least two of these families were so afraid of Evolution, but hey, if they want to spend the rest of their lives avoiding Natural History museums, that's their choice. I feel bad for the kids, since they have no choice in that decision, but it's not my problem. My pastor recently sent out a notice that some churches are trying to organize a celebration of Evolution on Charles Darwin's birthday, and that being a Christian and believing in science can go together. I think this is very cool. I am glad our pastor accepts everyone. I suppose that's one of the reasons he had a calling in the first place.
I believe in God and Jesus Christ, and how he lived on earth. I'd like to think I actually am a decent Christian. I hope that I am. I guess someday I'll find out how I did. But for now, goodbye, pseudo-Christians. You taught me a lot about how I don't want to be.
It seems there were three ultra-conservative families at the church. They had all been attending there for some time, at first laying low and not saying much. I guess because I hadn't attended certain church functions that I had sort of missed out some of their unusual behavior, and since church is not supposed to be a place for gossip I didn't hear what had been going on.
Family #1 was the first to be "outed," if you will. The father announced at a Bible study that the Jewish people were completely responsible for killing Jesus and therefore should still be held accountable. What this guy didn't realize is that the local rabbi happens to be one of our pastor's closest friends. The pastor actually got pissed enough that evening to tell this guy to take a hike, a decision which most people firmly supported, myself included.
Family #2 was disruptive at different church meetings. The parents often picked fights with other church members. It almost seemed like their personal mission to constantly start trouble this past year. They home-school their children and firmly believe in the Bible story of Creation. They told kids at Vacation Bible school that if you weren't a Christian, you were going to hell. Some of these children were as young as 3 and 4 years old (my son missed it - Thank God). I think their oldest is going to be in for the shock of his life when he goes off to college this year (although I would assume it will be a very conservative Christian college, so maybe it won't be as bad as I think). When our pastor made a comment in one of his sermons about how the Old Testament led to three great religions, they yelled at him and told him that there was only one true religion and he had no business acknowledging any other ones. I couldn't believe it. He went to seminary and got his degree in divinity, studied all sorts of languages, knows tons about history and art, and here these two were telling him HE was wrong. After trying to reason with them, the pastor gave up and they left, too.
Family #3 also struggled with the fact that our pastor said there were other religions besides Christianity. They tried to tell him he was wrong about that, too, although I heard they weren't quite as rude as family #2. Ultimately, they left, as well.
The thing I don't understand about these people is that they claimed to be Christians in the first place. Someone who is a true Christian doesn't judge, or cast blame, and understands that every person on this earth is a child of God, no matter what their religion or creed (sure, some people act like jerks sometimes or whatever, but that's their problem). Everyone is worthy of love, compassion and forgiveness (again, that's harder with some than others, but still). Christianity is really a minority religion that isn't even practiced in many parts of the world. To say that all those people are not going to meet God just because they aren't Christians, well, that's ridiculous. I suspect many religions worship different versions of the same God. I don't think Heaven or the afterlife is going to just have Christians and no one else. It wouldn't be a very full place if that's how it is. I think that if God is going to judge you at the end of your life, He is going to look at how you lived and whether or not you were a good person, not what church you went to.
Why do people murder in the name of religion? Why do they use it like some sort of vicious shield? Why do they use it to make it seem that somehow they are better than others? It's a sickness.
Jesus Christ was a Jewish carpenter. He loved everyone, from the apostles to the tax collectors to the prostitutes, because he knew the worst sinners needed the most compassion. Why is this so hard for so-called Christians to understand? Why can't they relate? Do they really think that Jesus would have turned his back on a Muslim and told him he or she was going to hell? Because I don't think that was how Jesus worked at all.
I can't understand why at least two of these families were so afraid of Evolution, but hey, if they want to spend the rest of their lives avoiding Natural History museums, that's their choice. I feel bad for the kids, since they have no choice in that decision, but it's not my problem. My pastor recently sent out a notice that some churches are trying to organize a celebration of Evolution on Charles Darwin's birthday, and that being a Christian and believing in science can go together. I think this is very cool. I am glad our pastor accepts everyone. I suppose that's one of the reasons he had a calling in the first place.
I believe in God and Jesus Christ, and how he lived on earth. I'd like to think I actually am a decent Christian. I hope that I am. I guess someday I'll find out how I did. But for now, goodbye, pseudo-Christians. You taught me a lot about how I don't want to be.