Gay? Straight? Democrat? Republican? Oprah? I’ve just spent some time reading through some Christian blogs and landed on one from a church here in Germany. It is here that I found myself feeling a great sense of anger, growing deeper with every word I read.
Now, I’m not a biblical scholar and I’m not very good at reciting Scripture, but I’m getting there. Initially, I thought of a verse in Proverbs. I don’t know the chapter and verse, but it basically reads, think about what you say before you say it and sometimes it’s better just to keep your mouth shut. Again, obviously not a verbatim quote, but you get the point. I had to sit here and think for a minute….”God, are you telling me to shut my mouth?” Or is this the same ole crap where I feel something is so wrong, but choose not to speak out for fear of offending someone? Well, I’m tired of keeping my mouth shut, but I will say up front…IAM IN NO WAY MEANING TO OFFEND ANYONE!
These issues; politics, homosexuality, supposed cults, etc. They are the reason I can’t get too deeply involved in a church. I just can’t read these things and then turn around, put a smile on and act as if I agree with it….act as if it doesn’t bother me.
Let me say that I don’t, in any way, argue what the Bible teaches. It IS the Holy Word of God and that’s that! BUT do we really need to be so much on the defensive. Yes, protect your family, teach your children and keep yourself in line with Christ. Go out and evangelize, plant the seed, but do not think so highly of yourself to think you can change everyone. “A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. Just love em man! Have the same love for them, whoever “them” may be, as you do for anyone else.
Politics?
Personally, I don’t think politics has any business in a church. The church is to bring us together, as one, in Christ and there is very little about politics that does anything but divide us.
Homosexuality?
Enough of the “you’re gonna burn”! Dude, do you really think that’s helping anything? Yes, I believe that lifestyle is wrong and is detested in the Bible and I think most homosexuals, deep down, know that also. Instead of telling them how despicable they are and how they will suffer eternally, how about inviting them to church with you, teaching them the Word (again, planting the seed) and then….let God do the rest. It’s not our job to change people…it’s our job to love people and I just get IRATE when I read or hear about people, claiming to be Christians, talking about all of this separation.
Oprah?
You have got to be kidding me! Is Oprah now a matter of national security? Is she starting a new church? Does she preach? Who give a rip?! Since when did Oprah become an authority on Christianity? Oprah, kind of like homosexuals, has, I’m sure read some of the Bible. She knows, somewhere within her being, that there is no mention of every religion leading to God. I’m not going to get into what she says. For one, because I don’t claim to know it all, but mostly because I DO NOT CARE! She’s an entertainer and I used to watch her often and still do when it’s a show where she’s helping people. Yes, she’s reaching millions of people, but those people aren’t stupid. They’re, hopefully, kind of like me. They see her as what she is and not as someone to worship. Yes, I’ve seen the video where Oprah is associated with Obama, which must mean Obama is an “Oprah-bot”. I can’t imagine where that video came from. Can you? You can call it a cult or a new religion or whatever you want. I call it a TV show and I’ll leave it at that. Again, like gays and politicians, I love Oprah too.
Finally, and only because this post is way too long, STOP preaching fear people! This method of evangelizing was actually taught to me in an Evangelism 101 class. Well, I think that’s a load of bull! Just my opinion folks, but that’s the great thing about all of this…You don’t HAVE to agree with me. You’ll not hear me trying to scare people to Christ. I have spoken about hell and the nature of hell, but I would much rather talk to ya about the love of Christ and how His life exemplifies tons of sacrifices because of His love for us. Have you taken a look at the life of Christ lately? Did he scare Peter into following? No, as much as Peter wanted to think he was all good in the eyes of the Lord, Jesus knew, and told Peter what he would eventually do. Did He scream from the cross, “you’re all going to burn”? No, it went something like “forgive them Father, for they know not what they do.”
Bottom line: John 13:34 It all seems to come back to this for me. Gay, straight, democrat, republican, and yes, even Oprah. Love them all as He loves you!
