In reading the comments from different news stories for AOL’s Huffington Post, I am amazed and appalled at how the teachings of Jesus Christ have been twisted. If you dare stand up for any kind of traditional morals and family values, you are immediately castigated as some imbecile, completely out of touch with today’s compassionate, tolerant society.
The persecution and vitriolic hatred of Christians that is spewed in our direction is like being sprayed with some type of corrosive acid. I’ve tried to make cogent, gentle but truthful statements and the overwhelming reaction is akin to a vampire’s rage when presented with a cross! But the thing I especially enjoy, is being told who Jesus was (not ‘is’) and what He would think about this or that issue.
One news item I commented on was about Felisha Archuleta of Denver, Colorado, who is protesting a Denver Girl Scout troop’s decision not to allow her (get this!) 7 year old, transgender ‘daughter’, Bobby Montona, to join the group. Quoting this Mother of the Year recipient, “I believe he was born in the wrong body, but the Girl Scout leader told us he can’t join because he has ‘boy parts’, but no one would know he’s a boy unless they pulled his pants down.” Sigh… I wonder what would happen is she believed he should have been born a Chihuahua? Would she protest when he wasn’t admitted to the Kennel Club??
This action prompted three leaders affiliated with the Northlake Christian School, in Covington, Louisiana, to resign and dissolve their troops. They feel this is, “extremely confusing,” and an “almost dangerous situation” for children that, “goes against what we [Northlake Christian School] believe.” My, how bigoted.
The Girl Scouts of Colorado subsequently released a statement through the Gay and Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation (GLADD) in support of Archuleta and her excluded ‘daughter’, noting, “If a child identifies as a girl and the child’s family presents her as a girl, Girl Scouts of Colorado welcomes her as a Girl Scout.” I wonder what happens they the kids hit the showers…
I am constantly reminded that today’s perception of Jesus Christ is completely different than the Jesus the Bible describes. For instance, and these are quotes, Jesus never condemned anyone-ever, was compassionate, tolerant, non-judgmental, accepting, loving and completely forgiving, even to those who didn’t ask for forgiveness. Christians, on the other hand, don’t act like Christ because we are exactly the opposite. We are bigoted, hateful, intolerant, stupid, judgmental, old-fashioned, unwanted, hypocrites, homophobic, ignorant of what the Bible really teaches and even a bunch of “*%^^$”, whatever that might mean.
Several of the article’s comments stood up for the Louisiana troop leader’s decision to disband rather than face some politically correct situation of being pressured into accepting non-traditional members. There is no doubt this would have presented itself sometime. The reaction to our comments along these lines was explosive, to say the least. There were over 6000 comments on this story and I would estimate only 1 out of every 30 were supportive of the values of the Bible.
For this mother to decide SHE believes her 7 year old son was born in the wrong body is so absurd it defies any maternal logic. The child’s opinion is not even mentioned. How long will it be before the brainwashing settles in and he begins to believe what the only person he looks to for truth and security is telling him? What happens when he turns 13 and the testosterone kicks in? Can you imagine the rage and confusion this poor kid faces? But I digress.
The point of this article is the overwhelming delusion that Jesus would have embraced this mother’s actions with complete acceptance. He would never judge what she is doing to her son because He loves everyone equally. Christians are the ones who don’t read the Bible correctly because we stand on the premise that mankind’s behavior is sinful and man is in need of forgiveness from God.
I’ve also heard the other side of the coin in which God is an ogre who ordered genocide, rapes, slavery and destroyed whole cities just because its inhabitants loved each other in a way He didn’t approve of. “What kind of ‘Neanderthal’ God is that? I want nothing to do with your God, which isn’t a problem because He is just a myth anyway.”
There were a couple of people whose unrealistic view of God I strongly refuted. I informed them the Jesus in their head was a fabrication. He never did and does not now exist. They invented a false Christ because they don’t want to be told how to live or what a Holy God’s expectations of we humans are and they don’t want to be accountable to Him but they are, like it or not. And yes, that is all in the Bible. Whoo Hoo, that went over well! I won’t list all of the names I was called.
But you know what? It honestly does not bother me. I don’t care one wit what they think of me, but I do take great offense when the God who redeemed me is castigated, mocked, denied or despised. The ironic thing about speaking out is this: Christians are held to an impossible standard of perfection by unbelievers. If we speak the truth in love about sin and its consequences as outlined by Scripture and even Christ Himself, we are hated and nearly threatened with bodily harm. If we live lives that participate in and accept the status quo of society, we are called hypocrites. I have to admit I’m getting weary of the fight.
It’s very comforting to remember that Jesus does not expect me to convince anyone of truth. That is the Holy Spirit’s job. My responsibility is to tell others about Christ’s redemption. I pray at least one person, somewhere, is influenced by what I say and comes to know the real Jesus.