Greetings all - Just wanted to share a post I made recently on another website about Christians and Hatred. It was more specific then that mind you but since I am responding to a perception about something I am against as well... I did not want to drag that topic into my blog and get painted with the wrong brush because of its nature and topic.
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Greetings all. I just wanted to weigh in as well. I am actually actively involved in Christian ministry. I am not a paper carrying minister but I do work with people all the time and regularly go out on the streets of Ireland and talk to people that are interested. So... from the onset I know most people will have an opinion of me before I even get to my point of my post but please hear me out. I know I hear a multitude of tl/dr coming my way.
I want to lay a foundation of thought before I come back to the OP if that is ok.
I agree. Christians are some of the most annoying, self righteous pain in the backside people in the world. They are regularly caught being two faced - living one way and acting another. Gossiping, back-biting, slander, and outright hate to one another let alone others outside their clicks (in church and out).
I am a Christian and I see this all the time and I agree what people that put the Christian label on themselves show very little of any Christ-like behavior. I cringe when I see the morons on (so called) Christian TV shouting at the screen and begging or demanding money. I wish sometimes I could set the other ones right - that picket the solders funerals and shout hate and shout random scripture at people as they pass by. I have seen the exact same thing and it bothers me - in a very different way I am sure.... but it bothers me as well.
I would like to introduce a concept now however - as I know others like myself inside the Christian body have done... unfortunately we categorize these people as being at best - uninformed and uneducated people that got a hold of one concept or another and decided to make it their life work - deriding another human being.
"A Churchian" - Someone that attends church and thinks that this is somehow enough to make them right in the eyes of God and others around them. They talk the talk and walk... well they act like they walk the walk but you see them stirring up mess all the time. They half listen to any real teaching and only remember the parts they like. They do little if any bible study on their own time. They do the "christian thing" because they grew up in the church or it was the popular thing to do or be at some time. These people have never had any real relationship with God and are easy to stir up with "causes" to fight or rally against because they have little or no foundation in the Living Word of God. A churchian would have no problem standing on a street corner and shouting hate at someone else regardless of the reason or topic because it is the popular thing to do and they are easily lead around by leadership they never checked out.
(Quick fact - on average in 1990 in an estimated church of 100 people only 20 would regularly attend, tithe and offer, and attend bible study) It is spoken in many circles that since the hard times economically that this number may be 10 in 100 today. (iffy source - gallup poll i think)
Basically in a so called real church - only 10 people in 100 are what could be pointed at and declared to be active living christians by their lifestyle and their actions on a daily basis. These people usually carry the weight of any real work in the church - expenses and so forth.
So you end up with a bunch of Churchians that are easily pulled away - offended - and are worse than so called sheep like Christians because they only got a bit of information and think they are doing right. When in reality they end up moving to groups of people that are just like them and and no more educated - they elect one a leader or pastor and then go on some crusade against a supposed evil. (I do not know how God sees these people - but let me voice my opinion in this and say that I suspect highly they do not know God and when they claim to represent Him... well sometimes I wish lightning bolts did still come down for such things.)
"Religiousicans" - These people show up at funerals, special holidays and then only once in the year or they feel like they are overdoing it. These are the ones that get mad when you ask them if they know God. They grew up in religion and hate hearing anything that reminds them they have not got a clue about God.
These are the ones that follow some denominational mandate they read on a piece of paper sent down from leadership or some holy-one leading the organization that change from year to year and treat it as gospel from God. They at best know there is a God but are so jaded that they won't look for Him outside the set rules from their organization.
"Crusaders" - These are the ones that can quote stuff out of the book that they have memorized when asked to do so by leadership. Easily to stir up and get angry about any given topic in a heartbeat. Have no time for Christians that come along and talk to them about being polite, stop hating, and get ready for violence if you ask them about their relationship with God. These are the ones on the street corner with the loud hailers shouting hate at everything that passes regardless of who it is. They can rattle off more scripture and quotes and nonsense then anyone else but have no time for the person that points out any scripture about Love, Compassion, Charity, Peace, and so forth.
Now. Let us come back to the original post and topic at hand. If your still reading this I salute you! I would have skipped over much of this as well at this point.
The man or woman that I consider a REAL Christian would not hate anyone regardless. I have had people to terrible and mean things to me in so called christian ways and it takes some work - but I forgave them all. (examples if you really want to know later on)
I would not think for a second that the person with some protest sign that says "God hates XYZ" is doing anything more then cluttering up the sidewalks and trying to get on the news. I feel nothing for them in a Christian sense and to be honest would work at talking to them to get them to see the light... just as much as the person standing on the bridge ready to jump.
When you look at the real example of how we are supposed to live a Christian life... Jesus Christ is our ONE and only true example.
He hung around fishermen - they smelled like fish.
He ate with tax collectors and befriended prostitutes.
He touched lepers and showed he cared for them.
He spoke out with a passion against the "religious leaders" of the day telling them they were dead.
In my opinion if Jesus were here today - there would not be many well know churches that He would be welcome in and even fewer that He would want to visit.
In His day when he became angry it was against the religious of the time... not the so called sinners.
Is there such a thing as sin? Yes of course there is. Sin means simply to "miss it... " to make a mistake or be in circumstances where things are beyond your control and its not going good. The Bible many times calls sin a sickness or infection that affects ALL of human kind. Not one of us is without it. Not the man holding the sign and shouting... not the preacher in the pulpit, and not the people of any given target of hate and protest by morons calling themselves christian.
The difference only comes when we know that Jesus paid the price for all Sin - and on a personal and real relationship way - have to accept His payment and choose to lead a different life as a result.
That is what a Christian on the street should be conveying to others in the most real, genuine, and sincere way possible... no shouting involved really.
So... I agree the people that get labeled as being christian on TV and shouting hate and nonsense at others need to stop. They need to open that book they claim to know so well and study love, peace, joy, hope, and righteousness and find out they got the wrong end of the stick and repent and refocus their life on the real mission that we are here on this planet for.
If you are still reading this you may have already dismissed me as being overly wordy and full of myself and my opinion - however please please please know - there are real Christians that feel they are being painted with the same brush as the shouty hate filled people and we would like to separate from that sort of stigmata as much as possible.
There is a supreme lack of Balance in the Christian world. It is called a Straight and Narrow path for a reason... few that find it are able to keep on it for long - not that it is difficult... but human nature is attracted to the things on the left and the right of the path in the ditch all to often that even if you are on the right path - you can find yourself in the wrong place at any given moment when you cop on. Guess what... you set your focus again and start walking it out best you can.
So if your a shouty "churchian, crusader, or a religiousican, or a wayward Christian all of that apply to you.
To anyone that is not on this narrow path watching the carnival act of so called main stream christianity... look for the ones in the middle trying to put their feet right and keep their focus on where they are going. They will be the ones that gather others around them by encouragement, love, and understanding.
The others on the side of the road... well... if you are any kind of spiritual person... pray for them. Ask God to open their eyes to His Amazing Grace that they can see they are not where they should be. For those of you that hate Christians with a passion for being even remotely linkable with those other fellas... I don't blame you one bit. But given the chance like today. I will try to tell you I am following Jesus and His example as best as I can and I am not related to those guys.
God sent Jesus to give us back a Relationship with Him... not give us religion.
We are all in the same boat without Jesus. Thank God He came and paid the price.
We as humans are all free to live however we choose. But given the chance God will show you the best plans for your life and the amazing things He has for you along the way.
Sorry for the long post. I look forward to genuine comments and or questions that you may have. I will respond to any real ones when I can if needed. I hope this was on topic enough to say here.
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