Two thousand years ago a man came to Earth who was called the "Messiah", and who sought to reconcile God and Humanity. The religious called him the "Son of God" and the "Son of Man" and also the "New Covenant", by which the sins of all were wiped clean with his blood. Oddly enough, there are those today who call themselves his followers and him "King Jesus" while "evangelizing" to transform the world into perfect little sinless utopias - and who, by stark contrast also reject completely that which he stood for.
I have often found it strange, if not a little gory that blood is such a recurring theme in the Christian faith - and even more disappointing that it is being supplemented by fresh blood in modern times.
He called people to love others and to show love to others - as they love themselves. He called people to forgive each other for wrongs done to them and not to seek revenge. He encouraged people to do unto others as they would have done to themselves and I have to wonder if they really hate themselves that much? I say this, because if the way they treat others - or would have done to them, then if they are applying this principle as they believe the Son of God commanded them to do, then logically they cannot be very fond of themselves. Not at all.
You have to wonder.
After all, it is hard to believe they would see themselves being rejected by their parents for their sexuality, being fired from their jobs for their gender identity, excluded from their church for being honest, being evicted from their homes for who they love, being ostracized from society for who they want to marry, being beaten and even killed in the streets just for existing - and then campaigning to oppose laws which would have this classified as hate crime.
Yes, I can see where their priorities lie.
Instead of loving other people as they love themselves, they are doing unto others as THEY would have done unto others. Instead of doing unto others as they would have done unto themselves, they are loving themselves only.
I think it is striking that Christ spent most of his time in the company of outcasts, showing them love and acceptance and the light of God.
They do not mix in the company of outcasts, but instead MAKE outcasts of people and deny them the light of God, showing them hatred and darkness.
Quite a difference indeed.
I think it is uniquely puzzling that they can seriously call other people a "threat to Christianity" when they are rejecting the crucial tenets of their own faith themselves?
I find it strange that those today called and calling themselves "Christian" fundamentalists, have chosen to take just a few points out of a book more than a thousand pages thick, as the fundamental points they need to stick to. I find it ironic that they have, true to form, taken the wrong ones.
There is one thing in the whole Christian bible - one thing, that were they truly Christian, and truly Christian "fundamentalists" would be right at the top of the list, superseding all others.
What would that be? Good question. Let's answer that question with more questions, shall we?
How much faith does it take to hate someone you have never met? More than is required to love a stranger? Less? How much courage does it take to participate in the destruction of the lives of people who have none or almost no rights in your society? More than standing up and speaking out against hate? What does it take to not hate when that is all others around you show?
The answer is surprisingly simple, like faith is - without boundaries set by oppressive laws, flawed doctrine, sinister agendas and corrupted scriptures.
Love.
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All material copyright © Christina Engela, 2019.
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