Disclaimer: I don't have all the answers. The contents of this post are merely the result of some tough questions that I have been wrestling through with God over the course of the last few months. I, in no way, wish to debate. I am, however, open for discussion.
While digging through some rather muddy waters, the thought that I keep coming back to is, "something's not right." I am no theologian - I don't even have my college degree yet, but it doesn't take a genius to recognize the inconsistencies within the claims of the Church and the actions that follow those claims. For example, we fight tooth and nail for the "sanctity of life," yet this doctrine seems to be nulled when homosexuality is thrown in the mix. We preach on the practices of forgiveness and reconciliation on Sunday, but come Monday continue to burn bridges in the name of "righteousness."
To be honest, I am surprised that my jaw has not immediately dropped in response to some things that I have heard self-proclaimed "Christ followers" say. What's even worse is that many Christians use the Word of God to condone their prejudice, hatred, and mudslinging. Yep - you heard me right. Verses like Matthew 5:11 - "Blessed are you when people insult you, persecute you and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of me." - are used as justification for Christians to act and speak in ways that would (I'm pretty sure) cause Jesus to toss over a few tables in frustration. I can't imagine that God intended this verse to promise blessings to believers who treat others with an immense amount of disrespect. We often apply this verse to "us" (believers) versus "them" (non-believers) situations, but what if it was speaking more toward Pharisees "versus" Disciples (both of whom are "believers")? What if the persecution that Jesus was referring to was actually the result of Christ followers actually following Christ's lead? I'm not wanting to teach watered down doctrine or tolerance, in fact I'm speaking against it. As I said earlier, I'm not wanting a debate, but I encourage you to seriously and prayerfully re-evaluate the Church. As they say, everything is not always black and white. I challenge you to wrestle with the questions that are found amongst the grays.
p.s. I have not lost hope in the Church.
