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.
This is good Becca. Your questions are valid and I had a discussion on this same topic with my mother the other week, discussing gay marriage and how to vote as a Christian. It is so true that this question is among the greys. Even after much thought I have no answer that I feel 100 percent good about. My only solution is to love everyone like God does and ask to see others through His eyes. There are so many more questions that I am still searching for answers, like "shouldn't I confront their sin? But I figure that if we all show love like we are suppose to and listen to the voice of God that in time those questions will answer themselves.
ReplyDeleteOh and I think you are exactly right about Matthew 11
-Keli
Thanks for reading it, Keli :) Sometimes I think that Christians think that questions are to be avoided, for it reflects some sort of doubt that they hold. WHAT?! haha. Keep seeking out those answers, my friend.
ReplyDeleteBecca you are sooooo wise!! I'm glad that you think about these things and reflect on them. This encourages me to take some more time to actually process what is going on in the world around me and how it is affecting my life as a Christian. I think the topic of homosexuality is so pushed aside in churches. People makes jokes about it all the time and do not see how disrespectful that it. I believe that even just saying "that's gay" could be taken offensively to someone. (I hate it when people use the word "retarded" out of the correct context and I know that offends a lot of people.) Isn't it possible though that because homosexuality is a newer "concept", people find themselves uncomfortable with the thought of talking about it so they resort to crude jokes and rude comments. (This makes themselves feel better and they avoid having to deal with the differences of others than themselves.) This concept carries over into all areas of life. Something is defferent than us-we feel uncomfortable-don't know how to handle it-so we don't. We choose the easier way and move on with our happy lives.
ReplyDelete...pretty pathetic
Courtney - I just saw your comment!
ReplyDeleteI firmly believe that fear is often the root of a lot of these actions/words. The uncertainties and uncomfortableness do often lead to our apathetic responses. I'm slowly learning to face tough questions head on, with the Spirit leading my footsteps.
Keep seeking, my friend :)