“But the tax collector stood at a distance. He would not even look up to heaven, but beat his breast and said, ‘God, have mercy on me, a sinner.’
“I tell you that this man, rather than the other, went home justified before God. For all those who exalt themselves will be humbled, and those who humble themselves will be exalted.”Luke 18:9-14
Prologue: this is a sad time in history to call oneself a “Christian”.
Recently, Arizona lawmakers passed a bill that would essentially legalize discrimination by allowing business owners to deny service to gay and lesbian couples.
However, Republicans are claiming the proposed legislation is a preventive measure meant to protect the religious freedom of business owners.
This is not just Arizona either. In fact, some five additional states have also attempted similar legislation, but have failed to get their legislation passed
How I long to weep for humanity!
I wish I could weep for humanity; instead, I am stuck weeping for the state of Christianity. I find myself these days embarrassed to call myself a Christian, and it has nothing to do with being ashamed of Christ.
It’s all very easy, isn’t it – to pass judgment on one another? This is what happens when Christianity becomes simply an “intellectual exercise”. That is, we get caught up in the abstract concepts that “we believe” the Bible teaches and then heave those like grenades out into “the world”. When did we forget the intent of the Bible; namely, that it was never meant for “the world” but the Christian?
There are many of those among us who emblazon themselves with the label of Christian while also sitting upon the lofty throne of their circumstance looking down on those to whom Christ has called us to minister. I fail to understand how this sort of worldview benefits the Kingdom of God?
Don’t they understand that their throne is not of their own accomplishments, but is a result of God’s mercy and grace? Why then can they not extend the same mercy and grace to others? I believe Christians need to get on their knees and repent from this atrocious cultural sin.
Less than 200 years ago many “Christians” argued that it was “biblical” to treat other humans like animals, to beat and slaughter them; to hunt down their children and rape their women. The religious elite of the day escaped humanities wrath by convincing an ignorant public they were simply carrying out the Will of God; for it came from God’s own Word.
These men failed to realize what seems so plainly obvious to us now. Namely, they were once slaves themselves. Slaves to sin, such as lust, pride, greed, etc. They repaid Christ back by enslaving him all over again. For every slave they beat, they, in turn, beat Christ; for every human they murdered, they themselves placed the iron nails through the wrists of Christ (Hebrews 6:4-6, Matthew 25:40).
They may have escaped humanities wrath, but they have certainly received God’s judgment.
Doctrine has become dangerous again. It is most important for the Christian to understand that no person will be judged for how they read the Bible. Instead, they will be judged for how they used it. If “Christians” really believed the bible was God’s Word, then they would treat it with humility and respect. They would do what it said instead of forcing others too. They would understand their place in relation to God.
Who are we to speak on behalf of God? We stand so proud and tall before God’s Word, don’t we? Was it not God’s Word that caused the Israelite’s to tremble in fear at Mount Sinai? Did God not bring forth the vast cosmos and everything in it with the gentle whisper of his voice?
Did God’s Word tell us to enslave blacks, or slaughter American Indians? Did God tell us that we should hunt young girls down and kill them under the banner of witchcraft?
Did God tell us that we should treat women like a second-class citizen; to subjugate them, and prevent them from ever truly feeling human? Instead of viewing women as the most beautiful gift God has given man we have enslaved them under our barbarism in order to reinforce some notion of power and authority we only think we have?
The rights of Christians
The justification presented in the aforementioned article was “…to protect the rights and convictions of religious business owners”.
Christians never have a right to discriminate against another class of people. EVER!
Christians (just like any other sub culture) have freedom insofar as it does NOT conflict with the freedoms of some other group/person. As Christians, we already live comfortably in this country – how much more comfort is necessary in order for us to be satisfied.
I leave you with my dear friend Soren Kierkegaard:
What do you think?