True Love is...
Recently the United Church of Christ has been on the news because they advertise that they "accept" everyone. This is supposed to be some sort of commentary on traditional-minded congregations. Maybe they are trying to say the real message of Jesus is to love everyone and it's all very warm and fuzzy.
The problem with that approach is that it's like a quick fix. You might find a way to cheat on your written driver's exam or even bribe your way into a valid drivers license but when you find yourself in the emergency room all broken up because you didn't understand the rules of the road, who is to blame? If you lawyered up and sued someone who would that be? Certainly not yourself- you'd go after the guy you bribed. The point is that whenever we look the other way there are consequences to reap.
What I mean is that the United Church of Christ may or may not believe (it's made up of hundreds or thousands of people, so who knows what each individual really thinks or if they all agree?) that certain things really are "sins" and really should be dealt with. They may believe all that matters is love or SAYING you are a Christian. But what does that mean?
I always said those who insist that true Christianity exists outside the teachings of the Bible are crazy. That's like me saying I'm a blackbelt in Karate and just wearing the white and black but never studying the ancient teachings karate is founded on and never practicing the martial art. Am I really a blackbelt? NO! I would get beat down in two seconds flat by a real blackbelt no matter how much I insist I am one also. And how about if I tell you I can make you a blackbelt "just like me" and teach you to play hopscotch and then hand you a black belt? Are you now prepared for a match with a karate champion? NO!
Similarly, those who claim to be Christians but think that the Bible is either "wrong" in some way or "outdated" are only inviting God's wrath and worst of all, they invite that wrath on others by teaching them to feel content in their sin.
People who don't believe either in heaven or hell focus on what's here. So they like churches that embrace everyone "as is". Meanwhile, true Christians love you enough to make certain you get into the Kingdom of Heaven. The very one that Jesus warned was coming and so we had better "repent" (or metanoia, a Greek word that means changing your total worldview as if coming back to sanity from madness).
Jesus spoke about hell. That is what these churches don't talk about. And that is what those who don't practice Christianity but are bothered by its influences focus on. They want that kind of "Christianity" to win out because they are afraid. I've said before I don't believe in mixing politics and religion or having laws passed which supposedly mirror the standards of God when it's IMPOSSIBLE to live in some sort of Christian Utopia here on earth. Come on, right-wingers! That's what Heaven is for! If the first century martyrs endured life in ancient Rome we can surely hash it out here in America.
In conclusion, there might be churches out there who want to keep a happy and vast congregation but the TRUE church of Christ is one that REAPS A HARVEST OF REPENTANT SOULS WHO IN TURN HELP OTHERS TO REPENT AND WILL ALL ONE DAY BE WITH HIM (JESUS) IN HEAVEN.
It takes true love and true courage to speak to someone about their sins and to confess to them your own so that together you can trudge on and hopefully walk together into the heavenly kingdom. Now THAT makes me feel warm and fuzzy.
The problem with that approach is that it's like a quick fix. You might find a way to cheat on your written driver's exam or even bribe your way into a valid drivers license but when you find yourself in the emergency room all broken up because you didn't understand the rules of the road, who is to blame? If you lawyered up and sued someone who would that be? Certainly not yourself- you'd go after the guy you bribed. The point is that whenever we look the other way there are consequences to reap.
What I mean is that the United Church of Christ may or may not believe (it's made up of hundreds or thousands of people, so who knows what each individual really thinks or if they all agree?) that certain things really are "sins" and really should be dealt with. They may believe all that matters is love or SAYING you are a Christian. But what does that mean?
I always said those who insist that true Christianity exists outside the teachings of the Bible are crazy. That's like me saying I'm a blackbelt in Karate and just wearing the white and black but never studying the ancient teachings karate is founded on and never practicing the martial art. Am I really a blackbelt? NO! I would get beat down in two seconds flat by a real blackbelt no matter how much I insist I am one also. And how about if I tell you I can make you a blackbelt "just like me" and teach you to play hopscotch and then hand you a black belt? Are you now prepared for a match with a karate champion? NO!
Similarly, those who claim to be Christians but think that the Bible is either "wrong" in some way or "outdated" are only inviting God's wrath and worst of all, they invite that wrath on others by teaching them to feel content in their sin.
People who don't believe either in heaven or hell focus on what's here. So they like churches that embrace everyone "as is". Meanwhile, true Christians love you enough to make certain you get into the Kingdom of Heaven. The very one that Jesus warned was coming and so we had better "repent" (or metanoia, a Greek word that means changing your total worldview as if coming back to sanity from madness).
Jesus spoke about hell. That is what these churches don't talk about. And that is what those who don't practice Christianity but are bothered by its influences focus on. They want that kind of "Christianity" to win out because they are afraid. I've said before I don't believe in mixing politics and religion or having laws passed which supposedly mirror the standards of God when it's IMPOSSIBLE to live in some sort of Christian Utopia here on earth. Come on, right-wingers! That's what Heaven is for! If the first century martyrs endured life in ancient Rome we can surely hash it out here in America.
In conclusion, there might be churches out there who want to keep a happy and vast congregation but the TRUE church of Christ is one that REAPS A HARVEST OF REPENTANT SOULS WHO IN TURN HELP OTHERS TO REPENT AND WILL ALL ONE DAY BE WITH HIM (JESUS) IN HEAVEN.
It takes true love and true courage to speak to someone about their sins and to confess to them your own so that together you can trudge on and hopefully walk together into the heavenly kingdom. Now THAT makes me feel warm and fuzzy.
posted by Spleengrrl @ 5:50 PM
5 Comments:
At 10:00 PM,
Kathy said…
I'm surprised that you would attack the United Church of Christ. I thought you might be excited by Christians who refuse to be duped by haters.
Also, who says the Christians who admit gays and unwed mothers don't believe in or adhere to teachings in the bible?
Also, neither God nor Jesus wrote the bible, and you cannot deny that there were conscious editing choices, errors, and omissions.
At 1:27 PM,
Kathy said…
Oh yeah, and another thing... I think your karate analogy works better when you flip around. Thumping "the Bible" and hating gay people is like the costume of the martial arts robe and belt. Studying and practicing the discipline leeds to better skills and the black belt if you will. The deeper experience of Christianity includes the practice of treating people well, feeling doubt, taking part in an open fellowship, developing an evolving understanding of justice and the historical context for the Church and its texts.
Also, Good good Friday and Easter to you.
At 10:22 AM,
Spleengrrl said…
I DON'T HATE ANYONE! Neither does anyone in my church. There are tons of unwed mothers and (formerly) gay people in the church. I am formerly a lot of things as well. I've never had children but not because I didn't have unwed sex. The unwed mothers in the church come in and receive an incredible amount of love. Their children receive a whole new very large extended family and the care of male role models. But we don't say, "Go ahead, members- go out, have unwed sex and keep having kids without a father." That's the point. Sin is not tolerated but sinners are forgiven and accepted.
There are gay people who have chosen to follow Christ and who then make a conscious decision to adhere to the Bible's teachings.
You, Kathy, might believe the Bible was written by men who then edited it but that's ludicrous. The teachings are SO HARD no man would write them. Men in my church don't have sex unless they are married. Masturbation is not allowed. Neither is lying- of any kind. No white lies, no nothing. The teachings to forgive people are very hard. There are people who would never forgive a certain hurt or certain wrong but we HAVE TO.
The Bible was written by men carried along by the Holy Spirit. To deny that is to blaspheme the Spirit and that is the only unforgivable sin according to Jesus our Lord.
Please don't slander me by calling me a Bible-thumping hater. Everyone who knows me knows I don't hate anybody and the ones who've met my friends from church know they are very caring and loving people. My parents are Catholics and didn't approve of my "changing" to a "different faith" but they love my friends from church and have benefitted from these friendships as they've continually helped us out through MANY things. Everyone in my family knows these Christians to have an upstanding character thanks to the teachings of the Bible no matter what their former lives were about. Some were hateful people in the past but that has been nailed to the cross and that is what I celebrate on Easter.
At 10:26 AM,
Spleengrrl said…
As for attacking that church, I am glad when people have a way to express faith and spirituality but I worry for their souls when a church, well-meaning as may be, whitewashes their sins so that they might feel good about themselves here on earth but then face judgment. You, like I said, don't believe in heaven or hell so you don't care about that but you should know that many people do and that is their motivation- a love of someone so deep they will risk losing them and being called a "hater" to ensure they make it to heaven.
At 10:40 AM,
Kathy said…
Points of clarification: I never called you a bible thumper or a hater, nor did I tell you that I don't believe in Heaven or Hell.
I don't think dialogue is possible between people like me and you on the subject of the Bible and Christianity. That's fine, but we just have to face facts.
That said -- From what I understand, the biblical source for calling gayness a sin is the book of Leviticus. In the same book, you will find condemnation, damnation, threats of death even for people who curse their parents, men who get with women on their periods, people who cut their beards or hair, and people who eat pork. There are parts of the bible that give the ok to having slaves, multiple wives, and human sacrifices.
My questions (not fighting words, ok?) to you, Spleengirl --
Do you go along with every word of the bible?
Why is it wrong to put some parts of the bible into historical context (pork at the time made people sick) and not others?
Are there parts of the bible in which you might find support for gay love?
Also, are there other parts of the bible, aside from Leviticus, that discuss gayness and its classifcation as a sin? I don't really know, and I defer to you on this.
My questions are ones that many Christians ask themselves. It's part of the practice and exploration. Plus it's fun to exercise one's intellectual skills. Even as a Catholic school kid, and as a camper at an Episcopal summer camp, we were encouraged to ask tough and frank questions about the way to God. We were allowed to have different answers than yours. I was never told that some answers would lead me to hell.
I later met people like you who have absolute answers. It's like there are two different kinds of Christians. Once-born types would never say your group is going to hell, but your born-again group says everyone but them is.
You have no idea how disrespectful and ignorant it comes across. I know your people eat pork and cut their hair. I know they cheat on their wives and have sex outside of marriage. Even gay sex. I know they don't always help people.
You say accepting people as faithful is lying and "white-washing" sins, whatever that means. You say, fine with "feel good" ways, but they just have to accept that you know for a fact that they're going to hell. That's all.
It's upsetting, and it's the source of the eject pew commercials.
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