Having grown up as a son of the parsonage, I have been around the church and church folks all my life. I learned in latter years about being a Christian and what that has meant. There have been times that I was downright embarrassed to admit that I’m a Christian. You know, like when Falwell questioned the sexuality of Tinky Winky…when some preachers preach racial division from the pulpit…when some pedophile professing God molests a child…you know times like that. Recently I experienced another of those times as I sat and listened to a Baptist pastor who was explaining to the interviewer he was speaking to that he was actively praying for the death of Barack Obama, OUR president.
Why did this embarrass me you might ask. It embarrassed me because it’s difficult enough to share the good news of the gospel of Jesus Christ then when you add in whack jobs like this proclaiming to serve the same god you’re trying to convince someone else to serve. Personally, I don’t serve that guy’s god (notice the small g). My God is a God of peace, joy and love…not of hatred, death and malice. Especially since I haven’t posted in a while, I decided to just put out an apology to those whose view of Christianity has been skewed by those who really don’t truly represent Christ and those who, in a moment of weakness or stupidity, misrepresented Him in some way.
For every Christian who’s truly endeavoring to live in ‘Christ-like’ life. For every Christian who understands that the ‘church’ as an institution hasn’t properly served its calling in spreading God’s word. For each and every Christian that has sat in the pews and winced when they heard their pastors (or other man of God) say something that you truly know was their personal opinion. For every Christian who lives their life dailytrying to convey God’s message of joy, hope, peace, and love, I offer this apology.
- I apologize that you’ve had to deal with the idiocy of the camera-whores who stand on a soapbox and prostitute the Lord for whatever their protest is this week.
- I apologize that you’ve had to endure the stares of church folk who judge you based on what you wear, who you’re with, your race, or any other trivial reason that really doesn’t matter to God.
- I apologize that there are those who preach grace and mercy, but fail to extend either when someone falls into a situation in their life when they need either, or both.
- I apologize that you’ve had to be ridiculed, judged and insulted by the homosexual, adultering, fornicating, molesting church folks who openly bash you as you deal with the same issue.
- I apologize for you having to deal with the guy on your commute that cuts you off in traffic, curses you out, and gives you the middle finger as they swerve into the church parking lot to teach Sunday school, Bible study, or preach the Word.
- I apologize that you have to listen to the rants of those fanftics that pervert the Word to say that we ought to hate muslims, atheists, or anyone else who doesn’t believe in Him.
- I apologize that you’ve had to listen to and be subjected to the jeers, stares and insults of those who profess Christ, but treat you as though you’re nothing because you don’t.
- I apologize for you having to sit and listen to the sermons of those who think that all they need to do is share scriptures and washed out spiritual clichés and you’d get saved.
- I apologize that they didn’t take the time to realize that all you needed was someone to talk to…or a shoulder to lean on.
- I apologize for you having to deal with those self righteous, Bible toting, always suit wearing church folks who treat you like you’re going to hell because you like jeans a t-shirts, or piercings or tattoos or whatever.
- I apologize for every act of unrighteousness that you’ve experienced in corporate life at the hands of a Christian.
- I apologize for you being lied to, lied on, preyed on and victimized in the name of God.
- I apologize for the sermons you heard and the false Biblical teachings that are designed to separate you from your hard earned finances (especially in this recession).
- I apologize to every altar boy, youth participant, child congregant, summer camp attendee that was every touched, fondled, molested, raped, degraded, emasculated, or otherwise hurt at the hands of a representative of the church.
- I apologize that the church that these people represented failed to reach out to you and exhibit the love of God after your innocence was taken and your faith shattered by their actions.
- I apologize that they turned their backs on you, told you to keep quiet and may or may not have offered you a settlement as they left you to reassemble your life, faith and image of God.
- I apologize for the times you went to the church for comfort, advice and guidance only to hear your issues being discussed in Bible study or immortalized in a sermon. Especially those times that they told everyone what you were dealing with so they could ‘pray for you’.
- I apologize for those who fail to meet the need of the community, share the word of God, feed and clothe the unfortunate because they have ‘better things to do’ or could be working overtime.
- I apologize for you having to deal with the attitude of those who came to help you, but did so with an attitude, complaining, or just made you feel stupid or less intelligent than them while they did it.
- I apologize for your embarrassment when you couldn’t repay the funds you needed that a Christian gave to you and they made sure everyone knew it.
- I apologize for those extremists who engage in activities that hurt others, destroy private, or public property, and blame it on God.
- I apologize for those who will overlook thievery, adultery, lying, and all other forms of sin to beat the gay community over the head because they are ‘outside of the will of God.’
- I most humbly and ashamedly apologize for you having to wonder if prayers for the death of someone else is what Christians do. For you having to wonder if pastors [or other Christians] can really determine or decide whether you are saved or not. For you having to listen to the lies, hatred, and ignorance of a man who has been entrusted with the role of shepherd of a flock of believers.
- I further apologize for each and every other infraction, insult, pain, or wrong done to oyu in the name of the Lord...it is not His will that you would suffer.
If you can find it in your heart to forgive “us” I'm sure there's a Christian around you somewhere who would gladly share the love of God with you. Or we'd be glad to just talk about the weather, sports, or world news…
Mr. Anderson, and those like him, infect the minds of those who don’t know God, know little about religion and turns them away. They paint us all with one stroke, much like our society has done to the Muslim community. I pray that you realize that we are not all like that; we don’t all desire our president to get brain cancer; we’re not all extremists.
I can honestly say that what Mr. Anderson said in no way represents the God I serve, neither the Bible I read, nor those that serve the God I do and read the Word I do.
You see, the scriptures in the Bible I read directs Christians to pray for those who lead our government, not for their downfall or their demise, but that God’s will be done through them.
Scripture dictates that we love our neighbor as we love ourselves…no one would pray for brain cancer for themselves.
Spiritual folks and religious folks have, for years, manipulated God’s Word for their own personal purpose. Hence I quote no scripture, but encourage you to read, decipher, and discern the Word of god on your own. I guarantee you’ll not come to the same conclusion of Mr. Anderson.
‘It’s Just My Opinion, but I’m Not Wrong’[look it up]
