RevBigfoot.com

Over the past thousand years, or so, Christianity has developed a seriously bad reputation for blood shed, intolerance, and out-right dishonor. Just a few examples are:




The Crusades, where a bunch of Kings and Knights from all over Europe decided “in the name of Christ” to go conquer the holy land and take it back from the “Infidels.”




The Spanish Inquisition, where Spanish monks, under the direction of the Vatican, decided to round up all of the “unbelievers” and try out some new and interesting torture techniques on them until they either converted or died.




Then we have groups such as the Westboro Baptist Church (WBC), who has taken it upon themselves to broadcast to anyone who will listen about how God hates everybody. Ok, not everybody, just gays, and pretty much anyone who isn’t them.




If someone were to look at even these few examples, and there are many others, it is no wonder that there are so many people that are turning to Atheism, Agnosticism, or other religions such as Islam, Hinduism, Buddhism, Paganism, etc…

Though, if anyone were to actually read the Bible they would discover that at the very core of Christianity is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, and temperance (fruits of the Spirit). These are the very attributes that Jesus displayed while here on earth, even when he was rebuking the Pharisees for being hypocrites.

I think it would be safe to say that you would not find Jesus holding up signs that read “God Hates Fags” or the like.

First of all because that his not His style.

Second, because this is completely contrary to what the Bible teaches. God does not hate “fags”, or homosexuals, or gays, or murderers, or alcoholics, or thieves, or embezzlers, or pedophiles, or tax evaders, or adulterers, etc…. God considers all of these people His children who have been led astray, therefore, He loves them.

God hates Sin, not the person sinning.

Of course groups like the WBC do not convey this. Instead they feel it appropriate to show up at places like military funerals and protest against the very country they are living in, and most of the people who live in it. One has to wonder if they have ever read Romans 13. I can almost hear Jesus talking to them as if they were the church of Ephesus. Their hearts might be in the right place, but they are extraordinarily misguided, and have “forgotten their first love.”

Of course the WBC is not the only group within the Christian religion that is guilty of forgetting their first love. There are plenty of groups within Christianity that still use negative messages to bash “non-believers” over the head with their sin in an attempt to get them to repent and join the church.

It is time for Christians as a whole to start walking in Jesus’ footsteps and start using love to bring people into the church. Love is a much more effective tool than hate or fear.