I read an interesting blog just a few minutes ago, and one paragraph stood out to me...and by "stood out," I mean it made be want to punch a hole in the wall:
"Some Christian conservatives believe such laws [anti-bullying legislation] communicate approval of homosexuality and thus disapproval of traditional Christian teaching on sexuality."
Okay...
ARE YOU KIDDING ME??!!
I know it may be space-saving, but seriously, those Christians should consider removing their heads from their butts long enough to get a breath of fresh air and perhaps a healthy gulp of sanity. Really...you're so worried about protecting your "traditional Christian teaching on sexuality" that you're willing to stand IDLY BY while people are bullied to the point of depression, hopelessness, and even suicide...really?
People are dying...three boys literally killed themselves because they thought it was better than having to endure more ridicule, criticism, taunting, intimidation, dehumanization, and bullying...and you're worried that helping them out might accidentally be misconstrued as approving of their lifestyle and somehow shake the very foundations of your religious platform?
I don't have anything nice to say, so I'll share a snippet from Brennan Manning's The Ragamuffin Gospel:
There is a fascinating passage in chapter 8 of John's Gospel about the woman caught in sin. Remember how the crowd dragged her before Jesus and asked, "What do we do about her? She was caught in adultery. Moses says we should stone her, but the Romans won't let us stone people. What do You think?"
Jesus ignores them and begins to write in the sand. Then He looks up and says, "Well, let the one here who hasn't committed any sin throw the first rock." One by one they drift away. Then Jesus says to the woman, "Is there no one here to condemn you?"
She says, "No one, Lord."
He says, "Okay, go, and don't commit this sin anymore."
Get the picture? Jesus didn't ask her if she was sorry. He didn't demand a firm purpose of amendment. He didn't seem too concerned that she might dash back into the arms of her lover. She just stood there and Jesus gave her absolution before she asked for it.
The nature of God's love for us is outrageous. Why doesn't this God of ours display some taste and discretion in dealing with us? Why doesn't He show more restraint? To be blunt about it, couldn't God arrange to have a little more dignity? Wow!
Now, if we were in His position, we'd know perfectly well how to behave...I don't think anyone reading this would have approved of throwing rocks at the poor woman in adultery, but we would have made darn sure she presented a detailed act of contrition and was firm in her purpose of amendment. Because if we let her off without saying she was sorry, wouldn't she be back into adultery before sunset?
No, the love of our God isn't dignified at all, and apparently that's the way He expects our love to be. Not only does He require that we accept His inexplicable, embarrassing kind of love; but once we've accepted it, He expects us to behave the same way with others. I suppose I could live, if I had to, with a God whose love for us is embarrassing, but the thought that I've got to cat that way with other people - that's a bit too much to swallow.
Well said, Brennan.
How is it that a people who are supposed to be known for their love (John 13:35) are balking at the chance to help people who are being tormented?
The good news is, there are people out there speaking out against the intolerance and hate. My friend, Nathan, just wrote a post about this and included videos of Ellen Degeneres, Andrew Marin, and Tim Gunn speaking out as people who want to be part of the solution. Chris Colfer just released a video on youtube with a similar theme. While the majority of conservative Christianity gets its crap together, listen to those voices.
Here's the deal: it frustrates me to no end to read a blog on CNN.com that talks about conservative Christians living into the stereotype of being small-minded, scared, and alarmist. I'm a conservative Christian...I don't like being painted with that brush. I choose a different brush: "God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and love and self-control." (2 Tim. 1:7)
I am a Christian, and I am anti-bully.
7 comments:
Well said sir.
Preach it, brother.
I agree with Anonymous. I especially like your last paragraph.
your comments are beautiful, I wish more people of your faith felt the way that you do. Keep up the writing!
Thanks Josh, this is well said, passionate and re-frames the problem/question. We need to do this better in/as the church - way too much is at stake.
As I get older I am beginning to see the world around me and though I am generally a positive person and always seem to think everything is ok even when it's not I hear stories like this and it devistates me. I wish that these teenagers could just stick around long enough to realize that things will be ok or at least to realize that there's always a better way "out". As for religion, I am a religious person. I used to go to church more often than I currently do except that I started noticing a lot of the people that were going to church were hypocrites. It bothered me a lot that I went to church and heard other members talk negatively about other members, it bothered me to see how rude some of the parishioners were to other members. We are all men and men are filled with flaws from the pastor on down. No one is perfect and no two human beings are alike. Why people judge is beyond me.
well, i'm a few months too late on this (i was randomly looking at blogs and happened to be on yours). what a beautiful post. i don't really know where to begin with bullying...but you took whatever thoughts i had and strung them together beautifully. very well said.
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