I don't know why exactly. I think it's for more than one reason. At first I thought, "Well, rarely have I seen anyone - Christian or otherwise - lined up to help at a food bank/homeless shelter." I'm not saying there aren't volunteers who faithfully feed the poor and give to the needy. I just don't think that kind of event gets our attention like standing up for "our rights." But also because I see a little bit of truth there and it stings. I had some time over the weekend by myself (I know, rarely does THAT happen) and I was able to put together my thoughts on this.
I drove past a Chick-Fil-A and my first thought was, "Why can everyone have an opinion and express that opinion but Christians? Why is it that anytime a Christian does express their opinion people get offended, call us bigots and declare us wrong?" It made me mad.
My second thought was this...we have done it to ourselves. Really, please read that again, and then, stick with me. Obviously we have been so judgmental, so pious, and so wrapped up in our "religion" that people hate us. And not only do they hate us, they hate everything we stand for. I don't believe this has been an overnight thing. I don't believe one generation or denomination has caused this. But I do want to know...how do we right this wrong? How do we show Christ to people who want NOTHING to do with Him? How do we affect our culture without being misquoted, misrepresented and mistaken? How do we change things that have gone wrong for so long? I know the answer is to love people with a genuine, Christ-like love. What I really want to know - for myself and my fellow Christians - is when are we going to do that? What does that look like? Do we line up outside food banks and homeless shelters to volunteer? Do we take the money we would spend on a Chick-Fil-A (or other restaurant) meal and give it to those organizations? Do we volunteer at abuse hotlines? Do we spend time with kids after school? Do we pick a day to start to make a difference? And if we do - will it be met with the same support that Chick-Fil-A had last week? Or will we let this be another chance we don't seize when we could have shown Christ's love to a lost world?
Just my two cents worth...
Sunday, August 5, 2012
My Two Cents Worth
Well, many people have weighed in on the Chick-fil-A issue, so why not me? Usually, I'm a self-proclaimed ostrich. When it comes to news and events, I stick my head in the sand and don't care, pretend they didn't happen, whatever. Well this Chick-fil-A thing has been on my mind and I've read things from both sides regarding the issue. I have gone back and forth...glad that Chick-Fil-A had supporters and that Christians have (finally) taken a stand together. I have been ill that the whole thing has been blown out of proportion and drawn lines.
And then...I saw this picture a few days ago and it rubbed me the wrong way.
I don't know why exactly. I think it's for more than one reason. At first I thought, "Well, rarely have I seen anyone - Christian or otherwise - lined up to help at a food bank/homeless shelter." I'm not saying there aren't volunteers who faithfully feed the poor and give to the needy. I just don't think that kind of event gets our attention like standing up for "our rights." But also because I see a little bit of truth there and it stings. I had some time over the weekend by myself (I know, rarely does THAT happen) and I was able to put together my thoughts on this.
I drove past a Chick-Fil-A and my first thought was, "Why can everyone have an opinion and express that opinion but Christians? Why is it that anytime a Christian does express their opinion people get offended, call us bigots and declare us wrong?" It made me mad.
My second thought was this...we have done it to ourselves. Really, please read that again, and then, stick with me. Obviously we have been so judgmental, so pious, and so wrapped up in our "religion" that people hate us. And not only do they hate us, they hate everything we stand for. I don't believe this has been an overnight thing. I don't believe one generation or denomination has caused this. But I do want to know...how do we right this wrong? How do we show Christ to people who want NOTHING to do with Him? How do we affect our culture without being misquoted, misrepresented and mistaken? How do we change things that have gone wrong for so long? I know the answer is to love people with a genuine, Christ-like love. What I really want to know - for myself and my fellow Christians - is when are we going to do that? What does that look like? Do we line up outside food banks and homeless shelters to volunteer? Do we take the money we would spend on a Chick-Fil-A (or other restaurant) meal and give it to those organizations? Do we volunteer at abuse hotlines? Do we spend time with kids after school? Do we pick a day to start to make a difference? And if we do - will it be met with the same support that Chick-Fil-A had last week? Or will we let this be another chance we don't seize when we could have shown Christ's love to a lost world?
Just my two cents worth...
I don't know why exactly. I think it's for more than one reason. At first I thought, "Well, rarely have I seen anyone - Christian or otherwise - lined up to help at a food bank/homeless shelter." I'm not saying there aren't volunteers who faithfully feed the poor and give to the needy. I just don't think that kind of event gets our attention like standing up for "our rights." But also because I see a little bit of truth there and it stings. I had some time over the weekend by myself (I know, rarely does THAT happen) and I was able to put together my thoughts on this.
I drove past a Chick-Fil-A and my first thought was, "Why can everyone have an opinion and express that opinion but Christians? Why is it that anytime a Christian does express their opinion people get offended, call us bigots and declare us wrong?" It made me mad.
My second thought was this...we have done it to ourselves. Really, please read that again, and then, stick with me. Obviously we have been so judgmental, so pious, and so wrapped up in our "religion" that people hate us. And not only do they hate us, they hate everything we stand for. I don't believe this has been an overnight thing. I don't believe one generation or denomination has caused this. But I do want to know...how do we right this wrong? How do we show Christ to people who want NOTHING to do with Him? How do we affect our culture without being misquoted, misrepresented and mistaken? How do we change things that have gone wrong for so long? I know the answer is to love people with a genuine, Christ-like love. What I really want to know - for myself and my fellow Christians - is when are we going to do that? What does that look like? Do we line up outside food banks and homeless shelters to volunteer? Do we take the money we would spend on a Chick-Fil-A (or other restaurant) meal and give it to those organizations? Do we volunteer at abuse hotlines? Do we spend time with kids after school? Do we pick a day to start to make a difference? And if we do - will it be met with the same support that Chick-Fil-A had last week? Or will we let this be another chance we don't seize when we could have shown Christ's love to a lost world?
Just my two cents worth...
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1 comment:
I respect that you are stating your point clearly, calmly, and collectedly. I also agree that, in fact, Christians have the right to freedom of speech just as much as the occupy protestors did. We can't choose sides in "free speech," which is the beauty of the concept.
However, I think part of it is that the Bible has been used to justify atrocities throughout history as we know it. Think about it. From the Spanish Inquisition through Slavery through the Holocaust, right on into the Civil Rights Movement and up to now. And, as an educated woman, which I truly believe you are, it's mighty hard to deny. Picking and choosing scripture to justify one's own political ends... is it not as blasphemous as using scripture to say blacks shouldn't vote? Or have civil rights? Or that all Jews should be put to death? Heck, if the Catholics were standing solid ground... as a denomination of Christianity... what about Christians who use birth control?
When Christ came with the new covenant, his instructions were a) to love the Lord your God with all your heart, soul, and mind and b) love your neighbor as yourself. This goes beyond mediocre chicken sammiches and soggy waffle-cut freedom fries. This boils down to love, and how to show it. Even to those that you may disagree with. Yes, you have freedom of speech in this country. You do, I do, Mr. Cathy does. But when one uses free speech to endorse what amounts to hate speech (not Mr. Cathy, but think about all the pulpiteers hollering for the killing of gays and using the Bible to back it up), that crosses a pretty big line.
But at the end of the day, does a company's CEO not have the same rights to free speech as the rest of us? Absolutely. But as the CEO he has to face the praise and blame of the public. As a figure in the public sector who could be donating proceeds to *good* instead of sheer hatred, it's going to come under scrutiny. That's the way the mop flops, my friend.
Also, it's hard to base an entire philosophy on one or two passages of scripture. In that case, men shouldn't have relations with ovulating women, nor should any of us care about football... or bbq... or any of the things that give the South a rich and diverse heritage. These are passages that orthodox Jews and Muslims take to heart that so many self-professed Christians don't. And though I'm on the side of the oppressed here, I can at least throw honor to Jews and Muslims for being able to back up their hatred, at least because they don't cherrypick scriptures as they see fit.
It's unfortunate that the Word has had to be slandered because folks think homosexual relationships are gross. And at the end of the day, that's what it comes down to. God knows, the "sanctity of marriage" has been thrown out the window for long enough. Matthew 21:8-9 makes it clear that a) reasons for divorce in New Testament times don't jive with Old Testament reasons and b) divorce for any reason other than sexual immorality is a sin.
Yet why aren't we protesting the right to divorce for things like "irreconcilable differences?" Why weren't Christians rioting in the streets after Britney Spears' 24-hour wedding?
And thus lies the rub with Christianity cherrypicking to mandate morals.
I appreciate your thoughtful post and certainly understand the ostrich effect. Lord knows, I'm as much of an ostrich as you. But gays are *people.* They're our neighbor. It's Christ's second commandment, which Christians go puffing up in folks' faces about, that we need to remember.
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