Is this a fair statement?
Are we actually capable of doing this?
As Christians, this phrase is hurled around so much lately to get them out of a uncomfortable conversation. Gandhi in his autobiography, brought a discussion of this phrase to the forefront. He writes, "Hate the sin and not the sinner is a precept which, though easy to understand, is rarely practiced, and that is why poison of hatred spreads throughout the world." Gandhi argues that using this phrase is an excuse to judge another person because it cannot be effectively practiced.
And friends, this phrase has been used on me numerous times and I just cannot put up with it any longer.
From friends.
From folks I considered close family.
And it just brings such churl and bile to my stomach.
Lest we forget...We are ALL SINNERS. We ALL have things that we are going to have to account for when we kneel before the throne of God. The phrase is FILLED with judgement, filled with contempt on life "choices" and courses...which are now falsehoods.
This phrase presents actually a strong division. A division between those who are labeled sinners and those who have deemed themselves not sinful, but truthfully, this phrase is an easy out for those who consider themselves devout Christians. An out for a difficult conversation about sin. An out for those who forget about Jesus' life purpose...to love even the darkest of sinner, to love your neighbor as yourself, and to live a life filled with love for your fellow man. Even the statement itself pales and reveals the fact that it is okay to HATE the sin. Perhaps we should all embrace the fact that we are all sinners, we are all guilty of breaking the rules? 1 Peter 4:8 states: "Above all, maintain constant love for one another, for love covers a multitude of sins."
My life's mantra has always been that of wearing love for your fellow man everywhere you go to everyone you meet. Love. LOVE. LOVE.
Hate is so prevalent in our country these days. And nowhere is it more prevalent that towards the queer population. LGBTQ community members have been forced to move away from organized religion because of this very statement and for that I am saddened. I am not going to hold back any longer...We have seen a movement in the last few years, under this divisive Presidential administration that it is okay to fling hate left and right and that this action, deemed by our illustrious President, as something that is okay or supported. Christians left and right are hypcritically turning a blind eye to what this administration is doing, breaking down the rights of my community and we are supposed to sit idly by and say it's okay? All under the name and guise of Christian ethics and standards?
I say NO.
"Religious Freedom" has been thrown around here lately in the press and from this administration. Every religion, according to our forefathers, is welcome in this country. Whether it is that you are Muslim, Jewish, or Atheist, or a Satan worshipper or Christian, whether you are gay, straight, or transgender, black or white, immigrant or natural born, our forefathers intended that you are welcome here in this country. But what folks don't seem to understand is that this whole "Religious Freedom" movement we are seeing is a movement to discriminate against the LGBTQ population and this administration, under the divisive eye of both the President AND Vice President, is guilty of its promotion. And should we be surprised? Just look at Pence's track record during his tenure as Governor of the state of Indiana, where he supported discriminatory bills towards the LGBTQ community, including conversion therapy, which has now been proven as HORRIBLE. Give Boy Erased a read or watch the movie and then we can discuss.
Folks, there is a very clear separation between church and state in this country and when a supposed belief in God is used to discriminate against others in this country and that this is OK to some in this country, I have a real problem with that. It creates a "You are not equal to me, because you love another man." "YOU are not equal to me because another woman has stolen your heart." "You are less than me because of who you choose to love"
Yet we are all created equal according to our forefathers who created this country.
You see the problem?
It is discrimination.
Just this very semester, one of my children was forced to stop competing with a piece, that was very CLEARLY a competitive piece on a national level and accepted as such on a national level, because it contained content centered around the birth of Jesus. This very devout Christian student was told she could not perform this piece, even though she had earned her spot at Tournament of Champions three times over, because ONE PERSON deemed it a "parody of a sacred religion", ONE PERSON who had missed the entire point of the piece and deemed it her responsibility to reign down on a program and competitive style she knew nothing about...
There is a shift in this country and it is time to WAKE UP!
We have a choice coming in 2020.
Are we going to fuel more HATE?
Are we going to allow HATRED to grow and become an accepted part of the framework of our country's future?
Are we going to allow discrimination to run rampant and build even more than it already has? This current President and his entire administration has set a VERY clear path and course when it comes to discrimination...VERY CLEAR.
I am not a Republican. (SHOCKER)
I am not a Democrat. (EVEN BIGGER SHOCKER)
I consider myself very independent when it comes to politics.
But I cannot rightfully align myself with this current administration and will do everything I can to get change back into this country.
I would hope that we all spend some time in reflection and decide what we are going to allow...
And please by all means...if this has been a phrase you have adopted as your guise for how you interact with others...by all means, move at a glacial pace and figure out where you stand on this and if it is going to be on the side of judgement...remove me from your ranks...
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