Christians sin on a regular basis because we do not love God with all of their hearts, our neighbor as ourselves, or one another as Christ loves us. There may be "no male or female, no black or white, no slave or free" in Christ, but even today, church services are the most segregated hours in America. I've heard ordained elders use bad language. I knew a deacon who hired a hit man to kill his wife and children, I've known several pastors who have had affairs, and many Christians harbor the same narrow views that others harbor. Some Christians are just plain hateful, and there have been times in history when Christians have done evil things. Although there were brave exceptions, many Christians were tangled up in the holocaust, apartheid, and slavery. This is regrettable...but Christianity has saved the world!
Christians are not perfect people, far from it... but the vast majority of them try their best to follow Christ. They may not forgive 70 times 7, but most Christians are forgiving people, and while they may not turn the other cheek, they deplore violence. Christians see dimly, but they do see the image of God in others, and they honor it. Christians aren't always their best selves... but they are sincerely committed to a life based on prayer and love. America was founded by Christians, and while it was always more of a patchwork than a melting pot, America was nonetheless, the only place on earth where people could worship God as they chose. America is the greatest nation the world has ever known, and it's greatness can be traced directly to its work ethic... and to its Christian faith. Jesus called Christians to be the light of the world, and while we do not shine as brightly as we should, the world would be a much darker and more violent place without Christians! Christianity is based on love- love for God, love for self, love for other Christians, and love for our neighbor- no matter what color she may be or what faith he may practice. Love is our foundation, our practice, and our hope... and it has given fuller lives to countless numbers of people.
President Obama noted recently that we can't wage war on any religion... and I agree. We must not wage war on Muslims, or Jews, or Presbyterians because, in doing so, we create a nightmare. We need to be cautious and diplomatic because our world is a dangerous place... and besides, the vast majority of Muslims ARE faithful and peaceful people. I believe this, but we can't throw our own faith under the bus to make others feel better about themselves! Christianity is a great religion (period). This doesn't and cannot mean that we should attack any other religion, but it does call for us to stand for a world in which all people are free of terror and, for that matter, where women are loved and empowered, We must- and I wish our churches would be louder- wage war on bigotry, hate, and violence, no matter who's name it is committed in! Our world will not survive if even a small part of it is stuck in the Middle Ages, and that brings me to the Crusades, PLEASE don't bring up the Crusades when you are dissing Christianity... because it was a different culture and 1000 years ago. PLEASE don't compare the slaughter of children and the savage execution of innocents, in our time... with actions that took place 1000 years ago! The pogroms, inquisitions, and witch hunts of the past were deplorable. There is no doubt about it, and they took place from Europe to China, and from Russia to Africa. It was a primitive time and barbaric people ruled the land... but this is 2015 and we cannot tolerate barbaric people. Launching a "crusade," would be uncivilized and counterproductive. But there's something evil going on here- something diabolical- and it won't be stopped by suggesting that we are evil too.
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