So this idea, this post is a little old because it happened to me last year. But when I went back this year I was reminded of the incident. Let me set the scene.
There is a camp our Church goes to every year, and when you go to this camp if you are a youth pastor you get some sort of lanyard with a name tag so people know you’re a youth pastor, not a camper. Ok, a lot of people were waiting in line for dinner and I couldn’t help but over hear a youth pastor and a couple of students conversation, two guys and two girls to be specific.
They all were talking about this particular small town that the guys (including the youth pastor) came from, they were talking about how everyone drove lifted trucks, played football, and were manly men. I kinda rolled my eyes, until somehow the conversation turned, the girls asked if their town had any homosexuals, the youth pastor laughed and said no not at all. One of the other boys laughed as well and said they would probably get their butts beat in. The girls were laughing by now and everybody was happy.
I was stunned…
This was a youth pastor, pastor meaning Shepard, someone who is supposed to be taking care of people, caring for them, laughing.
I hurt, I starting thinking everyone in his youth ministry, there are probably people in his church that struggle with that sin, and they feel if they tell the one person they should be able to feel safe with that they will get thrown out and beat. I wonder if that town is so righteous, if they beat up adulterers, or gluttons, or prideful people. Or if homosexuality is a sin they point to other people and say at least I am not like those heathens. Because Jesus has some pretty harsh words to people who say stuff like that.
The Church should be viewed more like a hospital then a club. Welcome anyone who is sick, we are not the doctors but we know Him.
and thats why some people hate Christians….
We cannot judge because we have not been judged, but forgiven.
In Him,
JC Elliott
Jim Thornber
/ July 2, 2009All I can say is, “Amen.”
Blessings,
Jim
JulieBeth Lamb
/ July 2, 2009You are so right JC, there seem to be two reactions I see to certain sins such as homosexuality and abortion, either hate the sinner and the sin, or love the sinner and ignore the sin, the Biblical concept of love the sinner and hate the sin are rarely seen in today’s churches.
Neither approach shows Christ to these people, either they think Christians are all haters, or they see that they accept sin and do not live any better than non Christians. There is no reason for them to be drawn to the Lord. We need to love them so much and be so filled with compassion that they want what we have, they want to be with us, they turn to us in times of trouble.
Jacob
/ July 2, 2009Or, you know, you could simply leave non-Christians be. After all, all proselytizing is by definition a condemnation. Why should anyone love or respect the ignorance of those who would come to their door to condemn them?
JC
/ July 2, 2009Jacob,
I don’t think you got Juliebeth’s point fully. She was saying live a life that is like light. So shine your light, love people, because you were loved first. And when they start to seek for something more, they will know something id different about us and ask about it. I believe St. Francis of Aissi said it best, “Preach the Gospel always and if nessisary use words.”
In Him,
JC
sarge
/ July 4, 2009Great website. Very professional and well thought out! Thanks!
Brian
/ July 5, 2009Interesting post. Thanks for sharing that experience. We can only hope those sorts of youth ministers are few and far between, and yet what can we expect when the majority of those in the Christian church seem to harbor and express such disrespectful attitudes against any non-heterosexual people? I’m a pastor, I do not believe that homosexuality in and of itself is a sin, any more than heterosexuality is — it all comes down to individual intent. That said, I think what you point to here is the inevitable end of result of the Church’s continual preaching against all people who do not conform to one particular reading of scripture. Peace, Brian
selahconnect
/ August 5, 2009Great post, JC.
This makes you stop and think about the sin Christian people in fact do commit. Even though the youth pastor should not have been laughing in that situation, we are not to judge him.
You are absolutely right though, that the church should be like a hospital; to invite the sick.
God Bless.
-Danielle
Max
/ March 9, 2011I don’t hate Christians, I hate the excessive telling me off, all Christians do that, it’s a disease. God hates us, He hates Jews and Christians. Jews all go to heaven, most Christians go to hell. It’s logical to face the reality, not religious invention, that hell exists. Jesus is the most ridiculous person in the world, and my older brother, David, with spirituality is a warmonger and silly. My Buddhist brother is a warmonger, only made me happy once while religious. Yes I will eat bread as a change of religion, but I will never break it and eat it with tax collectors. I know what I want: happiness and the end of all wars. I was always parsimonious and loved money which is the root of a good bargain, I’m humble to use $1600 when the government gives it to me, I don’t suffer from the delusion that this is selfish. Can you detect what’s wrong with money?
JC
/ March 9, 2011Sorry Max, I can’t tell what in the world your post is about….is English your first language?
Max
/ March 9, 2011Another thing: Christianity is excessively excessive. The Bible overwhelms me, it’s stupid. Yes you must think of the one Christian sin: excessive trouble. If my mother was a Jew instead of a secular Christian, she wouldn’t tell me off constantly. It’s a sin to have excessive telling off to people, I can’t win with Christians. I act like them, they tell me off, I play the piano and playing the piano is a sin! Keep it simple: liberty, pride, not all these rules!
Max
/ March 9, 2011Thank you for telling me, JC, but I do speak English. My post is about the corruption of Christianity.
Max
/ March 9, 2011This is for Jim Thornber: Amen! I say Kibu, half made up word and half Swahili word, I invented the word in Kenya to mean “amen” and I extended it to mean “dog food”. “Kibu” sounds chewy to me, but “amen” is its official equivalent. What was I thinking? Is saying “amen” dog-like to me?