My Take On It

CHRISTIANS SAY THE DARNDEST THINGS.

You know, I've learned an important lesson. The biggest threat to creating defectors from Christianity is not the gays/lesbians, Muslims, wiccans, Jews, radical feminists, etc. The biggest threat in my opinion are "misinformed" Christians. Note, I did not blame all Christians, I said misinformed ones. Consider the following spiritually illogical responses to various things:

Imagine a parent loses a child to a horrible death. Some well meaning but misinformed Christian would say something like, "we must accept God's perfect plan." You mean to tell me that a small child dying a horrible death was God's perfect plan? Absolutely not. I can imagine a grieving parent so angry after such a ridiculous comment. What it was was a horrible event nothing more, nothing less. It is never God's perfect plan to cause something so tragic. It happens yes, but it is not God's perfect plan.

"We don't know if God sends newborns to hell. If He does, He does. Whatever God does is fair, just, and right." Allow me to be the first to say that if God sends babies to hell, that would make Him unfair, unjust, and wrong. Since God is fair, just, and right, He would not send a baby to hell. Some people are so misinformed that they will go on to make ridiculous statements about God. God only does what is right. Anything contrary to doing what is right would make God wrong. Instead of being so full of fear and foolishness, we should use the brains God gave us and call things what they are. God is not a man that he should lie. If God were to lie, that would not be fair, just, and right; it would make Him a liar. And we all know that God does not lie so can't, therefore, be a liar.

"It will happen in God's time." Although at times this comment is warranted, it sometimes comes as a result of being misinformed about how God works. For example, God has timing all mapped out for how someone's ministry should work out. One should not rush that. On the other hand, God will never tell someone that "it isn't my will for you or someone else to get saved right now." Are you kidding me? Now is always the time to be reconciled back to God. It is only the human who postpones salvation. Another example, how many unemployed people are waiting on God's timing to find the right job. First of all, if you believe that it's God's will for you to be unemployed when you need a job, you are not operating in Godly wisdom. God is more realistic than we paint Him. So let God lead you to gain income. Many women complain about their biological clocks. Some of these women will turn around and say, "It's just not God's time for me to be married with children." That woman may very well find herself at 45 and even 50 still single and childless. When she does, she has the nerve to blame God. Well, God made the woman's body. The medical community has confirmed that a woman's fertility begins to decline after 35. Therefore, God's timing is clear. You may say, "well, I know women who've had children well into their 40's. So? Those women are the exception, not the rule. Just because some women had children at that age does not mean most will. We can conclude that God's timing is clear in that case; God set a woman's fertility clock for a reason. Listen to Him. If not, don't blame God when you've missed the opportunity. You may as well explore the option of adoption or childfree living.

"You must have done something to deserve this." First of all, we don't know why God allows some things to happen. We certainly can't say for sure that it is the result of sin. It is usually the most self-righteous and judgmental people who say such things. If you find yourself constantly blaming tragedies on a person's sin, keep on living. You'll see.

As Christians, we must be careful not to lean on our own understanding and personal biases when we try to instruct others. Although we mean well, we are at times doing more harm than good. It is better to say nothing than to say the wrong thing and push someone away from us and more importantly, away from God.

posted by LorMarie @ 1:03 PM