Today, Pat Robertson went on TV and declared that the earthquake in Haiti was the Haitians fault for making a pact with the devil to free them from French rule. He has previously declared that Katrina was caused by legalized abortion, and of course, that 9/11 was because of the gays.
Just last night, Alex and I attended a "God and Family" class for Cub Scouts. One of the lessons of that class is the parable of the Prodigal Son and the point of the story is that, even if you turn your back on God, He will always welcome you back. I have a lot of issues with organized religion, but the "words in red" in the New Testament are the really the whole point of God's message, in my opinion. Be nice to each other, help each other out regardless of age, social status, etc. Jesus famously pissed off the established church of the day by hanging out with tax collectors, and other "unclean" people just so he could tell them that God loved them just as much as everyone else. That, my friends, is The Good News that people talk about and you don't have to pay $19.95 to get it. How do we get from that message, to the message of Pat Robertson?
A friend's reaction to Mr. Robertson's opinion about the earthquake is to say that it is just another reason why she will never call herself a Christian again, and this saddens me. Being a Christian didn't used to carry the same stigma as being a hatemonger. Gandhi famously said that Christianity would be a fine religion if it wasn't for the Christians, and I am afraid that he might have had a valid point. I don't go to church because many Christian people annoy me, but I still Believe. I fear that Christianity is getting hijacked by a minority of noisy, bigoted people and that the good works of lots of tireless, quiet people are going unnoticed. I know that there are Church groups all over who are probably working on Haitian relief right now, despite what Mt Robertson says. If you hear a person advocate hate in the name of God, please just ignore them. Pat, it's time to retire. Take a bow, move to a condo in Florida, and leave us alone. We want Christianity back.
Just last night, Alex and I attended a "God and Family" class for Cub Scouts. One of the lessons of that class is the parable of the Prodigal Son and the point of the story is that, even if you turn your back on God, He will always welcome you back. I have a lot of issues with organized religion, but the "words in red" in the New Testament are the really the whole point of God's message, in my opinion. Be nice to each other, help each other out regardless of age, social status, etc. Jesus famously pissed off the established church of the day by hanging out with tax collectors, and other "unclean" people just so he could tell them that God loved them just as much as everyone else. That, my friends, is The Good News that people talk about and you don't have to pay $19.95 to get it. How do we get from that message, to the message of Pat Robertson?
A friend's reaction to Mr. Robertson's opinion about the earthquake is to say that it is just another reason why she will never call herself a Christian again, and this saddens me. Being a Christian didn't used to carry the same stigma as being a hatemonger. Gandhi famously said that Christianity would be a fine religion if it wasn't for the Christians, and I am afraid that he might have had a valid point. I don't go to church because many Christian people annoy me, but I still Believe. I fear that Christianity is getting hijacked by a minority of noisy, bigoted people and that the good works of lots of tireless, quiet people are going unnoticed. I know that there are Church groups all over who are probably working on Haitian relief right now, despite what Mt Robertson says. If you hear a person advocate hate in the name of God, please just ignore them. Pat, it's time to retire. Take a bow, move to a condo in Florida, and leave us alone. We want Christianity back.
Comments
But they don't.
Great Post Tod.