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Woe to Those Who Call Evil Good
and good evil, who put darkness for light and light for darkness, who put bitter for sweet and sweet for bitter. (Isaiah 5:20 NIV)
That’s clear enough isn’t it?
Then why is it the extremists, the nut jobs, the fundamentalists seem to want to justify the evil of murder, premeditated murder at that? I don’t care if you think abortion is murder or not, it matters not to me which side of the fence you’re on. How can you approve of cold blooded murder? I’m rather ambivalent about abortion, I wish there was no need for it, but there is. This doctor wasn’t doing anything illegal. No, he isn’t some kind of hero. He’s got more guts than most, they’ve tried to kill him before. Isn’t it ironic that he was gunned down while serving in a church?
But since when does god need your help in executing his judgment?
The same thing holds true with those who are desperately trying to lessen the impact of the Catholic child abuse scandal in Ireland. By any rational moral standard this is an abomination of the highest order. And yet the morons are out in force trying to sugarcoat it, to protect the monsters who performed the abuse. Even the pope seeks to protect the abusers not the victims.
(2 Timothy 4:3 – 4 KJV) “For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but after their own lusts shall they heap to themselves teachers, having itching ears and they shall turn away their ears from the truth, and shall be turned unto fables.” This time is already here. The religious right’s marriage to the far right political world has led it sufficiently astray that evil is being spoken of as good and good as evil.
When peace loving christian sheep are so fearful that they can twist their morals around to the extent they can justify torture to protect themselves, then something has gone seriously wrong with their faith. The Wolves in sheep’s clothing who lead the right’s fear mongering know exactly what they’re doing. The terrorists are going to get you, they’re in your back yard right now. Oh, no! In the mirror, the terrorist looks just like you!
When murder becomes a justifiable means of accomplishing your political goals, you have become a terrorist. When you do it because you’re sure god wants you to execute his judgment upon the vile sinners like abortion doctors, then you’ve become a religious fanatic terrorist. What makes you any better than any of those “Other” people who aren’t like you and don’t share your values?
All these things going on right now should have more moderate and rational christians up in arms. Your moral high ground has been hijacked. If your god isn’t powerful enough to protect you on his own then maybe he has more than just feet of clay.
You don’t really believe he uses evil to accomplish good, do you?
7. June 2009 at 16:13
“You don’t really believe he uses evil to accomplish good, do you?”
I wish there wasn’t a need for abortion either, but I think it is a womans right to choose.
6. July 2009 at 18:22
As I read your blog, I was so saddened that you have lumped me into a category with what you say is “fundamentalists” or “Christians”. You have made excellent points, but I think you have also answered your own points with the Bible verses you have written.
A true Christian would see the murder of an abortionist as “murder”. We do not have the right to take a life, just as the doctor was also a murderer. He may have been operating under the law of the land, but not under the law of God. Just as the man who shot him will also be judged by the law of the land and by God. The quote from Isaiah 5:30 clearly says that these who call evil good and good evil were deceived, they were wrong!
The quote you made from 2 Timothy 4 is exactly my point. These are not true Christians. They are behaving in a way that is not in line with scripture, and the scripture that you quoted warns us not to follow them. The verse prior to the one you quoted 2 Timothy 4:2 says “Preach the Word; be prepared in season and out of season; correct, rebuke and encourage—with great patience and careful instruction.” My job as a Christian is to “correct, rebuke and encourage”. Not to judge. Even if I rebuke what others do, I cannot change their hearts, only God can do that. But I can read the Bible and know not to follow them.
There are many of us “moderate, rational Christians” who stand up against murder of any kind. Who live and stand for righteousness. Who follow Biblical principles and live by them. The problem is that the media doesn’t care about us. We are not news makers.
If you live a good moral life; stand up for the underdog; feed the poor; love your family; are a good neighbor; write letters to the newspaper denouncing evil and stand up for good; work hard for a living; donate time and money to those in need (but don’t blow our own horns to get attention for what we are doing); participate in legal community activism; maybe run for a local political office so your opinion and life can make a difference, you are not news worthy.
There are many of us out here. I have a personal relationship with the God of the Bible. I know that he can do anything and everything that has been written in the Bible. He also has a plan. I don’t even pretend to understand His plan. If I did understand everything that is in the Bible and if I thought I understood even a fraction of what my God understands, then I guess I wouldn’t want to serve him. If I can understand God then he isn’t smart enough to create and rule the entire universe.
The scripture you quoted in 2 Timothy is exactly how it is right now. “For the time will come when men will not put up with sound doctrine. Instead, to suit their own desires, they will gather around them a great number of teachers to say what their itching ears want to hear. They will turn their ears away from the truth and turn aside to myths.” Isn’t it amazing how the Bible, written thousands of years ago could so accurately predict the world we are living in today? Even reading your blog just reinforces the amazing God that I serve.
Because I don’t even pretend to understand the big picture of the Bible, all I can do is say to you, as a Christian, that even though you seem bitter and disillusioned about the world today and the role that Christians should be playing, there are some of us out here that are living as Christ instructed us to live. We also see and are embarrassed for Christ at how some live and behave when calling themselves “Christians”. But I also know that Christ died for their sins as he did mine and I know that if they repent Christ will forgive them just as he forgave me of my sins. I am so grateful that I don’t have the job of trying to change people’s hearts. My job is to live for Christ and as for these others, if they are Christians, I am to correct rebuke and encourage them to follow Christ and the true scriptural principles that are written in the Bible.
To say that I am not up in arms is untrue. What I do or say will not be reported by the media because there is such bias against standing up for good against evil, unless the “good” is for a politically correct cause. The stand I take and the activism I participate in against these unlawful, ungodly acts will never be reported. But that doesn’t matter to me. I don’t do them to gain accolades. I do them because it is the right thing to do and I will continue to do the right thing whether it is seen by everyone or not.
My God is powerful enough to change lives and protect what He chooses to protect. But he has also given us free will to follow Him or to reject Him. He will not force himself on this world although he gave us the way to be saved from this world. “For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.” John 3:16. We all have a choice and I choose to follow Christ and call myself a Christian. But I also know that not all who say they are Christians are true followers of Christ.
Please don’t put us all in the same category. The Bible says that you will know they are Christians by their love for one another. Galatians 5:22-23 “But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control.” This doesn’t mean weakness, passiveness or inability to stand up for what is right. In reading this scripture I think you will be able to differentiate a true Christian from a pseudo “Christian”. Don’t lump all who call themselves Christians into one category because of ignorance, arrogance or prejudice.
I am committed to stand up for what is right and against what is evil. I am humbled as a Christian to have had Christ lay down his life on the cross for my sins. I will stand up against sin, as Christ modeled for me. And with God’s help I will make a difference in this world. My God can do everything and He has and will continue to do all things according to His will. It is not my job as a Christian to punish sinners that is up to God. It is my job to stand up for righteousness. I try to do this every day, in how I treat others, speak, act and live.
Look for true Christians and see what they are doing. I pray daily that as I will live my life it will be pleasing to God.
Thanks for voicing your opinion and allowing me to voice mine.
Ruth
8. July 2009 at 12:03
Well, Ruth, thanks for dropping by.
I don’t think I was deliberately including you in the group I was criticizing. You seem to have done that yourself.
You say it isn’t your job to judge others yet you also say Tilman was a murderer and other christians aren’t real christians. Only christians who believe like you do are real christians. Having had experienced this sort of thing for many many years up close and personal, I would like to point out that there are literally hundreds of different sects of christianity who for some doctrinal statement or another would quite unequivocally declare that you aren’t a real christian either. They are just as sincere as you. They are just as convinced as you (some even more so). They know the bible as well as or better than you. And they are serving god wholeheartedly. But they are focused on other foundational verses than you.
There are pentecostal groups which are thoroughly convinced that if you don’t speak in tongues you aren’t filled with the holy spirit - some of them would even say you aren’t really saved. The Church of Christ would say you aren’t really saved if you aren’t baptized the right way. The Seventh Day Adventists say that if you don’t keep the Sabbath you aren’t a real christian. There are fanatical groups which would say you aren’t a real christian if you don’t handle poisonous snakes.
All these groups and more are convinced that their way is the right way. And everyone else who doesn’t believe their way is not a “REAL” christian. And every last one of them claims they have love for one another.
I spent 18 years preaching a pentecostal type message among more old school mainline denominations. According to many of them I was never a “real” christian. That’s what I blog about. Christianity contradicts itself in so many ways.
I don’t think anyone is a “REAL” christian.
14. November 2009 at 18:39
I’m glad someone shares my views. Well written blog, my friend whom I’ve never met.
I’m tired of hearing people say, “You can’t judge me,” when I’m not judging, I’m stating a fact according to the Bible.
If a mother sees her child about to run into a busy street, is she going to sit idly by and watch, assuming it is not her place to warn her child of the dangers of his physical decisions? Then why do we somehow feel justified in keeping silent when the people we know and love are marching toward an eternity in hell? If I tell you you’re doing wrong, I’m not judging you; I’m warning you in love. Only someone who truly cares would try to warn you of the dangers at the end of the road you’re so willingly traveling.
I’m tired of people being weak, easily led “Christians” who won’t stand up for what is right because they fear opposition.
I’m tired of people who just “go with the flow” and think Political Correctness is a necessity. Where are the people with backbone? Where are those who will follow Christ and not candy-coat the truth?
I’m just growing weary of easy believe-ism and the results that it brings — people who can’t tell right from wrong because they’ve been brainwashed to believe whatever sounds nice.
The fact is, Everyone who walks this earth is NOT a child of God. Even Jesus himself accused certain people of being children of the devil. You can’t be a child to both. And if you’re a child of God, stop being weak. Now is the time to be strong. We’re facing the end of days, and those who are weak will be far too easily led away from God by sweet talkers under the guise of caring friends.
… Ok, there’s my rant and rave about people who won’t stand up for truth. I enjoyed reading your blog. Thanks for posting. God bless!