(Matthew 5:44-45, King James Version)
With these words, we who follow the teachings of the Bible, are given guidance and wisdom to live in peace with others. The new Testament is rife with guidance for any person who professes to receive Jesus as their Savior. As Christians we are to turn the other cheek so that enemies can be shamed into striking once again, an act designed to expose transgressors and bring about humility. The Bible teaches us that if our enemies are hungry, feed them, if they thirst give them water, that way we 'hold burning coals above their heads. ' These words and many more were inspired to guide a peaceful existence of all mankind.
Apparently two proclaimed Christian Pastors, at opposite ends of the United States, slept through their seminary classes. By now, you have already learned that the planned Qur'an burning by Rev. Terry Jones of the Dove World Outreach Center, after a worldwide outcry was canceled, only to be picked up by another religious radical, a Rev. Fred Phelps of the Westboro Baptist Church.
I use the term religious radicals because I am deliberately trying to distance these two men from Christianity. Very much like how mainstream Islam wants to distance themselves from the radicals that are tied to 9/11 and other acts that are contrary to the teachings found in the Qur'an.
As Christians, our mission is to share the gospel. We are to live our lives as examples knowing full well that we have been forgiven for our sins. It is this understanding of setting examples that many find difficult to live, and it is these words found in Matthew 5:44-45 that provide all Christians with the proper responses to anyone who persecutes, rebukes, attacks or even oppose their beliefs.
What Jones and Phelps and their ilk have done, is in direct opposition to the Christian catch-phrase, “What Would Jesus Do”.
They have in very short order, enraged other radicals and as a result caused the reported deaths of some people in Afghanistan, and injured countless more. In other words, they are as responsible for these deaths as are the people who did the killings.
They claim that their mission was to protest the planned construction of an Islamic Centre near the former site of the World Trade Centre which was brought down by radical Islamists. However, Jones has been quoted as saying that his church's goals was “to expose that there is an element of Islam that is very dangerous and very radical.” After the worldwide response he is quoted as saying, “we have definitely accomplished that mission.”
In the case of Phelps, he has been reported as holding signs with the words, “Thank God for dead soldiers,” and has equated the Qur'an as a “300-page work of Satanic fiction,” proclaimed that Jones is a “false prophet... bullied by sissy intolerant rebels worldwide into canceling plans to burn that blasphemous idol call the Qur'an.”
All these men and their congregation have accomplished is to degrade the Christian church and given countless Christians a black eye.
They have sparked flames in parts of the world that is already unstable.
They have threatened the lives of many people, and degraded the cause of not only the Christian church but also of mainstream Islam.
They have placed into the vocabulary of the world the term, “Mainstream Christianity” very similar to the position Islam had to adopt after 9/11 in order to distance themselves from the acts of religious radicals.
These men are radicals. People who I am ashamed to call Christian brothers. In a world where people have many faiths, whether they be Jewish, Christian, Islamist, Buddhist or Atheist, to name just a few. If we, like the radicals, judge our fellow man then each one of us shall be found guilty by our own measure. In the case of Jones and Phelps they point their fingers at the acts of others and claim that their mission is to expose evil.
In the words of Jones himself, “we have definitely accomplished that mission,” for when they opened their mouths the evil was instantly exposed.
I have had my say. Now I need to ask for forgiveness.
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