For the Love of Christ!

A friend from Colorado called this afternoon to tell me she’d received a call from an old housemate of hers. The woman insinuated that if she did not vote for McCain, she was voting for the devil – and that Obama was going to lead the country to death and destruction. (Hello….what party has led us to death and destruction in the last eight years?????)

The friend was appalled and upset because she thought this friend was somewhat intelligent, and I mentioned to her that prejudice and the type of lies that are floating around out there based on deep fear and prejudice are unrelenting. They make no sense and  hide behind the seeming irrefutable rightness of religious convictions.

I watched a wonderful evangelical minister this morning on television. He was giving a talk about the works and message of Jesus, and he spoke about how Jesus came to overcome the hatred and war that was so predominant in the Old Testament. His whole focus was on forgiving others and for loving our enemies as ourselves. He even prayed for the forgiveness of his killers on the cross. Yet, those who profess to be “Christians” and condemn others because they are different or do not agree, are no Christians. If anyone is the pawn of the so-called devil, it is they.

Christ did not come to condemn. He came to deliver us from our own ignorance, prejudice, and small mindedness. Yet, in the midst of all the condemnations about an opponent’s character, those who are most condemning of anything other than their way or view are guilty of going against the message Christ came to deliver. And the more they profess to be “Christians” and practice prejudice or deceit against others, the more clearly their deficiencies as Christians are made evident.

Beware the Pharisees. They are devoid of the light of Christ, though they clamor most vocally about their righteousness. And be aware of the fascist movement that is underlying this so-called religious fervor. It will cry “communist” and “socialist” to deflect its own agenda of totalitarian rule and the rightness of a ruling class.

God Bless the true Christian doctrine which asks us to love one another as ourselves.  And that means one thing. We are to practice compassion and giving Love in all cases. Christ never asked us to condemn anyone. That is some other character in the bible!