lovely. I haven’t met many of these people (probably because the place I go to interact with Christians is Church) but from rare experiences, trying to discuss theology with these people is often quite difficult. There was someone online, albeit from a different country, who joined a Christian group chat and had a vitriolic hatred of muslims. We kept trying to correct him on his behaviour, and then he ended up leaving (whatever his version was of) Christianity because we weren’t letting him have a vitriolic hatred of muslims.
Same here, in France. I read everywhere that Christians are nationalists hating LGBTQ people and women’s rights… most of the grey hairs on my church’s benches fought for the legalization of abortion (I criticised May 68 one day and was almost lynched), my pastor marries homosexuals and the president of my church (a woman, by the way) openly condemned Le Pen and her party.
But if I discuss with less active Christians, who I see only rarely or not at all (but send money once a year to our parish, they proudly say), the tone is very different.
It has been clear throughout scriptures that unborn lives matter and that murder is wrong due to people being created in the image of God
I get not hating lgbtq+ people - such a thing is wrong (You shall love your neighbour as yourself) but “marrying” homosexuals is not what this means…
Racism and misogyny is of course wrong as well, people are created in the image of God.
In my denomination/Church, we don’t permit these things for good reason. Because the Bible is the final authority. In fact, the Bible will always oppose popular society trends. If the Bible doesn’t offend you, you’re reading it wrong. That’s because of our sinful nature. So the Bible is anti racist and would have offended racists, same with greed, and then the cultural norms of today. It calls us to repent and convicts us of our sin. But at the same time, it’s not typically a Christian’s business what a non Christian does either (1 Corinthians 5:12-13) (Hence I have no issue with same-sex unions being legal on a civil/legal level)
I’ve noticed here in Australia as well. Our pastor hard that people were picking sides in the Israeli Palestinian Iranian war and he slapped it down in a sermon and told us that we were to love everyone with all our hearts.
But I’ve mentioned that I’m a church goer to people who don’t believe at all and they told me that Australia should be a Christian country. I’m not sure what value they see in Christianity, but I doubt it matches what I’ve been taught
lovely. I haven’t met many of these people (probably because the place I go to interact with Christians is Church) but from rare experiences, trying to discuss theology with these people is often quite difficult. There was someone online, albeit from a different country, who joined a Christian group chat and had a vitriolic hatred of muslims. We kept trying to correct him on his behaviour, and then he ended up leaving (whatever his version was of) Christianity because we weren’t letting him have a vitriolic hatred of muslims.
Same here, in France. I read everywhere that Christians are nationalists hating LGBTQ people and women’s rights… most of the grey hairs on my church’s benches fought for the legalization of abortion (I criticised May 68 one day and was almost lynched), my pastor marries homosexuals and the president of my church (a woman, by the way) openly condemned Le Pen and her party.
But if I discuss with less active Christians, who I see only rarely or not at all (but send money once a year to our parish, they proudly say), the tone is very different.
okay that’s a bit far
It has been clear throughout scriptures that unborn lives matter and that murder is wrong due to people being created in the image of God
I get not hating lgbtq+ people - such a thing is wrong (You shall love your neighbour as yourself) but “marrying” homosexuals is not what this means…
Racism and misogyny is of course wrong as well, people are created in the image of God.
In my denomination/Church, we don’t permit these things for good reason. Because the Bible is the final authority. In fact, the Bible will always oppose popular society trends. If the Bible doesn’t offend you, you’re reading it wrong. That’s because of our sinful nature. So the Bible is anti racist and would have offended racists, same with greed, and then the cultural norms of today. It calls us to repent and convicts us of our sin. But at the same time, it’s not typically a Christian’s business what a non Christian does either (1 Corinthians 5:12-13) (Hence I have no issue with same-sex unions being legal on a civil/legal level)
Let’s agree to disagree.
I’ve noticed here in Australia as well. Our pastor hard that people were picking sides in the Israeli Palestinian Iranian war and he slapped it down in a sermon and told us that we were to love everyone with all our hearts.
But I’ve mentioned that I’m a church goer to people who don’t believe at all and they told me that Australia should be a Christian country. I’m not sure what value they see in Christianity, but I doubt it matches what I’ve been taught