Radicals

People get extremely up in arms about what they believe. It's the reason we have die-hard republicans and democrats. It's why we have so many church denominations. And it's why people are driven to do heinous things like bomb abortion clinics and crash planes into buildings.

I remember walking to class last year and passing by some anti-abortion protestors. Personally, I am against abortion. But these people were holding up large pictures of aborted children and yelling at passers-by. When two men walking in front of me (obviously pro-choicers) were yelled at, they responded likewise. What resulted was a mean-spirited yelling match on the way to class that even included some of the young children involved in the protest. They couldn't have been more than five years old. In that moment, I was ashamed to be a Christian.

It is a widely known fact that many horrible atrocities have been committed in the name of Christianity - the crusades, inquisitions, witch hunts, racism. But these things were and are decidedly not Godly. I think the line gets crossed when we twist the words of the Bible in order to achieve our personal agendas under the banner of Christ.

The very fact of the matter is that Jesus was not a militant. He taught a message of love and lived out that message for all to see. In fact, he instructed us all to do that very same thing.

"A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another, even as I have loved you, that you also love one another. By this all men will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another." John 13:34-35

furthermore,

"You have heard that it was said, 'You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy.' But I say to you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, so that you may be sons of your Father who is in heaven..." Matthew 6:43-45

When I see radical Christians, I see people who have "lost the plot", as the Newsboys put it. They care more about changing people's minds and shoving their ideals down people's throats than actually loving them as Christ would. As Christians, we need to analyze our motives for the stances we take and so adamantly hold. Are they what God wants, or what we want?