Having been raised Catholic, attending both a Catholic elementary and high school, having taught CCD (That’s Sunday school for non-Catholics), having entered a seminary for a while, and having many friends who are priests or who had also left the seminary like I did, I have pretty good idea of what it meant to be Christian.
I said “meant” and not “means” because, having become the equivalent of a political party, those professing they are Christians have drastically changed what that means.
Besides holding certain beliefs, I.E. believing in the Holy Trinity who created heaven and earth, with Jesus having been born of the Virgin Mary, crucified, died, buried, rising on the third day, and ascending into heaven where He is seated at the right hand of the Father judginf the living and the dead, the Holy Spirit, the holy catholic (small C universal and united) Church, the communion of saints, the forgiveness of sins, the resurrection of the body, and the life everlasting, there is also a requirement to perform works of mercy both corporal and spiritual in order to get into heaven.
Those works of mercy include, on the corporal list, feeding the hungry, giving drink to the thirsty, clothing the naked, sheltering the homeless, visiting the sick, giving alms to the poor, ransoming the captives, and burying the dead.
On the spiritual list Christians are supposed to help our neighbors with their emotional and spiritual needs by instructing the ignorant, counseling the doubtful, bearing wrongs patiently, forgiving offenses willingly, comforting the afflicted, and praying for the living and the dead.
Then there are the beatitudes that list who is blessed – the poor in spirit, those who mourn, the meek, those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, the merciful, the pure of heart, the peacemakers, and those persecuted for the sake of righteousness.
Loving one’s neighbor as oneself and not judging others also enter the picture
And, of course there is that pesky thing that separates religion from politics when Jesus said to render to Caesar what is his and God what’s God’s.
And you can tell the true Christians because by their fruits you shall know them.
Discrimination and judgment are missing from the lists. Refusing medical care for religious reasons would obviously go against the works of mercy as do refusing to be charitable, both in act and spirit, and forcing ones beliefs on others by influencing politicians to pass legislation because of the failure to attract adherents because the “good news” is presented with meanness, and brow beating people rather than though instruction, counseling or comforting.
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Now it has become all about making it legal to discriminate in the name of religion. They want Caesar to render unto them.
Mike Pence, when speaking to Liberty University’s graduating class, warned them that they are a part of America’s most marginalized group of people.
“Some of the loudest voices for tolerance today have little tolerance for traditional Christian beliefs. As you go about your daily life, just be ready because you’re going to be asked not just to tolerate things that violate your faith, you’re going to be asked to endorse them. You’re going to be asked to bow down to the idols of the popular culture.”
And he predicted that they will be “shunned or ridiculed for defending the teachings of the Bible.”
But no one actually has “little tolerance for traditional Christian beliefs”, but rather would like those who claim they are Christian to get back to them.
Although he said that “attacks on Christian education” are “un-American”, he seems to dismiss the idea that attacks on Americans in the name of religion are unchristian, and although he told the graduates,
“Decide here and now that you’re going to stand firm. You’ll always be prepared to give a reason for the hope that you have, and you’ll do so with gentleness and respect”,
somehow I do not see how discriminating against people and fighting for the special right to pick and choose which laws they will follow, which citizens they can let die through the denial of medical care, and which people are deserving of physical and mental harm is doing anything with “gentleness and respect.”
He is angry that he and those like him who have turned religion into a political weapon are expected to act like a Christian and that does not make others hateful.
Expecting the followers of Jesus to adhere to His teachings is not persecution, nor is it intolerant.