A Hard Pill to Swallow

 

It really bothers me that the Church is at the forefront of persecutions.  In fact, as I look at history it very often has been.

First it was Christians persecuting Jews.  Even the great reformer Martin Luther expressed anti-semitic views.  After the Reformation it added persecution of Catholics.  Of course, the Catholic Church also persecuted Protestants.

The next stage was the enslavement of people of color, with all kinds of prejudice against people just because of the color of their skin.  I’m not sure the Church has ever recovered from any of these problems, though some of them aren’t as vocal or in the forefront now.

One that still appears in some church bodies is subjugation of women, making them second class citizens.  In some churches women cannot be pastors, and in some ultraconservative ones women are still not allowed to vote.

Now some churches are leading the campaign against LGBT, which they call ‘Homosexuality.’  They say this is different, that it’s a sin.  I could be wrong, but I don’t see it that way.  These same churches used to be opposed to divorce, but now a divorced and remarried man may become a pastor.  How is that ‘better’ than a gay person who is in a stable, one-partner, committed relationship?

Jesus associated with all kinds of people, and the 'religious right' of his time said he “…ate with tax-collectors and sinners.”  In our time, this could be translated as hookers and homosexuals.  He commanded us to love everyone, even our enemies.  Sure that’s a hard pill to swallow, but I believe he’s asking me to.