A few years ago, I wrote a post about religious civility and the lack of respect that some people show towards people of faith, specifically towards Christians. The post was a reaction to some of the things that a few of my friends and acquaintances had posted over Easter weekend.
I honestly hadn’t planned to address the issue again but after seeing the same recycled “jokes” this past weekend, I realized two things:
- The Bible says if I deny Jesus here on earth, He’ll deny me in Heaven {Matthew 10:33}
- The comments and jokes are hurtful and rude, and instead of letting it fester, I need to get it out of my system
I know that much of the animosity towards Christians stems from the vitriolic actions of a few. But understand this: my love for Christ isn’t based on the condemnation of others but on the free {and sacrificial} gift of His love for me {John 3:16 and John 15:13}.
When I was in the Army and we went through sexual harassment training, one of the speakers said something that stuck with me: “Nothing is wrong until you say it’s wrong.” Meaning the initial responsibility for protecting my body, my heart, my spirit begins with me. People may not know they’re being offensive until it’s pointed out. So I’m pointing it out: calling my Lord and Savior out of His name is offensive and hurtful.
I know that we may not share the same religious beliefs and you may not understand why I believe what I do, but that doesn’t give you the right to be mean or dismissive. I may not agree with your beliefs but you’ll never hear me say anything that would grieve your heart.
Writing this post may cause me to lose some friends and I’m OK with that. Just know that I care for you and I always will. I’ll miss you and will always respect you. And, yes, I’ll even pray for you, because that’s what friends do {1 Thessalonians 5:11}.
But, ultimately, this is about my relationship with Christ and I never want to be in a position where He can say “Depart from me, I never knew you…” {Matthew 7:23}. I love my Lord and Savior and it is His approval that I desire.
